How do you see Genghis Khan?

[Tee Kay]

^ which was pretty much how the Iraqi Nestorians reacted to the Mongol invasion, except Muslims were the victims in that case.

 

[enaks]

The only remotely good thing about the Mongol rule was the re-opening of the Silk Road, and that was just a side effect of the genocidal bloodbath he and his followers perpetrated.

There was another thing that was good in its own way. Because of all the killed people and the destroyed farmlands, new forests grew up instead and the carbon dioxide was lowered in the atmosphere with about 700 tons.

 

[Linkman226]

I see him as the boor he was. I honestly don't care how much of an military genius he was. See this from Tamim Ansary:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vx...&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you don't feel like reading it, he gives this anecdote: When the Mongols reached the now backwater town of Balkh, the Khan decided to dump the contents of Balkh's library into the Amu Darya, a river so broad it is impossible to see from one side to another. The sheer volume of the books nonetheless managed to block the river for THREE DAYS before washing away. That much knowledge, unrecoverably lost, forever. Something like that is simply an unforgivable crime.

 

[Graceheart the Leopard]

There was another thing that was good in its own way. Because of all the killed people and the destroyed farmlands, new forests grew up instead and the carbon dioxide was lowered in the atmosphere with about 700 tons.

There was a Daily Mail link about that awhile back.

 

[Joecoolyo]

I see him as interesting to study.

 

[TopGearFanatic]

I see him as the boor he was. I honestly don't care how much of an military genius he was. See this from Tamim Ansary:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vx...&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you don't feel like reading it, he gives this anecdote: When the Mongols reached the now backwater town of Balkh, the Khan decided to dump the contents of Balkh's library into the Amu Darya, a river so broad it is impossible to see from one side to another. The sheer volume of the books nonetheless managed to block the river for THREE DAYS before washing away. That much knowledge, unrecoverably lost, forever. Something like that is simply an unforgivable crime.

Don't forget what the Mongols did to pregnant women...

 

[Linkman226]

...indeed....

 

[mghani]

Genghis Khan was a brilliant man and leader and miltary genius. I think you could even use the word inspiring. But the man was a Barbarian. There are stories of Pyramids of skulls being left in his wake. He once slaughtered so many in a Chinese city that offered him valiant resistance, that days after the streets were slippery and slightly flooded with the grease from the rotting flesh.

 

[madviking]

I see him as the boor he was. I honestly don't care how much of an military genius he was. See this from Tamim Ansary:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vx...&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you don't feel like reading it, he gives this anecdote: When the Mongols reached the now backwater town of Balkh, the Khan decided to dump the contents of Balkh's library into the Amu Darya, a river so broad it is impossible to see from one side to another. The sheer volume of the books nonetheless managed to block the river for THREE DAYS before washing away. That much knowledge, unrecoverably lost, forever. Something like that is simply an unforgivable crime.

An anecdote I heard, somewhat similar to this, is that he did the same thing to Baghdad and the Tigris ran black from all the ink that in the book for some period of time.

 

[cybrxkhan]

An anecdote I heard, somewhat similar to this, is that he did the same thing to Baghdad and the Tigris ran black from all the ink that in the book for some period of time.

That was his descendant, Hulegu, actually.

The funny thing is that a number of the conquests and achievements of the Mongols were accomplished after Genghis Khan's lifetime, such as the sack of Baghdad, the conquest of China, and the almost-conquest of Europe.

 

[Lord Baal]

Don't forget what the Mongols did to pregnant women...

I've never understood the reasoning behind this.

 

[Mosher]

Genghis Khan was a brilliant diplomat and statesman, who managed to unite several fragmented tribes in Mongolia and turn them into the strongest empire ever seen today.

He conjured support in his captured realms, appointing local governors, giving out positions based on merit instead of nobility.

He was religiously tolerant, and even when the Khwarzemid (spelling) Empire pillaged a trade caravan (?), Genghis Khan was willing to negotiate. After a 2nd time of being refused reperations, he invaded, as was proper.

His tactics may have been brutal, but they suppressed any notion of rebellion in many of his captured cities, enabling the Mongol Empire to remain a somewhat cohesive unit.

He enforced strict laws in the Empire, and it was said that a woman carrying a sack of gold could walk from one end of the empire to the other without being molested.

Genghis Khan forged a great empire, and was great at his job - even if his tactics were brutal.

 

[Dachs]

Mmm. So, my actual opinion: Činggis may have been an impressive general, an instigator of brutal massacres, a visionary statesman, a typical steppe warlord, or some combination of the above, but I don't really care, because the Mongols frankly weren't interesting until after they lost control of China.

Mandukhai 4lyfe

 

[aelf]

So what if he killed people? Genghis Khan was a hero who brought development and unity to a large part of the world, and those are Good Things. I dare say the thought of it almost made me teary

 

[enaks]

There was a Daily Mail link about that awhile back.

Haha, I guess I shouldn´t try to concentrate when I´m tired But it is pretty cool anyway.

 

[Linkman226]

Comments in red.

Genghis Khan was a brilliant diplomat and statesman, who managed to unite several fragmented tribes in Mongolia and turn them into the strongest empire ever seen today.

If you're going by size the Brits beat 'em.

He conjured support in his captured realms, appointing local governors, giving out positions based on merit instead of nobility.

Sure.

He was religiously tolerant, and even when the Khwarzemid (spelling) Empire pillaged a trade caravan (?), Genghis Khan was willing to negotiate. After a 2nd time of being refused reperations, he invaded, as was proper.

Yes, very proper. Genghis, look, they're raiding our caravans! Quick, let's go rip the unborn children out of their wombs! That'll teach 'em!

His tactics may have been brutal, but they suppressed any notion of rebellion in many of his captured cities, enabling the Mongol Empire to remain a somewhat cohesive unit.

Because, you know, destroying 3/4 of the entire population of the Iranian Plateau is all good so long as you have a "cohesive unit." Because, you know, simply erasing from living memory the finest works of Islamic science, art, literature, etc. is no big deal. Who cares about some tens of million lives or thousands of years of knowledge? Amiright, or amiright?

By that logic the genocide of dissident minority groups is completely justified. Sounds like the Holocaust/ gulags of Stalin/ Pol Pot/ every other tyrannical fudghead.

He enforced strict laws in the Empire, and it was said that a woman carrying a sack of gold could walk from one end of the empire to the other without being molested.

Assuming she was a woman who listened to the Khan. Dare she resist- no, I take that back- if she so much as lived in a town that resisted the Khan, whether she personally did or not- she would have surely been raped, and any baby she was carrying had a snowflake's chance in hell at survival.

Genghis Khan forged a great empire, and was great at his job - even if his tactics were brutal.

There are no words to describe this man's brutality.

So what if he killed people? Genghis Khan was a hero who brought development and unity to a large part of the world, and those are Good Things. I dare say the thought of it almost made me teary

I started laughing at "hero."

Let me read between the lines of your post:

So what if he killed people?

Yes, no big deal. Peace is for wimps! Hey everyone, grab your pitchforks, we're gonna go lynch someone tonight, just for the hell of it! I mean, really, SO WHAT if we permanently end someone's life and induce suffering among all their loved ones? I do't give a rat's ass, neither should you!

Genghis Khan was a hero who brought development and unity to a large part of the world, and those are Good Things.

Yes, "good things" with a capital G and a capital T, because he was just that special.

Oh and he's a hero, too, meaning I aspire to be like him! I'm gonna start by burning down my local library, after raping every librarian in there, and then, afterwards, I'll grab some pregnant woman and cut the baby out of her! I'll be JUST LIKE my hero in no time!


I dare say the thought of it almost made me teary

Ah the art of raping and pillaging. It brings tears to my eyes.

I sincerely am wondering if this is just a trolling attempt.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Aelf is trying to parody the European Colonialism apologists.

but I don't really care, because the Mongols frankly weren't interesting until after they lost control of China.

Mandukhai 4lyfe

Dachs, you're in the danger of becoming a hipster. "I liked Mangukhai Khatun... 'till she became popular, that is".

 

[Linkman226]

Aelf is trying to parody the European Colonialism apologists.

Ah I see. Makes a lot more sense now.

 

[TopGearFanatic]

So what if he killed people? Genghis Khan was a hero who brought development and unity to a large part of the world, and those are Good Things. I dare say the thought of it almost made me teary

'Tis the Mongols' Burden.

 

[Linkman226]

'Tis the Mongols' Burden.

Indeed.