[abdiz12]

I mean these guys came out from nowhere, and they swept through vast lands in a small period of time, speed and destruction never seen before and will probably never happen again. Title should say Mongol Horde.

[Julii92]

(Original post by abdiz12)
I mean these guys came out from nowhere, and they swept through vast lands in a small period of time, speed and destruction never seen before and will probably never happen again. Title should say Mongol Horde.

Ghenghis Khan is a national hero over there. The airport is named after him, as well as a brand of other beer and plenty of other stuff I can't remember (making this list pretty unimpressive I realise).

[navarre]

Yeah, they're a pretty interesting bunch. I don't know as much about them as I should do, they don't appeal to me as much as, say, the Romans. But it's fascinating how they conquered so much land, and almost took over Europe (I think they defeated the Poles but had to turn back because their leader has died?)

[AntisthenesDogger]

Well, it wasn't really one empire.

There were two Khanates in the western world; The Ilkhante centered on the Persian/Turkic world, which brought down the Islamic world sooner than it was doomed to be, and the Golden Horde which was another Khanate centered from Ukraine and used the migration of the Cumans (Whom Genghis Khans first Khanate had dispersed from Ukraine) as their Casus Beli to invade.

Both were initially successful; The Ilkhante conquered majority of the Middle east but the Shiite Caliphate held off Mongol invasions into Egypt (Which was the center of the Muslim world) couple that with various Turkic revolts and the remnants of the Eastern Roman Empire in Anatolia, they never pushed much further. Also contrary to belief they adopted many cultures and religions and weren't just barbarians.

The Golden Horde was more of the unstoppable war machine; It was formed as a direct arm of Batu Khan, who then invaded the migrated Cuman clans, and then progressed further into Europe, eventually culminating in lands up to the Danube. However they never could actually pierce through Poland or Hungary and merely raided it to weaken the forces. It's arguable in time they could have defeated both Monarchies, but even then, they would have to contend with the Holy Roman Empire afterwards.

Both Khanates found their demise in succession crisis' in Mongolia between Ogedei Khan and his sirelings. In fact Ogedei Khan was fighting Polish forces when he had to signal a retreat due to missives from Mongolia.

After the Mongol retreats they never recovered their might; which was largely based on their huge array of shock tactics.

Their influence on culture in Europe is scarce at best, but the influence in the middle east and Persia was profound.

[eggaforbreakfast]

the mongols?

weren't they the biggest mass murderers in history?

[Pindar]

Genghis was quite the don. I mean of course he ravaged and brutalised half the world, and impregnated half of Asia. But what a don.

[Converse Rocker]

(Original post by Julii92)
Ghenghis Khan is a national hero over there. The airport is named after him, as well as a brand of other beer and plenty of other stuff I can't remember (making this list pretty unimpressive I realise).

Same for Atilla the Hun in some countries; it's interesting how these men were evil incarnate to some and then heroes to others.

I think the Mongols were pretty interesting chaps, put a lot of emphasis on horses which I always thought was cool.

[Michaelj]

Ghenkis Khan was an evil man but what he achieved was amazing. I watched a documentary on youtube and the guy was really good at what he did.

- Initially Mongolia was a country where tribes were fighting each other, Khan united everyone to become an empire.
- He abolished slavery and cruelty to his own people.
- He invented his own war tactics.
- He invented his own equipment for sieges and stuff
- He invented his own written lanquage... Yes he did, he needed a way to record stuff and there was no way.
- He attacked countrys that offended him, such as Persia. He sent an abbasador for trading and they returned his head, Khan sacked Persia. He sacked the whole of China as evil as it is.

His downfall?
- An oracle told him shagging about would prolong his life as there was no elixer of life, contary to belief. So he shagged and shagged and apparently a assassin woman had some princers hid in her vagina and it cut off his penis and he bled to death. Or apparently he died from falling off his horse.

He was an evil man no doubt but he was a clever dick also.

[Kalliope]

Anyone else thinking about John Green's Crash Course?

[Hewitt]

For those interested in the Mongols I thoroughly recommend Conn Iggulden's Conqueror series, which covers the period from the childhood of Genghis to the reign of Kublai Khan.

[dongtian]

Kublai Khan.

[Dux_Helvetica]

The way the Mongols were able to conquer so much of Eurasia in just three generations almost beggars belief. I don't think they had much to contribute in terms of technology or culture though which is why I don't find them particularly interesting.

[Curly_hair_girl]

I have to say they are exceptional....

I've only study the Mongol Chinese Dynasty, so I don't have any insightly comments. A part from the superficial, they are considered great as the tick some boxes, empire building, opening up trade routes etc.

Also Kubali Khan was a good emperor to.

They were so destructive though, it makes me sad thinking about what happened to Baghdad.

[MattLBates]

I suggest watching John Green's Crash Course. Anyone can get a basic grasp about the subject this way......unless you're, wait for it, the Mongols.

[Sir Fox]

They might be interesting, but I don't find them even nearly as interesting as other civilisations (e.g. the Romans, Byzantines, ancient China, Azteces). They might have had a culture higher developed then some people assume, but apart from brute force (and admittedly some convincing strategies and tactics) they've been so much inferior to so many other civilisations. This is why today apart from their rates most people don't know anything about them - well deserved.

I don't find any of their 'achievements' particularly admirable.

[Spaz Man]

Anyone watch Crash Course History?

If you like studying the Mongols, you'll love it. There's a special mention of them every single episode lol

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...9&feature=plcp

[Swanbow]

The Mongols have always interested me. Was reading an article in National Geographic and it said that Ghengis Khan is still a revered figure and the country was witnessing a revival of Mongol patriotism against the encroaching Chinese. Strange to thing a lot of the population still live a similar lifestyle to what the Mongols hordes would have lived, aside from the pillaging and killing of course, urbanisation is only really picking up recently in Ulan Bator.

[ALazyThracian]

“I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.”

“If my body dies, let my body die, but do not let my country die.”

The man was a legend in his own right way ahead of his time, he took tribes and turned them into a civilization. Sure he killed, raped and murdered millions of people during his life long campaign but so has most of the world's conquerors. What he left was a country with rules, culture and a future. That why people either hate or love the man and his legacy.

[RabbitCFH]

More interested in the Hells Angels.

[Sir Fox]

(Original post by ALazyThracian)
“I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.”

“If my body dies, let my body die, but do not let my country die.”

The man was a legend in his own right way ahead of his time, he took tribes and turned them into a civilization. Sure he killed, raped and murdered millions of people during his life long campaign but so has most of the world's conquerors. What he left was a country with rules, culture and a future. That why people either hate or love the man and his legacy.

He has done it to an extent not known before. Most conquerors in world's history had the intention of militarily conquering an area in order to eventually benefit from it, economically, strategically etc. (let's leave the crusades aside). They used violence but it was limited. After having conquered a region the Romans established their highly advanced culture, legal system, architecture etc. which eventually proved to be a benefit for all those who lived under their system.

The mongols conquered without establishing something new, the local population didn't benefit in any way.

By the way, his first quote