What territories did the Mongol armies invade to create their empire?

What territories did the Mongol armies invade to create their empire?

• A. Russia, Southwest Asia, and China
• B. India, Africa, and Europe
• C. North America, South America, and Australia
• D. Rome, Carthage, and Athens

Answer: (A)

The big idea is that the Mongol Empire grew by conquering and binding together large, settled regions across Eurasia, building a vast realm from areas that could support a massive military and centralized administration. In China, the Mongols under Genghis Khan and his successors moved from the steppes into the Jin regime’s territory and then completed the conquest of northern and southern China, bringing a huge population and wealth under Mongol rule. To the north and west, they overran the Rus’ lands and established the Golden Horde, securing the steppe frontier and opening the way for further campaigns into eastern Europe. To the southwest, they swept into Southwest Asia, defeating the Khwarezm Empire and pushing into Persia, Mesopotamia, and Syria, with Baghdad falling in 1258 and the region becoming integrated into the empire. These three regions—China, Russia, and Southwest Asia—formed the heart of the empire’s territorial reach. Other regions listed either were not part of the main conquest that created the empire or were only touched later, so they don’t define the core areas of Mongol expansion.

The big idea is that the Mongol Empire grew by conquering and binding together large, settled regions across Eurasia, building a vast realm from areas that could support a massive military and centralized administration. In China, the Mongols under Genghis Khan and his successors moved from the steppes into the Jin regime’s territory and then completed the conquest of northern and southern China, bringing a huge population and wealth under Mongol rule. To the north and west, they overran the Rus’ lands and established the Golden Horde, securing the steppe frontier and opening the way for further campaigns into eastern Europe. To the southwest, they swept into Southwest Asia, defeating the Khwarezm Empire and pushing into Persia, Mesopotamia, and Syria, with Baghdad falling in 1258 and the region becoming integrated into the empire. These three regions—China, Russia, and Southwest Asia—formed the heart of the empire’s territorial reach. Other regions listed either were not part of the main conquest that created the empire or were only touched later, so they don’t define the core areas of Mongol expansion.