Was Genghis Khan Justified

Imagine, receiving the dreadful news of an inevitable attack and not long after, hearing the ground rumble and seeing clouds of dust and dirt on the horizon. Fear strikes everyone’s hearts. Chaos ensues, and people are running everywhere, trying to escape the unescapable. Women take their own lives to avoid being murdered and raped. In no time, they are there. Fighting back is futile, as arrows come out of nowhere and hit their targets one by one. There is no preparation for an attack from such a brutal warrior and his army. The only thing that comes next is the slaughtering of thousands. Who could be the culprit of such horrible genocide? It is none other than Genghis Khan, the most feared and respected leader of his time. By the time of …show more content…
These elements made him known as one of the “most feared leaders of all time that created the biggest empire in history” (“Genghis Khan”). Genghis’s resourcefulness and military insight made his army a powerful one. His leadership made it almost unstoppable. A large part of their success was how quickly they moved across vast distances in short periods of time (“Genghis Khan”). Soldiers in his army were well prepared for battle. They were equipped with a bow, arrows, a shield, a dagger, and a lasso. Large saddle bags carried food, tools and spare clothes. These bags were waterproof and could be blown up as a life preserver. Cavalrymen carried weapons like small swords, javelins, a battle-ax or mace and a lance with a hook to pull enemies off of their horses. The most indispensable part of Genghis’s army, however, were the horse archers. Because of their ability to steer a horse using their legs, they were able to shoot arrows with their free hands (“Genghis Khan Biography”). This military tactic was their main attack strategy in battle because it was very difficult to fight back. Genghis was very well known for his ingenious military strategies. The Mongol army, consisting of 80,000 men, signaled their attacks with a system of smoke and burning torches. Soldiers were commanded to charge by the beating of drums and other orders were told by flag signals. As his army was so large, he could not be …show more content…
One of these accomplishments was his code of laws, called the “Yassa.” These laws were a combination of his will and tribal customs. The Yassa focused on three major points: “obedience to Genghis Khan, a binding together of the nomad clans, and the merciless punishment of wrong-doing” (Smitha). Under the code, if a man did not confess to a crime, he was not punished unless he was caught in the act. These laws contain strict instructions for men, and woman that are part of the empire. Some of these laws state that “every man who did not go to war must work for the empire, without reward, for a certain time” (Smitha). One thing that was not condoned was theft. If a man stole a horse or something of equal value, they would be punished by death and their bodies would be cut into two parts. Lesser thefts resulted in a number of blows with a staff, up to 700 times depending on the value of the thing stolen. The consequences could be avoided if the accused paid nine times the worth of the stolen item (“Smitha”). Another one of Genghis Khan’s great accomplishments was the “Yam.” The Yam was one of the first international postal systems, created by Genghis Khan. This system allowed goods and information to travel with great speed and far distances. It allowed riders to travel as far as 200 miles a day. The system consisted of way stations and post houses spread out across the empire. This network also acted as “the eyes and