World History Essays
May 4, 2012
COMPARE AND CONTRAST MONGOLS AND BYZANTINE EMPIRE
The Mongols and Byzantium were similar and different in terms of state forms (both had provinces or khanates, but only Byzantium had a theocracy), cultural exchange (trade flourished in both countries, but the ways in which cultural diffusion occurred differed), and the effect each empire had on neighboring countries after they declined (they both heavily impacted the surrounding countries but how they declined differed), and these similarities occurred because of the size of their empire, while the differences occurred because of their geographies.
To start off with state forms, the Mongols and the Byzantine Empire were similar because they both had provinces, or khanates in the case of the Mongols. They also had very powerful leaders: Emperor Justinian for Byzantium and Genghis Khan for the Mongols. Additionally, they both glorified their leaders. For example, Genghis Khan was sort of like a god for the Mongols, and Byzantium, having practicing Caesaropopism, had a pope that was also an emperor. These aspects of the two empires are similar because both empires were vast (though the Mongol Empire was the largest) and therefore had to think of ways to control their empire. However, there was one difference: Byzantium had a theocracy while Mongol did not. This fact created another difference: Byzantium really focused on trying to spread Christianity and therefore was not very religiously tolerant while the Mongols didn’t exactly care. This difference occurred because while Byzantium was geographically very close to where Christianity emerged, while the Mongols were nomads and didn’t really have the foundations of a religion.
Next, cultural exchange in both empires flourished. They were both major players in trade in Europe (for Byzantium) and in Asia (for the Mongols). This similarity occurred because they were both very powerful and influential empires. However, the reason to why
COMPARE AND CONTRAST MONGOLS AND BYZANTINE EMPIRE
The Mongols and Byzantium were similar and different in terms of state forms (both had provinces or khanates, but only Byzantium had a theocracy), cultural exchange (trade flourished in both countries, but the ways in which cultural diffusion occurred differed), and the effect each empire had on neighboring countries after they declined (they both heavily impacted the surrounding countries but how they declined differed), and these similarities occurred because of the size of their empire, while the differences occurred because of their geographies.
To start off with state forms, the Mongols and the Byzantine Empire were similar because they both had provinces, or khanates in the case of the Mongols. They also had very powerful leaders: Emperor Justinian for Byzantium and Genghis Khan for the Mongols. Additionally, they both glorified their leaders. For example, Genghis Khan was sort of like a god for the Mongols, and Byzantium, having practicing Caesaropopism, had a pope that was also an emperor. These aspects of the two empires are similar because both empires were vast (though the Mongol Empire was the largest) and therefore had to think of ways to control their empire. However, there was one difference: Byzantium had a theocracy while Mongol did not. This fact created another difference: Byzantium really focused on trying to spread Christianity and therefore was not very religiously tolerant while the Mongols didn’t exactly care. This difference occurred because while Byzantium was geographically very close to where Christianity emerged, while the Mongols were nomads and didn’t really have the foundations of a religion.
Next, cultural exchange in both empires flourished. They were both major players in trade in Europe (for Byzantium) and in Asia (for the Mongols). This similarity occurred because they were both very powerful and influential empires. However, the reason to why