The Routledge Handbook of the Mongols and Central-Eastern Europe

The Routledge Handbook of the Mongols and Central-Eastern Europe offers a comprehensive overview of the Mongols' military, political, socio-economic, and cultural relations with Central and Eastern European nations between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history, and one which contributed to the establishment of political, commercial, and cultural contacts between all Eurasian regions. The Golden Horde, founded in Eastern Europe by Chinggis Khan's grandson, Batu, in the thirteenth century, was the dominant power in the region. For 200 years, all of the countries and peoples of Central and Eastern Europe had to reckon with a powerful centralized state with enormous military potential. Some chose to submit to the Mongols, whilst others defended their independence, but none could avoid the influence of this powerful empire. In this book, 25 chapters examine this crucial period in Central-Eastern European history, including trade, confrontation, and cultural and religious exchange between the Mongols and their neighbours.