Home Region: Mongolia (Central and Northern Eurasia)

Mongol Empire

1206 CE 1270 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 mn_mongol_emp / MnMngKh

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1000 CE 1206 CE Early Mongols (mn_mongol_early) [elite replacement]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1227 CE 1402 CE Chagatai Khanate (uz_chagatai_khanate) [secession]

1240 CE 1440 CE Golden Horde (ru_golden_horde) [secession]

1256 CE 1339 CE Ilkhanate (ir_il_khanate) [secession]

1271 CE 1368 CE Great Yuan (cn_yuan_dyn) [continuity]

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General Description

The Mongols began as one of a group of nomadic tribes living on the Central Asian Steppe. Temujin or Temuchin (later called Chinggis Khan) became Khan (king), united the different Mongol families and incorporated other tribes such as the Tatars into the ’Mongols’. He was acknowledged as the leader of all the Central Asian tribes in 1206 CE. With this force he moved out of the Steppe in search of new territory. First, the Mongols attacked northern China between 1211 and 1215 CE. In 1218 they moved west into Iran, attacking the main cities of the region. They attacked southern Russia in 1240 and the German lands in 1241. The empire did not expand any further into Europe, but turned its attention back to China and the Middle East. Khubilai Khan moved into southern China; Hulegu captured Baghdad and destroyed the Abbasid caliphate. This represented the height of the Empire in terms of territory and achievement. Indeed, so vast was this empire that the Mongols split it into four regions under four Khans: the Golden Horde in Russia, the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, the Great Yuan in China and the Ilkhanate in Iran and Iraq, c. 1300. Over time this became independent dynasties and states. ^[1] The Mongols were able to mobilise large numbers of troops for their armies. All adult males under 60 were eligible for mass mobilization. All were required to provide their own horses and equipment. This meant that even though Mongol soldiers may not have been the best troops in terms of ability or equipment, they had advantages of size and discipline over their opponents. This was strengthened by Chinggis Khan reforms which introduced a decimal system of organising the army - diving up troops up into units from ten to 10, 000. ^[2]

[1]: Hugh Kennedy,’Mongols or Moghuls’ in The Oxford Companion to Military History eds. Richard Holmes, Charles Singleton, and Dr Spencer Jones (Oxford University Press, 2001).

[2]: Findley, Carter V., The Turks in World History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005),p.83.

General Variables

Identity and Location

2 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

2 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

3 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

2 Relationship to preceding Entity

5 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

3 Linguistic Family

7 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

1 Fastest Individual Communication

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

2 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

2 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

7 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp) was in:
(1206 CE 1300 CE)	Orkhon Valley

Home NGA: Orkhon Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	48 T	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Utm Zone	50 S	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Original Name	Mongol Empire	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Capital	Khanbaliq	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Capital	Karakorum	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Alternative Name	Mongolian Empire	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Temporal Bounds Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1251 CE ➜ 1259 CE]
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Duration	[1206 CE ➜ 1270 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	uz_chagatai_khanate vassalage to mn_mongol_emp	1227 CE 1266 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	none	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	ir_il_khanate nominal allegiance to mn_mongol_emp	1256 CE 1339 CE
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Supracultural Entity	uncoded Undecided	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Great Yuan	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	elite migration	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Succeeding Entity 1227 CE 1402 CE	Chagatai Khanate (uz_chagatai_khanate) [secession]
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Succeeding Entity 1240 CE 1440 CE	Golden Horde (ru_golden_horde) [secession]
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Succeeding Entity 1256 CE 1339 CE	Ilkhanate (ir_il_khanate) [secession]
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Preceding Entity 1000 CE 1206 CE	Early Mongols (mn_mongol_early) [elite replacement]
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Succeeding Entity 1271 CE 1368 CE	Great Yuan (cn_yuan_dyn) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	uncoded	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Linguistic Family	Kartvelian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Georgian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Armenian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Chinese	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Persian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Mongolian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Latin	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Language	Russian	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Religion Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Mongolian Shamanism	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	25,221,806 km²	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Polity Population	- Undecided	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	5	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Religious Level	3	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Military Level	5	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Administrative Level	5	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Professions Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Examination System	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Law Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Judge	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Port	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Canal	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Bridge	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Script	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Uncoded Undecided	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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History	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Calendar	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Information / Money Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Precious Metal	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Article	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Information / Postal System Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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General Postal Service	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Courier	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Fastest Individual Communication	- Undecided	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Information / Measurement System Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Modern Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moat	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Ditch	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Long Wall	unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Military use of Metals Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Iron	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Copper	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Bronze	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Projectiles Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1206 CE 1271 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Present	1272 CE 1368 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Javelin	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1206 CE 1273 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present	1274 CE 1368 CE
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Crossbow	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Atlatl	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Handheld weapons Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Sword	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Spear	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Polearm	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Dagger	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Animals used in warfare Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Elephant	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Donkey	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Dog	Absent	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Camel	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Armor Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Shield	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Helmet	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Chainmail	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Naval technology Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Uncoded	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	1206 CE 1270 CE
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Human Sacrifice Mongol Empire (mn_mongol_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More