Paper long abstract:

For the Mongols, a militarized group born, in part, of the hardship of Eurasia's thirteenth-century steppe, perpetual uncertainty meant that life could be as hard on women as it was on men. However, while scholars readily acknowledge the essential role played by elite Mongol women in Empire's expansion, scholarship has yet to explore the how this militarized group inculcated an attitude of gender difference, rather than gender hierarchy, into their children. First, this paper introduces the concept of non-gendered generalist training, a rubric under which all children, regardless of gender, were taught the necessities of daily survival. Within this skill-set, the nerge (communal hunt), is particularly emphasized considering its function as a showcase for horsemanship, warriorship, and bravery. Next, it goes on to challenge task-oriented understandings of gender as experienced by thirteenth-century pastoral nomads by reframing the gendered division of tasks, not as a process grounded in the function of performing a task, but rather in a task's perceived contribution to the group's broader goals. This section concludes by suggesting that the Mongols inculcated their children with an attitude of gender difference by dividing tasks into two spheres: an inward facing, consolidating sphere typically the purview of women, and an outward facing, dynamic sphere predominantly dominated by men. Finally, it considers the ger, the non-segregated living space of the pastoral nomad. By using primary sources from Persia, China, Europe, and the Caucasus this paper ultimately examines how the Mongol Empire raised its children, and its elite female children in particular, to become political, economic, and military leaders of formidable strength.