Steppe Nomadic Pastoral System

Timeline

1. 1200–1250Mongolian Plateau · Mongolian PlateauHerders rotate between winter and summer pastures; horse herds are used for riding, archery, and transport, sheep provide meat and hides, and cattle assist with carrying loads. Livestock are managed in herds by family and tribe, forming a sustainable grazing rhythm adapted to the steppe ecology.
2. 1251–1260Around Karakorum · Orkhon ValleyDuring Möngke Khan's reign, pastures of the thousands were levied on a large scale to supply the khan's court and the western expeditionary army, with warhorses and livestock products collected through the thousand–tumen system; after Kublai Khan proclaimed himself khagan in 1260, he further regulated the allocation of pastoral products between the Central Plains and the steppe, making the nomadic pastoral system the core of imperial military logistics.
3. 1259–1260Mongolian Plateau · Mongolian PlateauAfter Möngke Khan died of illness during the Diaoyu Fortress campaign in 1259, steppe tribes needed to rebuild their herds; during the succession struggle between Kublai and Ariq Böke, both sides used pastures and warhorses to win the support of princes, pushing livestock trade and tribute-herding systems toward more centralized imperial management.