The significance of the steppe was look at two ways. First it served as a trade route connecting the east and the west. Second it was home to nomadic people who looted and conquered neighbors.
Steppe
The geography of the steppe it was a dry grassland belt called steppe across Eurasia it expands its way to the western steppe central Asia eastern Europe. The eastern steppe covering all of the present-day Mongolia was first home to the Mongols Huns Turks. Their was very little rainfall but more in summer, the dry windswept land supported hardy grasses. The temperature changes of the land were changes dramatic from 57f to 96f. The climate was milder in the west then east the reason for movement in the south and west.
The Mongols living on the steppe way of life nomadic way of life they were pastoralists moving for pastures to pastures they did not wander they follow the familiar seasonal path going in order to the pastures. Went to claim to land that was not permanently occupied there were battles frequently over grasslands and water. The Asian nomads basically lived on horses and followed huge herds. They depend on animals they made clothing out of skins and depended on the animals for wool food and housing. Their diet consisted of mare milk and meat. And lived in portable tents called yurts.They traveled in kinship groups called clans all all common ancestor. Sometime clans come together to fight large force such as common enemy. The Mongols had interaction with other nomads which meant peaceful trade with other groups horses grain metal cloth and tea. They weren't always harsh people as they were accustomed to hardship and prided their toughness tempted by land and wealth result settled in fear of raiding. As they prided themselves on their skill on horseback discipline courage in battle and But they were usually ruthlessness and people were afraid of them. The Mongol nomads and nomads invaded border towns and villages when empire organized it was strong it could protect but when the empire or state split it becomes weak resulted in the increase that Mongols attack and loot occasionally powerful nomadic groups conquered the divided empire such as the Mongols
Genghis khan(died in 1227 of illness)unites the mongols political and military genius united the mongols from their ways of loosely organized travel and clans this happened around 1200 mongol clan leader Temujin unified the mongols under his leadership accepted name Genghis khan means universal leader. Genghis successor expanded empire in less then 50 year they were the largest empire from china to Poland. They were conquering for over 21 years which led to conquer much of Asia. His first goal was china he invaded Jin empire to the north and the Islamic region of west of Mongolia. As he was angered by the number of Mongol traders and an ambassador dead at the hand of Muslims due to this Genghis launched campaign of destroying across central Asia cities Uttar Samarkand Bukhara killed the people within the cities. central Asia was under the control of Mongols in 1225. From mid 1200-mid 1300 inflicted stability and law and order across Eurasia and this period was called Pax Mongolica. Since the Mongols guaranteed safe passage for trade caravans travelers and missionaries from one end to the other of the empire because of this trade between Europe and Asia had never been so great.Ideas inventions traveled along with invention reached Europe at this time such as the explosive gunpowder. At the time around 1300 the epidemic bubonic plague disease spread from the Mongols and devastated Europe possibly traveled along trade routes or passed by the infected Mongol troops this may oflead to downfall of Mongols.
Genghis had tactics that made him successful in war.Genghis the conquer he so successful. He was a good organizer he organized his army into a force to be reckon with. He followed the Chinese way of setting up a military 10,000 men organized into 1000 man brigades 100 man companies and 10 men squads. Only battle proven veterans and loyal men were put in charge of these. He was said to be”gifted strategist” example group of men would gallop away as if they were fleeing other Mongols would surprise and kill them. He would use cruelty like to a weapon scaring the enemy to surrender example if a city refused to open its gate he would kill entire population when it was captured this spread to other armies and cities would give up and surrender without a fight they put people in fear and terror they were terrorists and fear mongers.
After Genghis the death his sons grandsons continued conquest and armies under their leadership drove south east and west conquered northern china Korea destroyed Russian city of Kiev reached the bank of Adriatic sea were going to conquer Venice and Vienna but stopped in 1250 and put their attention toward Persia. By 1260 Mongols divided the empire into four region called the Khanates they were Khanates of the great Khan Mongolia and china, Chagatai central Asia, Golden Horde Russia and the Ilkhanate of Persia. The Mongols as rulers. Many of the areas invaded by Mongols were never recovered into their original state the population wiped out in some cities. They destroyed irrigation as Tigris and Euphrates valleys could not be resettled. They did not force their belief on the conquered some Mongol rulers adopted the culture of the people they ruled example Ilkhans and the Golden Horde became Muslims. The differences of the khanates contributed to the splitting.
