The Bedouin nomadic traditions gave rise to state formations in the central Islamic lands, whereas the Mongols of Central Asia established a transcontinental empire under the leadership of Genghis Khan, straddling Europe and Asia during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. While Bedouin societies formed Islamic states, the Mongols created an empire that connected diverse regions across continents.

The differences can be explained by the fact that Central Asian nomadic societies were not insulated 'islands' impervious to change. They interacted, had an impact on, and learnt from the larger world. The scant resources of the steppe lands drove Mongols to trade and barter with sedentary neighbours in China, exchanging horses, furs and game for agricultural produce and iron utensils. When Mongol lineages allied, they could apply military pressure to force better terms, sometimes discarding trade for outright plunder. This dynamic relationship with neighbouring agrarian societies shaped their imperial trajectory differently from Bedouin experiences.