HI123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Recurve Bow, Mongolian Script, Feigned Retreat
The Steppe Nomad Warrior System
•
Eurasian steppe is a grassland
•
The steppe has very little rainfall, hot in the summer, very cold in the
winter
○
Can't sustain largescale agriculture, but good for pasturing (sheep,
goats, etc)
•
Move from pasture to pasture, circulated in a defined set of pastured
•
Basic social unity was the family
○
Several families who claimed a common ancestor formed a clan,
clans banded together to form a tribe (usually because of
linguistics)
•
Tribes/ clans were unstable, always forming and breaking
•
Different ways to make allies:
1.
Noker; follower
§
Ex: chiggis Khan gained a big following
2.
Institution of blood brotherhood
§
Anada
•
Roles/ leadership was based on who was best
•
Chinese turned to steppe nomads for horses
•
Steppe people turned to the sedentary world for metals and weapons
○
Often raided it
•
Produced some of the best ancient/ premodern warriors
•
Steppe nomad lifestyle is tied into war
•
Were very good on horse-rode on them for herding and used archery
dialy for hunting
•
Moved great distances with everything they owned
•
Performed mass hunting called the nerge
○
Hundreds of nomads would hunt in a circular motion- a straight
line, getting closer until they surround them
•
13th century Persian historian Juwani likens their hunt to hunting
humans
• Steppe horse was a bit smaller, but had better stamina and speed
○Could rely entirely on grass and nomads had multiple horses
• Preferred weapon was the composite recurve bow
• Mongol bow had a draw weight to 100-150 pounds and could shoot up to
500 yards
•12-20 arrows per min could be shot
• Every male nomad had to be a warrior
• Women ran the camps and helped with the pastures
• Steppe Empires were very common
○Mongols created an Empire that built on old traditions
The Mongols
• Beginning of the 12th century they were one of many competing tribes
• Chinggis Khans was born as Temuchin sometime in the middle of the
12th century
○Began as a virtual exile, and slowly built a warrior following thank to
a combo of political savy, great personal charisma, military ability
he subdued mongolian tribes
• 1206 an assembly of mongol tribe leaders (quriltai) proclaimed Temuchin
the Supreme Khan, took the name Chingis Khan "ocean Khan"
• Gave him unparalleled political power
• Built a Mongol empire, conquered Asia, the Islamic world
• Main efforts were directed at China
• Organized his army into decimal based units: arban of 10 men, Jaghun of
100, minqan of 1000, tumen of 10,000
○Gave the army a good command system, each leader has a specific
number of men, each commander had a specific number of
subordinates
• He used this organization to break up the traditional Mongol tribes, army
became an artificial tribal system
• Harsh discipline- became very obedient
• Mongols incorporated non-steppe forces, they added huge numbers of
Chinese infantry
○To carry out sieges, they recruited Chinese and Aran engineers
• Mongols had the combo of the mobility of the Steppe horse and
firepower of the bow
• Would send waves of attacks, and used feigned retreat
Battle of Ayn
Monday, July 2, 2018
12:18 PM
Document Summary
The steppe nomad warrior system: eurasian steppe is a grassland, the steppe has very little rainfall, hot in the summer, very cold in the winter. Can"t sustain largescale agriculture, but good for pasturing (sheep, goats, etc: move from pasture to pasture, circulated in a defined set of pastured, basic social unity was the family. Several families who claimed a common ancestor formed a clan, clans banded together to form a tribe (usually because of linguistics: tribes/ clans were unstable, always forming and breaking, different ways to make allies, noker; follower. Ex: chiggis khan gained a big following. Anada: roles/ leadership was based on who was best, chinese turned to steppe nomads for horses, steppe people turned to the sedentary world for metals and weapons. Could rely entirely on grass and nomads had multiple horses: preferred weapon was the composite recurve bow, mongol bow had a draw weight to 100-150 pounds and could shoot up to.
