Nomadic Eurasian Empires in History

¶ … Nomadic Eurasian Empires in History

The Post-Classical period of Eurasia is a dark and tumultuous one. Warring empires continuously ravaged the region as nomadic tribes continued to establish larger and larger empires. There were several prominent nomadic empires in the region. However, two proved the most influential -- the feared Mongolian Empire and the Turks. These two empires helped changed the political, economic, social, and religious face of Eurasia and the regions dominated by the ruthless rulers who reigned over the nomadic tribes of the region.

The terror of the Mongolian empire raged throughout Asia and even parts of Eastern Europe for centuries. They were the most powerful nomadic force coming out of the depths of Eurasia during the Post-Classical period, "the Mongols conquered nearly all of Asia, becoming the ultimate example of nomadic influence on agricultural civilization," (Invictus 1). In terms of political influence, Mongolian rule over China brought the region under the rule of one dynasty, which had not been the case before hand. They had also swept through the Middle East dominating over both the politics and the religion in the region. Their dominance in the Middle East effectively ended Muslim rule for a period of time, thus completely changing the religious make up of the region during Mongol rule (Invictus 1). However, this dethroning of Islam in the Middle East wouldn't last. Eventually, Islam returned to the Middle East, but the Mongolians still held influence in that they were successful in completing what the Christian Europeans could not -- ending Islam for a period of time. One of the most important influences of the Mongolian empire was the unification of Asia. This allowed for the opening of safe trade throughout Asia and even into Europe, "Being the first to control significant regions of both outer and inner Asia, the Mongols brought Asia into economic integration by reviving the Silk Road," (Invictus 1). Under the iron fist of the Mongolian empire, previous squabbles were quelled, allowing for peaceful interaction between various parts of the empire. "Trade was able to flourish between east and west" thanks to the unification of inner and outer Asia through the Mongolian empire (Invictus 1). Yet, this was not only an economic influence, but a social influence as well. As the trade routes opened, so did the passage for other social factors, "On the newly opened trade route, ideas and even diseases were able to be exchanged from one side of Eurasia to another," (Invictus 1). This broadened the scope and range of new ideas coming from all parts of the empire. It also played a large role in the spread of infectious diseases, like the black plague, throughout Europe. Such events changed the entire face of the social stratification of Europe, and wiped out nearly two-thirds of Europe's population. Although the most powerful nomadic influence over Eurasian politics, economics, and religion -- it was not the first.

The earlier Turkish nomadic factions coming from Central Asia also had heavy influences on both Asia and the rest of the world. During the Post-Classical Era, the Turks began to regain a new strength that once again threatened the European empires to the West. As the Turks grew more and more powerful, this power began to seriously impact both Asian and European politics during the time. The Middle East was greatly shaped, both politically and religiously, by theinfluence of the Turks, "Turkic groups later known as the Seljuks migrated into the Middle East, where they played an important role in Islamic civilization," (Invictus 1). This group of Turks strengthened the role of Islam as both a religion and a political policy within the region. As the area became increasingly dominated by Islamic principles, it created great tension between the Christian nations of Europe. The move into the Middle East by the Seljuks actually sparked the onslaught of the crusades, which were terrible and lengthy wars between the Christian states of Europe and the Muslim Turks who controlled much of the Middle East. The Christian forces of Europe spent years and many resources, including money and men, attempting to reclaim the Holy Land for Christianity. These wars are crucial to the tension felt between Muslim and Christian states today. In fact, "The migration of the Turks into Asia Minor also established the early foundations of the Ottoman empire," (Invictus 1). This later set the stage for further conflict between the Middle east and Western nations, along with solidifying the role of Islam in the region as a dominate power. However, not all Turks had Islamic religious influences within the regions they conquered. A later branch of the early Turk empire, the Khazarians "were also notably unique in their adoption of Judaism as their religion," (Invictus 1). This helped create Jewish roles within a typical Islamic power. The Turks also held powerful influences over the social sphere of both Eurasia and Eastern Europe. The Turks had set their eyes on Eastern Europe and later the Avars settled in Eastern Europe, forever changing the face of the Hungarian plains.