The End Of The Silk Roads

The Mongol Empire

• A truly massive empire during the 13th and 14th centuries.

• The largest land empire in the history of the world.– 12.7 million square miles.– 22% of the total land area of the Earth.– 100,000,000 subjects.

How Did The Mongols Conquer So Much?

• Extraordinarily strong, brutal leadership. • Genghis Khan is one of history’s most

remarkable figures.

The Ming Dynasty Restores China

Zheng He’s Huge Fleet Explores The Oceans

Zheng He’s Fleet Dwarfs Columbus

Zheng He Makes 7 Trips, But In 1435 . . .

• he dies and China pulls back from exploration.• How might history have been different if China

had decided to expand?

Age of Isolation

Ming China Builds The Forbidden City

The End Of The Silk Roads

• Why did the Silk Roads shut or slow down?• Invaders/raiders made them too dangerous– Genghis Khan dies and the Mongol Empire breaks

up, leading to dangerous roads.• Powerful states began to compete for their

control– The Crusades

• Internal divisions arose within states

Break Up Of The Mongol Empire

Age Of IsolationThe Muslim Sunni / Shia Split Deepens

The Abbasid Empire Splits And Is Conquered

Cooperation To IsolationCooperation / Unity Division / Isolation

Far East(Japan & China)

Tang/Song DynastyMarco PoloZheng He

Ming DynastyJapanese Feudalism

Middle East Islamic CaliphateArabic Culture

Sunni & Shia DivisionSeljuk Conquest

Europe? ChristendomCrusades?

Feudalism