The Mongol Empire - Essay Example

The Mongol Empire Introduction of Mongolian Empire The empire which changed the map of the world in thirteenth century, an empire which rose to power so marvelously that it left the world into revelation was none other than the Mongolian Empire. In less than a decade, a group of warriors initially consisting of a few men grew spectacularly to an empire that governed all the area of the world from Pacific Ocean to the Danube River. It was one of the most spectacular conquests in the history of the world and one which was the reason of its own destruction. The kingdom that began its rule at the steppes region of Mongolia in the 13th century soon changed the way people looked at the world. Some of the key features brought to the human thinking by this impressive empire include the intercontinental long distance trade, united people that formed different distinguished nations, change the way leadership, specifically military leadership, was thought to be, and fanatically developed new norms for the historians. The historians remember the Mongol Empire as the largest contiguous kingdom mankind has ever witnessed. The best spectator of this empire was the area of Eurasia, distinctly at the 13th and the 14th century. But the overall ruler ship of Mongols throughout the world is like the golden pages of history books. Brief History The Mongolian empire was a federation of different tribes of Central Asia. The evolution of this empire was a slow and steady process that began when the Turkish and Mongolian tribes sat together for mutual interests. The first renowned of them was Temüjin (1165-1227). He was a charming and fascinating leader and was the heir to Toghril Khan, supreme leader of the Kereits. The “Kereits” tribe was the most prominent and populous tribe among the Mongols. The idea of leadership that Temüjin possessed was genetically adopted from his father. Soon after he came into limelight, sections of people emerged that were jealous from Temüjin. This jealousy ended into a clash in 1203 from which Temüjin was left victorious and he gained control of the entire area of Mongolia. Temujin modified the concept of the people residing in this tribal land, unifying each one into a single umbrella of “Khamag Mongol Ulus”, the ultimate and the all powerful Mongol State. He dissolved the tribes and formulated them as they could be used in the military wings. He introduced the use of decimal systems for assembling his militia. Discipline was mandatory for the armed forces and a strong code of conduct was introduced by him. By 1204 he had defeated all who stood against him. By 1206, through his outstanding military and leadership skills, he was assigned the title of Chingis Khan (Genghis Khan), which means a robust and firm person and a remarkable leader. The rise of the Empire At the beginning of the 12th century AD, the huge grasslands of Mongolia were resided by Turkish and Mongol-Tung sic tribes, Mongolian tribe being the most populous and the creative one. In 1130 the Mongols entered the regions that are now part of the People’s Republic of China, defeating the powerful Jin Empire and indulged their area of control. The history of the Empire started from 1218, when an interesting event shaped the empire and more particularly the life of Genghis Khan, from a nomadic person to the conqueror of the world. A trade convoy starting their travel from the Mongol lands, heading towards the Persian area that now lay in modern Uzbekistan, was stopped unexpectedly by the Persian State Ruler. The ruler suspected that the caravan was one of the Mongolian spies, so he mutilated the men, raped women and seized all the goods that the group was carrying with them. The doubt was not something out of the world; in fact the Mongols were very intelligent people at gathering information from around the world that benefited them. At the Mongolian side, this was a strict violation of the peace treaty that assured that the trade caravans will be safe from any damage. And for Genghis Khan this was an unforgivable violation. Genghis sent a letter to the Persian Empire that the Governor who conducted the offense must be immediately called to withdraw from his position. The Persians were not in a mood to change one of their loyal rulers. They turned the message that the Mongols had sent and put the Mongol emissaries to death. This was the background of the annexation of Persian Empire by the Mongols. Although the Mongols are famous for their frightful bloodshed fights, this initiation was not one of them. Here Genghis Khan used his mind to capture the common wealth. The intellects of Persia were their driving force and Khan gave great respect to all of them. Soon he was able to gain favors from the Persians who held him gain control of the rest of Persia. Very soon the Shah of Persia came to a devastating and sorrowful end at a war with Genghis Khan. The next step taken by Khan was to cross the Caspian Sea and land into the areas of Europe that offered minimum resistance. Then the legacy of the Mongolian rule was witnessed throughout the world until the Genghis dynasty entered the fold of Islam, after which their frightful image was changed to the Mughal rule in India and other. The Chinese people named them “Tartarus”, meaning hell according to the mythologies. 1 The trans-Eurasian contact of the Mongols is also a debatable masterpiece of history. This contact lasted for nearly two to three decades but its impact was weighty. Huge scientific advancements are a product of this manly contact. Chemicals, gunpowder, trebuchet, the idea of clock escapement, the compass and the idea of printing are some of the major items brought to Europe during the Eurasian-Mongolian contact. The land of Europe was also broadened during this rule. Every part of Europe that the Mongols entered was inherited by the Europeans. Many amazing stories are found in history books about their contact, probably brought to us by some of the great travelers like Marco Polo. 2 The fall of the Empire Kublai Khan was the last powerful leader of the Mongolian regime. During his rule he did not bothered to monitor the Empire that was away from his personal command. In regard to this mistake, the rulers of the state began to develop a good sense of ruler ship. Once Kublai died, the Mongols lost their sense of a unified government. The governors of the state gave more importance to their self-governorship rather than the federal state, so the long built-up empire came to an end. This all scene took place in 1294. From then onwards the successor to Kublai Khan was just the “Yuan Emperor” rather than the great Genghis Khan. After that the Mongols lived in various Khanates but lost their legacy. Bibliography Craughwell, Thomas J. The rise and fall of the second largest empire in history: How Genghis Khan's Mongols almost conquered the world. Beverly, Mass: Fair Winds Press. 2010 Morgan, David. The Mongols. Oxford, U.K.: Blackwell. 1986 Streissguth, Thomas. Genghis Khan's Mongol empire. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books. 2006 Hull, Mary. The Mongol empire. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books. 1998 Amitai, Reuven, and Morgan, David. The Mongol empire & its legacy. Leiden: Brill. 2000 Prawdin, Michael. The Mongol Empire: its rise and legacy. London: G. Allen and Unwin. 1961 Lane, George. Daily life in the Mongol empire. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. 2009 Read More