France and the First Thunder of the Mongols
After Tamerlane’s death in 1405, the French “Mongol archive” received few new deposits.
After Tamerlane’s death in 1405, the French “Mongol archive” received few new deposits.
The Mongols conquered continents but failed at sea. Typhoons, treacherous currents, and local defenders in Japan (1274, 1281) and Java (1293) exposed the limits of a land empire built for speed on the steppe, not survival on the open ocean.
The Mongols’ story is one of unparalleled ambition and achievement, tempered by the challenges of governing a diverse, sprawling empire