The Role of Women in the Mongol Empire The Mongols were a nomadic people who lived in tribes in Asia during the 13th and 14th centuries. The union of numerous tribes would eventually form one of the largest empires in history. With the lack of rain in the region, the Mongols did not have widespread agriculture, instead raising sheep, cattle, goats, horses and camels which thrived on the grass and shrubs of the steppe lands where they lived. Mongolian tribes traveled with their herds to lands with abundant amounts of grass so their animals could graze. When their herds ran out of vegetation, they migrated to a new area. The tribes were self-sufficient, not only living on the meat, milk and skins provided by their animals, but also using them for commercial purposes. Despite the fact that the Mongols were a nomadic people, they still used a caste system of chiefs and khans who controlled the various tribes. The Mongols did not allow intermarriage within clans, so the abduction of women from other clans was not an unusual occurrence (Hartog 4). However, the theft of women caused many conflicts between the different tribes. Although tribal leaders could have many wives, it was only the chief wife and her offspring who would inherit the tribe and continue the lineage after her death (Lane, Genghis Khan 4). The role that women played in Mongolian society was often a complex one. Mongolian women were often bought or kidnapped by their husbands. Women were often treated like property and used like any other type of barter tool. However, during the reign of Genghis Khan, women were not simply mothers and tent wives, but also enjoyed considerable power within the family... in the middle of the paper... or in the days of the Mongol Empire, the women have enjoyed so much power or influence over so many people (Weatherford, The Secret History) (Kindle location 97). Works Cited Hartog, Leo de. Genghis Khan: conqueror of the world. London: Taurisparke Tascabili, 2004. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Network. February 22, 2014. Lane, George. Daily life in the Mongol Empire. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.Lane, George. Genghis Khan and Mongol rule. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004. Print.Stearns, Peter N. Gender in World History. New York: Routledge, 2000. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Network. February 22, 2014.Weatherford, Jack. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How Genghis Khan's Daughters Saved His Empire. New York: Broadway, 2011. Kindle edition. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the creation of the modern world. New York: Corona, 2004. Print.