U368 Mongol Conquest
Week 15, Monday:  Islamization of the Golden Horde; fall of Mongol states

 

  1. Islamization in the Golden Horde
    1. Islamization under Berke (1257-1265):  first Mongol to rule as Muslim
      1. Influenced by Bukharan Sufi (Islamic mystic)
      2. Diplomacy:  Egyptian alliance
        1. Alliance of two Muslim powers against anti-Muslim Il-qans
    2. "Pagan" period, esp. under Togto'a (1291-1312):  Buddhism?  Native religion?
      1. "Uighurs" and bagshis become influential as scribes (and teachers)
    3. Islamization and Özbek Khan (1312-1341)
      1. 1300 to 1347/8:  increased trade, economy monetarized, inflation
      2. Özbek with aid of Qutlugh-temür and queen Bayalun seizes throne
        1. Purge of numerous opposed beys and nobility
        2. Official Islamization; puts off gold crown for steel shirt
      3. Continues alliance with Egypt, adds alliance with Byzantium
  2. The golden age and collapse of Mongol rule:  1305-1360
    1. Restoration of peace (most of the time) between the khnates
      1. Temür/Ch'eng-tsung defeats Qayidu, Duwa
      2. Treaty in Öljeytü's letter (40 years of war blamed on "bad commoners")
      3. Yuan paid princes taxes from Chinese appanages in chung-t'ung paper
    2. Steady increase in monetarization from 1300 to 1347/8
      1. Large bullion flows; European, Chinese silver to India, Middle East
      2. Yuan economy moderately strong, inflation troublesome
        1. Gold-silver ratio 10:1 & steady to 1350 (bad times:  silver soars)
        2. Population:  11.6 million households (c. 1290), 13.4 million (1239)
      3. Ibn Battuta's travels in the 3 western realms shows prosperity, order
      4. 1320s Cha'adaids begin raiding India, bullion inflows, inflation
    3. Early break-ups
      1. At Abu Sa'id ides childless (1335), emirs divide the realm
      2. Cha'adai ulus split:  Muslim, ruban southwest, old Mongol northeast (1338)
      3. Trade avoids chaos, diverts to Golden Horde and Mamluk-sea route
      4. Yuan, 1337 on:  waves of epidemics, sporadic rebellions
    4. Disaster in Europe, China, Golden Horde
      1. Black death in Golden Horde>>Europe (1347), catastrophic depopulation
        1. Bubonic plague entered steppe through Mongol campaigns
      2. Yuan, 1351:  canal revolts & S. China lost>>hyperinflation, silver soars
        1. 1368:  Ming dynasty expels Mongols, inherits depopulated realm
      3. 1348-1356, then 1361 on, Golden Horde trade into deep decline
      4. Ulus emirs, princes of left hand revolt against Batids
  3. Mongols fell in Eurasia's 14th century calamity; again poor rebellion-prone nomads