William Of Rubruck

Chinggis Khan, also known as Temüjin, was the Mongol consolidator. He came from a family of low social class. He made peace with a powerful Mongol ruler, was a good diplomat, and was loyal when necessary, making his position strong. Temüjin ended up uniting the Mongol clans, and gets renamed, Chinggis Khan. His rules helped solidify the Mongols - tribes were broken apart and men were put into new army sections. Positions were not based off of tribes, but instead on talent and loyalty. Chinggis Khan founded a capital in Karakorum, where a lavish palace was built. His policies helped solidify the Mongols by making them stronger and less problematic. Chinggis Khan also conquered the Turkish people in Tibet, Persia, North China, and central Asia. Chinggis Khan was not an administrator, so he did not create a centralized government to administer the conquered lands.

William of Rubruck was a Flemish and Franciscan missionary and more importantly, a explorer. Following the orders of King Louis IX of France, Rubruck set out on mission to convert the Tartars of the Mongol Empire to Christianity, and also to report back on the cultural customs of the empire. His orders were not unlike other contemporary diplomatic missions of the time, Rubruck’s predecessors, Andre de Longjumeau and Giovanni da Pian del Carpine also followed similar instructions from Louis IX. Rubruck’s reports of his travels to and within the Mongolian Empire are unparalleled on detail and acute observations. With such details of markets, temples and the separate quarters for Muslim and Chinese craftsman included. Rubruck’s seminal work, The Journey Of William Of Rubruck To The Eastern Parts Of The World, is renowned for its writing style more inline with a personal memoir, rather than an officially chartered account. The Journey employs the technique of classical comparison in order to help its readers understand the events in the court of the great Khans at Karakorum. However, despite the great achievements in his work, Rubruck is far less a figure of study in modern day academic study. But this should not be the case. Comparison with his contemporaries and analysing historiographical trends, is going to prove the Rubruck is far a more reliable source than that of Longjumeau, Carpine and Marco Polo, and should be treated as

Morgan’s article argues that the Mongols held control over their empire through their three institutional governmental policies: traditional steppe lines, integrating foreign culture

The Mongols controlled a vast area of land. They needed a sort of political structure to be able to rule over the population. The Mongols had two codes of laws. One was the Mongol Law, or the Yasa. There was also the Bilik.

The Mongols came about when Genghis Khan united all of the Mongol tribes and clans, creating an army of up to 125,000 whose main goal was to conquer. One of his more effective tactics was enemies were treated fairly unless they resisted. Ones who resisted were killed. Kublai Khan was successful in reuniting the empire prior to a power struggle but was able to conquer all of China by 1276. However, he was not successful in conquering Japan by sea because of harsh storms and shipwrecks. Other countries Mongols had taken over included, Tibet, Persia, Russia, Poland, Hungary, and eastern Germany. People taken over by the Mongols had no choice to cooperate because failure to would result in them being slaughtered. Genghis Khan granted religious

the lowest was only 7” (201). The annual rate of executions are much lower under Khubilai Khan’s rule than in modern day countries. On the contrary, the Mongols used a system of government in which the consensus had to be made by a large group of officials rather than a single man. This was one of the few administrative decisions that the Chinese and Mongols disagreed upon. The Chinese people believe that the Mongol system of government was very inefficient and took too much time and energy to reach a decision.

Mongolian clans were able to systematically manipulate surrounding cultures into submitting to them and then keeping them under their control by decimating any opposition and then pandering to their beliefs to further gain benefits to further their cause. Aside from their outside interactions moreover, their internal workings are a wonder to examine. Cultural norms in Mongolian society had men and women both maintaining and working toward the war machine or eventual empire([Doc 8]), with woman driving and maintaining the caravan while simultaneously the men were smithing weapons and constructing fastenings and vehicles to support the soldiers, and general

During the Mongol empire, there are evident examples of how the Mongols represented an organized military, granting the citizens a well oriented ife, and also having a well-respected leader, Chinggis Khan.

Since the culture of Mongols spread readers can now see they were not as barbaric as most would

The mongols let local rulers have the ability to maintain their positions if they paid tribute, provided troops, pledged loyalty to the khan and kept order. For the Mongols, it made good sense, as the local rulers knew the customs of their people. The Mongols relocated qualified people to serve in government. (Arabs in Russia, Persians in China) Although the Mongols preferred not to tinker too much with systems that worked well.(doc 6)

Jack Weatherford’s Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World provides a refreshing and insightful perspective on the Mongol Empire and their impact on history. Weatherford ardently dispels stereotypes often associated with Genghis Khan and the Mongols while highlighting their significant achievements that immensely induced them and the modern world. As Weatherford explained the history of Temujin, I found myself admiring how he overcame various hardships and created a destiny for himself. He not only created an empire, “he built a new and unique system based on individual merit, loyalty, and achievement.” (Weatherford xix)

This history text written by Jack Weatherford, Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College combines historical evidence and masterful storytelling. Weatherford, the only western scholar to be allowed into the Mongols, and into the forbidden burial site brings readers on his journey to tracking the once uncertain

The Mongol Empire gained and maintained power through an organized government, religious acceptance, and a robust army.

Chinggis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206 A.D. this was the rise of nomadic pastoral societies in the north. The Mongol’s established the largest contiguous empire in the Neolithic era. The Mongol Empire was notable for their military power, their diplomatic protection, and safe travel. These notable features aided the growth and expansion of the empire. The Mongols conquest left a trail of blood and destruction. For a century, the Mongol Empire cultivated for the first-time East-West contact. I will further discuss the primary sources and secondary sources of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongol empire was the world’s largest empire. The Mongol’s practices and beliefs had both positive and negative effects. The large Mongolian empire promoted communication and diversity; however, despite this positive effect, the Mongolian empire housed the deaths of many innocent people. In addition to this, the Mongol empire fostered various religions, but enforced the same practices on everyone, no matter what religion they may follow; this brought order amongst the Mongolian empire.