empires of the steppes

Empires of the Steppes: The Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilisation

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An epic history of how the so-called 'barbarians of the steppes' shaped the modern world.

 ‘A rollercoaster of historical narration’ - History Today

'This is a history of epic scope that brings together the empires of the steppe land with the caravan cities of the Silk Road and imperial China' - Martyn Rady, author of The Middle Kingdoms

'A sweeping account of forty-five centuries of nomadic tribes' - Gillian Tett, Financial Times

'Flips the script to present the booted, felt-capped, leather-trousered and kaftan-wearing nomads as the bearers of civilisation . . . Harl's exhaustively researched book will ensure they re-join the narrative of world history' - Marc David Baer, Guardian

The barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These tribes produced some of the world’s greatest conquerors: Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, among others.

And their deeds still resonate today. Indeed, these nomads built long-lasting empires, facilitated the first global trade of the Silk Road and disseminated religions, technology, knowledge and goods of every description that enriched and changed the lives of so many across Europe, China and the Middle East. From a single region emerged a great many peoples – the Huns, the Mongols, the Magyars, the Turks, the Xiongnu, the Scythians, the Goths – all of whom went on to profoundly and irrevocably shape the modern world.

In this enthralling new history, Professor Kenneth W. Harl draws on a lifetime of scholarship to vividly recreate the lives of these peoples from their beginnings to the early modern age. Their brutal struggle to survive on the steppes bred a resilient, pragmatic people ever-ready to learn from their neighbours.

In warfare, they dominated the battlefield for over fifteen hundred years. Under charismatic rulers, they could topple empires and win their own.

  • Publisher‏: ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (15 Aug 2024)
  • Language‏: ‎ English
  • Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781526630414
  • Dimensions‏: ‎ 197 x 129 x 35 cm
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26 June - 1 November 2026

More to the Mongols than Meets the eye.

Genghis Khan is coming to Leeds. The international blockbuster exhibition Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World will be charging into the Royal Armouries Museum until November 2026.

Discover the story of how the unstoppable force of Genghis Khan overcame exile, murder and betrayal to unite his people and rule over an empire that stretched from Europe to China.

For the first time in the UK, see over 250 rare and exciting objects from Mongolia which will tell the story of how the feared Mongol warriors of the Steppe, masters of horse and bow, forged an empire that gave us the first postal system, paper money and a policy of religious tolerance.

Shop the full Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World exhibition range here >


Find out more and book your tickets on the Royal Armouries website >

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22/08/2025 - We are temporarily unable to ship to the USA however we are working hard to get this resolved as soon as we can. Please check back for updates.

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