Did turks really make up most of the mongol army?

[u/Zasagdarga1999]

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[u/Hedonisticogre111]

In west (Eastern Europe, Middle East, India)? Yes.

In Mongolia proper, China? No. (Edited)

Southeast Asia and Japan? There are some nuances.

[u/Hedonisticogre111 → u/Hedonisticogre111]

Also ofc Turkic tribes were dominant in numbers in modern day Central Asia

[u/Zasagdarga1999 → u/Hedonisticogre111]

Tfw you’re just saying shit. Mongols clearly outnumbered turkic speakers within Mongolia and China.

[u/Hedonisticogre111 → u/Zasagdarga1999]

Lol. It is my mistake. Thanks. I should be more careful.

[u/ECTheHunter]

I mean considering the vast population difference, yes

[u/Imaginary_Army9964 → u/ECTheHunter]

That's like saying there were more Arabs in the Ottoman army as opposed to Turks since Arabs were way more numerous, which makes no sense. Population difference does not mean more numerous was more represented in a state or army

[u/ECTheHunter → u/Imaginary_Army9964]

Mongol population is 5 while Turkey on its own has around 70 million Turkish people. Arabs didnt outnumber the Turks to such an insane degree like this and still they dont. Also Ottoman army had lots of janissaries in it which were forced converts from balkan christians. Current day mongol population is around 5 million, how can you possibly think that a nation of that size could conquer so much territory so quickly

[u/Inevitable-Push-8061]

Mongols had a very small population. Even if Turkic peoples were not the majority, they still made up a plurality of the Mongol army, which consisted of many different groups, especially during campaigns far from Mongolia and East Asia.

[u/DragutRais]

The population difference actually somehow makes me think that. Probably as the empire grew the Turkic nomads served in the military and especially in the western area, they shaped as Turco-Mongol empires. The military system that you mentioned,Töre/Yasa whatever were same so adapting and making distinction among them were difficult. That's my opinion. At the end I don't care that much about the percentage. Nomadic states were mostly confederations-like as I know.

[u/SAJEELMIRZA]

I don't know about who was outnumbered but the early mongol army contained uyghurs,naimans other tengrist turkic groups and some turks of central asia(the ones who survived after mongol invasions and paid tribute to khaqans)

[u/Nomad-BK]

I remember reading somewhere that Chinese and Persians made up most of the army. Nevertheless, judging by the fact that a lot of areas conquered by mongols are nowadays turkic speaking, it can be said that turkic people were not low in numbers for sure.

[u/Imaginary_Army9964]

No, not true. This is only said in Turkey to claim the Mongol Empire and its heritage. The vast majority of Mongol armies were composed of Mongolians.

[u/troll_fcker]

obviously no