The Mongol Empire was a huge but short-lived empire that at its peak stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe. But while vast — it was the largest contiguous land empire in history — it was united for only a few decades, before breaking apart into smaller empires in the 1260s as a result of civil war.
The Mongol Empire originated in the Eastern Steppe in 1206. Traditionally the Mongols were nomadic, herding large flocks of animals in Mongolia, and were highly skilled horsemen, wrote Marie Favereau, an associate professor of history at Paris Nanterre University, in her book “The Horde: How the Mongols changed the world” (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2021.
“Mongol horses were especially impressive,” Favereau wrote. “When dismounted, these horses were trained to follow their riders and could return to camp on their own.” In wintertime they fed themselves “by seeking grass under the snow.”
The Mongols’…
