Date of recording:
April 20, 2023
Duration:
52:12 min
Most Westerners accept the stereotype of the 13th-century Mongols as barbaric plunderers intent merely to maim, slaughter, and destroy. Such a view has diverted attention from the considerable contributions the Mongols made to 13th- and 14th-century civilization. Though the brutality of the Mongols’ military campaigns ought not to be downplayed or ignored, neither should their influence on Eurasian culture be overlooked. Morris Rossabi, renowned specialist on the Mongols and author of Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times a main selection by the History Book Club, and The Mongols and Global History, in addition to numerous other works, provides insights into the Mongols and their role in world history.
About the Speaker
Morris Rossabi, Professor Rossabi is a historian of China and Central and Inner Asia. He teaches courses on Inner Asian, East Asian, and Chinese history at Columbia University. He specializes in Mongol and Central Asian history.
Slides for Classroom Use
Mongol The Mongols in World History and Module Guide – Presentation PDF [45 MB]
Teaching Guide
Outline & Key Points for Teachers
Module Webpage
The Mongols: In World History & China
Background Reading and Classroom Material
Asia by Era Resources – China: 1000-1450 [AFE]
See Yuan dynasty in particular.
Asia by Era Resources – Japan: 1000-1450, The Mongols’ Failed Naval Campaigns Against Japan [AFE]
Note: the Mongols also invaded Korea and Vietnam.
The Legacy of Genghis Khan [The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
Essay with featured artifacts, including “Safe Conduct Pass.”
Books
See Bibliography and Class Materials in module, as well as:
The Mongols: A Very Short Introduction [Oxford University Press]
By Morris Rossabi. 2012
Voyager from Xanadu: Rabban Sauma and the First Journey from China to the West [University of California Press]
By Morris Rossabi. On the Nestorian monk sent by Kubilai Kahn to the West to request more monks to come to China. 2010
The Mongol Empire [Edinburgh University Press]
By Timothy May. 2018
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