Blog Post #14 - Chapter 11

This chapter focuses on the history of pastoral societies, like the Mongols. These societies differed from the societies around them because they had a nomadic lifestyle where they relied on animals to live. These societies also differed because they offered women much more freedom compared to other societies. Such as the ability to participate in military affairs and be political advisers. Even though they lived very differently pastoral people still interacted with their agricultural neighbors They also tried and become familiar with different world religions that each found their home among the pastoral people. This chapter also discusses the achievements of a few groups of pastoral people. One group that is focused on is the Turks. This group was able to gain control of the rich trade routes in Arabia. After a camel saddle was invented that allowed them fight effectively on top of these animals. The Turks were the third major carrier of Islam. Another group that is focused on is the Mongols. The Mongols had the largest land based all of human history and with population of about 700,000 people. The Mongol people did not force their beliefs on the people they conquered. Even though they did have their own religions beliefs that focused on contact with their ancestors. The Mongol tribe were unified by Chinggis Khan and from there was the rise of the Mongol Empire. They first set out to conquer China. Through destruction the Mongol Empire was able to build itself containing China, Korea, Central Asia, Russia, much of Islamic Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe.