For a millennia, the area known as The Steppe was dominated by nomadic horse peoples. Agriculture was difficult, if not impossible, in most of The Steppe due to the arid climate and rugged geography. The nomadic lifestyle was well suited to warfare. The steppe horse riders became some of the most skilled fighters in the world. Their military potency was limited only by their lack of internal unity. Any political agreement they achieved most probably stemmed from the influence of the Silk Road and the need to protect the trade that traveled on it.
Periodically, changing conditions or the rise of a great leader would bring several tribes together into one force and create an almost unstoppable power. These included the Hun invasion of Europe, the Wu Hu attacks on China, and most notably the Mongol conquest of much of Eurasia.
Geographical extent of The Steppe in the 1st century BC.
The Restless Horsemen:
Historically, the early inhabitants of the Eurasian Steppes were commonly despised as barbarians because of their "warlike" nature. However, these pastoral nomads were a significant driving force in the history of The Steppe despite, and perhaps in lieu of, the frequent and violent wars they waged with their sedentary neighbors. In many instances, nomadic hordes such as those of the Xiong Nu, Uighurs and the Turuk, penetrated deep into sedentary lands of the Roman, Persian and Chinese Empires. In the Western Steppes, the nomadic Huns were a significant factor during the the Fall of Rome period. While the Nomads were warlike, they were not always at war. The brutality attributed to them is actually no more savage than practices in the "civilized" worlds of Rome, Greece, Persia, and China. In fact, Nomads conducted peaceful trading endeavors as much as they engaged in warfare. Because of their geographical location, they served as operators of the Silk Road. The crucial period of the Nomads was during the "middle ages," when the Seljuk Turks, Ghaznavid Turks and Mongols conquered large sedentary civilizations. The Seljuk Turks became the new Islamic power, and the Ghaznavids introduced Islam to India. The incredibly enormous Mongol Empire left a legacy of world integration. Nearly all of Asia came under their control and trade; cultural exchange and economical activity was at a maximum. However, at the end of that period, the gradual developement of firearms took away the prominence of nomadic war machines. Lacking the military edge that gave them their fame, the Nomads gradually lost their power.
Sources:
All Empires Online History Community
History of Central Asia, Wikipedia
Map courtesy of Wikipedia
