19. The Mongols - Terror of the Steppe (Part 1)
Summary
Host Paul Cooper explores the rise of the Mongol Empire, beginning with Ibn Battuta’s 14th-century observations of ruined Silk Road cities. The episode details the harsh Eurasian Steppe environment, the domestication of horses, and the nomadic lifestyle that enabled steppe peoples to challenge settled civilizations. It then focuses on the early life of Temujin, whose eventual unification of Mongol tribes would lead to the creation of history’s largest contiguous land empire.
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