What country is Inner Mongolia, and what is Outer Mongolia? Both are in the news these days. How could an agglomeration of diverse tribes have risen up and conquered huge land masses from the Pacific Ocean, China, to Tibet, and India, to also much of Russia including Moscow, the Islamic world as far as the Mediterranean, and moved into Europe as far as Hungary and Poland?

It became the largest Empire the world has ever known in 1200 AD. (Larger than Alexander the Great’s Empire). What were the greatest impacts on Europe of their ferocious new war tactics and war materials? What and where is Mongolia today? What is the present state of the economy? What are its prospects for the future? What is it like to live in a GER tent that needs to be moved three or four times a year? And why must people move that much? This still applies to almost half its population today.

I invite you to join this class to acquaint yourself with a part of the world that may not be on your horizon. See how some of our fellow earthlings lived in the past and how they manage life today. A typical Mongolian meal (cooked by me) will be served during one of the three lunch hours.

This course will combine lecture, slides, and video with class discussions.

Image: “Giant statue of Genghis Khan” by lhirlimann is licensed under CC BY 2.0.