Beyond the Big Four Eurasian civilizations (Europe, India, Middle East, China) that dominated 90% of humanity, there existed a fifth major player—not a civilization, but its opposite. The Steppe produced history's greatest conquerors despite having 1/100th the population and no cities or formal religions. These nomadic warriors influenced world history as much as any civilization, creating an anti-civilization power that repeatedly brought empires to their knees. The ultimate historical paradox: how could Mongolia conquer China with 1% of its population?
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LINKS:
Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews: / @history102-qg5oj
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Bibliography:
A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia by David Christian
The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary
Europe's Steppe Frontier 1500-1800 by McNeil
Plagues and Peoples by McNeil
Rise of the West by McNeil
Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world by Jack Weatherford
The Khan Trilogy by Khan Iggulden (fiction but is the best intro to Mongol history for lay people since the author does the research really well)
A History of Warfare by John Keegan
A History of Religious Ideas v 3 by Mircea Eliade
War and Peace and War by Peter Turchin
Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World by Rice
War in Human Civilization by Azar Gat
The Soul of China by Amaury de Riencourt
Nomads and Crusaders by Archibald Lewis
War! What is it Good for by Ian Morris
The Evolution of Civilizations by Carroll Quiggley
Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich
The Tree of Culture by Ralph Linton
The Silk Road by Frankopan
