Bipul Mainali Journal Project

1. Today is the day where I tell you about how the mongols were blood thirsty marauders and the slayers of innocent. An invasion by the mongol empire that I recall is when they invaded the Islamic lands in the 13th century. This invasion was a massacre that resulted in 1.3 million dead, in the city Merv alone, and also another 800,00 residents in Baghdad. After the invasion, the mongols went back to Merv and Baghdad to make sure no one was alive and hiding in a cellar or a hole. If they found anyone, they would drag them out and slay them in cold blood. The mongol leaders, like Genghis Khan, were so ruthless that they had their soldiers sometimes cut off the ears of their victims and bring them in a sack to show that they had accomplished the order. Another battle when the mongols killed millions of people is when the mongol army, which was estimated at about 130,000 men, massacred hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of people. 1.6 million people were killed at the sack of Harat, and 1,747,000 at Nishapur. The mongol Empire did not just stop at killing 1 million people, they charged throughout Asia and Europe killing tens of millions of people. 

2. Asia is the most powerful country solely because of the Mongol Empire. Their successes in cultural exchanges and being promoters of trade led them to be so strong by having many resources and a huge army. I have learned so many things about the Mongol Empire other than them being blood thirsty marauders. The Mongols are very efficient at using their time wisely. They created an amazing mailing system where mail could be been carried by a messenger and take up to two days, but mongols mounted on animals, such as elephants and horses, and split the time in half. The most important thing is that the mongols became so knowledgeable due to how much they trade. They use the silk road when lets them trade the resources in which they have a vast amount of, like iron and even animals, and get things that they need, like spices, salt, and cloth. Since the mongols were nomads, which are people that move around from place to place, so they do not have a place where they are allocated, they met a lot of different people and learned about different cultures, like the Islamic and Buddhist culture. Even thought Genghis Khan set up an institution that insured complete religious freedom, the majority of the Mongols turned towards Buddhism. This is one of the things that makes Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan, his son, great was because  they are shamanists, which is a religion. He lets people believe in what they want to follow, unlike the Byzantine Empire, which enforced the belief of Christianity. 

3. I have been studied about the Mongol Empire and their fascinating journeys throughout the continents of Asia and Europe. Even though I have devoted my life towards the Mongol Empire, anyone can tell that people have mixed feelings about the Mongol Empire. Some people think that the mongol empire was a group of nomads that went from place to place and killing people, spreading the bubonic plague, and they are not wrong. On the other hand, there are a group of people, like me, who think that the mongol empire spread knowledge about the art of military strategy under the rule of Genghis and Kublai Khan. This is a very opinionated topic because both of those things are true. The reason that people think that the Mongol Empire is so bad is because they slayed tens of millions of people while trying and succeeding to expand the empire, but a flaw of the mongol empire is they expanded to the point where if they tried anymore, it would hurt more than help them. After Genghis Khan died, and Kublai Khan was the ruler of the Mongol Empire, he tried invading japan but he failed. That failed invasion was really the beginning of the fall of the Mongol Empire. The reason people think that the Mongol Empire was good was because they absorbed so much knowledge from different places throughout Asia and Europe and since they were nomads, they moved from place to place so that knowledge that they received, they can share with other people. Another thing is that they were so smart when it came to Military strategy. A very smart strategy that they used was they sent about one hundred soldiers to draw the entire enemy army towards the Mongol Empire, which usually consisted of around 130,000 men. This genius strategy was created by Genghis Khan. The mongol culture compares really well with the Roman Empire. The Roman soldiers expanded around the same distance or if not more thean the mongol empire. They were every smart because they traded with other people. The most common things that they traded consisted of Iron, Wool, Lapiz Luzili and gold, and salt. They traded with India to recieve spices and silk. The Roman Empire  was very powerful because of their amazing military size and strategic military plans, which made them victorious in many battles. The Mongol Empire and the Roman Empire are very similar. 






Bibliography :

* Rossabi, Morris. "The Mongols in World History | Asia Topics in World History." The Mongols in World History | Asia Topics in World History. Columbia University, 13 Apr. 2001. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.

Wild, Oliver. "The Silk Road." The Silk Road. UCI, 29 Dec. 2007. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.

Prawdin, Michael. The Mongol Empire: Its Rise and Legacy. New Brunswick, NJ: AldineTransaction, 2006. Print.

Morgan, David. "The Decline and Fall of the Mongol Empire." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 19.04 (2009): 427. Print.

"Religion in the Mongol Empire." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.

Pelant, Jason. "The Mongol Invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281." About.com Asian History. Asian History, 4 Oct. 1998. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.

Kevin Pirouzbakht
History F block
Mongol Empire Project

During my Journey to the Mongol Empire I heard, saw, and experienced many things. All the experiences I encountered made me view the Mongolians as bloodthirsty city-destroyers. Out of all the people I saw they were the harshest people I had ever seen. They kill people like they are animals, and if you don’t give up and surrender they will obliterate your kingdom. The things I heard and researched showed me even before there kingdom turned into a real kingdom they went around and if anyone would bother them they would get in a battle with them. At first the Mongols were nomads, and nomadic people are pastoralist, which means they herded domesticated animals. That also means they never settled in one place and they moved around, but usually they would follow a pattern. They traveled in clans and sometimes different clans came together to attack a settled enemy. In 1206 Temujin became Genghis Khan after he beat rival clan members one by one. For the next 20 years he conquered most of Asia. For a start he wanted to conquer China. He conquered the Jin Empire in 1211. The Battle of Zhoungdu was the Battle that the Mongols defeated the Jin Empire. The Mongols had few soldiers killed, but to show how harsh they were they killed almost all of the 6,000 troops the Jin Empire had. The war was fought in 1215. He then sent army to central Asia, and the Mongols destroyed one city after another, which were Utrar, Smarkand, Bukhara, and many more cities. If you refused to open your gates they would kill the entire population sometimes. Later Genghis Khan destroyed the Khwarazuan Dynasty, because they killed his people and refused to obey his order. He sent trade missions to the Khwarazuan Empire, but they taught they were spies, and they killed them and took the goods. Genghis ordered reparations, but the Shah refused to do so. Genghis got angry and he launched a force of 200,000 troops to invade the Khwarazuan Dynasty. In 1279 Kublai Khan conquered China after attacking them for several years. The Mongols destroyed Bukhara, Gurganj, and the capital of Khwarazuan Samarkand. The Shah fled and died few weeks later. The Mongols were so frightening some places surrendered before any war started because of the horror the Mongols brought.

 

 

Based on many things I experienced in my long journey the Mongols seemed like promoters of trade and connecters of east to west. I learned that before there empire came to be a real empire they were nomads and grouped in clans. Through my studies the Mongols encountered many interactions with the settled people, which often caused peaceful trade. They traded horses for grain, metal, cloth, and tea. From the 1200’s to 1300’s was the Mongol peacetime sometimes called the Pax Mongolica. During this time the Mongols had stability in law and across much of Asia. The Mongols guaranteed safety for travelers to move from one side of the empire to do the other side. At the Mongolian Empires peak they extended from Shanhaiguan in the east to Budapest in the west, which made it hard to keep that much of land safe, but the Mongols did during the Pax Mongolica period. With what I saw and heard the Mongols didn’t have many resources, so they needed lots of goods which meant they had to trade a lot to get their needed resources. On the Silk Road I saw the Mongols in trades involving pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, which came to the west. Trade between Europe Asia reached highs, and ideas and inventions traveled along with the trade goods. Gunpowder was one of the main things that traveled from China to Europe.  Traders transported Chinese silk and porcelain, which had high value in Europe and Western Asia. Other inventions were spread such as printing, the compass, paper currency, and playing cards. They invited foreign merchants to come visit China, and one of them was I Marco Polo. I visited China and saw Kublai Khan in the year of 1275. In those years I learned many languages and went to many government missions. Other popular people who made the trip to the Mongol empire was Rabban Bar Sauma and William of Rubruck. After serving for 17 years I left China and came back to Venice. All of experiences proved to me the Mongols were good people and promoters of trade.

The Mongols are viewed in many different views.  They are viewed in some cases as bloodthirsty city destroyers and in other cases promoters of trade and connecters of the west. They are viewed in different views, because of their inconsistency to be taking the same path for a long period of time. The Mongols are kind of like the Macedonia Empire of Alexander the Great. Alexander wasn’t favored to one plan, because he would conquer land and destroy them, but then he would let them keep there culture and mix the culture with his other cultures in his empire. He created the Hellenistic Culture, which was a mixture of Persian, Greek, Egyptian, and Indian cultures. The Mongols did not have one personality they had multiply even from before they were an empire and they were clans. When they were clans they kept moving and often got in battles with settled people and often became jealous when they saw the lives of rich settled people, and because of that they would sometimes go and rob them. On the other hand because they were always on the move they always were short on some material so they would trade there horses for some resources like grain and rice. When they were a empire they had there time of peace in the mid 1200’s to mid 1300’s, but they also had times of expansion and just annihilate cities.   

"Mongols." Apwhod2011 [licensed for Non-commercial Use Only] /. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://apwhod2011.pbworks.com/w/page/39798606/Mongols>.

"World History Connected | Vol. 5 No. 2 | Timothy May: The Mongol Empire in World History." World History Connected | Vol. 5 No. 2 | Timothy May: The Mongol Empire in World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. <http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/5.2/may.html>.

"Mongol Invasions: Battle of Liegnitz." History Net Where History Comes Alive World US History Online Mongol Invasions Battle of Liegnitz Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://www.historynet.com/mongol-invasions-battle-of-liegnitz.htm>.

"In the Footsteps of Marco Polo." In the Footsteps of Marco Polo RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. <http://www.wliw.org/marcopolo/2008/10/30/timeline-marco-polos-journey/118/>.

"What Was the Most Peaceful Time in History?" HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/most-peaceful-time-in-history2.htm>.

Wright, David Curtis. The History of China. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2001. Print.

Haley's Post

                  My name is Marco Polo. I am from Venice, Italy. I am to go exploring with Mongols. I fear of very little, but these vicious people are known for being killing machines. They kill, maim and destroy any and everything that they see that will not immediately surrender to them. They are led under Genghis Khan, his name literally means “universal leader” but he was given the birth name of Temujin. I very much fear for my life.

                 Now that my travels have ensued with the Mongols, I find that they are not as bad as everyone finds them to be. They blend cultures and allow people to keep their ways of living. The people can live the way they choose but they are introduced to new cultures as well. Genghis Khan is well loved by the peasants of the areas they have conquered.

                From the perspective of a historian, I have found the Mongol nomads to be a generally peaceful people they were herders and hunters. They did what they needed to survive. They conquered so much land by the time Genghis Khan died. Their territory stretched from Mongolia all the way to the Caspian Sea. He has millions of direct descendants that proudly carry on his legacy. The legacy of Genghis Khan reminds me very much to that of Alexander The Great and his kindness with the places he conquered.

  

            Asia Society. "The Mongol Dynasty." When Kublai Khan Ruled China. Asia Society, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.  

May, Timothy. "The Mongol Empire in World History."

 World History Connected. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 2008. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

Atwood, Christopher Pratt. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. New York, NY: Facts On File, 2004. Print.

Colombia University. "The Mongols in World History." The Mongols in World History. Colombia University, 2004. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

             Crash Course History : The Mongols. Perf. John Green. 2012. YouTube. 

Marco Polo. 1271.

                My father, my uncle and I are planning a business trip to Cathay. They say that this will be a good opportunity to open up new trades with the country, and I agree, but I believe going to Cathay will actually result in our horrible deaths. After all, the whole place is filled, apparently, with those bloodthirsty Mongols who will do anything to get a little blood on their hands. I do not know if I am glad to be leaving the chaotic Europe, which has just become one big jumble of competing city states. At least the Mongols have stopped their conquering. According to the books I have obtained on the Mongols, long ago, to unite all of their nomadic tribe, leaders killed other leaders to gain control. Chinggis Khan, whom I have only read of, became the leader of this new united tribe and then proceeded to kill most everything in his path. In fact, to ascertain his chieftainship over all the Mongols, he killed every male who was taller than the axle of a cart.

                An example of the Mongols razing entire cities would be the city of Bukhara in 1219. According to records written by soldiers of Chinggis’ army and other sources from inhabitants, the Mongols came to Bukhara and destroyed most everything. They completely burned the outer walls and city, and then proceeded to use the inhabitants of the outer city as human shields for themselves. This might have been useful in extreme warfare that spans maybe several decades of rivalry, to perhaps end it, but as conquerors of a single city? It was unnecessary, given the amount of blood already shed- all 30,000 of the defenders were killed, and many more inhabitants died as well. For other cities, if they were defiant to the Mongols, the civilians of those cities would be rounded up and killed. Each Mongol warrior was required to bring back a sack with a required number of ears to show how many they had killed. This is proof that the Mongols are brutal!

                More recently, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Chinggis, has tried conquering Japan using the Koreans to build the boats. There was no new on why the Koreans would do this, but I suspect it is the fault of the Mongols- they must be terrorizing the Koreans to do so. Why would Kublai want Japan, unless he just misses war? Japan, as I’ve studied from my father (who is a merchant), has barely any natural resources, and most all they do is fish in the sea. Perhaps all Mongols crave war and bloodshed.

                The brutality these Mongols use makes me fear for the future of England. Who knows if the Mongols will destroy our world as we know it?

Marco Polo. 1297.

                I am on my way back to my beloved Venice, by the way of ship. During the long voyage back, I had planned on recording any activities I might had missed or had not had the time to write down, but instead of flipping through my journal for the first blank page I could find, I turned to the very first page. Out fell a leaflet with Kublai Khan’s face portrayed on it. My curiosity peaked by the strange picture, I began reading the first page. I read a little way through, then laughed as I realized how much my view of the Mongols has changed.

The Mongols have many beliefs and ideals, some of which contain religious tolerance and equality, cultural exchange, the knowledge of science, and the importance of trade.

                The Mongols loved trade! They were able to get things they normally wouldn’t because of their nomadic way of life. Pearls and precious metals came from India, and spices such as cloves were imported from Java. The huge empire of the Mongols allowed for international trade, and the Pax Mongolica, or terror- enforced peace, helped merchants travel routes relatively safely. 

           The Mongols also favored foreign contact. In fact, while ruling China, Kublai put many foreigners in high official positions. I meet several who were Muslim and even some Christians. There were several missionary programs there as well. The Pope had sent two missionaries to China in response to Mongol contact between them and Europe. Persian traders often came to Kublai's court. Persians would also be invited to come share their knowledge on medicines.

            The Mongols supported religious tolerance. Kublai even had plans to build a church, a mosque, and a temple for each respective religion! Muslims helped in the rule of China. Kublai even used some Confucians and Buddhists as advisers.
             The connections that Kublai Khan made also helped to further the technology of Europe, who was far behind. Gunpowder reached Europe, which helped them invent guns.
             Kublai has helped to connect the whole of the Eurasian continent in so many ways. I am glad that I have met such a great man.

             

January 18, 2014. An excerpt from the Unofficial Not a Journal of Liberal Arts and History.

Professor J. S, Director of Social Studies at X Not a University.

                Today’s world has many different views on the Mongols. Some views are tainted by media while others by extreme optimists¹- movies suggest that the Mongols were merciless in their conquests, while others point out the good their conquest did for the Eurasian continent. In many ways, it can be seen that the Mongols are misjudged. Why?

                First, it is crucial to know that there are, in fact, civilizations that were very similar to the Mongols. The Macedonian Empire is an empire that operated very similarly with the Mongols. But, the actions of its leader, Alexander the Great, are seen as actions that helped further the civilizations he conquered. Knowledge and development of different cultures and subjects were spread and learned. More discoveries in literature and sciences happened, and trade increased. But the fact of the matter remains that Alexander the Great conquered- he killed thousands and destroyed cities, just like the Mongols. The Phoenician city of Tyre, an island, managed to defy Alexander when he came to conquer them, but in the end, as punishment, Alexander either killed the citizens off or sold them as slaves.

                The Mongols have done this as well. According to Marco Polo’s first account of the Mongols in 1271 (See first paragraph of this post!), the Mongols also killed most of the inhabitants of the city of Bukhara in the same way. Genghis justified his actions by preaching to the remaining few inhabitants: “I am the flail of God. If you have not committed great sins, God would not have sent me upon you.” ²
                 Although these two empires were very similar in the way of obtaining their empires, each is viewed differently. The reason may be is because the Mongol Empire did not share much with Eastern Europe, who had to rely on stories of destruction and killing from survivors of razed cities. They also relied on stories from Marco Polo and missionaries, who each saw different things. Alexander's empire had many records written about it, so the world now knows most of how Alexander's army thought and what they really did. 

1.       Also known as goody two shoes who try to see the world in a blanket of rainbows. Do not trust them.

2.    Direct quote, taken from source 3.

Sources

1. Watkins, Thayer. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/alexandergreat.htm>.

2. "The Mongol Empire, 1206-1368." History Study Centre. ProQuest LLC. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://www.historystudycenter.com/search/displayMultiResultStudyunitItem.do?Multi=yes&ResultsID=142F1AF52C1&fromPage=search&ItemNumber=1&QueryName=studyunit>

3. Fleming, Fergus, and Tony Allan. TimeFrame AD 1200-1300: The Mongol Conquests. 1st edition. Alexandria, Virginia: Time Frame, 1989. 9-32. Print.

4. Beck, R., L. Black, S. Kreiger, et al. World History: Patterns of Interaction. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print.
5. May, T.. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/5.2/may.html>.
6.University, Columbia. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/main/transcript.pdf>.
7. University, Columbia. Marco Polo in China. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/pop/menu/class_marco.htm>.

Mongol Empire project - F block

Thomas Beckman Mongol empire Project

The Mongol empire was the most brutal nomads in all of china during their time. The Mongol empire was very skilled horsemen. They inspired fear into their enemies by surprise attacking them. They would attack quietly because they did not have a battle cry. When they would attack villages they would usually kill everyone in the village if they did not surrender.  When Genghis found out he was so angry that he ordered everybody’s head to be cut off so all the villagers would definitely be dead. The Mongols had a saying that when they would attack a village they would take no survivors. They would “mow” down their enemy no matter who they were. They would burn the towns they attacked after looting all the treasures in the town.

The Mongols were also pro trade and were known to connect the east to west. This is probably because they were nomads.  Nomads are people that do not settle in one place. They would always be on the move. This means that they would be exposed to all kinds of religions, cultures, and materials. They traveled along the silk road to reach Europe, which they did in 1221. Along the route they gained religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. They would trade all kinds of things on their trade route. One of the things that I thought was completely modern was their paper money. I thought this had to be one of the marvels of the world. They would bring all of their items they collect in the east to take along the silk road all the way to Europe.

Today’s historians have a completely different look on the Mongol empire. They compare the Mongols way of fighting to modern day warfare. Compared to modern day warfare they Mongols were still very brutal. If any army in the modern world killed an entire city and burned it to the ground more than just America would act on it. Comparing the Mongols to other empires in their time, they had one of most modern military techniques ever. Comparing them to the Romans they were much smarter when they attacked. The Romans would attack in lines and they had a battle cry, which is a unique scream for a certain army. The Mongols would hide and surprise their enemies rather than attacking from a distance. They Romans would also keep prisoners and use towns as camps. They Mongols would kill all and leave no survivors.

Bibliography

. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/mcg5015/mongol.html>.

Rossabi, M.. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/history/history7.htm>.

University, Columbia. N.p.. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/main/transcript.pdf>.

Marco Polo Journal Entries

Journal Entry #1

            Today is the day... I am finally headed to Mongolia. It is the greatest honor that has ever been given to me. I get to accompany my father and grandfather to meet Kublai Khan, the current Mongolian emperor. They have previously visited him, but this is the first time I will be going. My father says that I am finally mature enough.

I am still nervous, though. I am trying to convince myself not to be frightened, but I just cannot shake it off. I have heard so many terrifying things about the Mongolian Empire and their rulers. They are feared throughout the entire Middle East, and this is no exaggeration.

They have harsh laws that apply to citizens and travelers. Even though his grandson is in power now, the laws that Genghis Khan created are still used. These laws are the harshest that have ever been created in that region. I guess this is because it is their first set of written laws. It is what they use to keep the clans united as one. They call them “The Yasa.” These laws apply to citizens and travelers alike. What if I get arrested, or worse, for doing something I didn’t even know was wrong? I would not be the only one punished; my family would be, also. I could even be arrested for not sharing my food or touching the water in the river with my hands. There is no possible way for me to keep track of all of the laws. I guess I can only hope that I will not commit any crime unknowingly...

Also, the Mongolian military has destroyed hundreds of cities. They have taken over just as many countries. They even captured one of the biggest cities known to man, Baghdad. If you are in a city and they show up, there is no chance that you will live. They will destroy everything they see and touch. And they have the military force to do this. I even heard that they have killed over 100 million people! I think I will try to avoid every aspect of the Mongolian military while I am traveling there.

I must be brave, though. I have to accept this honor. I will not back down.

~Marco Polo

Journal Entry #2

            Why was I ever frightened to travel to Mongolia? Looking back at my first entry, I can’t believe I really thought that the Mongolians were a harsh people… When I first arrived, I could not believe how the entire empire works seamlessly together. I was truly at a loss for words. It is exquisitely gorgeous, and the entire empire has nothing but strong moral values. It is the most prosperous empire that could ever be imagined. The Mongolians have expanded trade and culture to levels never seen.

            The capital is breathtaking. The emperor’s palace is so spectacular that it is truly beyond words. The palace seems like it could fit the entire city inside of it! No man could ever enhance the greatness of that architecture.

            But more importantly, the decisions made inside the palace and court are for the good of all the people. The laws are not harsh at all, as I initially thought. All they do is uphold the values and morals of all the tribes that Mongolia now includes. Loyalty is valued in the empire above all else, as it has been since the time of Genghis Khan. Nobody is exempt from the laws. The officials enforce the Yasa to uphold this value and maintain such a prosperous empire. If the laws were not enforced in this way, it would not be said that a merchant can travel by himself across the entire empire without being robbed.

            The entire empire is prosperous. Trade would not be as widespread if the merchants were not treated so fairly. The merchants are welcomed with almost all of the rights that citizens have. This trade expands the culture and connects the Middle East. You can truly see this in the capital city, where culture and foreign goods are everywhere. I have never seen anything like it.

            I am in awe of Mongolia. I hope I will be able to stay here for the rest of my life. It actually may be possible. It seems I have impressed the Emperor, Kublai Khan. He wants me to travel and help him. I am willing to do anything to help this empire that is as close as one can be to perfection.

~Marco Polo

Journal Entry #3

      History has two opposite views of the Mongols. Some believe the Mongols were brutal and ruthless and others believe that they had strong values and great influences. This is also seen in the Roman Republic.

      Mongolia was focused on military, just as Rome was previously. They both fought in many wars and used strategic new military tactics. The Romans fought in the Punic Wars to keep their empire united and the Mongolians fought to unite the empire and conquer more land. Mongolia also used to trade to expand the culture throughout the empire. This trade helped to expand the empire and make it a powerhouse, just like it did in Rome. Both empires also had differing views of their leaders. Most were in favor, but outsiders were scared.

      The Mongolian Empire and the Roman Republic were two very similar empires. They had the same focuses and values. Both empires helped to influence culture and change history.    

Bibliography

1. Travis, John. "Genghis Khan's Legacy." Science News n.d.: 91. JSTOR. Society for Science & the Public. Web. 9 Jan. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4014203>.

2. Dorsey, James M. "Following Genghis Khan." World and I (2013): n. pag. Gale Power Search. Web. 9 Jan. 2013. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=avlr&tabID=T003&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=2&contentSet=GALE%7CA320072153&&docId=GALE|A320072153&docType=GALE&role=ITOF>.

3. Taylor, Robert. Life in Genghis Khan's Mongolia. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001. Print.

4. "The Mongols in World History." The Mongols in World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/china/china3_g.htm>.

5."Marco Polo." Marco Polo. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.jcu.edu/faculty/nietupski/rl251/projects/n_silk_road/history/marco.htm>.

6.  Gentzel, Micah. "The Mongol Empire." The Mongol Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/mcg5015/mongol.html>.

7. Khamaganova, Erjen. "Original Institutions of Self-Organization Among Mongols: Cosmological Foundations, Continuity, and Change ." Web. 16 Jan 2014. <http://www.indiana.edu/~workshop/seminars/papers/y673_spring_2003_khamaganova.pdf>.

8. Dutch, Steven. "The Mongols." The Mongols. University of Wisconsin, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. <https://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/WestTech/xmongol.htm>.

9. "The Mongols in World History." The Mongols in World History. Columbia University, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/figures/figu_polo.htm>.

10. "Holt McDougal Online." Holt McDougal Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2014. <http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084>.

Kaisey Showers

Dear Journal,

        I am writing because I am skeptical of this journey I am about to embark on. I come from a line of travelers. In fact, my father and uncle are currently on their own trade adventure, probably roaming somewhere around Constantinople. However, he left us for his first journey when I was about 6 years old, and has just recently returned for the first time since then, so I can’t say we are close. My mother died when I was young, and consequently I was raised by some relatives. Just a year and a half ago, I was reacquainted with the man I call my father, even though he was hardly around while I was growing up. My uncle returned with him, and he is a most interesting man, I will tell you that much. 

My father told me they had been working for Kublai Khan. Apparently they had been persuaded to journey to Beijing, the new capital of Khans Empire, because Kublai Khan had never met a Latin and wished to. He told me that he plans to continue his work with Khan, and this time I am going with him. However, I am afraid of the man Genghis Khan was,and am afraid of his successor. For I have heard horror stories, that he and his relatives have managed to wipe out 40,000,000 people, and I am only one man. It would not take much for a ruthless killer to succeed in killing me. Most of the world refers to them as “barbarians”, meaning that they were savages and evil people who lived beyond the reach of civilization. From what I hear, they are capable of massacring whole cities at a time. And in such cruel ways as well! There is a rumor that the killers must bring back an ear off of the victim just to prove it! One of the most gruesome stories that I have also heard is that the Mongols take the fat of the humans that they kill, melt it, light it on fire, and then catapult it into houses of their enemies. Apparently the fire is almost impossible to put out. How horrid! Surely he would be kind to a young traveler who means no harm?

Dear Journal,

  

      Since I have now experienced a life under rule of Kublai Khan, I have determined that he is most certainly NOT as horrible as I imagined him before I ventured to his land. He was kind to me, as well as my father and uncle. In fact, he even favored me, and was very impressed with my knowledge of four different languages, which made me qualified to serve him with special missions and such. On these trips, I got to see firsthand the wonders of China, Burma, and India. With Khan's protection and authority, I was able to roam anywhere I pleased inside the Mongol empire, and I was even allowed access to some of his personal homes, and we were made honored guests. And his capital city, why it was the greatest palace I have ever seen. There was a dining hall that was so grand I wouldn't have been able to have even imagined had i not seen it myself. Lined with gold and silver, the hall was so magnificent and big that six thousand people in the least could fit inside. This city was so advanced it was hard to wrap my mind around it. For one, their communication system was so organized that a message could reach in one day what would usually take ten days. I have decided the Khans are geniuses. They didn't even need to use gold and silver coins. Paper money, can you imagine, was used in place of coins. For instance, with this paper, anything could be purchased. And it was light too, as if i was carrying around feathers. The canals that the family built have been able to connect china in communication and trade which is making the whole land prosper. Transportation and trade made simple by these brilliant leaders who rule with dignity and purpose, I am sadly writing of what I miss, for we had to leave because we feared the death of Kublai Khan and the loss of his protection. Alas, I will dream of this city and hope of return for the rest of my life.  

Views on the Mongols

Having studied the Mongols, I have learned that there are many different views on their actions and ways. Some views portray the Mongols as cruel and barbaric slayers of whole populations, yet the other view is that they were a somewhat peaceful dynasty, devoted to trade, expansion, and the bettering of their community. For one, the Khans were the first rulers to unify China in over 300 years. In many ways, this empire was much like the Persian Empire. Before the Mongol empire was united by Genghis Khan, the mongol people roamed in many separate clans. The main things that brought them together was conquest and their clever leader Khan. The Persian empire was the same, hardly recognized by the rest of the world until Cyrus the Great unified them by leading an army and conquering neighboring lands. Also, the Mongol empire was united through foreign trade which prospered under Khans rule and brought in good income. Items were brought in by way of either canals that had been made by Khans order or by passages such as the Silk Road. Under Darius’ rule of the Persians, the land was connected through excellent routes and roads that made communication and trade excel. HE also used standard coins which simplified trade and overall kept the empire united. Through research, I have found that conquest and expansion are the main unifying forces for these two separate empires. However, the Mongols might have had some controversial views on how to reach unification. Slaughtering of whole populations is not usually the answer, but conquests had to be completed in order for the dynasty to survive. Such contrasting views on the Mongols have been put in place because the empire was both barbaric as well as supportive to trade and expansion and such. Perhaps this is because these views are not contrasting, but overlapping. Maybe we will never know who exactly the Mongol people were.

works cited

1. Jackson, Peter. "Marco Polo and His 'Travels'" JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3107293>.
2. Hudson, G. F. "Marco Polo." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1791579>.
3. Martin, H. Desmond. "The Mongol Army." JSTOR. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25221891>.
4. “Marco Polo.” 2014. The History Channel website. Jan 13 2014, 10:11 http://www.history.com/topics/marco-polo.
5. Clarke, Humphrey. "How Bad Were the Mongols ?" Quodlibeta. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://bedejournal.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-bad-were-mongols.html>.
6. Atwood, Christopher Pratt. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. New York, NY: Facts On File, 2004. Print.

7. "Marco Polo and His Travels." Marco Polo and His Travels. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://www.silk-road.com/artl/marcopolo.shtml>.