The Mongols were a nomadic, pastoral people for most of their history, and the nomadic lifestyle was the basis of the Mongol economy, the Mongol military, and the Mongol political organization. The question of why the Mongols were nomadic has a complex answer, involving the geography of the Mongolian plateau, the climate of the region, the historical development of the Mongol people, and the political organization of the steppe.
The most important of the factors was the geography and climate of the Mongolian plateau. The Mongolian plateau is a land of extremes, with short summers, brutal winters, and vast tracts of grassland with no agricultural margin for error. The harsh conditions of the plateau made agriculture difficult or impossible, and the most viable economic activity was the herding of livestock.
The Geography of the Steppe
The Mongolian plateau is bounded by the Siberian taiga to the north, the Gobi Desert to the south, the Altai Mountains to the west, and the Manchurian forests to the east. The plateau is a high, flat grassland that is well suited to the herding of livestock but that is generally too dry and too cold for the cultivation of crops.
The plateau is characterized by a number of distinctive geographical features. The first is the grassland, which covers most of the plateau and which is the basis of the pastoral economy. The second is the rivers, which provide water for the animals and the people. The third is the mountains, which provide shelter from the wind and which are a major source of timber and other resources. The fourth is the deserts, which cover the southern part of the plateau and which are largely uninhabitable.
The geography of the plateau made agriculture difficult or impossible for most of the population. The growing season is short, the rainfall is unpredictable, and the soil is thin. The cultivation of crops is possible in the river valleys and in the southern part of the plateau, but the yields are generally low and the risk of crop failure is high. The most viable economic activity is the herding of livestock, and the herders must move their animals with the seasons in order to take advantage of the available pasture.
The Climate of the Steppe
The climate of the Mongolian plateau is also a major factor in the nomadic lifestyle. The plateau is characterized by a continental climate, with hot summers and brutally cold winters. The summer temperatures can reach 40°C, while the winter temperatures can drop below -40°C. The rainfall is concentrated in the summer months, and the winter is generally dry and clear.
The climate of the plateau has a major impact on the pastoral economy. The grass grows in the spring and summer, and the herders must move their animals to take advantage of the grass. The grass is dormant in the winter, and the herders must move their animals to the winter pastures, where the snow provides water and where the dried grass is still nutritious. The seasonal movement of the animals is a major feature of the pastoral economy, and it requires a high degree of mobility on the part of the herders.
The climate of the plateau also has a major impact on the social organization of the Mongols. The harsh conditions require a high degree of cooperation among the herders, and the social organization of the Mongols was based on a complex system of mutual obligation. The harsh conditions also require a high degree of self-sufficiency on the part of the herders, and the herders had to be able to provide for their own needs in a wide range of circumstances.
The Historical Development of the Mongols
The historical development of the Mongols is also a major factor in the nomadic lifestyle. The Mongols have been a nomadic, pastoral people for thousands of years, and the nomadic lifestyle has been a central feature of the Mongol identity for as long as the Mongols have been a distinct people.
The early Mongols were part of a larger group of nomadic peoples who inhabited the eastern Eurasian steppe. The early Mongols spoke a language that was related to the other Mongolic languages, and they practiced a lifestyle that was based on the herding of livestock. The early Mongols were organized into tribes and clans, and they were bound together by a complex system of customary law.
The early Mongols came into contact with the Chinese civilizations to the south, and they were influenced by the Chinese in a number of ways. The Mongols adopted a number of Chinese technologies, including the use of iron, the use of the horse-drawn chariot, and the use of the crossbow. The Mongols were not, however, significantly influenced by the Chinese in terms of their lifestyle, and the Mongols remained a nomadic, pastoral people.
The Political Organization of the Steppe
The political organization of the steppe is also a major factor in the nomadic lifestyle. The steppe was politically fragmented for most of its history, and the various tribes and clans competed with each other for pasture and for political power. The competition required a high degree of mobility on the part of the tribes, and the nomadic lifestyle was the most effective way to maintain the mobility.
The political organization of the steppe was based on a complex system of alliances, feuds, and raids. The tribes were bound together by personal loyalties, and the alliances were constantly shifting. The competition for pasture was a major source of conflict, and the tribes often engaged in raids and warfare to gain access to better pasture.
The political organization of the steppe was transformed by the rise of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century. The empire brought a new political order to the steppe, and the various tribes were brought together under a single political framework. The empire did not, however, change the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols, and the Mongols continued to be a nomadic, pastoral people throughout the imperial period.
The Legacy of the Nomadic Lifestyle
The legacy of the nomadic lifestyle is visible in a number of ways. The most obvious is in the modern lifestyle of the Mongols, where the nomadic traditions are still an important part of the Mongolian national identity. The legacy is also visible in the political organization of Mongolia, where the traditional tribal structures continue to play a role in the political life of the country.
The legacy of the nomadic lifestyle is also visible in the wider world. The Mongols were, for centuries, the dominant power on the Eurasian steppe, and the nomadic lifestyle was a major factor in the success of the Mongol military. The nomadic lifestyle was also a major factor in the development of the Mongol cultural tradition, including the music, the arts, and the religion.
Sources
- Jack Weatherford, The Secret History of the Mongol Queens (New York, 2010).
- Anatoly M. Khazanov, Nomads and the Outside World (2nd ed., Madison, 1994).
- David Morgan, The Mongols (2nd ed., Oxford, 2007).