Unique Characteristics Of The Mongols

In the 1200's, in the heart of Mongolia, emerged an empire that would remain incomparable to any other throughout history. Covering a vast expanse of land over a period of nearly two centuries, Genghis Khan and future rulers united a large and diverse group of nomadic people and developed an adept military, conquering civilizations across Asia and parts of Europe. Unique characteristics that they possessed differentiated their empire and both aided and hindered them. The Mongols’ communication system, eagerness for trade, and open mindedness paved the way for their successes, yet these qualities also led to their absorption of the cultures they had defeated, and ultimately contributed to their downfall.
Before discussing these three traits,

it is paramount to further understand who the Mongols were, and how they adapted to, and thrived in, the land they inhabited. In the 12th century, several Turkic and Mongol-Tungusic tribes populated the area of Central Mongolia. (“The Mongol Empire”) Temujin, born in 1162, built a tribal confederation after surviving several wars in Mongolia following the death of his father. About forty years later, he solidified his power as the leader of the Mongols, receiving the title ‘Genghis Khan’. (May) Subsequent to his death, his son and grandsons inherited the empire for the next several decades, leading up to the Pax Mongolica, a time frame during which although the unified empire had been replaced with four different leaders, the political situation was stable and goods and people could travel across Asia. (Di Cosmo 90) Particularly during this time period, the Mongols opened up to the cultures around them, strengthening alliances and exchanging ideas. Their nomadic way of life resulted in their high level of resistance for difficult climates and readiness for combat, fortifying their military, which managed to conquer over twelve million miles of land throughout their rule. (Morgan and Morgan 432)
The Mongols had a unique system of communication throughout their empire, which united them, aided their armies and enabled contact with others. Their communication network reached from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan, due to the fact that it was run by their army. There were posthouses every several farsangs, each yam having at least 15 horses ready to go, and sometimes even between 200 and 400, according to Marco Polo. (Lane) While uniting so many groups of people appears difficult, possessing the yam network made it much easier, due to the fact that one could travel and carry messages throughout the empire efficiently. This would also aid the Mongol army, because it would allow them to receive commands quicker than their opponents, giving them an advantage. A solid and rapid form of communication is arguably one of the most influential factors in the victory of a war. The local people living around the yam stations supplied provisions for those passing through, even though it was the army’s duty to operate and keep up the stations. (Lane) By giving them the responsibility of providing resources for those stopping by the yams, they were included in the smooth running of the empire, therefore bringing citizens together and uniting them as part of a community. Not only did the Mongols create an effective way to transmit information within the empire, but they also had relations with the territories around them. Bar Sauma became a Nestorian monk at the age of 20, and began preaching the Gospel and attracting followers. Markos, one of them, joined him on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem between 1275 and 1280. With them, they carried a letter of recommendation from the bishop of Khanbalik and a travel permit from Kublai Khan. ("Rabban Bar Sauma, the "Reverse Marco Polo”) Bar Sauma’s travels to Jerusalem demonstrate Kublai Khan’s earnestness to have his people travel beyond the empire, and foster alliances with other territories. This itself was in part made feasible by the strong network of communication within the empire, which was a necessity to have before reaching out to surrounding countries. Communicating productively throughout and beyond the empire was a vital step in strengthening the Mongols as a world power and facilitating interaction with others. While this was a positive change in their life, opening up to those around them would later make them more vulnerable in terms of the preservation of their culture.
The importance the Mongols placed on trade led to the exchange of ideas and influx of wealth into their territories through a system which facilitated contact that otherwise would not have occurred and allowed them to relate to others as equals.

The Mongols were knowledgeable when it came to trade, and were aware of the development across Asia that commerce with the wealthy Mediterranean markets could bring, so European merchants had no need to educate or persuade them to make compromises. (Di Cosmo 90-91) Clearly, the Mongols ensured that they were well informed on the topic, understanding the benefits it could result in. Trade would also bring a new dimension to the kinds of relationships that they could establish with other territories. When communicating through exploration or conquests the Mongols were always coming in from a superior position; on the other hand, commercial partnerships would place both sides on equal footing, fostering a greater appreciation for one another. The ortaghs, meaning “partners”, were merchants who were licensed by and acted under the government, (Di Cosmo 90) providing a way for trading to become more official by giving the government the ability to ensure that it was taking place and control it. This would also guarantee that the leaders of the empire would profit from the institution as well. To administer the empire, the Mongols set up cities as hubs of trading, including Karakorum in Mongolia, Sarai in Russia and Dadu in China. They were particularly useful to merchants and envoys. (Stock) The Mongols may have been inspired by the ports and cities they observed of the countries that they traded with. Building these centers would serve the purpose of organizing trade and making it more efficient, which was advantageous as the empire expanded. In addition, they would provide places for merchants from different regions to communicate with one another, lending its way for the flow of different beliefs and ideas across their lands.

Without trade as a means for this communication, many of these interactions would not taken place. The significance placed on trade was something that nearly all Mongol rulers had in common. To show appreciation for merchants’ efforts, Ogodei Khan oftentimes paid twice the asking price for goods. In addition, he ordered that they be paid a ten percent bonus. (Weatherford 136) When Guyuk, Ogodei’s son, died, many officials advised against paying off the massive debts that he had accumulated throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Mongke acknowledged that not meeting Guyuk’s financial obligations would make merchants hesitant to continue commerce with the Mongols. (Weatherford 175) Mongke was willing to sacrifice a lot to sustain business due to the fact that it was the source of many resources. If it had not brought substantial benefits to them, he would not have contributed this amount of money to its existence, risking financial trouble. Introducing such policies to broaden trade and increase business within the empire not only supplied the Mongols with abundant wealth, but also helped increase the amount and type of contact they had with others, largely influencing them throughout their history.