Economy of the Nomads and Circulation of Goods at the Establishment of the Great Mongol Empire

This article demonstrates how Chinggis qan succeed in establishing Great Mongol Empire(Yeke Mongγol Ulus) by securing a stable network of exchange with the neighboring forces, and eventually formed political integration and economic development. Especially, it focuses on the various exchange of goods and how these exchanges changed over time, and thus highlights the connection between the nomadic world and the sedentary world. In chapter II, this article provides an overview of the various goods that were produced and thus exchanged from the Mongol plains, and then examines the external goods that were imported to the Mongol plains from the sedentary world. Chapter II compares the goods that were circulated within the Mongol plains before and after the establishment of Yeke Mongγol Ulus, and thus provides an overview of the economic situation of the Mongol steppe. Through this examination, it shows that most of these goods circulated before the birth of Yeke Mongγol Ulus were either from the plains or the forests. Finally, chapter IV investigates how the economic landscape of the Mongol plains changed following the various campaigns of Chinggis qan that enabled a new influx of external goods. This investigation shows new various goods – essential and luxury – became part of the economy of the Mongol plains. In sum, as Chinggis qan united the nomadic people and established the Yeke Mongγol Ulus, he was able to secure various good from the neighboring sedentary states, and thus secure a stable supply of necessary goods. Moreover, long distance trader – with travel security – became interested in the newly establish circumstance and seeked profit. Later during the reign of Ögödei qa'an, many foreigners came via the ǰamči to the capital of the Mongol empire, Qaraqorum, the most famous being John of Plano Carpini and William of Rubruck.