The Mongol influence on the world is profound and far-reaching, and it is still visible in the political, cultural, economic, and genetic inheritance of the modern world. The Mongols were the founders of the largest contiguous land empire in the history of the world, and the empire that they built was a major factor in the development of the modern world.
The Mongol influence on the world can be divided into a number of major categories. The first is the political influence, which includes the political institutions and traditions that the Mongols established and that were inherited by the successor states. The second is the cultural influence, which includes the cultural traditions and the cultural exchange that the Mongols promoted. The third is the economic influence, which includes the trade routes and the economic systems that the Mongols established. The fourth is the technological influence, which includes the spread of major technologies from China to the rest of the world.
The Political Influence
The political influence of the Mongols was profound and far-reaching. The most obvious is in the political frameworks established by the khanates, which continued to shape the political life of Eurasia for centuries after the fall of the empire. The most important of these frameworks was the Yassa code of law, which established a uniform system of law across the empire and which was eventually adopted by many of the successor states.
The political influence of the Mongols is also visible in the international system. The Mongol Empire was the first major attempt to create a single political framework for the Eurasian landmass, and the Mongol political tradition was an important influence on the development of the modern international system. The most obvious is in the principles of religious toleration, free trade, and diplomatic immunity that the Mongols established and that have become central features of the modern international system.
The political influence of the Mongols is also visible in the modern states that emerged from the khanates. The most obvious is in the modern states of China, Russia, Iran, and the Central Asian republics, all of which bear the imprint of the Mongol period.
The Cultural Influence
The cultural influence of the Mongols was profound and far-reaching. The most obvious is in the cultural traditions of the regions that the Mongols conquered, which were all influenced by the Mongol cultural tradition. The most important of these influences was the spread of paper money, the postal relays, the decimal military organization, the use of gunpowder, and the use of paper.
The cultural influence of the Mongols is also visible in the spread of major world religions. The Mongols were, by the standards of the medieval world, a remarkably tolerant people, and they allowed their subjects to practice their own religions. The Mongol tolerance was a major factor in the spread of Buddhism to Mongolia and to the Yuan Dynasty in China, the spread of Islam to the Ilkhanate and the Golden Horde, and the spread of Christianity to the Mongol heartland.
The cultural influence of the Mongols is also visible in the spread of artistic and literary traditions. The Mongol patronage of the arts led to a major synthesis of Chinese, Persian, and European artistic traditions, and the synthesis was a major influence on the development of the arts in the regions that the Mongols conquered.
The Economic Influence
The economic influence of the Mongols was profound and far-reaching. The most obvious is in the trade routes that the Mongols established and that became the basis of the Pax Mongolica. The Silk Road and the maritime trade routes became safer and more heavily used under the Mongol Empire, and the trade routes were a major factor in the economic development of the regions that the Mongols conquered.
The economic influence of the Mongols is also visible in the spread of major economic innovations. The most important of these was the spread of paper money, which the Mongols adopted from the Chinese and which they used in the Yuan Dynasty and in the Ilkhanate. The paper money was a major innovation, and it was a major factor in the economic development of the regions that the Mongols conquered.
The Technological Influence
The technological influence of the Mongols was profound and far-reaching. The most obvious is in the spread of gunpowder weapons, which the Mongols adopted from the Chinese and which they used in their campaigns in the Middle East and in Europe. The spread of gunpowder weapons was a major factor in the development of the modern firearms, and it was a major step in the development of modern warfare.
The technological influence of the Mongols is also visible in the spread of other Chinese technologies, including paper, printing, and the compass. The spread of these technologies was a major factor in the development of the modern world, and it was a major step in the development of the modern systems of communication and transportation.
The technological influence of the Mongols is also visible in the spread of Islamic technologies, including mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. The spread of these technologies was a major factor in the development of the European Renaissance, and it was a major step in the development of the modern world.
The Long-Term Influence
The long-term influence of the Mongols on the world is profound and far-reaching. The most obvious is in the development of the modern world, which has been deeply shaped by the Mongol Empire. The most important of these influences is the spread of major technologies, including paper money, gunpowder, and the compass, all of which the Mongols helped to spread from China to the rest of the world.
The long-term influence of the Mongols is also visible in the development of the modern international system. The Mongol Empire was the first major attempt to create a single political framework for the Eurasian landmass, and the Mongol political tradition was an important influence on the development of the modern international system. The most obvious is in the principles of religious toleration, free trade, and diplomatic immunity that the Mongols established and that have become central features of the modern international system.
Sources
- Thomas T. Allsen, Commodity and Exchange in the Mongol Empire (Cambridge, 2001).
- Janet L. Abu-Lughod, Before European Hegemony (New York, 1989).
- Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (New York, 2004).