The Mongols were a powerhouse for a relatively short period of time from 1206 to 1279 by ruling the majority of Asia and eastern Europe leading to them becoming the largest contiguous empire in history. This power is due to the power of Genghis Khan, the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols, and most importantly the geography of Southern Asia. Asia is covered by steppes, extensive flat plains that are easy to traverse, and the Mongols used these to their advantage to easily travel through their empire. It was also important that they were nomadic because the Mongols never really stayed in one place. However, the Mongols were never able to take control of India because the Himalayan mountains blocked their path. As the Mongols traveled across …show more content…
According to Document 5, An Excerpt from The Travels of Marco Polo, “At the next station he finds his relief ready in like manner; and so the post proceeds, with a change at every three miles. And in this way the Emperor...receives despatches with news from places ten days’ journey off in one day and night; or, if need be, news from a hundred days off in ten days and nights; and that is no small matter!” Clearly, the Mongols created a very efficient and organized road system which meant that information and goods that would normally take days upon days to get to their desired location only took a small amount of time to get there. An advanced system of roads, such as the roads of the Roman Empire and in this case the Mongolian Empire, are a clear example of a civilized empire because they show how highly developed and structured the empire is. A road system is crucial to the success of a civilization because it is the basis for how information and ideas are spread, how money is made through trade, and how armies move from one place to another. It is evident that the Mongols were a very organized and civilized