Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

gjy664 – Chinggis Khan and the Mongol Empire

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Mongol administration with an idea of the empire’s size and established the army’s value, giving knowledge of holdings for quick defence. 56 Hence, Chinggis’ focus on the development

of unification systems enabled complete control of the empire.

Consequently, Chinggis Khan’s emphasis on unity and loyalty through total societal control

enabled the empire’s growth. The importance of this emphasis on unity and loyalty is

accounted in both the Secret History and Ystoria Mongalorum , which commented on Mongol

unity and loyalty heavily, indicating that these tactics were detrimental to Mongol success.

However, although these primary sources are corroborative on the issue of unity and loyalty,

they are less consistent in dealing with Chinggis’ disciplinary and expansionist policies.

3 – Fear, Discipline and Expansionist Policy

Under the Mongol Empire, the tactic of fear and terror enabled Chinggis Khan’s rise as leader

and successful expansion of the empire. Through the tactic of fear and his expansionist policy,

Chinggis formed alliances, performed executions such as Jamuka’s murder described in the Secret History and other acts of terror, 57 engaged in battles leading to slavery and death, and

developed fear, facilitating success. However, in the establishment of the Mongol Empire and

during several campaigns, the objective was never to fight a battle but to frighten rivals with overwhelming force so they would flee, 58 as suggested in the Secret History. 59 Thus, whilst violence was used, psychological warfare was important, as one of their policies was to not massacre out of savagery but only when it was necessary to break rival power. 60

Chinggis Khan’s fear tactic was represented through his ‘ Expansionist Policy’ , although its

main goal was to establish power in China. Nonetheless, the Mongol conquest of Khwarezm

(1219-1221) earned the empire their reputation for savagery and terror, as they massacred inhabitants and forced them to serve as Mongol troops 61 supported by Juvaini’s description. 62 This shows the tactic of terror enabled the Mongols to establish control and initiate the empire’s growth, however early Mongol history portrayed these acts as fulfilling the ‘divine role’. 63

56 Easton, Oxford Big Ideas , 423-455. 57 Onon, Secret History , 190. 58 Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world . 59 Onon , Secret History . 60 “The rise of Genghis Khan,” Lattimore, Sanders and Chauncy. 61 “Genghis Khan Mongol Ruler,” Charles R Bawden. 62 Ata-Malik Juvaini, Mizra Muhammed Qazvini, and John Andrew Boyle, Genghis Khan: The History of the World Conquerer. (Manchester: Manchester University Printing, 1958), 91-2, 106, 122. 63 Fletcher, “The Mongols: Ecological and Social Perspectives,” 11-50 .