The arrival of the Mongols did not initially upset the existing order at the borderlands as the Mongols were intent on finishing off the Song . For the next dozen years , they consolidated their hold over the newly conquered land , which not only provided them with a base from which to attack the Song from the rear but also was strategically located on the trade routes from China to Burma and India . The Mongols set up military garrisons , manned mostly by Turkic @-@ speaking Muslims from Central Asia , in 37 circuits of the former Dali Kingdom .