the Career of Genghis Khan and After

Who was the founder of the Nomadic Empire? Where was he born? What was his childhood name?

Genghis Khan was the founder of Nomadic Empire. He was born in 1162 CE, near the Onon River in the north of present-day Mongolia. His childhood name was Temujin

What does the term “Quriltai” denote?

“Quriltai” was an Assembly of Mongol Chieftains.

What were the three major campaigns under Genghis Khan?

The three major campaigns under Genghis Khan are: The first of his concerns was to conquer China, divided at this time into three realms: the Hsi Hsia people of Tibetan origin in the north-western provinces; the Jurchen whose Chin dynasty ruled north China from Peking; and the Sung dynasty who controlled south China.

By 1209, the His Hsia was defeated, the Great Wall of China was breached in 1213, and long drawn–out battles against the Chin continued until 1234 but Genghis Khan was satisfied enough with the progress and returned to his Mongolian homeland in 1216 and left the military affairs of the region to his subordinates.

Sultan Muhammad the ruler of Khwarazm, executed Mongol envoys worried of Mongol Invasion. In the campaigns between 1219 and 1221, the great cities- Otrar, Bukhara, Samarqand, Balkh, Gurganj, Merv, Nishapur, and Herat surrendered to the Mongol forces.

Mention the military innovations under Genghis Khan.

The military innovations under Genghis Khan are : His military achievements were astounding and they were largely a result of his ability to innovate and transform different aspects of steppe combat into extremely effective military strategies.

The horse-riding skills of the Mongols and the Turks provided speed and mobility to the army; their abilities as rapid-shooting archers from horseback were further perfected during regular hunting expeditions which doubled as field maneuvers.

Nomads were conventionally at a loss against fortified encampments but Genghis Khan learned the importance of siege engines and naphtha bombardment very quickly.

His engineers prepared light portable equipment, which was used against opponents with devastating effect.

What do you mean by Yasa? When was it given a final shape?

With the aim to re-organize the Mongol society and give it an altogether new shape, Genghis Khan laid down the legal code that is known as “Yasa”. It was given a final shape in 1226 C.E.

What was the “Qubcur Tax” and how was it different from the “Baj Tax”?

For the maintenance of the communication system the Mongol nomads contributed a tenth of their herd – either horses or livestock – as provisions. This was called the qubcur tax, a levy that the nomads paid willingly for the multiple benefits that it brought. While , the “Baj Tax” was paid by the traders to acknowledge the authority of Genghis Khan, so that they can be a part of the Mongol’s trading relations.

The Mongols under Genghis Khan, established a transcontinental empire straddling Europe and Asia during the 13th and 14th centuries. The success of the Mongols attracted many travelers from different backgrounds – Buddhist, Confucian, Christian, Turkish, and Islam.

Let us discuss in detail the career of Genghis Khan and also the Mongol empire after Genghis Khan!