“All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender,
but opposes with struggle and dissension, shall be annihilated.”

-Genghis Khan

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The Mongolian Empire in the thirteenth century was a result of Genghis Khan’s strict military discipline, tribal dispute, and primitive politics. His brutal and bold mind enabled him to lead his tribe to great fear and success. He was brought up to be nothing less than great. Born with a strong will, and a goal to succeed, war was in his blood and was fated for him since birth. It was said that when he was born, he was holding a blood clot clump signifying god’s favor and his warfare mentality. The clot of blood is claimed to represent the state seal, the kashbu. He was born a son of a chief of a tribe within many tribes of Mongolia. He rose up and in less than 14 years, he controlled his own tribe and in another decade, he ruled all of Mongolia and all the surrounding land while rapidly expanding his already large empire (compared to Mongol standards and lifestyle).

“With a lion’s strength they have voices more shrill than an eagle”

- Grigor of Akanc, Armenian Monk, on the Mongols

First of all, let us understand the Mongols. Who are the Mongols? What were they like? What were their main characteristics?  The Mongols were illiterate, religiously shamanistic and sparsely populated, perhaps no more than around 700,000 in number. Their language today is described as Altaic — derived from the Altay mountain range in western Mongolia — a language unrelated to Chinese. They were herdsmen on the grassy plains north of the Gobi Desert and south of Siberian forests. Before the year 1200, the Mongols were fragmented, moving about in small bands headed by a chief, or khan, and living in portable felt dwellings – gers (kind of like tents). They were the masters of the Steppes (grass land with very sparse resources) and depended on animals such as sheeps, horses and oxen. The Mongols endured frequent deprivations and sparse grazing. They frequently fought over turf, and during hard times they occasionally raided, interested in goods rather than bloodshed.