What did the great conqueror Genghis Khan miscalculate, and Why did the Mongol Empire fall
In 1995, The Washington Post called Genghis Khan the “man of the millennium.” Of course, this was a controversial choice because his conquests led to the death of millions of people and the devastation of many cities. Still, they united vast territories, allowing trade to flourish on the Silk Road, thus connecting East and West.
t were the great conqueror’s miscalculations that led to the fall of the mighty Mongol Empire?
, whose real name was Temujin, was born in 1162 AD. At that time, Mongolian society was divided into often warring tribes. One of the wars claimed the life of Temujin’s father when the boy turned 10 years ol
l Mongolian tribes, gather their warriors around him, and make them loyal followers. At the same time, he became known as Genghis Khan, the “universal ruler” of the unified Mongol Empire, which had about one million people.
oducing a writing system and organizing a population census. He also sought to end any strife between the Mongols by abolishing disputed hereditary ti
re the eastern border by capturing the Tangut kingdom of Xi Xia, which was located between his possessions and China.
gdom of Xi Xia to his empire, Genghis Khan stopped for a while, waiting out the unbearable heat, and then moved with his army to China. After the capture of the Jin dynasty, Khanate of Khiva in Turkestan followed.
a follower of tengrism and destined to rule the world. Driven by a divine purpose, he believed in his chosen one. But his imperial ambitions were probably fueled by other goals, including plundering conquered territories, controlling lucrative trade routes, and taking revenge on personal enemies.
ver some Jin warriors to their side.
and devastatingly affect the enemy in open terrain.
ut a population due to the brutal massacre and expulsion of crowds of people fleeing from the advancing Mongol troops.
he devastation of the lands conquered by the Mongols was grand. It lasted so long that these territories were overgrown with forests, absorbing millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.
Khan was alive, the civil and economic systems of the conquered territories remained fragmented and fragile, united solely by the ruler’s authority. After Genghis
1368. However, this peace was paid for by a period of long and bloody wars. The oft-quoted statistic that Genghis Khan is responsible for 40 million deaths downplays the scale of destruction caused by the Mongol conquests, which reduced the world’s population by 11% and destroyed e
more like separate Chinese, Persian, and Asian states united by Genghis Khan’s empire. If the Mongols tried to impose their culture without considering local traditions in the early periods of their conquests, local customs began to prevail in different territories of the Mongol Empire over time.
gol representatives collected tribute, recruited soldiers for service, and controlled the work of artisans. The extent of the tribute and the treatment of the local population depended on the circumstances that led to the territory’s annexation. Those who surrendered voluntarily ha
ied 14 years after Genghis Khan’s death.
re the tension grew so great that it could damage the empire, Guyuk also died.
ghdad, established territory in the Mediterranean, and removed all his competitors from the family.
the next great Khan was Arigboge and his brother Kublai, the sons of Genghis Khan’s youngest son. The brothers fought a four-year civil war for the throne, which ended with Kublai’s victory. However, he was never elected by the council of nobles, which made his position suspicious among the Mongols even after he became the great Khan.
est control over the united China, and he began to be regarded primarily as the Chinese emperor and the father of the Yuan Dynasty despite attempts to maintain the superiority of the Mongols. He proved he could reconcile the Chinese to foreign rule, but his extravagance was resented. He continued his attempts at conquest, which did not bring new territories to the Mongol Empire, and some turned into real disasters for the Mongols.
. Both times, typhoons saved Japan, destroying almost half of the Mongol army. This beca
rate after Kublai Khan’s death. His successors faced ongoing rivalry between Mongolian leaders. In China, where the Kublai dynasty had the strongest base, the native Chinese culture began to influence the resist
itories that Genghis Khan left under the control of his son t5. Later, Jochi significantly expanded these possessions.
were influenced by the Turkic and Islamic peoples they ruled.
from Russia, breaking into several smaller states during the 1400s.