Ap World Mongols

Idea:   Evidence of how the Mongols were barbaric

Document Proof:

Document 1: According to compilations of Mongol oral traditions, Chinggis Khan set out to fight the people of Cathay, the Chin Empire in northern China. He sent an army under Jebe's command to take the fortress at Chu-yung Kuan, but the fortress was heavily defended. Jebe had the idea to draw the defenders out of their fortress by staging a retreat and forcing them to chase after him. Once the defenders were out in the open, Jebe turned his forces around attacked the pursuers. The Mongols forces demolished the "finest and most courageous soldiers" of Cathay, the Jurchin and Khara Khitan fighters. In the Mongols' success, their enemies' bodies lay "piled up like rotten logs". The ruthlessness of the Mongols to succeed, along with the battle tactics of Jebe allowed them to slaughter the Cathayan army.

Document 5: The Mongols would seperate their forces in battle by sending detachments of men to meet head-on with the enemy, and also send other men to the left and right to flank their enemies in battle, in hopes to surround them and attack from all sides. If the Mongols were attacking a fortress, they would also surround it from all sides, and continuosly attack it with arrows, catapults, and Greek fire. They would attempt to get the inhabitants of the fortress to surrender by speaking to them and making promises, such as: "Come out, so that we may count you according to our custom". When the people they were attaking would surrender and come out, the Mongols would seek out the artisans and any other individuals they wished to keep, and would brutally slaughter the rest.

Document 7: This document addresses how the Mongols came into the land of the Ryazan in "countless numbers", and proceeded to conquer land and demand one tenth of everything the people had, from men and horses to food and supplies. The Mongols surrunded Ryazan and fenced it in with a stockade. They later took control of the town and killed the rulers, men, women, children, monks, nuns, and priests. Some were violently killed by fire, while others by sword. On top of that, the Mongols violated the women of the town as they plundered the place.

Document 8: This document is from an anonymous eyewitness who speaks of how Chinggis Khan was camped out in the mountains, and he sent his soldiers to deal with those of the Tangqut people who had rebelled against him. The whole tribe was completely wiped out, which shows that Chinggis Khan does not play around when it comes to his power and control. Chinggis Khan also reportedly told the people of Bo'orchy and Mugali to "Take what you want, until you can carry no more... make their fine sons follow behind you, holding your falcons. Bring up their daughters to arrange your wives' skirts."

Document 9: This document is a letter from Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khan, in which he addresses how the Mongols have invaded many countries belonging both to Christians and to others. The Pope expresses his amazement at how the Mongols are laying waste in a horrible desolation, as well as not sparing anybody according to their sex nor age. The Pope clearly doesn't agree with the Mongols' actions of slaughtering innocent people, including women and children.

Idea:     Evidence of how the Mongols weren't barbaric

Document Proof:

Document 2: This document is from a Franciscan friar who visited the Mongols on behalf of the King of France. The friar talks about the roles of men and women in the Mongol society. He reports that the women would tend to driving twenty to thiry wagons, as well as loading and unloading the dwellings on them. They would also be tasked with milking the cows, making butter and grut (curds or cheese), and to dress the skins and stitch them together. The men on the otherhand, would construct bows and arrows, manufacture stirrups and bits, as well as fashion saddles for their horses. The Mongol men would also consrtuct the dwellings and the wagons, tend to the horses, churn the comas ( mare's milk), produce the skins in which it was stored, and tend to and load the camels. Gender relations in the Mongol society were similar to many other societies in similar times, as men would do more crafty and labor-intensive work, while women would deal with food, children, and clothing related tasks.

Document 3: From the Travels of Marco Polo, he addressed what and how the Mongols used in battle. He tells that Mongols are highly trained with bows, as most Mongols are accustomed to from using it in sports since they were children. Iron maces and spears were also reportedly used by the Mongols, who would wear defensive armor made from buffalo and other types of hides. Marco Polo also explains how the warriors are very brave in battle, setting little value to their lives, exposing themselves to danger in any way that was needed. The Mongols could survive a month on solely the milk from their horses, which are fed upon grass only, making it relatively easy to keep their horses in good shape. The Mongol men were trained to remain on horseback for two days without having the need to get off. The loyalty and discipline of the Mongols is what allowed them to have such an expansive and successful empire.

Document 4: Also from the Travels of Marco Polo, this document refers to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Mongol system of post-horses. This system involved sending messages to or from the Great Khan, through which a messenger would go on horseback on one of the many roads that were spread throughout the empire. The messengers would only need to ride about 25 miles before they would find a post station, also called a yam, in which they would find three to four hundred horses waiting waiting for their use. It is believed that some 200,000 horses and 10,000 people were spread among these yams, which provided a great system on communication. The organization of this system is a tremendous feature of the empire because the only form of communication was through speech or writing. Cities would also have multiple ferries ready to be used in case there was a body of water that the messengers needed to traverse. The messengers would ride for 200, or up to 250, miles in a single day, thanks to being able to switch to a new, fully-rested horse pretty often. When these riders would approach another yam, they would blow a horn that the people at the yam could hear, and it would signal them to get horses ready for the rider once he arrived.

Document 6: This document talks about the Mongols' thoughts on other belief systems that existed during their time. Mongke Khan sent his scribes to the author of this document, a Franciscan friar named William of Rubruck, to tell him that there should be a meeting held between the Mongols and the Christians, Saracens (Muslims), and tuins (pagans, Buddhists). The purpose of this conference was so that each person can write down what he says so that they can know the truth. Mongke Khan later says that the Mongols believe that there is but one God, by whom they live and die. He also says that "But just as God gave different fingers to the hand so has He given different ways to men." This quote is stating that the Khan understands that people have different beliefs, but also that the Mongols will cotinue in what they believe is true.

Document 10: This document is a letter from the Great Khan to Pope Innocent IV, and is the Khan's response to a document 9, which is a letter from Pope Innocent IV about how the Mongols invade the lands of innocent people and slay them relentlessly, with no regard to age or sex. The Great Khan responds to the Pope by telling him that the people who he is talking about, showed themselves as highly presumptuous and slew his envoys, so therefore in accordance with the commands of the Eternal Heaven, the inhabitants of the aforesaid countries have been slain. By saying this, the Khan is trying to say that those people were not completely innocent, and wronged the Mongols in some way, so they had it coming. He explains that he conquered these lands by the command of Heaven, as no one can do such a thing with his own strength. The power of Heaven has given this land to him, and that everything is accredited to this power. He tells the Pope that he must "tender us service and pay us homage". If the Pope doesn't obey this command of Heaven, according to the Great Khan, then the Mongols shall recognize them as foe.

Document 11: This document includes codes of conduct that guided Mongol life. It describes that the people must be hospitable, and in the instance when a husband goes hunting or to war, the wife must provide any messener or guest who arrives with good food, and any other need they may require. The Mongols were very friendly to one another and showed each other considerable respect. Part of the Mongols' code was to share their food with each other, even if there was little of it, and when they had no food, to not easily show impatience, but to sing and be merry as if they did. The Mongols also had little tolerance to commiting adultery, as the rule was that whosoever commits adultery will be executed, even if they have no prior convictions. A Mongol man could have as many wives as he can keep, but marriage was not something that they took lightly. If a woman who was captured by a Mongol had a husband, nobody could enter into a relationship with her unless they kill the husband, only then could a man enter a relationship with said captured woman.