Weatherford's Bias Towards The Mongols

The Mongolian Empire began in the central area of Asia around the 13th century. This empire grew and clans expanded to numerous regions across the Asian, European and African continents. This empire was able to gain these regions by means of conquest which quickly resulted in gains of power and influences across the world. Below I will further discuss how the Mongol conquest had global implications.

Some people would say the Mongols were a key development to civilization. However, the progress they made is nothing compared to their cruelty and the process they used to conquer the majority of Asia and parts of the Middle East. The Mongols were originally a small, nomadic tribe that originated from the steppes of Central Asia. The tribe placed little value on objects, considering they moved around in yurts and hardly settled. Led by Genghis Khan, they conquered land worth double the size of the Roman Empire. The Mongols were greedy, bloodthirsty barbarians who had little to no regard for human life. They went to unthinkable lengths to conquer land while destroying countless ancient cities.

The book I have chosen is called Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. This book describes the Mongol Legacy and how his achievements have impacted the globe since he was first found. This book consists of Jack Weatherford’s take of how the Mongolian empire impacted the world. This book is divided into sections that talk about the stages of the Mongol influence.

Weatherford’s attitude about the Mongols is due to his belief that the world changed or began to change from the medieval to the modern world because e of the influence of the Mongols. He stated “The new technology, knowledge, and commercial wealth created the Renaissance in which Europe rediscovered some of its prior culture, but more importantly, absorbed the technology for printing, firearms, the compass, and the abacus from the East” (xxiv).

The next topic in a few of the documents(4,8, and 9) directly relate to the previous paragraph. The warfare techniques used by the Mongolians and devised by the Khans and the commanders. In doc.4 Juvaini, a former historian for the Mongols and later governor of Baghdad, wrote about how the army was arranged. It is arranged in such a manner that there are groups of ten with one of them being commander of the other nine. Ten groups of ten equal a larger squad with one of the hundred being the leader. Then 1,000 and the last rank 10,000 is called a tümen. Documents 8 and 9 are simply a letter from the Pope Innocent IV to Genghis Khan and a reply. The Pope basically saying that he has invaded many countries and does not spare anyone. His reply is to use Eternal Heaven as his excuse for killing. These two documents show that Genghis Khan was infamous and believed in a God, making him religious. He is like the Islamic people that fight for Allah. Pope Innocent IV believes that Genghis Khan is being irrational with all his killings and rages because he does not spare anyone. He is a reliable source due to his being a Pope and how influential a Pope is.

Throughout the 13th century world, the Mongols constantly showed displays of continuous violence, drinking, brutality and unfair treatment. They were considered to be savages, and people who lived far beyond what we would know as a “civilized world.” They single handedly became one of, if not the most powerful empires to have existed, building their empire through violent and barbaric manors. The Mongols were very barbaric people, for they portrayed many inhumane and mannerless actions while their empire lasted, causing death destruction and the downfall of all of the land they took over.

Jack Weatherford in Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, describes Mongol empire as egalitarian and destroying local hierarchies. He argued against the Western imagination of Mongol empire been horrible and destructive. Mongol empire promoted

The world has viewed the Mongols as destructive barbarians; however, the Mongols viewed themselves as soldiers. The perception of themselves is important because they did not believe it was destructive to unite a world empire. They believed that because they were soldiers, anyone in their path could be taken down by force. The nations that defined Mongols as destructive are the same people that resisted joining their empire. The Mongol’s obsession with power, dedication to their leader, and their need to possess land is why I believe they should not be remembered as destructive barbarians. Instead, I think they should be known as the empire that failed to unite the world.

There was a common theme on the prosecuting side of lack of religious tolerance from the mongols, but the witness testimonies were circumstantial to a specific region or rule. It is inevitable for soldiers and generals to force people to join their own religion, but that does not take away from the overall religious tolerance of the mongols and their predecessors talked about. There was Buddhist and Muslims in the upper class positions that were kept strictly for the mongols disproving this

1) Why do you believe that the Mongols are referred to as the “forgotten conquerors?”

Evaluating the contributions that the Mongols gave to World History can help individuals understand this debate more thoroughly and formulate a decision. One of the contributions the Mongols had was leaving a cultural imprint on the world which consisted of joining multiple Eurasian civilizations together through direct contact. Another contribution the Mongols made to World History is being religiously tolerant and not wanting to spread their own faith around Eurasia. Also, the Mongols made the contribution to World History in the form of having a very effective military and an effective way of transporting resources throughout their empire. Based on the different contributions the Mongols gave to World History, an individual can conclude that the Mongol legacy is more complex than simply referring to the empire as destroyers of

In this book, Jack Weatherford starts by portraying Temujin and the numerous hardships he faced as a young boy, from his father’s death and Temujin’s upcoming rivalry with the Tatars to his sudden responsibility for his family following his half-brother’s murder. Weatherford then went on to explain the inception and evolvement of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire. Subsequently, he illustrates the positive influences the Mongol Empire had over countries they gained control of ranging from advances in cultural communication to expansions in trade and religious freedom. In the final analysis, the story follows the Mongol Empire and the descendants of Genghis Khan following his death. Weatherford shows the different types of rulers the

The Mongols, which were one of the greatest empires of their time, had unique traits which made them successful. They are vastly known for their military tactics, that led them to prosper. Wrapped up in a single word the Mongols were unstoppable. These remarkable people left an imprint on history to show it is possible to rise above even the harshest conditions. The Mongolian empire was successful due to their vast understanding of how to conquer an empire, dealing with environmental setbacks, and makeshift technology.

The Mongols of Central Asia, under the lead of Genghis Khan, encompassed China and Russia in the thirteenth century C.E. Harsh conquest with massacre and destruction of infrastructure were experienced by these regions. During Mongol rule, China was governed through the traditional dynastic system while Russia was indirectly administered from the steppes with aid from local princes. Although the pastoralists required tribute collection from both civilizations, only China enjoyed significant economic flourish brought by the restoration of long-distance trade routes.

On 1211, the battle of the Mongols and Jin dynasty commenced between Chinese forces led by their two leaders Shi Tianze and Liu Heima and Mongol forces led by Genghis Khan over the future rule of northern Prairie and the expansion of the Mongolian Empire.