The Mongols of the Mongol Empire – the largest empire in history – have been characterized as hellish brutes with eyes only for pillaging and raping by contemporary depictions. The Mongol Empire dominated over 33 million square kilometers throughout Eurasia that stretched from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Black and Baltic Seas in the East, and the plains of Siberia in the North to the Himalayas in the South. The Mongol way of life and societal expansion hinged on the constant need to conquer new lands and raid them for their resources. Despite their negative image and military tactics, first hand accounts of the empire and dealings with the Khans from the thirteenth century emissaries Juviani, William of Rubruck, and Marco Polo have
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Juvaini traveled to the Mongol capitol Karakorum in 1252 to celebrate the election of Mongke to the khanate, during which he began to chronicle the exploits of the Mongol forefather, Genghis Khan. It was said that when conquering, Genghis would offer a city annexation and subordination to his empire, and if refused, “he annihilated together [the ruler’s] his family and followers, kinsman, and strangers (Juvaini, pg. 283).” Yet, Juvaini recounts of many of Genghis Khan’s great social achievements and accomplishments. Much of the people in the thirteenth century were illiterate, so Genghis proclaimed that Mongol children to learn how to write. A monumental social achievement of Genghis’ eradication of bigotry, preference of faith, and the practice of placing of others above their peers based off of religion (Juviani, pg. …show more content…
The Mongols and their Khans were a courteous, tolerant, and generally rational group of people whose “aggressive” empire building was mistaken for cruelty and brutality by those outside of its sphere of influence. It took the accounts of the Persian Ala-ad-Din Ata-Malik Juvaini, the Flemish friar William of Rubruck, and the Venetian merchant Marco Polo to rewrite the stigma of Mongol savagery. They were a people who built an empire, and proceeded to better serve their constituents the great nations of ancient and modern
Juvaini traveled to the Mongol capitol Karakorum in 1252 to celebrate the election of Mongke to the khanate, during which he began to chronicle the exploits of the Mongol forefather, Genghis Khan. It was said that when conquering, Genghis would offer a city annexation and subordination to his empire, and if refused, “he annihilated together [the ruler’s] his family and followers, kinsman, and strangers (Juvaini, pg. 283).” Yet, Juvaini recounts of many of Genghis Khan’s great social achievements and accomplishments. Much of the people in the thirteenth century were illiterate, so Genghis proclaimed that Mongol children to learn how to write. A monumental social achievement of Genghis’ eradication of bigotry, preference of faith, and the practice of placing of others above their peers based off of religion (Juviani, pg. …show more content…
The Mongols and their Khans were a courteous, tolerant, and generally rational group of people whose “aggressive” empire building was mistaken for cruelty and brutality by those outside of its sphere of influence. It took the accounts of the Persian Ala-ad-Din Ata-Malik Juvaini, the Flemish friar William of Rubruck, and the Venetian merchant Marco Polo to rewrite the stigma of Mongol savagery. They were a people who built an empire, and proceeded to better serve their constituents the great nations of ancient and modern