The founder of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, became one of the most feared and respected leaders in the eleventh century. Under his leadership, the nomadic Mongolian tribes became an empire and conquered land across Asia to the Middle East. As a feared leader, Genghis Khan showed his strength and justice to his people at the same time. However, the invasion of Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau was not only to demonstrate Genghis Khan’s power and influence as the leader of the Mongol Empire, but his personal pride and his ability to deliver justice was on the line as well.
Before they were known as the Mongol Empire, Mongol were nomadic. The Mongol tribes from North Asia, now Mongolia, relied on the nomadic lifestyle of constant movement
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as a way of life, and their main source of transportation was by horse. Before Genghis Khan, these tribes did not have the ability to unify into a well-established and organized group or tribe. Instead, these tribes would collaborated with each other occasionally, and most of time they functioned as independent nomadic tribes. Once he became the tribal chief, Genghis Khan unified the different Mongol tribes as one tribe and merged other Turkic and Tatar tribes together to become a powerful empire, which had enough military power to attack their nearby neighbors such as China. Military Strength and Strategies Within a short amount of time, Genghis Khan conquered Beijing, destroyed some of the major Chinese dynasties, before setting his sight to the west.
As his territory was expanding, Genghis become wiser and used his wisdom and experience as a warrior to create various effective strategies. It was well known that Genghis Khan used terror as a weapon of war. For instance, before he destroyed a city, he offered the people a choice, and if they did not fight and surrender to the Mongols, he spared the bloodshed, but they would go under Mongol control. On the other side, if the city did decide to stand their ground and fight, then Mongols massacred everyone, including the civilians. This reign of terror contributed to the mass and successful expansion of the emperor in short amount of …show more content…
time. Additionally, Genghis Khan kept peace and unification between the empire, because he knew the importance of the written words, which ensured that his wishes or demands were carried out with less or no altercations. He also divided the different roles of the empire to ensure that the empire would be taken care of. Another strategy that Genghis Khan introduced was a completely new order of the nomadic society. It was these effective strategies that made him a great leader and kept the empire as unified as one. Furthermore, from the beginning, we can certainly see that this empire was Genghis Invasion of Central Asia and Iran Before the Mongol invasion, Baghdad the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, who had no power outside of Baghdad and were just figureheads, who were not interested in their people or serving Allah.
They interest lied mostly in other worldly pleasures. Further, during his expansion towards the west, Genghis Khan, and his empire got into contact with the troops of Sultan of Khwarazm, one of the strongest empires in Asia. At this time, Genghis wanted to open more trade relations and not be hostile towards the sultan. Even though the sultan believed that this gesture was a way to invade this empire, he still allowed emissaries to trade within his empire. In 1218, Khwarazm’s governor reported that one of Mongol trading member was spreading lies about the power of the Mongol leader while praising of the generosity and his tolerance in the religious matter, and they also fear that he was a spy for the empire. Without getting any agreement from the sultan (Khwarazm), the governor massacred the merchants. They claimed that the sultan gave his permission; even though, there was not written
agreement. Genghis Khan made few attempt to demand justice for his merchant and wanted the governor handed to Mongol Empire; however, the sultan ignored him, and Genghis Khan had no choice but to declare a war. He was trying to maintain the diplomacy; however, Genghis had to acknowledge the facts and declare war. This was considered one of the bloodiest massacre, and with forces of 150,000 men, Genghis Khan was able to capture the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and many other. Women and children were given to the Mongol soldiers as slaves while the rest of the people were massacred. Ultimately, he captured the capital city of the Urgench, Khwarazm’s capital city.
Between the early 1200's and the mid 1300's the Mongol Empire, led by Genghis Khan, took control of around 9,300,000 square miles of Eurasia. Genghis Khan first started conquering neighboring clans before setting his sight on the rest of the world. When they would conquer a city, the Mongols would give the city a chance to surrender and if they declined and the Mongols succeeded in conquering them, then all of the citizens would be slaughtered. Under Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire grew to encompass Central Asia, parts of the Middle East, and east to the borders of the Korean Peninsula. In 1227, Genghis Khan died, which led to the empire being divided into four khanates that would be ruled by his sons and grandsons. Genghis Khan's descendants
To start, the mongols were able to used brutal and strategic military tactics that helped them conquer more than 4,800,000 miles of land. The Mongols leader “Genghis Khan” was a very smart and strategic leader. He organized his army into groups of ten, hundred, and one thousand. If such groups runs away or flees, the entire group was put to death. Genghis Khans army was able to succeed in conquering land due to horses. His army
... were positive, one may argue that these individuals only saw the tolerant and fair-minded side of the Mongols, and not the relentless warrior part of the society who was known for its “dirty” tactics of war, which went as far as launching diseased-ridden corpses over the walls of castles during sieges. Alternatively, one may argue that the scholars who provided negative documentation of the Mongols only saw the destructive side, not the open-minded side of the society who were known for their cultural acceptance. Although these accounts allowed for an adequate idea of the nature of the Mongols, a record from a peasant who was not a member of the upper class in their society, as all reports presented were from historians, scholars, and political leaders. This would allow for a different perspective on the issue and would produce a better understanding of the topic.
The military tactics the Mongols used were a huge help to expanding their empire. They used interrogation and were incredibly ruthless to their enemies. These tactics allowed for Genghis Khan, the leader of the Mongols at this time, to end up expanding
The Mongol empire was the largest land empire the world has ever seen. First began as a nomadic group of tribes. Mongols were united and emerged into an empire that conquered lands stretching from Europe to Central Asia under the rule of Genghis Khan. The Mongol empire was able to succeed in expanding, and conquering was due to their ability to adapt to any living conditions, their sheer brutality force, and their strong military organization. To begin, one factor that supported the Mongols in their conquests was their capacity for foraging, allowing them to survive under harsh living conditions.
When the word “Mongol” is said I automatically think negative thoughts about uncultured, barbaric people who are horribly cruel and violent. That is only because I have only heard the word used to describe such a person. I have never really registered any initial information I have been taught about the subject pass the point of needing and having to know it. I felt quite incompetent on the subject and once I was given an assignment on the book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern Age, I was very perplexed for two reasons. One I have to read an outside book for a class that already requires a substantial amount of time reading the text, and secondly I have to write a research paper in History. I got over it and read the book, which surprisingly enough interested me a great deal and allow me to see the Moguls for more than just a barbaric group of Neanderthals, but rather a group of purpose driven warriors with a common goal of unity and progression. Jack Weatherford’s work has given me insight on and swayed my opinion of the Mongols.
They struck fear into their enemies eyes with their gruesome affect and fierce actions. They showed no mercy. The Mongols were also known for their surprise attack which spread to other armies making it a keen warfare used all around the world. This battle tactic consisted of a group of men who are fighting out on the battlefield and they begin to retreat only to draw the enemy into a trap. The enemy runs into a rain of arrows as the rest of the men are hiding off to the side with loaded weapons, and fierce ground fighters ready for combat. This is one key that the Mongols had to help them conquer
The Mongols; a vicious and destructive military force, feared throughout its empire and under the rule of one man, Chinggis Khan. This picture of the Mongols and their empire is one often painted by our modern society. However, much of what we think we know about the Mongols has been exaggerated and biased from the point of view of the people that were conquered. In reality, the Mongols, although at times violent and destructive, bore many similarities in tactics and practices to the classical empires that had preceded them. They were not just simple barbaric savages looking to destroy whatever they could. They were a people united for a common purpose, trying to achieve it the same way that prior civilizations had done so: military force. Even though a Western perspective may find the actions of the Mongols objectionable, it must be understood that this was not a Western society, nor did it house the same values as one. The Mongols were not the destructive barbarians they are often made out to be, but rather an effective military force working for unification.
The military exploits of the Mongols under Ghengis Khan as well as other leaders and the ruthless brutality that characterized the Mongol conquests have survived in legend. The impact of the invasions can be traced through history from the different policies set forth to the contributions the Mongols gave the world. The idea of the ruthless barbarian’s intent upon world domination will always be a way to signify the Mongols. Living steadfast upon the barren steppe they rode out of Mongolia to pursue a better life for their people.
Genghis Khan, as it is well-acknowledged, is renowned for governing the extensively immense Mongol Empire. Despite the common argument that he indiscriminately (done at random or without careful judgement―by definition) slaughtered millions of people, Genghis Khan aspired to conquer new territories and, in accordance to their religion, animism, “the sky god made it their goal to unite the land under one sword.” How else would he have done the preceding? Just as the Mongol Government Official stated, “war is inevitable,” especially when capitulation is refused. Moreover, Genghis Khan noted that peace usually follows surrender. Though Prince Kiev attempted to confute the aforementioned, he was mistaken when he said that “war sparked between the two peoples” as a result of an attempt at peace. In response, Genghis Khan’s negation included that war arose as a consequence of their mistrust of him and the denial of a viable peace
Genghis Khan once said, “A leader can never be happy until his people are happy.” Genghis Khan claims that he truly cares about his people and wants to make them feel content otherwise he doesn't think he has fulfilled his duty. Before he ruled the fierce Mongols, they lived in the steppes northwest of China where the climate was harsh and the natural resources were limited. They lived a nomadic lifestyle in tents, called yurts. In the late 1100s, Genghis Khan began to build a strong army. By 1206, the Mongols were united under Genghis’ rule. The Mongols were civilized because they had well thought out battle tactics, an advanced economy, and they maintained law and order.
This story can be summarized by dividing the story into three major sections that represent a genealogy of the Genghis Khan ancestors, the lifestyle of Genghis Khan and the story of Genghis son and Ogodei his successor. This piece of early time’s literature was translated and edited by Jack Weatherford and it was not released until 16th February, 2010. The piece of work restores early history’s most prominent figures to the positions they rightfully deserves. It clears the picture of the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols and it is rich with information regarding the society of the Mongols in the 12th and the 13th centuries” (Kahn, 2005).
When discussing Asian history, countries or empires such as China and India are frequently mentioned. China and India are indeed important in Asian history, but a giant player, who played an irreplaceable role in the development of Asia, is missing. It is the Mongols. The Mongols established large secular states, increased the scale of trades, and promoted religion coexistence that accelerated the development and integration of regions in the Asia’s Circulatory System.
In the West, Genghis Khan and the Mongol tribe are often presented as brutal savages who wiped out entire cultures, destroyed cities and killed many people. While these accounts are true, there was certainly more to the Mongol empire than sheer brutality. Many of the practices that Genghis Khan put into place were responsible for the successes of the Mongol Nation. With an ability to adapt and innovate, Genghis Khan became known as the world’s greatest conqueror and is still revered in many countries today.
Weatherford, J. McIver. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Crown, 2004. Print.