Mongolian Horses And Camels

587 Words3 Pages
Horses and Camels Animals were an essential part in the Silk Road. Horses and camels both supplied needs and were important keys to the development of international relations and trade. When the wheel was developed in the second millennium BCE, horses came were used to draw military chariots. The natural conditions that were suitable for raising horses that would be large and strong enough for military use were found in the steppes and mountain pastures of Northern and Central Inner Asia, but usually not in the regions best suited for intensive agriculture such as central China. Horses were very important on the trade routes connecting Central Asia to northern India via Afghanistan, because, like central China, India was unsuited to raising quality horses for military purposes. The best way to portray the importance of the horse in the history of Inner Asia is the Mongol Empire. The Mongol horses weren’t large, but they were hardy. This allowed them to survive in winter conditions because of their ability to find food under the ice and snow covering the steppes. Genghis Khan and his descendants could not have conquered and ruled the largest land empire in world history without their miniature but extremely strong horses. Mongols held these horses in highest regard and felt that horses were a great spiritual significance. In rituals, horses were sacrificed to provide “transport” into heaven. At least forty horses were supposedly sacrificed at Genghis’ Khan’s tomb; his trusted steeds would be as important to him in the afterlife as they had been during his lifetime. The Mongols prized their horses’ mainly for the advantages they offered in warfare. Genghis Khan understood the importance of horses and claimed that his troops be respectful of their steeds. The Mongols had developed a compound bow made out of sinew and horn. They were skilled at shooting while riding,
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