“Fate Did Not Hand Genghis Khan His Destiny; He Made It for Himself.”
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“Fate did not hand Genghis Khan his destiny; he made it for himself.” •Born with a blood clot in his hand, Temujin of the Borjigin or Blue Wolves, was a man born to the harsh steppes of Mongolia. •The Mongolian steppes determine their way of life as pastoralists,(people who herd domesticated animals), herders and raiders. •They formed kinship groups called a clan. •Yesugei, his father, was poisoned. •Yesugei’s 7 children, plus his 2 wives were abandoned to die by the tribe. •At one point, Temujin was enslaved by another tribe. Scene from the movie “Mongol” where the boy is captured and enslaved. •At 16, he married Borte, the love of his life. •After 3 months of marriage, Borte was kidnapped. •This forever placed Temujin on the path of the warrior. •He led a raid and Scene from the movie “Mongol” where rescued Borte. Borte is captured by the Merkits. •By 1206 AD, he had conquered every tribe on the steppes. •He was elected and blessed – and renamed “Genghis Khan” or Universal Artist’s rendering of Genghis Ruler.” Khan and his bow. •He appointed people based on loyalty and achievement to leadership positions. •He expanded and protected the merchants along the Silk Roads. •In his Great Law, he supported free trade and religious tolerance. “Archery won Genghis Khan his empire.” Author Conn Iggulden •Mongols were good horseman and archers. •They carried the Mongolian double-curved bow. It’s draw strength would not be equaled by Europeans for another 200 years. •Draw strength = “the ability to lift 2 men in the air, at a full gallop, on 2 fingers.” •Mongol warriors were fast riders, with modern armor. •They were tough, and able to travel light, living on mare’s milk or blood to survive. •Finally, the stirrup allowed them to stand and shoot or free up their sword arm for use. •Warfare became an intercontinental affair fought on multiple fronts, that stretched for thousands of miles. –Author, Jack Weatherford •The Mongols invaded China, SW Asia, Europe, and India. •In 1215 AD, he began his conquest of China. China had great wealth and access to money and trade from the Silk Roads. •21 years later, he secured China. •By 1260, it was called the Khanate of the Great Khan and ruled by the Yuan Dynasty – a Mongol Dynasty, led by his grandson Kublai Khan. Why attack SW ASIA? •In 1215 AD, his trade caravan of 500 men were attacked and killed, their goods taken by the Mayor of Utrar. •Genghis Khan then sent Mongolian ambassadors directly to the Sultan of Khwarizm for justice. •The Sultan shaved and beheaded Khan’s envoys, leaving 1 man alive to return to Genghis Khan with the story. •Genghis Khan was in his 60’s, but he immediately moved on this next Scene from the film attack. “Mongol.” “In retribution for every hair on their heads it seemed that a 100,000 heads rolled in the dust.” –Court historian •The “Jewel of Islam” the city of Bukhara and the cities of Utrar and Samarkand were razed to the ground by angry Mongol warriors led by Genghis Khan. •Libraries/buildings were destroyed and people were slaughtered. “I am the punishment of God…If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” –Genghis Khan •The Sultan fled. •Genghis Khan pushed hard into the Sultan’s Persian empire – taking Afghanistan and Baghdad. •2 of G. Khan’s generals led 40,000 warriors to find the Sultan, and ended up taking Azerbaijan, Armenia and the port city of Caffa. •1221 AD - 2 of G. Khan’s generals led a campaign to N. India in pursuit of the Sultan’s son and heir. •1235, the Mongols made Kashmir their vassal state. •1241 – Mongol forces attacked the Indus Valley, butchering the town of Lahore. •1240 AD – Under Batu Khan, the Russian city of Kiev was destroyed. •Mongols or the Golden Horde, ruled Russia for 200 years, from the new capital city of Moscow. •Mongols demanded 2 things: tribute and slavish obedience. •In 1227, Genghis Khan died. •To this day, Mongolians regard him as The Holy Warrior, a conquering king, and a man who will rise again to lead his people to new Sculpted statue work of Genghis victories. Khan •Genghis Khan, quite simply, conquered more than twice as much as any other man in history and redrew the boundaries of the world. In 1260 AD, the Mongol Empire was divided into 4 Khanates – all of which were ruled by a descendant of Genghis Khan. 1)The Khanate of the Great Khan (Mongolia and China) 2)The Khanate of Chaghadai (Central Asia). 3) The Ilkhanate – (Persia – Iran/Iraq) 4) The Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia) •In 25 years, the Mongols conquered more lands and people than the Romans did in 400 years. •Combined with the victories of his sons and grandsons, they conquered the most heavily populated civilizations in the 13th century. .