1/17/14
H block
Dear Diary,
I have no idea what I’m getting
into when I go to travel through the Mongolian Territory. I have had heard many
horrific stories of the Mongols and one of their earliest leader known as
Chinngas Khan. A nickname I have heard for
Chinngas was “Accursed bandit and killer destined for hell.” (Encyclopedia of
Mongolia and the Mongolian Empire; pg. 98) Now to hear this nickname really
makes me more nervous about traveling. Chinngas’ goal was to become leader of
the Mongols and he did and did not let anything come in his was to achieve his
goal. If he had to use force he did so that he was able to get what he wanted.
When begging his journey to
becoming leader he had to conquer many countries and clans. One of his first
conquest was the Jin Dynasty in China, and when the Dynasty did not do what he
wanted he used his ruthlessness he was known for and used force. For vengeance
he went after eastern Iran and Afghanistan this had led to many horrific massacres
when these countries had rebelled against him. For his last conquest to becoming
leader he had went after the Xia Dynasty when he needed help with gathering
troops and they did not help he went after them and had caused multiple
massacres to happen. By now after all of his tactics of scaring people to do
what he wanted people just gave in and did what he wanted.
Hearing all these stories have scared
me and have worried for what will happen in this journey. Will I be killed? Will
I be captured to become a slave? These questions have been going through my
mind, but I cannot answer these questions unless I go on this journey to travel
through Mongolian Territory. So I might be scared but that will not stop me
from going on this journey.
-Marco Polo
Dear Diary,
Well it has been 17 years since my
first journey through the Mongolian Territory and the things I have heard about
the leaders of the Mongolian Empire were completely wrong. I have to say that
Kublai Khan the emperor is a very kind and friendly person that I know. People
who know the people of Mongolia and the people who have heard of them and their
stories are completely different.
While I was traveling I was
introduced to one of the members Kublia’s court who had let us be introduced to
Kublai himself. His reaction toward me was way different than I thought it
would be was completely different. Instead of him being rude and scary he was
very kind and friendly from all the stories I have heard his behavior was a
complete shock. When my visit was over he insured my safety and protection
while I continue my traveling. He said that the next time I return he had
wanted me to come back with 100 men to help teach his people about Christianity.
When I had returned I had gotten the same behavior I had seen when I first met
him even though I had not returned with 100 men. With all the traveling I had
done I had expanded my knowledge and education which had helped Kublai to make
me and emissary. Kublai has valued me and trusted me over the time for all the
thing I have done for him such as conquer land for him in China.
I have not just learned new things
about languages and culture, but I have earned that to not always believe in
what other people say unless you experience it yourself. Kublai Khan is a great
man he cares for education and the learning of new cultures or religions. The reason
I’m still here is because he wanted his people to expand into another religion
Christianity. Even though horrible things had to happen for his family to be in
power Kublai tries to take advantage of his power to learn and educate himself
in new areas.
-Marco Polo
Journal
“Why does history have such
different views of the Mongols?” This question has been ask many times from
many people. There are two views that come to people when they think about the Mongols:
1) They are horrific and ruthless people that attack innocent people. 2) They
are people that love to learn about educations, new cultures, and new
religions. To people they are viewed as one or the other. For me they are both
horrific and ruthless people that also to broaden there education of new
things.
Alexander the Great was like the
Mongols is some ways. Alexander wanted power, to conquer more land for his
Empire, and to learn about new cultures and religions. As long as people did
not rebel against Alexander or the Mongols nothing was to happen unlike if you
did rebel against them there would be wars are massacres against them. The
Mongols into their rise to power were ruthless they did have many massacres to
achieve what they wanted, but when war did not come into view their Emperor wanted
their people to learn new religions that is the reason he wanted Marco Polo to
come back with men to teach people around his empire. During the Mongols time
period they were both learners and kind but were also ruthless horrific people,
but to get what they wanted they had behave in this manner their time period
does not have the advantages as ours so we need to put it into their
perspective know why they did what they did.
Bibliography
Mar, Paul H. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Internet Medieval Source Book, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://www.fordham.edu/
Moose, Chris, and Shelley Wolbrink. The Middle Ages, 477-1453. Hackensack, NJ: Salem, 2004. Print.
Atwood,
Christopher P. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongolian Empire.
New York, NY: Facts On File, 2004. Print.
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