Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

gjy664 – Chinggis Khan and the Mongol Empire

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Chinggis’ position of power or undermine it. This established the importance placed on social

status, as the Mongols were established as the top rulers, whilst the status and conditions of peasants and merchants improved, increasing populous support. 13 According to the Secret History , Chinggis developed a network of spies and agents who gathered intelligence on the political, economic and military aspects of his potential enemies and allies. 14 The Secret

History also indicates that the grouping of tribes to form an army was not due to an organisation

efficiency, but rather it was a reaction to Chinggis’ rival: Jamuka’s army. This could not have

been done unless significant intelligence had been gathered on Jamuka’s army beforehand. The

creation of a more fixed social order, and its integration into a military system, helped Chinggis guard against the danger of nomadic rivals. 15

To create the “Great Army”, 16 Chinggis needed to dismantle the old tribal system. 17 The Secret History describes how the tribes had to be melded to counter the strength of Jamuka’s army. 18

With a focus on the traditional concept of Mongols being warriors, Chinggis determined to

break tribal loyalties, and instead place emphasis on loyalty to one’s military unit, while organising Mongols from different tribes into the Khan, 19 and ensuring that everyone participated in battles. 20 Consequently, a unified fighting group was established based on the

Decimal System, acknowledged by the European and Mongol source, where warriors were

grouped by multiples of 10, led by a leader selected by Chinggis, who supposedly knew the right leadership qualities. 21 However, explanations of this system vary, with the Secret History, suggesting the practice was merely theoretical. 22 Although, Ystoria Mongalorum 23 and the Secret History 24 lack detail on selection of leaders, both inexplicitly claim that leadership

positions were taken up by those selected by Chinggis. Nonetheless, this formation was critical

to organisation, making it easy to pass commands, with Mongol reports establishing the importance placed on selecting those for leadership positions. 25 Thus, the decimal structure

13 Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world . 14 Onon, Secret History, 9. 15 “The rise of Genghis Khan,” Lattimore, Sanders and Chauncy, Encyclopaedia Britannica , last modified March 2017, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mongolia/The-rise-of-Genghis-Khan 16 Rachewiltz, The Secret History , 64. 17 Fletcher, “The Mongols: Ecological and Social Perspectives,” 11-50 . 18 Onon, Secret History , 91. 19 Easton, Oxford Big Ideas , 423-455. 20 Fletcher, “The Mongols: Ecological and Social Perspectives,” 11-50 . 21 Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world . 22 Onon, Secret History , 10. 23 John of Plano Carpini, “ History of the Mongols” (London: Sheed and Ward, 1955), 26-33. 24 Onon, Secret History , 170. 25 Christopher P Atwood, Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire (New York: Facts on File Inc, 2004)