The Great Wall as Perilous Frontier for the Mongols in 16th Century (original) (raw)
Related papers
Antiquity, 2020
The long walls of China and the Eurasian Steppe are considered to have functioned as either defensive structures against aggressive nomadic tribes, or as elements to control the movement of local nomadic groups following imperialist expansion. This article focuses on a hitherto understudied 737km-long medieval wall running from northern China into north-eastern Mongolia. Built by either the Liao or Jin Dynasties, the wall features numerous auxiliary structures that hint at its function. In research relevant to interpreting other Eurasian and global wall-building episodes, the authors employ extensive archaeological survey and GIS analysis to understand better the reasons behind the wall's construction, as well as its various possible functions.
– This study discusses the history of the Golden Horde and the political status of the Jochid ulus from the perspective of the Yuan Dynasty. According to traditional narratives, the rulers of the Jochid ulus were largely antagonistic and apathetic towards the Yuan Court. However, Chinese sources presents a somewhat different picture and shed new light on several issues, including the status of Jochid rulers in the eyes of Yuan historians, the importance of Jochid apanages in China, local dual-administrative structures, and local officials of the Great Khan. The importance of Berke's conversion to Islam and how this influenced the conflict between the Jochids and Toluids is also touched upon. The contribution ends with a discussion of the relationship between the Golden Horde and the Yuan Dynasty in the post‑Berke period. 2. Résumé – Cet article montre comment l'histoire de la Horde d'Or et le statut politique de l'ulus de Jochi étaient perçus par la dynastie Yuan. En effet, le récit historiographique traditionnel présente les souverains de l'ulus de Jochi soit comme des rivaux des souverains Yuan, soit comme indifférents à ces derniers. Cependant, les sources chinoises nous permettent de brosser un autre tableau de leurs relations. Ces sources offrent, notamment, un éclairage inédit sur un certain nombre d'aspects complexes qui faisaient litige sous les Mongols, dont le statut des souverains jochides, l'importance des apanages jochides en Chine, les structures administratives sous double responsabilité et la question des représentants officiels du Grand The link: https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/10234
Deep Ditches and Well-built Walls: A Reappraisal of the Mongol Withdrawal from Europe in 1242
In 1241, Mongol armies invaded Poland and Hungary, and small reconnaissance forces even penetrated the borders of the Holy Roman Empire. The following year, the Mongols pulled out of Central Europe though they retained their hold on Russia, the Black Sea steppe, and the Volga region. A number of explanations have been offered for the withdrawal by modern scholars. This thesis argues that these theories are unconvincing and contradicted by the existing primary source evidence. As an alternative explanation, it posits that European fortifications produced a strategic problem that the Mongols were unable to surmount in the 1240s with their available manpower and siege engine technology. In order to corroborate this theory, analyses of several Mongol campaigns against sedentary societies outside of Europe are provided. These analyses reveal that fortifications posed a serious problem to any Mongol effort to subjugate a sedentary population.