Blog 4

Why did the Mongol Empire last only a relatively short time? The Mongol Empire existed between the 13th and 14th centuries. It was a vast contiguous land enclosure that originated in sedentary terrains in the Steppes of Central Asia and stretched to Central Europe, Siberia, Sea of Japan, Levant, and Arabia. It was established from an alliance of nomadic tribes that united under Genghis Khan’s leadership. Strayer states within a short period the empire disintegrated into competing entities due to internal factors including weak leadership, civil wars, religious intolerance, and power struggles between The Great Khan’s three sons and his grandson. Upon the demise of Kublai Khan, his grandson Temur Khan succeeded him. He ascended to the throne and continued his grandfather’s policies. However, Temur’s determination to keep his forefather’s legacy was thwarted by a series of civil wars that greatly weakened his authority over the Mongol Empire. Particularly, the Toluid Civil War and the Berke-Hulagu Civil War followed by the subsequent Kaidu-Kublai War splintered the empire. The realm was divided into the Yuan Dynasty and three western powers including the Golden Horde, the Ilkhanate, and the Chagatai Khanate which became functionally independent dynasties. Another issue was the mounting conflict between emerging Islamic factions in the Southwestern segment of the realm. After the disintegration of Mongol Empire, Ilkhanate pledged its allegiance to the Yuan Court led by Yuan Emperor Temur and even observed its doctrines. However, internal disputes constantly marred the khanate that endured infinite supremacy struggles for several decades. Temur failed to federate the different khanates of the disbanded empire which continued to function as different states and develop separately. Consequently, the nominal supremacy arrangement by the Yuan Emperor lasted for only a few decades. In China, Islamic Persia and the Middle East that formed the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols became inactive and were later assimilated. The Yuan Dynasty in China culminated in the founding of Ming Dynasty through a series of anti-Mongol insurgencies.