Mongolians have been named as one of the greatest empires in history. Mongolians regarded themselves as people that constantly migrated to the northern region of China and the east which is currently North Korea. The empire came under the leadership of Genghis Khan leading to an official of formation of the Mongolian Empire. The Mongolian Empire rose and expanded in hopes that they would rule and own huge amounts of lands for their herds. These expansions went into Europe and caused important events such as the Black Death in Europe ultimately leading to the Protestant Reformation.
The rise of the Mongols and the beginning of the conquests saw a transition from disunity to unity with the transition being caused by military skills and effective leadership under Genghis. The unit of the Mongols was the main reason why there were victories in wars and several military conquests. The participation and involvement in the conquests and wars led to the drastic conquest and expansion of the Mongol Empire. Throughout the wars, the empire traded with other nations across Europe and Asia and this supported them financially 1 . The trade also made Mongols benefit from the trade both inside and outside the territories through gaining support from countries such as countries in Europe and China in Asia.
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The growing stability in Europe during the late middle ages saw it possible to have an extensive trade between the East and the West. City states in Italy such as Genoa and Venice had trading ports in the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean which made the cities become among the wealthiest in Europe. The expansion of the trade opportunities led to the formation of trade routes connecting Asian countries and Europe. The bubonic plague started off in Asian countries and spread to the European countries through the trade routes.
The Plague made its way from China to the northwestern shores in the Caspian Sea. It then spread to the Mongol Empire and spread to Europe in the spring of 1346. Italian merchants that were in Crimea in the Gcity of Kaffa brought the disease to the west. The disease was spread by rats that carried infected fleas which boarded ships heading to the Byzantine Empire capital. Inhabitants of the city became sickened by the plague. The Plague later made its way to Europe in the year 1347 where it killed approximately 30 to 60 percent of the population in Europe. The plague had had a similar effect in Asia where it had caused the death of approximately 25 million people 2 .
While the Mongols did not cause the Plague, they plaid a big role in its transmission to Europe. The main role played during the Plague was the control of the trade routes throughout Eurasia when the plague was spreading. The Mongols were also victims of the plague just like the Europeans. However, the Mongols also helped in the spread of the plague intentionally. At the time of the siege of Caffa in the year 1347, the Mongols launched bodies of those dead with the Plague to the people in the city. This was a biological warfare that should The reemergence of the Silk Road led to an increased interaction between the West and East which caused a massive spread of the Plague. 3
The Black Death led to protestant reformations by causing a distraction in the social order, wealth, power, and Christian thought throughout the Late Middle Ages. The Late Middle Ages had also been embroiled in wars in Europe causing instability in the church. The papacy was the main authority, both spiritually and politically in Europe. The church faced disunity and with the Plague, there was death on every doorstep. The population of Europe was going down during a time of high religious explorations.
The Black Death killed everyone from every social class. It killed peasants and people from other higher social classes. The King’s daughter also suffered and succumbed to the Plague. Additionally, the church was not immune to the Plague and many priests and clergy died. Replacing the priests was not an easy task and those that replaced them were newer and less devoted men as they entered the hierarchy of church rankings. 4
The clergy that was less experienced begun creating theories related to the cause of the Black Punishment stating that it was a punishment from God. This provoked distress among the populations of Europe. There was an emergence of severe religious rituals and penance based on religious beliefs was observed. Jews started getting tortured and killed because many people thought that they had poisoned the wells and that they were the cause of the Black Death. In spite of the devotion to religion, the Plague did not stop and the faith in the church and distrust of the clergy started to come out. The decline of the Papacy and the weakening of the church due to the death of many priests caused the Great Western Schism. Newly educated secular class started to emerge and it grew stronger. The emergence of great thinkers like John Wycliffe later influenced the common man as a result of the translation of the Bible into the common language.
In conclusion, protestant reformations can be traced from the emergence of the Mongol Empire to the Black Death. Genghis Khan led to a rise of the Mongol Empire which conquered different territories in Asian and European regions. The Mongol Empire led to an opening of various trade routes between the West and the East. The opening the trade routes led to an opening passage of the Black Death to Europe. The Plague resulted in a change in social order, wealth, power, and ultimately caused protestant reformations.
References
Ell, Stephen R. Three Days in October of 1630: Detailed Examination of Mortality During an Early Modern Plague Epidemic in Venice . Vol. 11 Oxford University Press, 2012.
Linde, Barbara M. Genghis Khan: Creating the Mongol Empire . Greenhaven Publishing LLC, 2017.
Tignor, Robert L. World Together, Worlds Apart: Fourth International Student Edition . Vol. 2. WW Norton & Company, 2013.
1 Linde, Barbara M., Genghis Khan: Creating the Mongol Empire, (Greenhaven Publishing LLC, 2017) 192.
2 Stephen R. Ell, Three Days in October of 1630: Detailed Examination of Mortality During an Early Modern Plague Epidemic in Venice , (Vol. 11 Oxford University Press, 2012) pg.128 – 139.
3 Tignor, Robert L. Worlds together, Worlds apart. 4th ed. Vol.2 New York 2018. Pg.387
4 Stephen R. Ell, Three Days in October of 1630: Detailed Examination of Mortality During an Early Modern Plague Epidemic in Venice , (Vol. 11 Oxford University Press, 2012) pg.128 – 139.
