Colin Quirk Mongol Journal Post

The Mongols, they are pure savages. I have heard that back in 1215 they brutally captured the capital city of northern China, Beijing. I have also heard of the destruction of the state of Khwarezm Shah in 1220, and the destruction of Tangut state in 1227. This has me very afraid that I will not make it back from my journey to Mongolia. Even though the year is now 1270, and i have a very good expedition leader, Marco Polo, I am still frightened. I shouldn't be as frightened considering Genghis Kahn is dead and his more peaceful grandson Kublai Kahn is in charge now. Kublai Kahn is still a very brutal man, he helped our enemies the Byzantines take back our city, Constantinople. I hope that we return from our travels to Mongolia in the same shape we are in now, with some very valuable knowledge we could bring back to our government. I hope this isn't my last letter - Antonio da Venice

The Mongols have had some rough times in their history, but they are actually a very beneficial civilization. The Mongols have helped civilizations take back their cities, for example they helped the Byzantines re-take their rightful city of Constantinople from the crusaders. Kublai Kahn has unified all of China, which I have heard is a very hard task to complete. I have also heard that it is a very beneficial task for traders like myself.  It is even more impressive considering no one has unified China in 200 years. Also the mighty Mongol empire has united Europe and Asia, by building roads between the two places. The Mongols have also redefined the silk road, and are protecting it very well, which is very beneficial for trade between Europe and Asia. As a trader the silk road is very important to me, if it wasn't for the Mongols redefining it, then I wouldn't be able to bring exotic goods back to my home country. I will try to keep writing along my journey along the silk road. - Asen of Constantinople

People’s views about the Mongols have changed over time. Francois Rabelais once said “It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.” Francois Rabelais was a writer that published a famous book Gargantua and Pantaguel. Francois Rabelais’s quote goes very well with the question we are asking ourselves. Why does history have such different views of the Mongols? For the most part history has vastly different views of the Mongols because it matters what side you are on. If you were a citizen in a city the Mongols destroyed, then you would say the Mongols were bloodthirsty killers. On the other hand if you were a merchant from Europe wanting to trade with people from Asia, you would say the Mongols were promoters of trade. On the side of trading the Mongols were very similar to the Han Dynasty. They both vastly promoted trade, and both enforced and supported the silk road. If you look at the other side of the Mongol Empire you could say they were very similar to the Roman Empire. They both were had major military strengths, and they both fell due to the vast size of the empire. As the time between the Mongol empire and present day increase, we get a better idea of what the Mongol empire was actually about. It seems through research that the Mongols were more bloodthirsty, slayers of the innocent, than they were promoters of trade. So taking that into consideration I would say that the Mongol Empire was most similar to the Roman Empire when you compare them. As time passes our view of the Mongol empire will most likely change yet again, but for now the Mongols are most like the Roman Empire.




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