Yiming Ha 哈一鳴

Course Description:

This course examines the rise, rule, fall, and impact of the Mongol Empire from the early 13th to the 16th century. In the span of a few decades, Chinggis Khan and his descendants conquered a land empire unmatched in size, stretching from the Korean Peninsula in the east to Russia in the west. In the course we will learn how the Mongols came to power, how they conquered and governed Eurasia, and the lively cultural, intellectual, and material exchange that occurred under Mongol rule that transformed the Eurasian world. Additionally, we will also examine the legacy of the Mongols, ultimately addressing the question of how Mongol rule shaped the world that we live in today.  The course will be structured as a lecture but there will also be discussions built into the lectures. Some weeks will be more discussion heavy than others.