Daily Life in the Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire comes to life in this vivid account of the lives of ordinary people who lived under the rule of Ghengis Khan. The book allows the reader to enjoy traditional Mongol folktales and experience life in a yurt, the tent in which the nomadic Mongols lived. It explains why the Mongols had a reputation for being savage barbarians by describing their fur-lined clothes and their heavy, meat- and alcohol-based diet. It supplies first-hand accounts of fighting in Ghengis Khan's decimalized army, and explores the various tasks that were left up to the women, such as loading and unloading the wagons when traveling. High school students and undergraduates can compare and contrast religious beliefs and various laws of the Mongols with those of other cultures they are studying. From traditional medicinal treatments to the Great Yasa law system, readers young and old can enjoy this comprehensive, in-depth study of everyday living during the Mongol Empire.

GEORGE LANE teaches in the Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Dr. Lane's focus is on Islamic history, particularly in the Central Asia region. He has also worked on relations between Iran and China during the 13th and 14th centuries. He contributed to The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life (Greenwood, 2004), and is the author ofGhengis Khan and Mongol Rule (Greenwood, 2004) and Early Mongol Rule in 13th Century Iran (2003).