The Mongol century
1.[2p] What was the yam?
What was the yam?
The answer is: A postal relay of stations a day's ride apart, supplied by the local population as a tax in kind
The answer is: A postal relay of stations a day's ride apart, supplied by the local population as a tax in kind
The answer is: A postal relay of stations a day's ride apart, supplied by the local population as a tax in kind
2.[2p] Karakorum to Tabriz is about 4,630 km. At 300 km a day with fresh horses, how many days does a relay courier take?
Karakorum to Tabriz is about 4,630 km. At 300 km a day with fresh horses, how many days does a relay courier take?
3.[2p] How many days would a single rider on one horse take over the same distance, at 40 km a day?
How many days would a single rider on one horse take over the same distance, at 40 km a day?
4.[2p] What was the inscribed tablet that entitled its bearer to use the relay stations? One word.
What was the inscribed tablet that entitled its bearer to use the relay stations? One word.
5.[2p] Francesco Balducci Pegolotti travelled the road from Tana to Cathay himself.
Francesco Balducci Pegolotti travelled the road from Tana to Cathay himself.
The answer is: False
6.[3p] Juvayni says 1.3 million died at Merv. The walled city covers about 400 hectares. How many people per hectare does his figure imply?
Juvayni says 1.3 million died at Merv. The walled city covers about 400 hectares. How many people per hectare does his figure imply?
7.[3p] Why would a historian in Mongol service inflate the number of dead?
Why would a historian in Mongol service inflate the number of dead?
The answer is: Terror was policy, and a reputation for annihilation saved the cost of later sieges
The answer is: Terror was policy, and a reputation for annihilation saved the cost of later sieges
The answer is: Terror was policy, and a reputation for annihilation saved the cost of later sieges
8.[3p] What did Mongol unification change for exchange across Asia?
What did Mongol unification change for exchange across Asia?
Select all that apply
The answer is: One law and one ruling family across most of the route, A relay system that made messages travel several times faster, Elite capital invested in trade through ortogh partnerships
9.[3p] Muslim engineers built counterweight trebuchets for the siege of Xiangyang in 1273. What does that illustrate?
Muslim engineers built counterweight trebuchets for the siege of Xiangyang in 1273. What does that illustrate?
The answer is: Deliberate transfer of specialists is orders of magnitude faster than diffusion
The answer is: Deliberate transfer of specialists is orders of magnitude faster than diffusion
The answer is: Deliberate transfer of specialists is orders of magnitude faster than diffusion