Mongols Dbq Essay

A long time ago about eight hundred years ago during the 13th century lived the mongols.Known for there savage ways and there murderous approaches, but when you look deeper into their lives the so called barbarians weren’t so barbaric after all. This is noticeable in many ways such as there military superiority, as well in there economic aspects.

The Mongols a small tribe based on the grasslands, which achieved what dozens of empires only dreamed of doing in a short time period from (1162-1227) as stated in (Document A) conquering a little more than four million eight hundred and sixty thousand square miles. The mentioned achievements did not occur from day to night they happened through an extension of time and in the course of that is where

the mongols were further acknowledges as barbarians. The barbarians were given this label due to “The Three Waves” and how they went down. Throughout the beginning of the waves, Genghis Khan (the founder of the mongols who lead them through most if not all of the attacks), started invading the chinese, ancient persians, russians, eastern europeans, the middle east, and south china showing dominance by slaughtering the soldiers and leaving the streets greasy with human fat and flesh. This can be also portrayed in the (Document E) as it shows the amount of deaths throughout the cities they invaded. It is clear that the Mongols were barbarians but to what extent.
As we know the barbarians were savages with murderous ways but if this is so how did they achieve what many others couldn't.This is simple although they were illiterate and lived in yurts they had organization throughout their tribe.

This could be easily established by (Document D) in which it demonstrates how the mongols were during a battle and there tactics. It presents how sophisticated and coordinated there army was, because they forced the enemy to over work them self while they would take shifts thus never getting tired in the long run and over running them at a point. However if this didn't work they had a backup plan demonstrating that they weren't so wild and untamed. This is also reflected upon in a different aspect in (Document B) this describes how the soldiers were brought into the military. As declared in the text they would be sent to serve at the age of fourteen unless they undertook physics, undertaking ( In other words the one that makes the arrangements for a funeral), or priesthood which in this case they would be exempted from these duties. Only by this they are showing capability of not forcing the military into every boys life. Finally it mentions that the soldiers at a point will become a man and will have to fend for himself therefore also showing that they didn't want to lazy people. If the military aspect of the mongols doesn't give you enough insite of the mongols not being that barbaric then take a look at their

economy.
The mongols had a diverse economy, they were mostly based on trading so some technological advancements in their society had to be made.

This can be seen in (Document H) as Kubilai Khan comes to power he starts improving many features of their empire by increasing the position and authority of the muslims in there government, as well as their being a new legal system being being put in place which reduced capital crimes by half. Also establishing postal stations in china for easier communication. In (Document I) it demonstrates the postal services which were established by the mongols which also brought the Silk road back and they made it safer in many ways allowing them to travel and trade without any disturbance throughout the transaction. Finally in ( Document J) it portrays the achievements in the commerce area. Them being the improvement of canals being built and helping the transportation, as well as the Pax Mongolica protecting part of helping the tax-free custom zones

prosper.
In conclusion although the mongols were barbarians, they werent to an extent in which they were animals. Because they had an organized economy and transportation, As well as the military aspects being more advanced than other empires around the world.