ABOUT USAGE AREAS OF SILK FABRIC IN THE MONGOLIAN EMPIRE

Abstract

Silk fabric draws a wide spectrum in terms of usage area. Sometimes a military uniform, sometimes a pennant or a banner, sometimes embodied in religious clothes, it appears in different patterns. One of the states that put silk at the center of its political and cultural life is undoubtedly the Mongols. They saw this commodity as a symbol of wealth and nobility in social life, as well as actively using it in military, religious and economic life in Mongol Empire Era. In addition to giving detailed information about the main sources of the period (13rd century) and travelers, the use of silk fabric by the Mongols, the discussions of the sources on this subject constitute the main subject of the article. In particular, Yuanshi and Mongolian sources record that, apart from the clothes of the Mongolian elite, silk fabrics were used in the Mongolian army, tents and cars, and “paper Money”. There is no information in any source about James Chambers' thesis that the reason for the Mongolian army to wear silk underwear is to reduce arrow wounds. This duty of silk underwear cannot go beyond speculation, but it is possible that uniforms made of silk were worn in the Mongolian army, apart from wool and coarse cloth clothes, which we can call soft armor. In addition, there were silk threads on the Mongolian banners and, interestingly, in the shields used by the Mongols. Although the Mongols used metal shields, they were basically round shields formed by knitting wooden sticks with each other. The inside of this wooden stick structure was probably wrapped with silk threads to increase the strength of the shield and make the braid structure more stable. Especially in Yuanshi, it is understood that the silk fabrics in the clothes worn by the Mongolian guard class Keshig hold a large amount. Silk fabrics could be used in the structures that we can call the big tents (pavilions) used by the Mongols, and also in the carriages of the Mongolian elite class. The issue of "paper money", which is one of the important contributions of the Mongol Empire to world history, is another issue that stands out when examining the usage areas of silk in the Mongol Empire. Because in China, where the Mongols ruled, this type of money could also be made of silk until a certain period. From a general perspective, the use of silk fabrics and silk threads ranged widely in the Mongol Empire. Apart from the areas mentioned in our article, for example, the use of gold or white silk fabrics as clothes had symbolic meanings. As a means of achieving political goals, the distribution of silk cloth could play a central role. One of the ways to distinguish the Mongol nobility from the common people was the luxurious use of silk fabrics, colors and patterns within the Mongolian elite. The distribution of silk cloth in the jisun festivals, where different colored clothes were worn every day and which aimed to bring the Mongol elite class and the commons closer together, had both material and spiritual meanings for the Mongols. These festivities could be held at summer festivities, winter quriltais, or ascension ceremonies.