Genghis War Council

Background Guide

Chairs: EagleMUNC Paul Howard Website: Boston College Model [email protected] www.EagleMUNC.org United Nations Conference March 17-19 2017

Taylor Belval

Genghis Khan

Letters from the Secretariat Delegates, It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to EagleMUNC V! My name is Kerianne DiBattista, and I am the Secretary-General of EagleMUNC V. I am a senior at Boston College in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Economics. I am originally from Long Island, NY, and I have been participating in Model UN conferences since I was in tenth grade, rising to become Head Delegate and Secretary-General of my high school conference. At BC, I travelled to several conferences with our MUN team and I have participated EagleMUNC since my freshman year. As you begin your EagleMUNC V experience, I implore you to explore the conference theme, "The Interplay of Power and Ethics," and make your EagleMUNC experience the best it can be! Thank you, and I'll see you at EagleMUNC!

Best Regards, Kerianne DiBattista Secretary-General, EagleMUNC V

Dear Delegates, It is my great pleasure to welcome you to EagleMUNC V! My name is Jack Massih and I am the Under Secretary-General of Political Affairs. I am a senior at Boston College studying Political Science and Economics. I began participating in MUN my sophomore year of high school and have been hooked ever since. I joined the EagleMUNC team as a freshman for the first year we moved off BC’s campus and into Boston, and it has been a joy to witness the conference continuously grow and evolve since then. The Political Affairs team has been working incredibly hard to prepare for the most innovative and exciting conference in EagleMUNC history. I am looking forward to seeing all of your creative and thoughtful responses to the diplomatic predicaments and crises you confront over the weekend.

Best, Jack Massih Under Secretary-General Political Affairs, EagleMUNC V

Introduction from the Chairs

Dear Delegates, Welcome to EagleMUNC V! My name is Paul Howard and I am happy to serve as the chair of the Ad Hoc Committee this year. I am a senior at Boston College studying Business with concentrations in Marketing and Management & Leadership and a minor in Environmental Studies. I have been participating in Model United Nations since my freshmen year of high school. My experiences at conferences have taught me about many international issues and how to interpret, analyze, and react to them. I have also learned numerous public speaking skills and how to listen to others’ arguments and present my own. It’s a great organization to be a part of and I encourage you all to remain involved at your schools. During my time at Boston College I have been on the Secretariat of EagleMUNC III and IV and have loved watching the conference grow into what it is today. I hope you all have a fantastic time this year and are looking forward to the debating as much as my co-chair, Taylor, and I are. In our committee at EagleMUNC V, you will be serving as members of Genghis Khan’s political and military council, the . The year is 1218 and I, Genghis Khan, have just called you to council after learning that ambassadors which were sent to the Khwarezmian , , have been killed. This is an outrage and affront to the honor of every person in our great . We need to devise a way to punish the offenders for their betrayal and make sure this never happens again. I look forward to working with you all as we wage war against these murderers and keep our empire great and prosperous. If you have any questions prior to the conference, I encourage you all to reach out to me via email. I look forward to meeting you at EagleMUNC V!

Regards, Paul Howard Boston College, 2017 Genghis Khan

Dear Delegates, Welcome to EagleMUNC! My name is Taylor Belval and I will be the co-chair for this year’s Ad Hoc. I am a freshman at Boston College studying marketing. I have been involved in Model UN since my freshman year of high school and have participated in around 10 conferences. Model UN has really helped my confidence in public speaking. My favorite thing about MUN is definitely how creativity can completely change the course of committees. Last year, I attended EagleMUNC as a delegate and caused a small amount of mayhem in the Security Council. At BC, I play on the Women’s Club Ultimate Frisbee team. I am also a member of EagleOps which works with BC’s marketing team during sporting events. Good luck with your preparation, I cannot wait to meet you all!

Best, Taylor Belval Boston College, 2020

Genghis Khan

History:

Between 1206 and 1227, Genghis Khan, a native of present day , created the largest contiguous empire in .1 The first emerged as a powerful tribe around 1130 but then were scattered into clans after being defeated by the Tartars in 1160. These clans experienced large amounts of conflict and therefore the

Mongols were kept weak and divided. One

of the clan leaders, , in 1167, had a

son named Temujin.2 This son was deserted

by his tribe, along with his mother and

siblings, at nine years old when his father

was poisoned and died. At the age of 16, he enlisted the help of his father’s old friends when his wife was captured, and he used these allies to become a well-known, powerful figure on the steppes of Mongolia. He quickly became the head of the family and was even suspected of killing one of his step-brothers who stole a fish from him. With his childhood friend, Jamugha3, he was able to take control over most of the Mongol clans. Around 1206, after some setbacks, Temujin took the title

1 History.com Staff. "Genghis Khan." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 30 Aug. 2016. 2 http://www.allempires.com/article/?q=The_Mongol_Empire 3 http://historiarex.com/e/en/333-genghis-khan-1162-1227-temujin Genghis Khan

Chingis Khan (Genghis Khan).4 This made him the Great Khan or the supreme leader of all the Mongol people.

Genghis was a brilliant strategist and forced people to listen to him. This was accomplished by his aptitude for and creating high amounts of terror among his opponents. However, he was also a compassionate leader and sought surrender wherever possible, not wanting to perform violent acts with no justification.

Military Strength:

Around 1187, Genghis decided to unite more of Mongolia after his longtime friend, Juamugha, attacked his troops,5 and in order to do this he created an army of more highly trained warriors. This army was mounted on horseback and capable of moving 60-120 miles per day which was unheard of for any army of comparable size.

This was possible partially because each Mongol warrior maintained three or four horses which they could switch between over long journeys.6 This provided a large advantage in being able to wage quick, accurate strikes against enemy forces and cover large amounts of distance in minimal time. The army was also organized by a simple, traditional decimal system which consisted of groups of tens, hundreds, and thousands of men regardless of ethnic origin.7 This division of troops is contributed to much of the

Mongol military success as orders were able to be delivered to specific units efficiently and rapidly. Even though they were a highly mobile military, the Mongols were still

4 "Genghis Khan: Terror and Conquest." Infobase.com. A&E Television Networks, 1997. Web. 05 Sept. 2016. 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamukha 6 Morris, Rossabi (October 1994). "All the Khan's Horses" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 2007-11-21. 7 Amy Chua. Day of Empire: How hyperpowers rise to global dominance, and why they fall. New York: Random House, 2007. p.95 Genghis Khan skilled in the art of warfare and could construct simple yet effective machines such as trebuchets and catapults. A more cruel tactic employed by the Mongol army during battle was the kharash, which entailed gathering residents or soldier previously defeated. This crowd served as a human shield which would push forward to take the brunt of the enemy long-range weapons and to break down obstacles so the Mongol army could move forward unimpeded.8

Campaign in :

In 1206, at age 40, Genghis began looking toward China. His gathering of the

Mongols to prepare for this venture was the largest in history. In 1210, he sent envoys to the Jin Empire. The envoys were captured and killed. This was an unforgivable thing for Genghis and he decided to invade in 1211 after meditating and saying that he was told by the gods that it was the right thing to do. His forces easily got past the Great

Wall and laid waste to most the of the Jin Empire in northern China.

Campaign in the Middle East (Current Issue):

After campaigns in northern China, he

sent envoys to the ruler, or Shah, of the

Khwarezmid Empire, Ala ad-Din Muhammad,

in the /Persia area. In 1218, the

8 http://mongolmania.weebly.com/ Genghis Khan envoys were slaughtered there as well. At the time of this committee, there is no clear successor of the should something happen to Genghis Khan, and decisions are being made regarding what to do regarding the slaughter.

Political Landscape:

When Genghis first came to power, there was no Mongol capital, empire, or even nation.9 The Mongols as a group living on the steppes were viewed towards the bottom of the social order. However, this quickly changed as Genghis made alliances and conquered other groups. He carefully vetted his allies and chose them accordingly.

In the regions Genghis conquered, he would replace the elite with Mongol rulers to govern the conquered people but left everyone else in society as they were, promising to include them into his new rule if they paid respected his leadership. The men he selected for these roles had to be absolutely loyal to him.10 Genghis’ overall strategy of trying to assimilate the local groups into the Empire was revolutionary for its time period. Because the empire’s vast expanse, it featured a significant amount of diversity, which impacted how Genghis had to rule and create laws. When he became Great

Khan, Genghis believed he had no room for a traditional clan and the ties it brought along.

Values of Loyalty:

Genghis emphasized his vision of absolute loyalty from his subjects to himself.

As Great Khan, he expected obedience and allegiance from all classes. One of the

9 Amy Chua. Day of Empire: How hyperpowers rise to global dominance, and why they fall. New York: Random House, 2007. p.91 10 https://global.britannica.com/biography/Genghis-Khan Genghis Khan myths about his rise to power to explain his decisions regarding diversity among his troops involves having a “multiethnic, multicreedal oath of brotherhood [which] would come to symbolize the form of society” which Genghis wanted to create.11 This was the idea behind the “arbans,” the groups of ten in the army, which were commanded to be loyal to one another regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Yassa:

The code of law created by Genghis Khan and adopted throughout the empire was called .12 This code necessitated severe punishments for minor crimes, strict obedience to Genghis Khan, and a binding together of the tribes.13 Because of such strictness, the Mongol Empire was seen as a safe place and the army was extremely disciplined. Because of Yassa, leaders of the empire, such as chiefs and generals, were elected based on merit—crimes such as thievery were banned, and religious intolerance was prohibited. This was the first set of written laws used by the Mongols. As the Genghis Khan grew in power, there was a significant need for laws that the whole empire would have to follow. The strange aspect to this code of laws was that the physical script was supposedly only known to and read by the royal family because there was some semi- sacred or magic view of the text.

11 Amy Chua. Day of Empire: How hyperpowers rise to global dominance, and why they fall. New York: Random House, 2007. p.95 12 http://web.archive.org/web/20060112130533/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/3055/yasa.htm 13 http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/mongols-sup.htm Genghis Khan

Potential Punishments:

Two of the most common crimes in the steppe were the “stealing of animals and the kidnapping of women.”14 Under Genghis’s rule, stealing a horse was punishable by being “cut into two parts.” Beheading was the most common method for killing someone who was not of noble blood, and even minor offenses such as not picking up something someone dropped could be punishable by death. Another is examples is that a hunter could be beaten with sticks or put to death if he let an animal escape during a community hunt.15 However, if someone was favored by the Khan, they had multiple strikes before being punished.

Effect on Economics and Trade:

The Mongol Empire created the first direct contact between East and West and allowed a new flow of technology, people, trade, etc. between different parts of the world which had no contact before. A postal system called was created.16 This entailed a system of relay stations where riders could pass along messages, rest, and resupply. Heavy taxes were laid on everyone except artists, lawyers, and teachers.

During his reign, the Mongols essentially controlled trade along the . Genghis

Khan’s laws were enforced so well within the empire that it later created a time referred to as “” (Mongol peace) which allowed for more open commerce and

14 Amy Chua. Day of Empire: How hyperpowers rise to global dominance, and why they fall. New York: Random House, 2007. p.96 15 Lamb, Harold. "Genghis Khan of All Men." Scribd. Scribd, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. 16 http://www.warriorsandlegends.com/mongol-warriors/mongol-war-communications/ Genghis Khan communication.17 This peace was parallel to the “Pax Romana” which was the time of the ’s minimal expansion and relative peacefulness.

Kurultai:

The kurultai was the gathering of Genghis Khan and his advisors in order to make decisions for the Empire. These meetings were often held as a form of war council. The root word “khurim” in Mongolian means a “feast” or festive gathering, but today stands for an event more like a wedding.18 This body of counselors was modeled after both

Mongol and Chinese tradition. The Khan held the power of final decision and was heavily involved in the process, but would delegate some tasks to those he trusted.

Concerns of the Committee:

What will happen when Genghis Khan cannot find the elixir of life he so adamantly seeks and he passes away leaving a number of possible successors? That is one of the issues which this committee is going to resolve. There needs to be a clear establishment of succession. Genghis Khan had several children who could be suitable

Great Khans after him, but he also had many capable generals, ministers, and even his wife who may all qualify for the position. This committee can decide what is best

17 http://www.silk-road.com/artl/paxmongolica.shtml 18 http://dictionary.babylon-software.com/kurultai/ Genghis Khan whether the traditional passage of rule based on lineage is applicable or if Genghis’s ideology of those who are best suited for a position should be given it.

There are also many issues that can an empire of such a vast size. A system of logical steps needs to be established for how problems are to be dealt with and then it needs to be initiated. Certain policies may need to be implemented in order to continue the growth of the empire. The current system of communication and trade throughout the empire may need to be reexamined or perhaps put to different purposes.

However, the most pressing matter is how we will wage war and be victorious on the western front of the empire against the Khwarezmian Empire, while also being cautious of the eastern front and the remnants of the Jin Empire. The outcomes from how we engage with both these foreign may have lasting impacts on the future of our empire. We must understand what resources will be required and what strategies will be used so that they are deployed efficiently.

This all must be done while maintaining your roles as delegates. Your positions require maintaining not just military power, but also an unfaltering loyalty to the Khan and a good image for the people of the empire to see. This will not be an easy committee, and much like life on the steppe...only the strong will survive. Think like

Genghis Khan using your intellect, loyalty, and persuasive skills and you will conquer this committee.

Things to keep in mind:

1. What the current Empire looks like Genghis Khan

2. What you, as leaders of the Empire, want it to look like in the future

3. What kinds of issues may be arising now or in the near future within the Empire

and outside of the Empire

4. Who is going to rule when Genghis is no longer able or willing

5. How the empire will be governed and divided.

As Genghis’s trusted advisors, you should be aware of his two major goals: “to live forever and conquer the world.”19

Members of the Imperial Council:

Borte Khan – Genghis Khan’s wife After having a few hiccups early in your such as how you were kidnapped and held for ransom by an enemy tribe before being rescued by your husband, as Grand Empress, and wife of Genghis Khan, you are considered one of his most trusted advisors. You run the kingdom in your husband’s place while he is off on his numerous military campaigns, and are beloved by the Mongol people.[1] Further strengthening your position in Mongol society is the fact that you are the mother of Genghis Khan’s four legitimate sons , Chagatai, Ogedei, and .

Jochi Khan – Genghis Khan’s eldest son As Genghis Khan’s first son, you are the first in line to succeed your father should he die in battle or be eliminated by internal political enemies. Recently, your true paternity has been called into question given that your mother was given as a spoil of war to another man following her abduction shortly after she and your father were married.[2] You frequently go on your father’s military campaigns, and command your own troops while on such campaigns. As one of Genghis Khan’s sons, you are entitled to your own kingdom within the Mongol empire to rule over, with your respective territory being the western portion, which is known as the or Kipchak .[3] However, while being the heir of your father, you and him sometimes have disputes about various issues and courses of action your father is planning to implement or take.

19 Genghis Khan: Terror And Conquest. Prod. Lionel Friedberg. A&E Television Networks, 1995. Alexander Street. Web. 18 Jan. 2017. Genghis Khan

Chagatai Khan – Genghis Khan’s second oldest son As the second son of Genghis Khan, you also are in line to succeed your father should something happen to him and your brother Jochi. There are some in the empire who believe that you should be the rightful heir to your father citing your brother Jochi’s questioned paternity. Like your older brother, you also accompany your father on his many military campaigns, and command your own troops as well. You were also given the responsibility of being of the Mongol law code (“Yasa”), which you strictly enforce.[4] Like Jochi, you also have your own kingdom that you preside over within the empire, which consists of , the , western , the river valley, Kashgaria, Turfan and in China, and Transoxania.[5] Together, these lands under your control would become known as the .

Ogedei Khan – Genghis Khan’s third oldest son Being a rightful Khan born from Borte, you also are in line to succeed your father should something happen to him and your two older brothers. It is rumored that you are your father’s favorite son, and that your father would like you to succeed him upon his death.[6] Similar to your brothers, you also accompany your father on his military quests, and are often most noted for your willingness to listen to your father’s generals.[7] In the locations that you have been responsible for capturing, you have been able to establish a stable political and economic system, and actually lay the groundwork for increasing trade with .[8] You also have been given a certain portion of the empire to govern, with your portion consisting of the Emil and Hobok rivers, or what is western China.[9]

Tolui Khan – Genghis Khan’s youngest son You are the youngest of your father’s legitimate sons. If your father follows Mongol custom, you should be the rightful successor to him.[10] Like your brothers, you also accompany your father on military campaigns to conquer those who pose a threat to the Mongol empire, and you also control a certain portion of the empire, with your respective area of control being the Mongol homelands.[11] Aside from being an effective warrior, you are known to be an alcoholic.[12]

Jebe – Mongol General You are one of Genghis Khan’s leading military commanders, and one of his most trusted advisors. After initially shooting Genghis Khan at the Battle of Thirteen Sides, you asked to be spared by the emperor, and he spared you in part to your Genghis Khan honesty and loyalty to him.[14] You have control of many troops, as Genghis Khan has allowed you and Subutai to conduct campaigns into Rus, China, and Central Asia.

Subutai – Mongol General You are Genghis Khan’s chief military strategist. You come from humble origins given that your father was a blacksmith, but through your hard work and dedication you have quickly risen to your current position.[15] Aside from having troops under your direct command, you also have knowledge of warfare, such as how to conduct , which few other military commanders have.[16] Genghis Khan has such confidence in you that he has sent you on various campaigns across the world, with you sometimes being accompanied by .

Bo’orchu - Mongol General Bo’orchu, one of the Four Steeds of the Khan, is a close friend of the Khan who has known him since boyhood. They met when Genghis Khan (then Temujin) was looking for his stolen horses. After assisting Temujin, Bo’orchu returned him to his father. He later helped the Khan retrieve his wife Borte after she was taken by the . He, , and Belgutei spied on the camps. After Temujin took Genghis Khan as a title, he made Bo’orchu and Jelme the heads of the Khan’s followers. He is one of Ogodei’s most trusted friends. Bo’orchu has immunity for up to 9 crimes. He is in charge of the Right Wing of the army.

Mukhali - Mongol General Mukhali is the second of the Four Steeds, a four-man team mirroring the Four Hounds. He was given as a slave in his late twenties to the Khan by his father after he swore allegiance to the Mongols. He is known as a good planner and an excellent archer. He and Bo’orchu are some of the Khan’s most loyal followers. Mukhali also has immunity for up to 9 crimes. He is in charge of the Left Wing of the army.

Yelu Chucai - Prime Minister in Northern China Yelü Chucai is a statesman of the Mongol Empire and takes the role of “Prime Minister” and closest advisor to the Khan. He is a Confucian scholar well versed in and Daoism, being a Daoist himself. He is ethnically a Khitan, and was born just outside . His wisdom and Chinese-influenced viewpoint may be mocked at certain times by the Mongols, but none can deny his extremely skillful administrative practices. He believes in Chinese administrative and economic policies. He is a Genghis Khan moderating voice in the government and is generally against the bloody shows of force the Mongols are apt to undertake. He is a close friend of Shikhikhutug.

Shikhikhutug - Expert in Legal Affairs and Yassa Shikhikhutug is a high-ranking minister and statesman, and a step-brother of Genghis Khan. He was discovered as a boy by the Khan’s men and brought to the Khan’s mother , who then adopted the boy as a son. He is primarily a lawmaker and a judge, contributing greatly to the codification of the Yassa. He, like his very close friend Yelü Chucai, is a more moderate voice but without decisive Chinese influence. He is capable of leading armies but it not known as an amazingly skilled commander.

Sorkhan Shira - Minister for the Khan You are one of the Khan’s ministers. Originally a guard for the Tayichuids, you helped the Khan escape from Tayichuid captivity when he was still a boy. You are the father of Chiluan, one of the Four Steeds, and as such you have a relatively close relationship with the other three Steeds: Bo’orchu, Mukhali, and Borokhula. Genghis Khan is extremely grateful to and trusting of you, as without your help it is likely that he would have died a slave to the Tayichuids.

Khar Khiruge - Oirat General A general from the Oirat horde in western Mongolia. The were subjugated by Jochi, son of the great Genghis Khan, and control over these people was given to Jochi while Genghis married one of his daughters to the Oirat Chief. As such, he had a special relationship with Jochi that usually played out as extra support for the Khan’s son. He was well-liked amongst the Oirat people, including their chief. He and the Oirats were also exceptional horse trainers and responsible for providing a substantial amount of the horses used by the Mongol military.

Belgutei - Half-brother of Khan Belgutei was the half-brother of the Khan, sharing the same father. He served sometimes as a general but was primarily known as a wise diplomat and counselor. He was often employed as a messenger to foreign countries.

Genghis Khan

Mahmud Yalavach - Economic Minister and Financial Advisor to Khan The economic minister and financial advisor to the Khan. He was a Muslim from , an area north of with a heavy Persian influence. Some sources, however, called him a Khwarezmian from Khwarezmia.

[1] http://www.biography.com/people/borte-ujin-307400#profile [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jochi [3] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jochi [4] http://epicworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/chagatai-khanate.html [5] http://epicworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/chagatai-khanate.html [6] http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/%C3%96gedei_Khan [7] http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/%C3%96gedei_Khan [8] http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/%C3%96gedei_Khan [9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96gedei_Khan [10] http://www.tolui.com/ [11] http://www.tolui.com/ [12] http://epicworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/09/tului-khan-mongol-leader.html [13] http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Batu_Khan.aspx [14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jebe [15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subutai [16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subutai

Genghis Khan

Bibliography: https://global.britannica.com/biography/Genghis-Khan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_Empire#/media/File:Mongol_Empire_map.gif http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/link-suggestion/wpcd_2008- 09_augmented/wp/m/Mongol_Empire.htm https://jspivey.wikispaces.com/JiHyung+and+Ding+Dong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_Empire http://web.archive.org/web/20060112130533/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon /3055/yasa.htm http://www.silk-road.com/artl/paxmongolica.shtml History.com Staff. "Genghis Khan." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 30 Aug. 2016. "Genghis Khan: Terror and Conquest." Infobase.com. A&E Television Networks, 1997. Web. 05 Sept. 2016. Genghis Khan: Terror And Conquest. Prod. Lionel Friedberg. A&E Television Networks, 1995. Alexander Street. Web. 18 Jan. 2017. http://www.allempires.com/article/?q=The_Mongol_Empire Amy Chua. Day of Empire: How hyperpowers rise to global dominance, and why they fall. New York: Random House, 2007. p.95 Lamb, Harold. "Genghis Khan Emperor of All Men." Scribd. Scribd, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. http://dictionary.babylon-software.com/kurultai/