Great Wall of China
Topic: Nomadic Empires: The Mongols · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Writing and City Life"; Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
The Great Wall of China is a chain of defensive walls and forts in north China. Chinese rulers began building fortifications as early as the 8th century BCE. From the 3rd century BCE these were joined into the Great Wall. The wall shows how much pressure steppe nomads put on north China's farming societies. The two sides traded, but they also fought when each pushed for better terms. These border wars hurt settled farmers far more than nomads, who could simply retreat.
Example
In 1213, during Genghis Khan's war against the Jurchen Chin dynasty of north China, the Mongols breached the Great Wall. They sacked Peking in 1215.
Don't confuse with
- Mongol-era building: the wall is much older than the Mongols. Its fortifications go back to the 8th century BCE, so it was not built against Genghis Khan in particular.