World History › Section D · Ancient Asia › Topic D.2
The steppes
North of the great farming civilisations lay a belt of grassland where people lived by herding and the horse. Steppe peoples left few writings of their own, yet they spread languages, chariots and cavalry warfare, and they shaped China's history as much as any dynasty did.
In this topic
- A sea of grass
- Taming the horse
- Herders who spread languages
- Life in the saddle
- The Scythians
- Worked example: testing Herodotus on the Scythians
- Why trade, why raid?
- The Xiongnu confederation
- Worked example: the Han turn the tables
- Nomad dynasties in northern China
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…