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Essay / Discovering the controversial figure of Genghis Khan
The name “Genghis Khan” often evokes images of brutality, barbarism and warmongering. His image sowed fear among the people of the steppe, and even today, almost 800 years after his death, it remains one of the most famous things in Mongolia. However, it can be argued that his brutality overshadows his leadership qualities. His stewardship and management skills have united his field to make it a force to be reckoned with. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Chinggis (or Genghis) Khan (formerly Temujin), of the House of Borjigin, lived from approximately 1162 to 1227 CE. During his 21-year reign, he led the Mongols, a tribe of East Asian warriors expert in both horseback riding and archery. From the region we now call Mongolia, he transformed the tribe into a terrifying power known as the Mongol Empire. At its extreme, it extended across all of Asia. While his brutality and lust for power are often portrayed, what is often overlooked is his political prowess, and credit for his work in transforming the Mongols is not given enough credit. Temujin was born to Yesugei, a leader of the Mongols, in 1162. After growing up in both wealth and poverty following the death of his father, he began laying the foundations for his own rise to power at a young age. Using his nobility, he began to make allies with several Mongol and non-Mongol tribes in the region. After his wife, Borte, was kidnapped by the Merkit tribe, he led a campaign with the help of his blood brother Jamukha (who himself was trying to establish power) and his Keraite ally, Toghrul Khan . Having the foresight to form alliances and the military skills to lead troops, he crushed the Merkits and saved his wife. Temujin was finally elected Khan of the Mongols in 1186. This did not last long, however, as Jamukha (having become disillusioned with Temujin's growing power) attacked him with 30,000 men in what is known as the Battle of Dalan Balzhut in one year. General of the Jin army (a Chinese dynasty) for the next 10 years, Temujin received power after a successful campaign against the Tatar tribe, who had betrayed the Jin some time before. It was here that he began to embrace the progressive ways he is known for. Mongol customs favored nepotism, but Temujin generally delegated government and military roles based on skill and ability. When he conquered, he adopted the conquered people into his empire, rather than killing them all or exiling them. Aside from certain practices like Jewish circumcision and Halal butchery, Temujin was religiously tolerant and regularly had advisors from all religions. After finally defeating Jamukha once and for all and conquering all the tribes in the region (like the Naimans, Keraites, Tatars and Uyghurs). ), a Kurultai (a meeting council of Mongol chiefs) was organized, and there, in 1206, Temujin was henceforth known by the lesser chiefs as the Khan (ruler) of the Mongols. With all the tribes in the region under his rule and with the end of infighting and internal conflict, Temujin, who had now adopted the title of Genghis Khan (eternal ruler), was free to conquer his entire environment and make it what is now known as the Mongol Empire. The region inhabited by Genghis Khan was marked by numerous wars and conflicts. In the absence of centralized government, the tribes were almost always at war with each other, constantly stabbing each other and throwing by thewindow the concept of loyalty. Under Genghis Khan, all this changed. With the united armies of the region under its control, its numbers and tactical capabilities made the Mongol Empire a force to be reckoned with. Genghis Khan and his generals, like the famous Subutai, practiced a military organization unprecedented in the region. The Mongols relied heavily on horses and archery to win their wars. As each soldier had several horses, he could change mounts, going from a tired mount to a new one. Often the Mongols could travel up to 100 miles a day, which was frighteningly fast at the time. The top brass developed a rigid but not harsh system of discipline that effectively ensured the loyalty of the lower troops. Most officers were free to command their small units as they saw fit, making them completely unpredictable on the battlefield. The Mongols' strengths in battle were their speed and unwavering loyalty. With their base 10 unit system, they were often more organized than their opponents. Their ability to farm and eat their animals even while traveling meant that the problem of starvation (which often affected armies until the modern era) was generally not applicable to them. Under the rigid but fair leadership of Genghis Khan, the Mongols almost always began battles with a huge advantage over their opponents, even when outnumbered. During the reign of Genghis Khan, which lasted from 1206 to 1227, his empire extended from the west coast to the Sea of Japan. just east of Baghdad. The Mongols invaded countries like China under the Jin Dynasty, Khwarezmia, Qara Khitai, Western Xia Dynasty and even as far as Georgia in the west. The preconceived notion of the brutal Mongol ruler comes from later conquests such as these, where he sometimes carried out mass executions in revenge for underhanded tactics in battle. However, he also created the Yassa, a code of law that governed the entire Mongol Empire fairly and efficiently. Generally speaking, the Empire functioned as a meritocracy without nepotism, which was progressive and rare at the time. As Yassa was kept secret from the general public, most people had only a general idea of how to follow the law. However, this meant that most people understood what was right and wrong without it being clearly explained to them. He controlled everything in the Empire, from culture to the army. Some European and Arab visitors to Genghis Khan's court compiled a list of certain laws that were part of the Yassa, and although they now seem rather outdated, the Mongolian word today for "custom" is "yoso", which comes from the same root as Yassa. Genghis Khan, while brilliant leader in his own right, has mixed opinions at best around the world. While one of his greatest contributions to the world was solidifying the Silk Road and inspiring a new communications network in Eurasia, he is, for example, viewed extremely negatively in the Middle East. He did a lot of great things, but also a lot of bad things. Many people died during his reign. He is often credited with the decline in the world's population during his 21 years in power. While he practiced religious tolerance within his own empire, he was rather hostile to Islam outside of it. Its rampages across Eastern Europe, Asia and Arabia came at the expense of the livelihoods of many cities and some never recovered. For example, the population of the northern part of China has decreased by about 40 million in about 40 years due to migration and.