The yurt and the nomadic lifestyle were the foundations of Mongol society, and they were the keys to the success of the Mongol people. The Mongols were a nomadic, pastoral people, and they lived in portable, round tents made of a wooden frame covered with felt, called yurts. The yurt could be assembled and disassembled in about an hour, and it could be carried by a few camels or horses. The yurt was the home of the Mongol family, and it was the center of the Mongol way of life.
The nomadic lifestyle was profoundly different from the sedentary lifestyles of the agricultural civilizations that surrounded the Mongols. The Mongols did not farm the land, and they did not live in permanent settlements. They moved their herds and their dwellings with the seasons, and they followed a regular pattern of movement that was dictated by the climate and the availability of pasture. The nomadic lifestyle was the basis of the Mongol economy, the Mongol military, and the Mongol political organization.
The Yurt: Design and Construction
The yurt was a sophisticated piece of design, and it was the result of centuries of development on the steppe. The yurt was designed to be light enough to be carried by a few camels or horses, but sturdy enough to withstand the harsh conditions of the steppe. The yurt was also designed to be warm in winter and cool in summer, and it was a major factor in the ability of the Mongols to live in the harsh conditions of the Mongolian plateau.
The yurt was typically made of a wooden frame of bent willow or poplar, covered with sheets of felt made from sheep’s wool. The frame consisted of a circular roof ring, supported by a number of roof poles, and a circular wall of crossed wooden poles, called the “khana.” The wall was typically about 1.5 meters high, and the roof was typically about 2.5 meters high at the center.
The yurt was typically about 5-7 meters in diameter, and it could accommodate a family of five to ten people. The yurt was typically furnished with a simple set of furnishings, including a wooden chest, a felt mattress, a few carpets, and a cooking stove. The yurt was typically heated by a small stove, called a “tuvdan,” which was fueled by dried dung or wood.
The Nomadic Cycle
The Mongol year was organized around a cycle of seasonal migrations, and the Mongols moved their camps several times a year. The most important of the migrations was the spring migration, in which the Mongols moved from their winter pastures to their summer pastures. The spring migration was typically followed by the autumn migration, in which the Mongols moved from their summer pastures back to their winter pastures.
The summer pastures were typically in the mountains, where the grass was green and the water was plentiful. The winter pastures were typically in the steppe, where the grass was dried but still nutritious, and where the snow provided water for the herds. The spring and autumn migrations were typically shorter, and the Mongols would move to intermediate pastures for short periods.
The nomadic cycle was a major factor in the success of the Mongol economy. The cycle allowed the pastures to regenerate, and it allowed the herds to graze on the most nutritious grass. The cycle also required the Mongols to maintain a high level of mobility, and it was a major factor in the development of the Mongol military tradition.
The Animals
The Mongols raised a variety of animals, including horses, sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. The most important of the animals was the horse, which was the basis of the Mongol military and the Mongol economy. The Mongols typically owned several horses per person, and the horses were used for riding, packing, and pulling wagons.
The second most important animal was the sheep, which provided the Mongols with meat, milk, wool, and felt. The sheep was the basis of the Mongol diet, and the felt was the basis of the Mongol yurt. The third most important animal was the goat, which was similar to the sheep but which was more hardy and which could survive in harsher conditions.
The fourth most important animal was the camel, which was used for packing and for riding in the desert. The camel was particularly important in the southern part of the Mongol world, where the desert conditions made the camel more useful than the horse. The fifth most important animal was the cattle, which was used for meat, milk, and as a draft animal.
The Herders
The Mongols were divided into a number of social groups, including the herders, the craftsmen, and the religious specialists. The herders were the largest group, and they were responsible for the care of the animals. The herders typically worked in family units, and the family unit was the basic economic unit of Mongol society.
The herders were typically organized into small camps, called “ail” or “otog,” which consisted of a few related families. The camps were typically led by a senior member of the family, who was responsible for the management of the herds and the coordination of the migrations. The camps were typically located near a source of water, and the camps were typically moved several times a year to take advantage of the seasonal pastures.
The Craftsmen
The Mongols also had a number of craftsmen, who were responsible for the production of the goods that the Mongols could not produce for themselves. The craftsmen included blacksmiths, who made the weapons and tools; leatherworkers, who made the saddles, the harnesses, and the yurt covers; weavers, who made the carpets and the clothing; and potters, who made the pots and the storage vessels.
The craftsmen were typically organized into workshops, and the workshops were typically located in the larger camps or in the towns. The craftsmen were typically paid in kind, and they were typically given a share of the products of the herding economy. The craftsmen were also typically given a high social status, and they were often invited to the courts of the khan.
The Religious Specialists
The Mongols also had a number of religious specialists, who were responsible for the religious life of the community. The religious specialists included the shamans, who communicated with the spirits; the priests, who performed the rituals; and the astrologers, who interpreted the omens. The religious specialists were typically given a high social status, and they were often invited to the courts of the khan.
The religious specialists were also typically given a number of privileges, including exemption from military service and from taxation. The privileges were a recognition of the importance of the religious specialists to the community, and they were a major factor in the ability of the religious specialists to maintain their independence.
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).