Genghis Con

I don't know about you guys but when I studied history in high school there was very little mentioned about Genghis Khan. He conquered a large part of the world including part of Europe temporarily, but he was a Barbarian and uncivilized and worthy only of contempt. This is the impression I got, and his mention was little more than a footnote in the history book. Well, imagine my surprise when I picked up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford and found that this impression was grossly prejudiced, incomplete, and inaccurate.

First, let me just list off a few of his accomplishments:

1. In 25 years the Mongol army conquered more lands and people than the Romans did on 400 years.
2. If measured by the number of people defeated, or the countries annexed, or the total area occupied, Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much as any other man in history.
3. At its peak the empire covered between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles. This is about the size of the African continent, and considerably larger than North America. Larger than Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean put together.
4. The majority of people today live in countries conquered by the Mongols. On today's maps that covers 30 countries and 3 billion people.
5. The entire Mongol tribe that accomplished the above was only about one million people, and out of that 100,000 were warriors. A number that could fit into some of our modern sports stadiums.
6. He organized the towns along the Silk Route into history's largest free trade zone.
7. He lowered taxes for everyone, and got rid of taxes totally for doctors, priests, teachers, and educational establishments.
8. He started the first International Postal system, and established a census.
9. He established a system of International Law. He believed in Rule of Law, and that rulers should be judged by the same law as herders.
10. He granted religious freedom in all his conquered lands, demanding only loyalty regardless of religion.
11. He abolished torture, but sought out raiding bandits and terrorists and killed them.
12. He started the novel practice of granting diplomatic immunity to ambassadors including from hostile nations.
13. Genghis Khan redrew national boundaries across the world after he conquered, apparently dissatisfied with the large number of little kingdoms. In Eastern Europe, a dozen smaller Slavic principalities into one Russian state. During three generations of Mongol rule, they united remainders of the Sung Dynasty, parts of Manchuria, Tibet, lands next to the Gobi, and eastern regions of Turkestan in to the country of China. They also created the countries of India and Korea.
14. Before the rise of Genghis Khan, countries and kingdoms lived in relative isolation knowing only the neighboring kingdom. In the Genghis Khan empire commercial and diplomatic communication was established throughout his conquered lines. For example, trade routes between Europe and China. Many of the channels established then still exist today.
15. Wherever he conquered he smashed the feudal system of aristocratic privilege and birth and replaced it with a unique system of based on individual merit, achievement, and loyalty.

Not quite what you would expect from a total Barbarian. On the contrary, it looks more like many of the civilizing influences we hold dear today may have originated with Genghis Khan's efforts.

But there is much more intrigue and fascinating history surrounding this man. Why was he so maligned in the West. Why was his personal history only known in a secret document only recently found and decoded. Why did the Soviet Union set up a military guard around his original homeland, and make it off limits?

More to come.