While the urban city dwellers were more advanced technologically and socially, in many cases they could do little in a military aspect to defend against the mounted hordes of the steppe.
wˌaɪl ðɪ ˈɜːbən sˈɪɾi dwˈɛlɚz wɜː mˈoːɹ ɐdvˈænst tˌɛknəlˈɑːdʒɪkli ænd sˈoʊʃəli, ɪn mˈɛni kˈeɪsᵻz ðeɪ kʊd dˈuː lˈɪɾəl ɪn ɐ mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ˈæspɛkt tə dᵻfˈɛnd ɐɡˈɛnst ðə mˈaʊntᵻd hˈoːɹdz ʌvðə stˈɛp.