The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in the history of the world. At its height, the empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Carpathian Mountains and from the forests of Siberia to the Persian Gulf. The empire covered approximately 24 million square kilometers (9.27 million square miles) of land, which is roughly the size of North America.
The Mongol Empire ruled over approximately 100 million people at its height, which was more than a quarter of the world’s population at the time. The population of the empire was incredibly diverse, including Mongols, Chinese, Koreans, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Persians, Turks, Arabs, Russians, Poles, Hungarians, and many other peoples.
The Size of the Empire
The size of the Mongol Empire was unprecedented in the history of the world. The empire stretched approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles) from east to west, and approximately 5,000 km (3,000 miles) from north to south. The empire was larger than the contemporary British Empire, larger than the Roman Empire at its height, and larger than any other empire before the modern era.
The size of the empire was a major factor in the success of the Mongols, and the size was made possible by a number of factors, including the decimal military organization, the yam postal system, the Yassa code of law, and the religious toleration of the Mongols.
The Geographic Extent
The geographic extent of the Mongol Empire was vast. The empire included:
- The whole of modern Mongolia
- The whole of modern China
- The whole of Korea
- The whole of Tibet
- Most of modern Russia
- Most of Central Asia
- Most of the Middle East, including Persia, Iraq, and parts of Anatolia
- Parts of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary
The geographic extent of the empire was a major factor in the ability of the Mongols to project their power across the Eurasian landmass, and the geographic extent was a major factor in the success of the Pax Mongolica.
The Population
The population of the Mongol Empire at its height is estimated to have been approximately 100 million people, which was more than a quarter of the world’s population at the time. The population was incredibly diverse, including:
- Mongols
- Chinese
- Koreans
- Japanese (in small numbers)
- Tibetans
- Uyghurs
- Persians
- Turks
- Arabs
- Russians
- Poles
- Hungarians
- Bulgars
- Armenians
- Georgians
- And many other peoples
The population of the empire was a major source of the wealth and the power of the Mongols, and the population was a major factor in the ability of the Mongols to maintain the vast empire.
The Comparison with Other Empires
The Mongol Empire was larger than any other land empire in the history of the world. The Mongol Empire was larger than the Roman Empire at its height, larger than the British Empire (in terms of land area), larger than the Russian Empire, and larger than any other empire before the modern era.
The only empire that was larger than the Mongol Empire was the British Empire of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which controlled approximately 35 million square kilometers (13.5 million square miles) of land. The British Empire, however, was a maritime empire, and the British Empire was not a contiguous land empire like the Mongol Empire.
The Factors Behind the Size
The size of the Mongol Empire was made possible by a number of factors, including:
- The military skill of the Mongol army
- The political acumen of the Mongol leadership
- The administrative innovations of the Mongol state
- The economic advantages of the Mongol world
- The environmental factors of the thirteenth century
The military skill of the Mongol army was based on a combination of the decimal military organization, the horse archers, and the feigned retreat. The political acumen of the Mongol leadership was based on a combination of personal talent, political alliances, and military victories. The administrative innovations of the Mongol state were based on a combination of the Yassa code of law, the yam postal system, and the imperial administration. The economic advantages of the Mongol world were based on the control of the trade routes of Eurasia. The environmental factors of the thirteenth century were based on a period of relatively favorable climate and abundant resources.
Sources
- David Morgan, The Mongols (2nd ed., Oxford, 2007).
- Peter Jackson, The Mongols and the West, 1221–1410 (London, 2005).
- Timothy May, The Mongol Conquests in World History (London, 2012).