Outsiders Vs Mongols Research Paper

More so than not, the information that has been gathered over the years regarding both the Turks and Mongols was gathered by outsiders rather than from the actual Turks or Mongols themselves. One of the reasons that this is the case is that both of these groups had little interest in the mathematics and sciences unlike the other societies of theirs and other times. Much information had to be gathered from outsiders because these groups did not seem to care to document their discoveries or spend time to write or paint or do anything that did not involve some sort of gain or conquest. Both of these groups lived for pleasure, they had received pleasure through violence and through conquest. The pleasure that came from their conquests was their glory, they lived for glory and it fueled their honor.

The Turks were completely uninterested in these thoughts and teachings. “They only care about raiding, hunting, horsemanship, skirmishing with rival chieftains, taking booty, and invading other countries” (Jāhiz, 114). The Turks were what many considered to be savages, instead of evolving their thoughts and actions, they only had interest in fighting, raiding, and looting. While others evolved, they stayed barbaric. It is considered that the Turks were to warfare, whereas the Greeks to Philosophy, and the Chinese to craftsmanship. The Turks, in theory, simply had lived to conquer. The Mongols were not much different than the Turks. The Mongols also had a reputation of causing violence and looting. The Mongols had invaded many different places to reap the wealth that the land had brought its people. As the text states, “The popular image of the Mongols is often one of hordes of warriors inflicting mass destruction as they passed in conquest” (Bosworth, 125). These groups had been primarily nomadic, they had sought out to invade and conquer land in order to expand their