THE UNKNOWN KHAN
Jack
Weatherford’s extremely revealing research and his lively analysis, in his well
acclaimed book- Genghis Khan
And The
Making of the Modern World, explains the startling and true history of an extraordinary man from a
remote corner of the world, who created an empire that led the world into the
modern age.
The Mongol Army led by Genghis
Khan subjugated more lands and people than the Romans did in four hundred
years. Or famous warriors such as Alexander, Napoleon or the Axis Forces during
the 2nd World War could ever do. The Mongol empire in later years expanded from
Central Europe and Russia, across the Gobi desert to China, Korea, Vietnam,
Burma and to the Central Asian lands, Turkey, Persia and across the Afghan
mountains to India. In conquest after conquest, the Mongol Army transformed
warfare into an international affair, fighting over multiple fronts stretching
across thousands of miles. Genghis Khan's innovative techniques made the
tactics of the heavily armoured Knights of medieval Europe obsolete, in
contrast with their disciplined Cavalry moving with speed and surprise on the
battle field. There are many things to learn from Gengis Khan's life and tactics.
1. The Mongol also perfected the 'seize warfare' to such an extent
that it ended the era of walled cities, by choking their maintenance and making
good use of gun powder and explosive shells to make a breach. He even resorted
to diverting rivers and flooding the cities to make them capitulate. His forces
sustained on the loot and captured supplies, rather than taking a long tail of
supply caravans. He selected his leaders carefully, and appointed to higher
positions only those who were loyal, fearless and tough. He thus revolutionised
warfare in most ways to achieve many conquests and build his vast empire. In
fact, during the Second World War the Germans found the most effective
application of Blitzkrieg by the tank columns, by following the highly mobile
Cavalry of the Mongols that raced across the landscape.
2. In every country the Mongols conquered,
they promoted the local leadership, craftsmen and talent to administer and
govern the captured territories. They brought an unprecedented rise in trade,
commerce and communications. The Mongol adopted the Chinese use of gunpowder,
paper currency, art of printing and drafted in artisans and craftsmen from
Persia. Vastly more progressive than the Europeans or the Asian counterparts,
they developed the concept of trading routes and transit-centres through Central
Asia to Europe, as they themselves depended on trade. The Mongols decentralised
power and granted religious freedom in the countries they conquered (a total of
30 countries) to pursue their respective religion and smashed the system of
aristocratic privileges. Christianity, Islam and Buddhism all prospered
equally.
3. The Mongols were outnumbered by 1000 to
one in population ratio in the countries they ruled, yet they successfully
ruled over a vast empire for generations by ingenious techniques of winning the
loyalty of the local populace and yet retaining a strong punitive force to
retaliate if needed. The great Mongol empire starting with Genghis Khan (1206 to
1227) who died at 60, was thereafter expanded by his four sons and ultimately
consolidated by his grand sons, prominent amongst those was Khubilai Khan, who
ruled the East Empire from Korea, China, Tibet, Vietnam and Burma. He even
adopted the Chinese ways and the name Zhe Yuan to be easily acceptable to the
Chinese people.
Persia and Iraq were ruled by another grandson named Ilkhante.
European and Russian territories were with Jochi and later with Batu Khan. The
Mongol empire in Central Asia was under Chagtai, followed by Taimur. However,
as all empires decline over a time, so did the Mongol. The collapse came in
Persia in 1335 and in China in 1362. While Korea, Russia and China returned to
the native dynasties, the Turks and Persians took over the Arab domination. The
Mongols continued their rule under Taimur, a distant relative till the 14th
century in Central Asia. In India the empire came later and lasted much longer,
where Babar founded the Moghul dynasty in 1519 and the dynasty continued to
rule effectively till 1608 under Akbar. Just as the Mongols made China the most
productive manufacturing and trading hub, the Moghuls made India the world's
greatest manufacturing and trading centre.
4. The
Mongols not only succeeded in building a unified Chinese state, but also
unified the Korean peninsula and forged new states of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos,
and Thailand. Prior to the Mongol era these countries were decisively Indian in
culture and followed Hindu religious practices and mythology. The Mongols and
the Chinese immigrants they brought created a new hybrid culture which came to
be known as Indo-Chinese.
5. In contrast to the former naval powers
such as Rome and Athens, whose Navies had operated in small confined areas of
the Mediterranean Sea, the Mongols developed a significant naval armada and
made China into a significant oceanic power, although the Mongol sea assault on
Japan and Java did not succeed. These defeats marked the Eastern limits of the
Mongol Empire just as the defeats in Egypt and Poland marked the empire's North
Western borders. Within these geographical extremities between 1242 to 1293,
although the initial conquests were subjected to much devastation, the
following century enjoyed unprecedented political peace and stability with
commercial, technological and intellectual prosperity. Mongols allowed full
religious freedom and all religions prospered in a truly secular manner,
including Islam, Buddhism and Christianity.
History
has been unfair to the great Genghis Khan by depicting him as a barbaric robber
and cruel ruler, and ignoring his many contributions in multiple fields that
laid the foundations of the present modern world. In fact, Nehru described him
as the greatest military genius - far above Alexander and Caesar. Most western
historians had deliberately attacked him and thoroughly discredited the of
memory Genghis Khan and his role in history, although they benefited the most
by utilizing the innovations of agriculture ,commerce, paper currency, the
printing process, military technology and concepts. This book is a fascinating read, and one which helps to set the record straight.
Lt Gen
Chandra Shekhar
11 March
2019.
