Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Upon reading Jack Weatherford's historical account of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, published in 2004, you begin to see the Chinese calendar in a whole new light. The author has given it literary and historical significance. You can finally relate the year of the horse to 1212, when Genghis Khan rode out on his trusty stallion and restored the Khitan monarchy to all its power and magnificence; the year of the pig to 1215, when Genghis Khan and his Mongol horde first brought fine meaty delicacies, such as ham and pork chops, back to his starving people from conquered civilizations to the east; the year of the rabbit to 1219, when he and the Mongols proceeded westward-- dashing, zig-zagging and, hopping around like a programmable "Ever Ready" Easter bunny on steroids with a computer chip for a brain toward the citadel of Kwarizm, liberating untold wealth and achieving the pinnacle of success; the year of the dragon to 1220, when he and his behemoth Mongol army captured Bukhara to the south, known as the jewel of Islam; and so forth, until the fierce, fire-breathing Mongol army conquered every major city in Turkey, Arabia, and Persia in the greatest show of strength, prowess, agility, and military might ever experienced to date. Thus, the author continues to provide anxious readers with useful gems of information throughout the entire book, constantly mining for facts, refining the details, expounding and elaborating upon the major historical events as he narrates the story. Ultimately, he sets it all on the table and puts everything to the test. In a nutshell, he gives the incredible story of Genghis Khan the breath of life, cinematic-quality, and panoramic perspective. The Khan becomes a dominant, larger-than-life, archetype character, the main driving force, in his leading role as a great military leader and guru. Specifically, perhaps speaking facetiously, you can glean more common sense wisdom out of absorbing the facts, figures, details, and events, which the author cavalierly presents in this esoteric book, than you might otherwise digest in the course of a lifetime of oblivious, sedentary, gravitationally challenged occupations in an exercise in futility, like watching television soap operas all afternoon, before suddenly waking up, smelling the coffee, and attaining enlightenment at some point in time, as follows: It was once said, but rarely repeated, that in the not too distant past, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of miles away, a group of rough and tumble henchmen intercepted, humiliated, tortured, then cruelly and unceremoniously put to death a poor, humble emissary of peace, not knowing the Great Mongol Khan and his mighty army horde was right behind the envoy, just over the next hilltop, and would not be denied. Utilizing the military tactics learned over the years from the mighty Genghis Khan, after his death in battle in 1227, his sons and grandsons picked up where he left off, having grasped the tactical importance of a variety of attack modes, including the "dogfight," "silent attack," "lightning strike," and "divine wind." In the "dragnet," for example, you never know what kind of hoofed animals and wild hogs might be scooped up for a Royal Mongolian Barbecue. Therefore, in long, protracted wars, and laboring under all conditions, the Mongols perpetuated their reputation as having a viable, unified, highly organized, and very effective fighting force. Reading between the lines, you learn what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object. In 1236, the year of the monkey, Batu's leading general attacked the Volga River region of Bulgar. A few short years later, in 1240, the year of the rat, the Mongols attacked Kiev. Afterwards, Khan Batu came to be known as Tsar Batu. He has left an impressive legacy. After the death of Genghis Khan's sons, Ogodei and Batu, their sons continued the aggressive actions of their fathers before them. Ogodei's sons attacked China and Batu's sons attacked Europe, automatically assuming command in their places. In 1241, the three Princes of Mongolia, Batu, Buri, and Guyuk began squabbling among themselves for a time, halting progress in their invasion of Europe. It is not clear whether or not their differences were satisfactorily resolved, but this did not prevent the Mongol army from attacking the German knights and defenders at Walhstatt. The Mongols had easily lured the knights into a trap and defeated them handily. Duke Henry II was killed in the battle. But, according to the author, the battle had been fought merely as a diversion for the Mongols. The real objective for the Mongol army was Budapest, Hungary. Within three days march away, the invaders killed an estimated 100,000 Hungarian and Polish soldiers who came out to greet them. King Bela IV was forced to flee, and miraculously escaped the carnage. Near the end of 1241, Khan Ogodei died, and the full-scale invasion of Europe suddenly ceased. The Mongols left without a word, without further ado, perplexing all concerned. In 1242, the year of the tiger, the Mongols simply withdrew from W. Europe altogether, back to their expanding Russian stronghold base. By 1255, all four of Genghis Khan's sons had died. So, it came to pass that the men fought the wars, but their women ruled the empire, as suggested by the author. So it was the Mongols who must have coined or invented the term, "the power behind the throne." In July, 1251, Mongke Grand Khan was proclaimed the supreme ruler of the Mongolian empire. He was the son of Genghis Khan's youngest son, Tolui. His mother, Sorkhokhtani, ruled N. China and E. Mongolia. Definitely worthy of mention is the fact that all four of her sons would become Khans: Arik Bok, Hulegu, Kubilai, and Mongke. The family certainly had a complicated genealogy. In 1253, the year of the ox, Mongke Khan set forth a magnificent celebration, feast, and a religious debate among the prominent religions of Buddhism, Muslim, and Christianity. There were years of peace and prosperity and they must not have had anything better to do at the time. In August, 1259, as the author faithfully relates, Mongke Khan died. In 1260, Arik Bok became the Great Kahn. But he was ousted by his brother Kubilai Khan in a coup soon afterwards. He died in 1266, under mysterious circumstances. Definitely suspicious. You wonder what really happened. Kubilai Khan's greatest achievement was in conquering and unifying all of China by mostly peaceful means. Essentially, he unified China through the use of a strong army, influential propaganda, a benevolent administration and instituting fair policies. The author makes several such perceptive inferences in that chapter of history. You may draw your own conclusions. Brilliant deduction, Sherlock. We know why they built the "Great Wall of China." The stories themselves and the timeline presented by the author certainly provides a firm framework for analytical readers who want to dig, delve, and dive deeply into material of the book in order to discover juicy pearls of sensational facts and fascinating multi-faceted, ruby-red details about the numerous countries involved; the so-affected and impacted regions of the then-known world; and their powerful, enigmatic, illustrious leaders, hitherto largely unknown entities. History may ordinarily be considered a dry, tedious subject in general, but, I am positively certain, that reading about the great Mongol horde will quickly become a worthwhile endeavor for anyone with an inquiring mind, particularly those who want to know exactly what "the enemy" has been thinking all those years. Particularly, when they are skeptical that a large, motley, scattered band of poor, illiterate, back-woods marauders could possibly have traveled over such great distances for so many years to fight battle after battle together against trained soldiers protectively ensconced on solid foundations and secured behind the dense, thick rock walls of fortified castles. It boggles the mind to think that they could shoot up Main Street in town on Saturday night like drunken cowboy outlaw revelers; or attack the Fort, like a renegade tribe of wild North American Indian warriors, massacring everyone inside, then moving on to the next fortified city. Perhaps, it is speculative science fiction to think so, but I begin to wonder if there hasn't been a massive cover-up about a thousand years ago, or even farther back in time; if there wasn't an undisclosed "Area 51, Roswell, New Mexico" from some technologically advanced civilization hidden within the dense forests and inside rugged mountain caverns, somewhere in the more remote, desolate, and isolated regions of Mongolia. Where exactly did the space ship land? Where did all the flying saucers go? Far-fetched as it may seem, Europe, China, and the Middle East might actually have been invaded in the medieval ages by alien beings, originating from another planet in a far distant galaxy, who suddenly appeared on Earth in human form, and infiltrated the Mongol army horde, solely in order to have them turn the tide of history in their favor. On the other hand, maybe they were just looking for the "Lost Ark of the Covenant," and the raiders had to fight everyone along the path to get there. Only the physical evidence and concrete proof is missing. R. Royce was snorkeling at an as of yet undisclosed location when he noticed a school of sharks pass beneath him in the oceanic depths. He thought, "I should have stuck to noodling for catfish in the tributaries of the Missouri River." That made him think about something he told his sister some months ago, "Don't let your mother and your sister drive you crazy and let them ruin your life." All of them have such willful minds. They are stubbornly determined, persistent, and totally committed to their actions. "Can't they just let it slide for a change?" Elders don't want change. They can't deal with it. Youth wants to try a fresh, novel approach. She's stuck in the middle and can't escape her destiny. Later on the beach, Royce called Cornelius Korn, his business associate and long-time friend on his cellular telephone. "The sharks have arrived to have the barnacles scraped from their bellies, ingest their vitamins, and get their shot records updated," he said. "How are things going on base?" "Couldn't be better," replied Korn. "Three subs will arrive within the month for routine maintenance and resupply. Technicians will modify and upgrade their electronics equipment. The excavation and construction project is moving along like clockwork." "The O-club has been bustling with activity, as have the USO office and Recreation Center. The troops couldn't be happier," said Royce. "Island Adventures is a trip out of this world." "There's no shortage of pirate booty in Bluebeard's Duty Free Store, either," said Alexis Sue Shell, Cornelius's girlfriend, grinning. "Let's go, Buck-O," said Raquel Remington. "But, I don't want to pressure you in any way." They had been happily sipping Margaritas in the shade and cool tropical breeze of a nearby Tiki hut. "Talk about an ocean view!" "Hickory liquory daiquiri dock. See the surfers on the boardwalk." sang Alexis, enthusiastically. She was poetry in motion. "Why they're none other than the famous Hollywood movie moguls and Italian film directors, Royce and Korn," said Raquel, as they walked toward them and bellied up to the bar. "We eat spaghetti westerns for breakfast," said the jovial Korn. "Trinity is still my name," said Royce, referring to an Italian movie of the same name. "My red, swollen feet hurt terribly," exclaimed Korn, suddenly mildly irritated, pointing down to his bare appendages. The sandals he was wearing exposed his tender feet. "You probably thought you'd stepped on a jelly fish, and he turned out to be a Portuguese man of war," said Royce, now smiling congenially. "Definitely not a Squid or a Navy Seal," retorted Korn. "Yes, he might have kicked your derriere, otherwise," said Royce. Along about that time another couple strolled up, Richard Ishtabuhla and Heather Meriwether. He was the former King Richard III in exile and she was his Lady. They were traveling incognito, and mum was the word. The last to arrive was Sailor Dan Sandhurst, another undercover operative, and business associate of the present party. He came to pass along a message. The Phluegers would be arriving in a few days to make final preparations for the sale and transfer of the newly constructed corporate headquarters building on the island. It was a big deal about to bear fruit. Official now, the navies from a dozen or more allied nations had signed a 99 year lease for the use of the land and facilities at the proposed top-secret subterranean submarine base. "We plan on catering to all of their military needs," said Sandhurst. He was actually a highly competent contract, procurement, and logistical officer. Someone misquoted him as having said, "If the Navy wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one." Before too long, he was happily engaged and living in paradise. "You come highly recommended by my young Aunt," confessed Daisy Mae Jones, his sweetheart, when they first met at the Academy.

I came to this book with some preexisting ideas about the Mongols: they were formidable warriors, the most skilled and organized horse archers in history; great conquerors, but not skilled rulers; ferocious, bloodthirsty fighters fond of torture and of creating wastelands where there once had been cities; essentially smash-and-grab barbarian looters like the Vandals, the Huns, and other blights on ancient history.As Weatherfield shows in this beautifully-written, well thought-out book. Almost all of what I just wrote (except for the first description) is wrong. I suspect that this book started out as a book on historiography, the study of how history is understood and recorded, and then gradually changed into its present form as the author started to realize the implications of what he was learning. As I will discuss below, the historiography is eye-opening, but so is the history.Many of us know that the Mongols and other steppe-based tribes in East-Central Asia somehow became united into a single military entity and swept in all directions, conquering virtually every civilization then encountered, much as the Arabs united and conquered in the Middle East and beyond in the 7th Century.It turns out that the "somehow" was one man, an outcast from his tribe, who gradually and patiently built up alliances and started to focus the endless, chaotic warfare that had been the life of his people from time immemorial. Genghis Khan has a reputation as a military genius, but he was something even more rare: a man who recognized his mistakes and learned from them. His great goal was to unite the people of his region into a single nation that he would lead and, day after day, year after year, he worked to make this happen. He wound up with a single nation with an extraordinarily powerful army. He wound up launching that army at Khwarezmia, a powerful neighboring Muslim state that occupied what are now Iraq, Iran, much of Afghanistan, etc. after trade delegations he had sent there seeking an alliance had been killed or mutilated, and conquered it in short order. This produced an enormous flow of wealth for the Mongols and was the beginning of an empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Hungary and up through what are now Ukraine and Russia. Part 1 of the book is how this came about.Part 2 of the book is the consequence of those conquests. The Mongols, ferocious and terrifyingly efficient in battle, were just as businesslike as rulers. In battle, their goal was to destroy resistance as quickly as possible with the least risk to themselves. In running their empire, their goal was to create a peaceful and safe place where commerce could flourish and enrich the rulers and, incidentally, the populace. They enforced religious toleration, with the religious authorities subject to the state. They created a system of laws that were uniform and, by the standards of the time, enlightened. They had no use for torture (with very few exceptions). They worked hard to ensure the free and safe flow of goods from end to end of their state. The Mongol Empire at its peak was probably one of the best places to live in the world. It had some very wise rulers, chief among whom was probably Khublai Khan of Marco Polo fame. It created a new silk road by sea parallel and much faster and more efficient than the old land routes. Unfortunately for those who lived there (and in many other places) the Black Death appeared in the 1300s and all the safe travel routes that had sustained the empire's trade were now channels to bring plague and death to tens of millions of people. The commercial structure collapsed and took the Mongol political structure with it. Some vestiges or successors to the Mongol governments remained in place, but the giant entity was gone. Weatherfield argues that the commerce fostered by the Mongols brought goods and ideas to Europe that helped lead to the Renaissance.Part 3 is an examination of how the Western perception of the Mongols and their ruler went from admiration at the time of the Empire's existence to scornful during the Enlightenment and even worse with the growth of eugenics in the 19th century and after. Humans were arbitrarily divided into races, which were arbitrarily assigned places on some scale of human development. The East Asians were called Mongol or Mongoloid and were associated with children with developmental handicaps, with primitive and barbarous culture and terrible laws designed to keep East Asians out of the U.S. and widespread discrimination. The Soviet Union and the Chinese Communist government worked hard and cruelly to suppress all signs and memory of past Mongol greatness (including descendants of past rulers)when they occupied what is now Mongolia.Weatherfield shows admirable restraint in not pounding his readers with how advanced in how many ways East and Central Asia was for so long in comparison with Europe.Weatherfield is trained as an anthropologist and his writing does much to bring the Mongol culture - as it existed in the past and continues today - to life.This is a compelling story compellingly told. It is well worth the time it will take to read it.

Well written book, interesting history of Genghis Khan and later Mongol Empires. Much more nuanced and detailed than the usual stereotypes of the mongol hordes. Could have done without the introductory chapter about all the people the author knows and met, but main content is excellent.

Entretenido de leer añade una mas amplia comprension a la vida y las costumbres de Mongolia y mplia la visión sobre la geopolítica de la epoca. Este libro tiene el beneplácito de Mongolia, con lo que sus análisis tienden a ensalzar los efectos producidos en el resto del mundo, que serian , para mi, un ochenta por ciento de los apuntados. En cualquier caso me ha abierto el “hambre” para documentarme más sobre el momento y comprender en el gigantesco puzzle de la Historia cual fue su efecto en la Civilizacion. Despues de leer otros dos libros que no magnifican tanto el protagonismo de la dinastia mongol en el Imperio Chino y sopesar tambien estos análisis. Su figura sigue siendo muy importante para comprender entre lineas el desarrollo y los efectos sobre China y Occidente.

In the early 13th c., the Mongols waged a blitzkrieg across much of Eurasia, earning themselves a bad press in the East, China, and the West, both the fractious, hate-riven Persian/Turkic/Arab world that they easily conquered, as well as Europe that they threatened. The Mongol invasion of Poland, Germany and Hungary felt extremely dangerous to the Europeans because they knew nothing about these fast-moving implacable foes; and it is always essential to know one’s enemy. All this still shapes what the schoolbooks say. Popular books specifically concerned with the Mongols (e.g. M. Prawdin, 1935 in German; 1937 and 1940 in English; F. Mackenzie, 1963 and 1977, and probably a dozen more) have long balanced the negative verdict by pointing to admirable aspects of the remarkable rule of Genghis Khan and to the lasting merits of the Pax Mongolica. The originally dirt-poor future ruler did away with tribalism and attracted talent and loyalty. He decreed just laws, ensured that all religions lived in peace, and suppressed individual looting. Trade routes were protected. As a result, the distant, underdeveloped Europeans learnt of important innovations (compass, gun powder, paper, medical cures, the wheelbarrow amongst others). Like the East Asians in our lifetime, they became eager copy cats, who improved on imported technologies. Jack Weatherford’s new book benefits from newly accessible documents and his personal knowledge of Mongolia to add depth to this account and to flesh out insights about Genghis Khan, the man, his discipline, his modest lifestyle, his strategic genius, and his capacity to pick talent and inspire loyalty. The reader understands much better what personal qualities enabled the khan to create the hitherto largest empire in the world, parts of which flourished for centuries. The book’s particular strengths lie, in my opinion, when the author discusses the amazing beneficial long-term consequences of the Mongol Peace, once barbaric internecine power struggles had split Genghis Khan’s empire into four dominions, most importantly China under the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty. Merchants had high social status, in contrast to their standing in Feudal, self-sufficient Europe and under China’s previous seclusion. The Mongol elites became enterprising long-distance traders. They had little to offer the world from their own knowledge toolkit, but they were supreme pragmatists, adopting, adapting and transferring useful knowledge. Alas, the flourishing long-distance trade carried the bubonic plague from China across Eurasia in the 14th century. The population of China plummeted by half or more, the European by one third. The pandemic ended the Mongols’ system of universal free trade, causing poverty; inflation was fuelled by distrust; religious and military strife erupted —— lessons for the present?PS: While the style of writing is detailed and craftsmanlike, it seemed at times a bit pedestrian and repetitive.PPS: A petty point: Weatherford says that the German military tried in vain to obtain the Mongols’ ‘Secret History’ in the Second World War to derive insights for their blitzkrieg tactics (p. 315). While that is true, copies of the above-quoted book by Russian-German author Prawdin were printed en masse and given to each SS officer cadet

Really loved this book, so clear and intelligently written, angled maybe to people like me who know little about the Monguls. Amid the exciting lists of things they fostered and brought between cultures are perhaps things which the Han Chinese had already developed and indeed traded in. Best part of the book for me was the last section, dealing with the dismal (and shocking) ways in which 'the west' went on to racially degrade the Monguls, and of course to underpin eg European 'scientific' typing of their own folk.

Very well written history of a lesser know time in history. Valuable lessons even for today.