Episode 15 The Mongols in Central Asia

The Mongol Empire

Dr Craig Benjamin (2020)

Film Review

Most of this lecture concerns the Toluid Revolution, which transferred control of the Central Asian Chagatai Khanate from the descendants of Ogedai and Chagatai to those of their younger brother Tolui. This involved nearly a century of civil war in which Chinggis Khan’s descendants fought over control of Central Asia, often involving rulers of the Persian Ilkhanate and the Yuan dynasty in their struggles.

1269 – a kuritai held in the Mongol homeland divides control of the empire between between Qubilai Khan (who assumed control of the former Jin dynasty in northern China),  Kaidu (who assumed control of the modern day Xinjiang province in western China), Baraq (who became ruler of the Chagatai Khanate) and Mongke Temur (who assumed control of the Persian Ilkhanate).

1271 – Qubilai Khan conquers the Song Dynasty and establishes the Yuan dynasty.

1275 – Qubilai Khan leads the Yuan army against Kaidu for refusing to recognize him as Great Khan and for stirring up rebellions in Tibet and Manchuria.

1270 – Kaidu reclaims parts of western China, as well as promoting rebellions in the Ikhanate and leading raids into India.

1310 – Yuan dynasty absorbs most of the western Chagatai Khanate, while Ilkahanate Khanate absorbs the eastern regions.

The fall of the Chagatai Khanate in the mid-14th century led to the rise of independent Mogulistan and Mawarannhr (Transoxiana), which became part of the Arab caliphate. Both regions mainly spoke Turkic instead of Mongolian.

Inhabitants of Mogulistan remained nomadic, living mainly in mobile tent cities and retaining the administrative structure created by Chinggis Khan to collect taxes, mint Arabic and Persian silver coins, and protect the Silk Road trade*

Bukhara in Transoxania built several madrassa and supported Sufi missionaries who spread Islam via the Silk Road.

*With Mogulistan producing apples, melons, fur, slaves, wine and textiles.

Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/12373094/12373124