The empire adapted constantly as it grew, and flourished during a 162-year-long period of aggressive expansion. Researchers think the Mongol hordes may have initially prevailed due to a 15-year-long stretch of mild weather and above-average moisture that produced abundant grasses for their horses and better conditions for livestock breeding. But more recent research suggests the Mongol Empire had an unexpected boon: climate. Traditional wisdom holds that the Mongols began growing their empire due to inhospitable conditions in their homeland.

( Did the Great Wall of China kept the Mongols at bay?) The warriors were assisted by new technologies like the stirrup and technological and tactical innovations they adopted from the people they conquered. Their success rested on a complex new military structure and new military tactics, like arrow storms, amassing huge arsenals, engaging in repeated hit-and-run barrages, delayed sieges, and psychological warfare. ( Learn about the quest to find Genghis Khan’s lost tomb.) Technology and climate Genghis Khan’s loyal warriors were rewarded for their fealty and became the most successful army of their time. He embraced trade and religious freedom, and adopted advanced technology of the time, such as stirrups, composite bows, leather armor, and gunpowder.

He reformed his people’s laws and ushered in a military-feudal form of government. He united Mongolia’s tribes and supported China’s peasant economy by stabilizing taxes and establishing rural cooperatives. Genghis Khan helped allay this sense of precariousness. Drought and disease could wipe out their livelihoods quickly. Their flocks of goats, sheep, horses, and other animals were dependent on abundant grass and water, and Mongols had to travel frequently to sustain them. But he proved to be one of history’s greatest leaders.Īt the time, Mongolia’s nomadic farmers relied on the land to sustain them. The young warrior had already defeated the Mongols’ most powerful leader and fomented dissatisfaction among his people’s aristocracy. The empire was founded in 1206, when Temijin, son of a Mongol chieftain, assumed power and changed his name to Chinggis Khan (styled as “Genghis Khan” in the West and meaning “universal ruler”). In a moment of inspiration, the future of warfare is forever changed. The Jin dynasty was under siege by the Mongol hordes for decades.

Medieval 2 total war reputation