Skyler Eastin
1-17-14
H-Block
Mongol Journal Project
First Entry
I must
admit that I’m a little nervous about our journey to the east. I’ve grown up
hearing about the Mongols and all the horrible things they do. The stories
started when the Mongols threatened to invade Europe. Then people starts
talking about how the Mongols came to be, how they were once many different,
smaller, nomadic clans that had to go through many wars with other clans just
to become unified. They are an empire literally born out of war. Then people
talked about the Mongols themselves. I heard that the cold conditions in which
they lived toughened them up so they would seem more ferocious. And that they
rode horses all the time, sometimes they’d have more than one horse so the
rider could keep moving without tiring out any one horse too much. Sometimes
they would drink the blood of the horses if they got too thirsty. But the really terrifying thing is what I
heard about their warfare. They have well organized troops in units of up to 10,000,
and inside those 10,000 were smaller units of 1000, and inside that, units of
100. They had amazing strategies in war. Sometimes they would send out just a
few troops on horseback to lure the enemies toward the really army so they
could surprise attack them. When they did get to the town, they would often
completely destroy it, sometimes killing every person they can find, then
burning the town. I even heard there were a few towns that turned completely
into farmland just a few years after they were attacked by the Mongols. Some
towns heard about this, and when the Mongols showed up they just handed over
the city to save time. Hopefully the Mongols won’t treat me as an enemy, and
hopefully they have more to drink than horse blood.
Second Entry
I have
become quite find of the Mongols these past few years. I’ve become one of the
Great Kublai Khan’s governors. I’ve been to his palace a few times, and I can
say beyond a doubt that it is the most splendid place in the entire world. It
has pillars and paintings and windows and tiles and statues and books and
decorations of all kinds and a field full of wild animals for hunting and a
dining hall big enough to fit at least 6,000 people and the most amazing food.
I cherish every second I spend there. I’m also impressed by some of the
innovations of these people, such as paper money. It’s amazing to be able to
carry one little piece of paper that is worth as much as a sack full of coins
in Europe. I’m extremely pleased with the post system in this empire. Even
though this is the largest empire the world has ever seen, stretching from
Eastern Europe to the east of china, their postal system still works better
than most small towns in Italy do. They also have this rock that is as black as
night that can burn for very long periods of time. They have a black powder
which can explode when touched by fire, and they use it as a weapon. These are
the most notable of many astounding inventions of the Mongols.
Third Entry
The Mongols
were overall a great empire. While some of their tactics were all together
inhumane, the ends did justify the means. One of the Mongol’s most important
moments was when they united under one ruler. The Mongols were once very many
separate groups that united into one being, then expanded so that all the other
nearby cultures became part of the being. This has proved to be a very
effective way to build an empire, not just with the Mongols, but also with the
Romans and the Ottomans. This tactic was best used by the Mongols, as they
created the largest empire ever made up until that point, but also because they
were the best at maintaining that empire. While other empires corrupted rather
easily, the Mongols were able to implement a strong internal government, which
is possibly the most important step in the Mongol empire.
Citations:
"Marco Polo." Calliope Jan. 2011: 28.
“Marco
Polo’s Adventures in China”
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