Why isn't the Mongol empire included in the great civilisations?

Answer 1

When I studied history in college it was considered a civilasation but not a great civilisation. The Mongolian empire was known more for its brutality and not neccessarily for any significant contributions to human society. It can be compared to the Germanic societies during the rule of the Roman empire. They were considered to be uncivilized tribes much like muslim societies today are compared to Western society.

Answer 2

Because at the heart of it, civilization requires you to have cities. You can steal a great civilization, but basically you just move into its cities and end up co-opting all that the civilization already has and is.

So we remember the Mongol Empire as the Yuan Dynasty, and given that they didn't last out the 14th Century, are they really that great a civilization? Less than a hundred years, hardly a great civilization. Either the Ming or Qing dynasties would have better claims to fame.

Answer 3

Who doesn't include them? Not historians!

For example, Michael H. Hart in his book "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History" places Genghis Khan at the 29th position, in front of Alexander the Great who is on 33th.

The influence of the Mongols on Asia and Europe are enormous : China (the Yuan Dynasty), Persia, Russia, the "Pax Mongolica", the Silk Road, ...

It was also for 200 years the second largest empire in history, after the British Empire.

Not seeing them as a great civilisation because they where mainly nomads, or "primitives" and "barbarians", or never arrived in Western Europe, is a regression to 19th century chauvinistic "white" history.

"The Mongol Empire was an empire with many amazing accomplishments that the world will never forget. During the reign of the Mongol Empire they established religious freedom, abolished slavery, created a free trade economy, created a code of laws, all men were held equal under law including the Khan, united China, created the borders of all mainland Asian countries, and created a time of peace, prosperity, and knowledge that had been unheard of for centuries."

"Mongols prized their commercial and trade relationships with neighboring economies and this policy they continued during the process of their conquests and during the expansion of their empire. All merchants and ambassadors, having proper documentation and authorization, traveling through their realms were protected. This greatly increased overland trade."

"During the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, European merchants, numbering hundreds, perhaps thousands, made their way from Europe to the distant land of China — Marco Polo is only one of the best known of these. Well-traveled and relatively well-maintained roads linked lands from the Mediterranean basin to China. The Mongol Empire had negligible influence on seaborne trade."

"The Mongol Empire had an ingenious and efficient mail system for the time. There were posts set up all over the Mongol Empire. A messenger would travel from post to post and at each post he would receive a new, rested horse to ensure the speediest delivery of the mail he was carrying." ("Mongol Empire", Wikipedia)

And I don't understand that "no cities" argument. Have they forgotten about Karakorum, the "capital city" of the Mongol Empire? Granted, its ruins were only discovered in 1889, but still ...

And Xanadu (Shengdu), Kublai Khan's summer capital? And inspiration for Samuel Taylor Coleridge's great poem "Kubla Khan"?

Answer 4

I don't know clearly what list of great civilizations was the Mongols left out but probably it was left out because it did not left a lasting legacy to the world. true, it was the largest empire in history but unlike the Romans, the Mongols didn't left lasting cities, monuments or even some cultural influence that can be attributed to it being a great civilization.

Answer 5

Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire, did leave one little mark on the world: due to his population program after uniting the tribes 1 out of every 8 people in the WORLD are directly descended from him.

Answer 6

I think that the Mongol empire isn't included in the great civilizations because some people(and historians) think that Mongols are barbaric. But for me, the Mongols have contributed something great in our world. =)