I’m getting into the Mongols in the next unit in World History, but our current unit on the Byzantines, Russians, and Turks has already run into the Khanate of the Golden Horde.
The vast Eurasian steppe is one of those parts of the world that seems like a big, open, empty area in which nothing of substance really happens. However, the exact opposite is true: it’s a virtual spawn point for nomadic, horseback-riding invaders. Long before the Mongols, groups like the ancient Aryans (the historic people, not the mythologized Nazi ones) and Scythians drove down from the steppe into Europe, India, the Middle East, and even China.
History YouTuber WhatIfAltHist posted a video earlier this week covering the “anti-civilization” of the steppe, and how various invaders have shaped civilizations around them.
The Portly Politico 