Genghis Khan

Just finished reading Jack Weatherford's Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (2004). Genghis Khan is one of those historical figures you think you know something about, and then a book like this comes along and you realize you didn't really know anything. What is most fascinating to me about Genghis Khan is the way he tries -- and in large measure succeeds -- to enforce his will on the rest of the world in an effort not merely to conquer or rule but to bring order and stability. That, I suspect, is why Weatherford's argument that Genghis Khan was instrumental in the making of the modern world is so convincing.

The young Temujin did not seem to stand out among his peers, and in fact seemed destined to grow to manhood on the fringes of Mongol society, but something drove him to bring order to his life and family. His mother and been kidnapped or raped, and later his own wife would be similarly taken from him. Mongol life consisted in intermittent hunting, herding, and warfare or raiding. Life on the steppe and in the forests where Temujin grew to manhood, was harsh and often short. While still a boy Temujin determined that he would have to take matters into his own hands if he were to have any hope of bending destiny to his will, and that is precisely what he did. First he murdered his older brother, then survived the banishment that resulted, ventured forth to find a wife and later rescue her when she was stolen away from him. He forged a band of friends and family and aligned himself with a local strongman and tribal leader, Ong Khan. And from that base he began to build a network of supporters and eventually a loyal army of followers.

To this point in his life he was not all that different from other tribal leaders, except perhaps in his rise from such unpromising origins. But Temujin's personality was unusual. He was fiercely loyal and inspired loyalty in his closely knit band of family and friends who helped him build his empire. He was also committed to fairness and a strict form of egalitarian sharing of all the spoils of conquest. While he was not opposed to using lethal force to bring surrounding tribes and nations under his control, he preferred to absorb those he conquered. He used fear and terror to encourage his enemies to surrender and join him. To that end he often eliminated any existing power structure, killing off the local aristocracy and dividing their wealth among their former subjects as well as his own followers.

By force of his will and personality, Genghis Khan brought peace and order to the medieval world from China to Russia and from Mongolia to Persia and throughout the middle east. His innovations in warfare were instrumental to his success as a conqueror, but his skill as an administrator and ruler were the keys to his success at holding on to the heterogeneous lands and peoples he defeated with his Mongol army. As he conquered, he absorbed the various cultures he invaded, and created a vast commercial network of trade and cultural exchange. He sometimes installed his own rulers, but often allowed the local people to continue much as they always had. He also introduced a common paper currency, to facilitate commerce and make it easier to transport and exchange the spoils of his vast empire.

An animist who believed he was under the special protection of the god of the sky, Genghis Khan insisted on freedom of religion throughout the lands he ruled, nor would he tolerate any one group's claim to primacy or exclusive practices in worship of their god or gods. Interestingly, as his empire grew, many of the administrators were practicing Christians, although the empire contained many Muslims, Buddhists, Confucians, and others. And while the Mongols were a warrior culture, the influence of women was notable. Temujin's loyalty extended to his mother and his wife, who had a great influence on his decisions. In addition, he introduced a number of powerful women into his family through strategic marriages of his sons to the daughters of political allies. He also placed a high value on knowledge and those who brought new ideas and could teach him new ways of doing things. The spread of knowledge was one of his greatest and most enduring contributions.

I've just touched on some of the highlights here. Weatherford tells a great story; his scholarship is formidable but never cumbersome. There was much that was brutal about Genghis Khan's reign, but his vision was remarkable, and his inclinations were generally toward order and peace and fairness. Like all of the Mongols, apparently, he abhorred bloodshed. And while he did not hesitate to eliminate his enemies, he refrained as much as possible from the use of torture and other forms of wanton cruelty. In amassing a great fortune, he insisted on sharing the spoils fairly according to a strict code that allotted shares to widows and orphans as well as warriors and other followers. Unfortunately, his empire was the product of his forceful personality, and while he tried to institutionalize many of his values and practices, his sons seemed to lack his self-control and discipline. Nevertheless, the empire continued more or less intact for many years and even grew in power in the east under his grandson Khubilai Khan. And, as Weatherford points out, the influences are felt even today. Genghis Khan was one of the most remarkable world conquerors, as well as one of the most successful. And that isn't something most of us have been taught.