The Mongols

Summary

The script chronicles the rise and reign of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire, detailing their innovative and brutal warfare tactics that led to the creation of the largest continuous land empire in history. It explores the empire's expansion, the establishment of the Silk Road, and the cultural exchanges it enabled. The narrative also delves into the reign of Timur the Lame, who sought to emulate Genghis Khan's legacy, leaving a lasting impact on world history through conquests and cultural assimilation.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Mongols, under Genghis Khan, created the largest continuous land empire in history, larger and longer-lasting than those of Caesar or Napoleon.
• 🌪️ Genghis Khan's warfare tactics were revolutionary, combining cunning, cruelty, and mobility, which continue to influence military strategies today.
• 📅 Genghis Khan rose to power in the 12th century, uniting the Mongol tribes and pioneering a new form of social and military organization.
• 🗡️ His initial motivation was revenge for his father's murder and the hardships his family faced, which fueled his conquests.
• 🔄 Genghis Khan's empire was marked by a cycle of alliances, treachery, and revenge, which was a common theme among the nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppes.
• 🌍 The Mongol Empire connected East and West, enabling safe travel and trade along the Silk Road for the first time in a millennium.
• 🛡️ Despite their reputation for brutality, the Mongols established a Pax Mongolica, a period of peace that facilitated cultural and economic exchange across Eurasia.
• 🏹 Genghis Khan's personal life and rise to power were marked by adversity and a strong sense of mission, influenced by his mother's charge to seek revenge.
• 🏰 After Genghis Khan's death, his empire was divided among his sons, leading to a fragmentation that would eventually weaken the Mongol hold on power.
• 📜 Timur, also known as Tamerlane, sought to restore and expand the Mongol Empire, adopting brutal tactics and a grand vision for his capital, Samarkand.
• 🌟 The Mongol legacy endures, influencing the modern world through their conquests and the cultural exchanges they enabled, as well as their lasting impact on trade and exploration.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Mongol Empire in terms of land area?

The Mongol Empire was the largest continuous land empire in history, being twice the size of Caesar's Roman Empire and lasting longer than Napoleon's empire.

How did the Mongols' style of warfare differ from others, and what impact did it have?

The Mongols pioneered a style of warfare that was unparalleled in cunning and cruelty, and it was so revolutionary that it still inspires military strategists today.

What were the living conditions like for the nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppes?

The nomadic tribes, including the Tatars and Mongols, eked out a grim life in the coldest places on Earth, with temperatures dropping to 90° below zero, constantly fighting against nature for survival.

What was the role of Genghis Khan's mother in his early life and his quest for revenge?

Genghis Khan's mother gave him a simple charge to seek revenge after his father, a tribal leader, was poisoned by the Tatars. This created a strong sense of bitterness and a mission that drove him throughout his life.

How did Genghis Khan's tactics and strategies differ from traditional warfare?

Genghis Khan used tactics such as feigned retreats, encirclement, and the use of small tactical teams, which were learned from hunting techniques and were innovative for warfare at the time.

What was the significance of the year 1206 in Genghis Khan's life?

In 1206, a ruler's council of steppe tribes acclaimed Timin as the universal leader, or Genghis Khan, marking the beginning of his quest to conquer the world.

How did the Mongol Empire's expansion impact trade and cultural exchange?

The Mongol conquests opened the East to the West, allowing for safe travel from Rome to Beijing and facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and culture across Eurasia.

What was the 'Yam' system, and how did it contribute to the Mongol Empire's communication?

The 'Yam' was a communication system akin to the Pony Express, where messengers with special badges would carry messages on rolls, changing horses at post stations every 25 miles, allowing for rapid communication across the empire.

What was the fate of the Tatars after their conflict with Genghis Khan?

Genghis Khan took brutal revenge on the Tatars, executing everyone taller than the axle of a wagon, effectively decimating the tribe.

How did Genghis Khan's death affect the Mongol Empire?

Upon Genghis Khan's death in 1227, the empire he sought to unify broke apart, being divided into four kingdoms for his four sons, and the empire began to decline.

Who was Timur, and how did he continue the legacy of the Mongol Empire?

Timur, also known as Tamerlane, was a Mongol leader who continued the legacy of conquest and terror after Genghis Khan. He expanded the empire, adopting brutal tactics and sparing only the artisans to build his capital, Samarkand.

Outlines

00:00

🏹 The Rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire

This paragraph introduces the Mongol Empire, which ruled the largest continuous land empire in history for nearly 300 years, surpassing the empires of Caesar, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great. It details the early life of Genghis Khan, born as Timin, who rose from humble beginnings to unite the Mongol tribes through a combination of warfare and political acumen. The paragraph also touches on the harsh living conditions of the Mongols on the Eurasian steppes and the strategic blunders of the Jin Dynasty of China, which inadvertently facilitated the rise of Genghis Khan.

05:02

🐎 Genghis Khan's Military Innovations and Vengeance

The second paragraph delves into Genghis Khan's military strategies and tactics, which were both innovative and ruthless. It discusses his reorganization of Mongolian society, which broke old tribal loyalties and created a formidable cavalry. The Mongols' use of horse tactics, feigned retreats, and encirclement strategies are highlighted, as is their ability to be mobile and operate in small tactical teams. The paragraph also covers Genghis Khan's personal quest for vengeance against the Tatars, who had caused him and his family much hardship, and his eventual success in defeating them.

10:03

🌍 Expansion of the Mongol Empire and the Silk Road

This paragraph describes the expansion of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan, who, after unifying the tribes and exacting revenge on the Tatars, turned his attention to the wealthy Jin Dynasty of China. It outlines the Mongols' rapid adaptation of Chinese siege technology and their brutal tactics, which instilled terror in their enemies. The paragraph also discusses the development of the Yam, a communication system that connected the vast Mongol Empire, and Genghis Khan's realization of the strategic importance of the Silk Road for trade, which led to tensions with the Khwarezmian Empire.

15:03

🔥 Genghis Khan's Campaign of Vengeance and the Fall of the Khwarezmian Empire

The fourth paragraph narrates Genghis Khan's campaign of vengeance against the Khwarezmian Empire, sparked by the seizure of a Mongol caravan and the execution of an envoy. It details the Mongol invasion of the Khwarezmian territories, their tactics of dividing the army to create confusion, and the brutal retribution inflicted upon the empire. The paragraph highlights the fall of key cities, the flight of Sultan Muhammad, and the Mongols' scorched-earth policy, which aimed to eradicate the power of the enemy completely.

20:05

🛤️ The Pax Mongolica and its Impact on Eurasian Trade and Culture

This paragraph discusses the establishment of the Pax Mongolica, a period of relative peace that allowed for safe travel from Rome to Beijing, unprecedented in the history of Eurasia. It describes the cultural and trade exchanges that flourished under Mongol rule, leading to a greater understanding of different civilizations. The paragraph also touches on Genghis Khan's death and the division of his empire among his sons, setting the stage for future Mongol conquerors.

25:10

📚 Timur the Lame: The Last Great Mongol Conqueror

The sixth paragraph introduces Timur, also known as Tamerlane, who rose to power in the Muslim lands of the former Mongol Empire. It outlines his early life, his rise to power, and his ambitious projects to restore and expand the Mongol Empire. The paragraph details Timur's military campaigns, his construction projects in his birthplace, and his use of terror as a weapon of war, which built upon Genghis Khan's legacy and further shaped the history of the region.

30:13

🏰 Timur's Empire and the Clash with the Ottomans

This paragraph continues the narrative of Timur's conquests, focusing on his expansion into Western Persia, India, and the Caucasus. It describes the psychological warfare and the horrific acts of terror used by Timur to subdue and control his conquered territories. The paragraph also highlights the pivotal battle against the Ottoman Sultan Baysunghur, which marked a significant victory for Timur and had profound implications for the balance of power in the region.

35:16

🌅 The Legacy of the Mongol Empire and the Fall of Timur's Dynasty

The final paragraph reflects on the lasting impact of the Mongol Empire, which stretched from the Sea of Japan to the Baltic and influenced the world in ways that are still felt today. It discusses the opening of trade routes to Asia, which fueled the Age of Discovery, and the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire after Timur's death. The paragraph concludes with a look at the enduring reverence for Genghis Khan in Mongolia and the hope for a resurgence of Mongol spirit.

Keywords

💡Mongols

The Mongols were a nomadic tribe from Central Asia who established the largest contiguous empire in history under Genghis Khan. The script describes their rise to power, their unique style of warfare, and the vast empire they created, which was twice the size of Caesar's Roman Empire. The Mongols' influence is central to the video's theme of the conquest and its impact on world history.

💡Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan, originally named Temujin, was the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. His life story, from being abandoned as a child to uniting the Mongol tribes and creating a vast empire, is a key narrative in the video. The term 'Genghis Khan' symbolizes the Mongol's military prowess, leadership, and the legacy of conquest.

💡Warfare

The script discusses the innovative and ruthless style of warfare employed by the Mongols, which was pivotal to their success. This includes tactics like feigned retreats, encirclement, and the use of mobility with horses, which allowed them to defeat larger and more established armies. The term 'warfare' encapsulates the military strategy and tactics central to the Mongol's expansion.

💡Yam

The 'Yam' was the Mongol Empire's communication and postal system, akin to the Pony Express. The script mentions this system as a key innovation that allowed for rapid communication across their vast territories. The Yam facilitated the efficient governance and control of the empire, highlighting the Mongols' organizational skills.

💡Tribes

The term 'tribes' refers to the various nomadic groups like the Tatars and Mongols that inhabited the Eurasian steppes. The script describes their initial division and conflict, which were exploited by the Jin Dynasty, and their eventual unification under Genghis Khan. The concept of 'tribes' is integral to understanding the social structure and political landscape of the Mongols.

💡Conquest

The script narrates the series of conquests that expanded the Mongol Empire, including the subjugation of the Tatars, the invasion of China, and the annexation of the Khwarezmian Empire. 'Conquest' is a central theme of the video, illustrating the Mongols' relentless expansion and the impact it had on the known world.

💡Cultural Exchange

The establishment of the Mongol Empire facilitated unprecedented cultural exchange across Eurasia. The script mentions the opening of the Silk Road and the movement of people, ideas, and goods from Rome to Beijing. This 'cultural exchange' was a significant outcome of the Mongol conquests, fostering greater interconnectedness among diverse civilizations.

💡Terror

The Mongols were known for employing terror as a weapon of war, as illustrated in the script's accounts of their brutal sack of cities and the psychological warfare they waged. The term 'terror' encapsulates the fear and devastation they inflicted on their enemies and the strategy used to maintain control over their vast territories.

💡Timur

Timur, also known as Tamerlane, was a Turkic-Mongol conqueror who emerged after Genghis Khan's era. The script discusses his own ambitious conquests and his attempts to emulate and surpass Genghis Khan's legacy. Timur represents the continuation of Mongol expansion and the enduring impact of their conquests.

💡Legacy

The 'legacy' of the Mongol Empire and its leaders, particularly Genghis Khan and Timur, is a recurring theme in the script. It refers to the long-term impact of their conquests, including the shaping of political boundaries, cultural exchanges, and the psychological impact of their use of terror. The legacy is also tied to the Mongols' influence on the subsequent age of discovery and the modern world.

Highlights

The Mongols ruled the largest continuous land empire in history for nearly 300 years, twice the size of Caesar's Roman Empire.

Genghis Khan pioneered a unique and revolutionary style of warfare that still influences military strategies today.

Genghis Khan, originally named Temujin, rose to power not from royalty but as a fatherless boy with an iron will for survival.

Genghis Khan's mother tasked him with seeking revenge, instilling a strong sense of mission from a young age.

After 30 years of struggle, Temujin united his clan and earned the title of Khan, demonstrating exceptional charisma and leadership.

Genghis Khan's military tactics, including feigned retreats and encirclement, were highly effective and innovative.

He reorganized society and the military, breaking old tribal loyalties while maintaining the power of tribal cavalry.

The Mongols were often outnumbered in battles but used mobility and small tactical teams to their advantage.

Genghis Khan's conquests led to the decimation of the Tatars, symbolizing his ruthless approach to enemies.

Genghis Khan believed in a natural hierarchy with Heaven as the supreme protector, viewing himself as chosen to lead.

The Mongol Empire's communication system, known as the yam, was a precursor to the Pony Express, facilitating rapid information exchange.

Genghis Khan's invasion of China showcased the Mongols' quick adaptation and use of Chinese siege technology.

The Mongols' approach to warfare instilled terror, using psychological tactics like the use of drums and displaying captured prisoners.

The Mongol conquests facilitated the opening of the East to the West, enabling safe travel from Rome to Beijing for the first time in a millennium.

Timur, also known as Tamerlane, continued the Mongol legacy, expanding the empire and introducing a reign of terror after Genghis Khan's death.

Timur's architectural projects in Samarkand, including the construction of grand mosques, reflected his megalomania and ambition.

Timur's military campaigns were marked by extreme brutality, with the use of terror as a weapon of psychological warfare.

The Mongol Empire's impact on world history includes the creation of a vast trade network and the inspiration for the Age of Discovery.

Genghis Khan's legacy is still revered in Mongolia, where he is worshipped as a god and a symbol of national pride.

Transcripts

for nearly 300 years they ruled the

largest continuous land Empire in

history twice the size of Caesar's Roman

Empire longer lasting than napoleons as

world shaking as Alexander the

greats they are the Mongols The Fury

that rolls like a storm out of the steps

in the early 13th century the Mongols

Pioneer a style of warfare unparalleled

in cunning and cruelty and so

revolutionary it still inspires military

strategists today sweeping East and West

destroying everything in their path they

shatter the old world order and carve a

new course of

[Music]

history

it is the end of the 12th century as

Europe lies mired in the Dark Ages two

cultures set the standard for human

civilization the Islamic States in

Persia and Central

Asia and far away to the east a trio of

fabulous Kingdoms in

[Music]

China between these stretch vast

inhospitable grasslands the Eurasian

steps although the steps are formidable

they are not empty nomadic tribes the

tatars Mongols and others eek out a grim

life these are some of the coldest

places on Earth in

Mongolia temperatures 90° below zero so

for much of the year they're fighting

nature it's a life with no no margin of

safety in

it in

1175 the tatars renew an old Feud with

the Mongols these two tribes so similar

in lifestyle and belief are bitterly

divided by ancient rivalries a

NeverEnding cycle of Alliance treachery

and

revenge caught up in their own struggles

they ignored their common enemy the rich

and Powerful jyn of northern

China the Jinn Dynasty their policy

towards Mongolia was one really of

divide and conquer and the JY would

employ the tatars on raids against uh

other nomadic groups tribes kets that

grew too large and too

threatening the Jin wisely perceived

that as long as the people of the steps

are are focused on each other they won't

trouble

them it is in this time of upheaval that

great mongle conqueror genis Khan arises

in the 12th

century he does so not from a family of

Kings or princes but as a fatherless boy

facing death with his family on the

barren

steps genas Khan's given name is timin

Mongolian for iron worker it's fitting

his life will demand an iron

will in 1175 when he is barely 9 years

old his father leader of the clan is

poisoned by the

tatars jenas Khan's father been an upand

cominging tribal Chieftain uh perhaps if

he lived he might have become the next

uh uh con of the

Mongols but as soon as he was poisoned

the widows of the previous con led the

the Mongols to Desert the widows of yig

jus' father and the result was that

jengas Khan was left on the step alone

with his

mother abandoned with her children

timen's mother gives him a simple

charge seek

[Music]

revenge he had grown up we can presume

with this strong sense of mission he was

a son of one of the leading Chieftain

one who had won victories in war when

other Chiefs had been defeated and he

had been abandoned and that created a

really strong sense of bitterness a

strong sense that the world doesn't work

the way it

should for 30 grueling years timin

fights to unite his clan and gain the

title of Khan great leader he learns to

trust those proven loyal in battle and

he remains suspicious of all others by

the age of 40 he has grown to be a

gifted

Chieftain we're looking at a man like

Alexander like Hitler I have to say with

immense

Charisma who made people follow him by

the strength of his

personality having United his tribe in

1196 timan turns to the second task

Vengeance on the

tatars the tactics were pretty much

entirely uh horse horse tactics and um

they incorporate all the things that we

would we would normally expect

techniques learned in the hunt for

example uh would often be employed in in

tactically in in uh in battles the Fain

Retreat drawing your enemy in and then

encircling your enemy enveloping enemy

there were there were elements that

tactics that are sort of reminiscence of

the reminiscent of the blitz GP what I

do see new in the case of tamuin chisan

is his reorganization of society that

has to be reckoned among the most

important not only social uh Innovations

but military innovations which in which

he takes the old Central Asian Mongolian

tribal structure and refashion it in its

in his own image in a way breaking the

old tribal loyalties but maintaining uh

a kind the kind of power of this uh

tribal

Cavalry it's as far as we can tell in

virtually every battle they fought in

every battle they won the Mongols were

substantially outnumbered by their

enemies um but they were much more

mobile because they had so many horses

and they were able to operate it seems

in small tactical teams no more than a

few score at at most so the first thing

you'd see if you were fighting the

Mongols is they would seem to be

everywhere often times they would come

at you in a single file and suddenly

they would just disperse and suddenly

they'd be all around you that was was

really

disturbing the Mongols combination of

finely honed horsemanship and tactical

strategy overwhelms their

enemies they are virtually wiped from

the face of the Earth in Just 2 years

only their name will live on and they

are but the first of many for timin is

molding his army into the finest light

Cavalry the world has ever

seen then he does take revenge on the

people who had inflicted so much

hardship on on his family uh his larger

family and on his immediate family

namely the tatars who when he finally

defeats them he uh as The Story Goes he

has everyone uh taller than the axle of

a wagon uh executed so he he decimates

he destroys this particular

tribe the ambitious Chief is a religious

man he reveres the natural hierarchy he

sees around him the ground is sacred the

rivers are sacred but Above All Is

Heaven the protector of the nomads for

timin human Affairs should mirror this

hierarchy and one man must stand above

all others timen has no doubts that fate

has chosen him to

lead so he believed on the one hand that

he was of a of a Heavenly destined

lineage why because when you won Victory

and battle it was something decided by

Heaven by God by this moer eternal

heaven or Eternal God which the mo which

jenus Khan firmly believed was in charge

of all sort of all victories and battle

and all uh successes and failures uh uh

in this

world in 1206 a ruler's Council of Step

tribes acclaims timin as un ival leader

or genas

Khan he now stands poised to conquer the

rest of the world and seal his

reputation as the bloodiest of all

[Music]

barbarians driven to avenge his father's

murder and empowered by a sense of his

own destiny in 1206 Genghis Khan rises

from obscur to the brink of world

domination he is the ultimate leader the

con of all the Restless and nomadic

tribes of the steps his people live a

difficult life in a brutal

environment this is a society that is

perpetually on the move so they're ready

to to bundle up shop in no time at all

so what does that say about how these

people live the tents they live in they

have a

cane framework and Felts

are tied or sewn onto these individual

cane panels and they can be set up

inside 15 minutes and dismantled in the

same sort of time so the inside of Ys

was incredibly dark and Smoky because

they only had a hole at the top and a

hole at the doorway and the doorway

always faced South because the Mongols

were superstitious that that good news

came from the south you had Felts on the

floor Felts on the walls so dark dark

dark and then everything permeated with

smoke what did they burn there's no wood

on the step so it's dung so it's smoke

that's permeated with animal smell as

well this Hard Scrabble existence shaped

genas Khan's character and his mother's

words of Vengeance provided his mission

points the the very important role that

Mongolian women uh played and still do

play in uh in Mongolian society and and

that's a very important sort of

formative uh um episode in his whole

life um because he becomes very attached

to to women to his wife uh to his mother

um they figure very prominently both

figure very prominently later on when he

distributes uh his territory and his

soldiers among these people both women

receive shares so um that's that's quite

an important thing she really holds the

family she's the cement of the

family by the year 1206 genas Khan's

power over the steps is

unchallenged now he directs his

Vengeance on the wealthy and arrogant

Jinn of

[Music]

China in 1211 the Mongols moved to

invade China the enormous ancient Nation

sees them as scruffy upstarts out to

stir up a little trouble the Chinese

have no idea what they are about to

face down in South China the sun Dynasty

the ethnic Chinese in in South China

often looked on the Mongols as possible

allies and they developed a very

interesting view of the Mongols that the

Mongols were these very crude barbaric

Savage people but they were uncorrupted

unspoiled within hours of their initial

meeting the Mongol troops annihilate a

much larger Chinese

Force the nomads learn fast they copy

Chinese Siege technology to breach their

City walls they become the embodiment of

Terror and then they start beating their

drums and these drums are carried by

four people on ropes and the mere sound

of them drove people mad with fear

they brought with them the prisoners

from the previous City that they

captured and pushed them into the moat

so that they could go over them over the

dead bodies at the city

walls and then they would Slaughter

every living thing the very cats and the

dogs in 1215 they lay waste to the

capital of Northern China Chong Tu

present day Beijing but just as Victory

seems Within Reach news arise that

trouble is brewing in the Mongolian

[Music]

Homeland the news reaches genas Khan

across a thousand miles of territory

carried by a surprising system of

communication that eventually will

connect the entire Mongol

Empire they developed very early on a

system known as the yam which was

basically the Pony Express and two

Messengers would be sent out with

special badges that they wore around

their waist showing that they were

official emissaries of the government

and horses would be provided at post

stations every 25 miles for these two to

ride off carrying in their hands

literally rolls with messages on

them in 1218 the yam riters bring gengas

Khan the news that klug the Khan of the

non Clan is fomenting a rebellion among

other disgruntled tribesmen genas Khan's

hardw order is being threatened by

disloyalty from his own people this

cannot be

[Music]

tolerated in search of the rebels

genghiskhan launches a crusade that

takes him far from his business in

[Music]

China as they pursue the rebels West

into Muslim lands the Mongols Annex one

Kingdom after after another before

Crossing into each new territory genas

Khan gives the local ruler the option to

give up the conspirators and surrender

peacefully but if the ruler resists

genghiskhan warns he will show no mercy

he writes one Chieftain the disaster

will reach you

too genas Khan's campaign of Vengeance

has swelled his Empire till it touches

the borders of the ancient Kingdom of

quam in present day usbekistan

[Music]

though quam is an attractive Target

Genghis Khan goes no farther he has

learned something

new I think that the key moment in the

career of chenis Khan that lifted him

from being a territorial chieftain in

outou of Mongolia and it's not accident

that out of Mongolia means the Boon it

means the back of beyond that moved him

from that to a player on the world stage

was when he began to realize that his

territories were on the Silk

Road and that he could change the

fortunes of his people by trade and so

he sent a series of embassies to his

nearest neighbor the sultan Muhammad who

was the ruler of the Eastern Islamic

world and and those embassies were

finally followed by a caravan of 1,500

camels and I think that what happened

there was that this

particular camel Caravan was so rich

that it tickled the the greed of the

Muslim governor of the frontier post

concerned at

otrar and he simply seized

it this governor of this town he saw

this Mongol Embassy uh of of of

merchants coming basically a trade

Mission come you saw all the kinds of

things that were in there and he asked

the uh Sultan

Muhammad um what should I do with them

he was told um he implied they're spies

these PE these Mongol envoys are spies

what should I do with them can I can I

Massacre them and sulan Muhammad said

yes and they

were

undeterred genghiskhan sends a second

Envoy only to have him seized his beard

is shaved off in the street as an act of

humiliation before he is sent

back the Caravan of gifts of course is

not

returned genas Khan's final dispatch to

Sultan Muhammad is simple and Grim you

have chosen War he writes

and it was that event that greed that

breaking of the laws

of interchange of ambassadors of

allowing Merchants free run across

Frontiers that caused the Mongol

catastrophe the catastrophe which as one

Russian Chronicle says left no eye open

to weep for the

dead they came they sapped they

plundered they burnt they slaughtered

they Departed

this is an utter disaster for the

Civilized world and it had that curious

small

trigger as his soldiers prepare for war

in

1219 genas Khan is

unconcerned that will happen he says

which will

happen and what is to be we know not

only God

knows in carrying out God's Heavenly

plan

the KH will teach his enemies a terrible

lesson and continue a conquest that will

destroy all that stands before him

including the wealth and knowledge of an

entire

civilization genas Khan has unified the

nomadic

Mongols subdued the wealthy Chinese and

now in 1219 stands perch to take on

Sultan Mohammad the ruler of the quam

Empire of Central

Asia genas Khan is a man driven by

revenge in aluk the Sultan's Governor

has flagrantly humiliated a Mongolian

diplomatic Envoy an abuse that cannot

stand but the sultan stronghold

Samaran is defending by an army much

larger than genas Khan's own to even the

odds the KH turns to tools that have

served him well in the past mobility and

surprise much more interesting about

this particular campaign is the fact

that jasan divided his army in the face

of a superior opponent this is tactics

that we associate again with people like

Robert E Lee or with with blitzk in in

uh during World War II uh the purpose

being again uh to penetrate the uh the

enemy's front and to create confusion

and diversion and so on in the rear to

be able then to turn back and take these

places so I find that to be a very

significant part of of what he

does genas Khan's first blow comes at

the Border Town of utar in

[Music]

1219 after a 5mon Siege the Mongols

burst through the defenses and lay waste

to everyone and everything in their path

there is no limit to their

cruelty why were the Mongols so cruel

it's it's a difficult question and no

one really knows the

explanation but the fact of it I think

can't be

doubted that these were people who did

not wage war in the ordinary way

a special fate is assigned to the greedy

governor in aluk he discovers firsthand

the meaning of the old Mongolian proverb

return what people give to

you dragged from his hiding place in the

Citadel he is held down while molten

silver is poured into his ears and

[Music]

eyes

in February 1220 genghiskhan plots a

three-pronged attack unrivaled in

cunning and

Malice first two columns of Mongols

strike quaron from opposing directions

East and West their main goal to love

Mohammad into thinking that these

trifling attacks are the Mongols Best

Shot medieval armies in Europe and the

Middle East had a very strong idea that

retreating in the face of the enemy was

humiliating and so they really couldn't

do it and the other reason they couldn't

do it was because from the General's

point of view once you start retreating

everybody would think you've lost and

suddenly you would lose control of your

army everybody start running away oh

we've lost we're running away the

Mongols would Retreat then suddenly as

they're retreating they'd suddenly break

up start coming around again and start

shooting at you again that was very

disorienting for um uh for many armies

the constant hail of arrows that would

be falling that was uh a disorienting

thing diverted by the Mongols faints and

skirmishes Sultan Muhammad strings out

his forces along hundreds of miles of

farmland and River Valley south of

Samaran but far away to the north genas

Khan prepares for the main

assault genas Khan carefully seeks out

the Smugglers and bandits who know the

secret water holes and camel rots in the

desert of

kazum these will be his

guides they will lead his army over 300

mil of punishing Desert Sands a back

door to the Sultan's

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Kingdom in March 1220 Genghis Khan and

his army emerges from what the sultan

believed was an impenetrable desert like

demons from his worst nightmare

in one of the greatest strategic rear

guard attacks in the history of warfare

proud samaron Falls in just 10 days

Sultan Mohammad shows his true colors

fleeing for his life from one city to

the next like Hunters pursuing a fox the

great Mongol generals are given 20,000

men and told to crush any town that

shelters The Fugitive Sultan as they

relentlessly track him down and kill

him so it was not just a matter of

beating an Army in the field but

eradicating the power of a

country to ground zero so that there

could be no recovery so they sowed salt

in the fields they destroyed the wells

they flooded the cities they cut the

canals they chopped down the Orchards as

if there were no tomorrow the Mongols

monstrous Rampage devastates magnificent

Persian cities like buul and

harat genus Khan is not

concerned they couldn't care less so the

destruction that they visited on the

Eastern Islamic

world has lasted to this

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day the ruins of once great cities still

lay scattered cross Persia like ghost

towns with the annexation of quasam

genas Khan's Empire reaches from the

Yellow River all the way to the Caspian

Sea the largest continuous land Empire

in the history of the world the most

remarkable result of this Mongol

conquest is that East is open to West

for the first time in a thousand

years Hax mongolica a Mongol peace

allowed people for the first time to

travel in absolute safety from Rome to

Beijing that was never possible before

and it wasn't possible until the 20th

century afterwards it's not a small

thing we had people from the Middle East

traveling all over all the way even into

China uh famous traveler ibben batuta

from Morocco eventually reach reached at

least he says he reached uh China uh and

traveled through much of the successor

states of the Mongols uh Mongol States

ruled by the descendants of jangus Khan

and that created a kind of knowledge of

uh the know each civilization in Eurasia

acquiring more knowledge about each

other ironically creating such an Empire

is not genas Khan's goal the flame of

Vengeance still Burns in his belly and

he still has a score to settle with the

Chinese to that end he now turns but it

is the one thing Beyond his

reach in

1227 in his mid-60s Genghis Khan dies on

the march to China according to Legend

the victim of a freak riding accident

armed troops and slave girls escort his

body back to the steps where he is laid

to rest in secrecy

there are various stories about um 50

guards were detailed to bury him they

were killed by 50 others who were then

killed in turn killed by by other people

so that the grave would would would

remain secret for various

reasons um but as for the precise

location of this we don't

know the the way that the Mongol

Chieftain were buried was in total

secrecy they went off on a procession

the people were going to bury them

blaring horns beating drums making as

much noise as possible and if anybody

met the procession on its route to its

secret destination where the person was

going to be buried they were they were

killed so the whole point was that

nobody should know where the great ones

of the Mongols were buried not a single

tomb of a Mongol Chieftain has ever been

excavated theyve not been found so we

have no idea what they

contain genas Khan's Empire seems to be

as lost as his Mountain grave for upon

his death the state he sought to unify

breaks apart carved up into four

kingdoms for his four

Sons but the dream lives on it will turn

into a nightmare in the hands of another

Mongol conqueror driven by visions of

Glory he will unleash A Reign of Terror

even bloodier and more brutal than genas

[Applause]

Khan in an eruption of violent Conquest

the Mongolian Empire continues to expand

after genas Khan's death in

1227 in the west the golden horde

descendants of genas Khan rules Southern

Russia and Quam in the Far East the

Khan's grandson defeats and unites the

Three Kingdoms of China and in Persia

the Mongols convert to Islam building

fabulous mosques to glorify their new

God still as successful as the Mongolian

Empire may be its huge size makes it

difficult to

maintain there weren't enough

Mongols this was not a gigantic Nation

it wasn't like China for

example perhaps there were as as many as

100,000 people in the Mongol Army and

that was about it so the wider the

territories they controlled the thinner

the crust of Mongol Dominion on

them by the mid-4th century genis Khan's

Empire lies in shambles like the old

Mongol clans of the steps the rulers

spend their time fighting each other

instead of combining their

strength the actual power was slipping

from the hands of the jasan is the S of

jasan and falling into the hands of

these tribal Warlords people who were

not themselves of the Imperial family

but who were the real holders of

power in the middle of the 1300s in the

Muslim lands of quam in modern day

usbekistan a young Mongol boy named

timour prepares to steal his neighbor's

sheep he is a clever and stealthy

adversary to the shepherd but this time

his luck will fail

him it is said that he receives a wound

that never fully heals making him lame

for

life as he grows to power he is called

timour the lame or taml in the west it

is a name that his enemies will come to

dread by the year

1360 teamour is an important Amir or

leader a master chess player a skilled

strategist though he is a Mongol he

cannot claim descent from genas Khan so

he creates an elaborate genealogy

linking himself to the great leader he

even takes two wives descended from

genas Khan to legitimize his

claim tore certainly I think saw himself

as a restoring a certain view a certain

version of jusan History it was his own

version reflected very much the prism of

his own Ambitions and

um he at a certain point saw himself as

a man of Destiny not only as simply the

agent of of the uh the righteousness of

the jengas sonan cause but saw himself

as a person acting in his own

right by

1375 the Mongol Empire is not timor's

only restoration project a century and a

half after genas Khan puts Samaran to

the torch timour hopes to make his

adopted Hometown The Jewel of the

world he was born in that very area and

he was always attached to what is now

usbekistan as his birthplace and in the

course of his campaigns wherever he went

he would kill all the men in a city that

he had captured but he would save all

the Artisans from death and transport

them back to sarand so you must imagine

sarand alive with Traditions from all

over the Muslim World from China also

from India so sarand was something

special suan was a Garden City and one

of tor's um main construction activities

was to provide irrigation canals that

opened up whole suburbs with these

wonderful Gardens because teamour was a

Muslim he also constructed Muslim

buildings and he used a lot of the booty

that he acquired when he conquered India

to construct an absolutely enormous MTH

one of the attributes of teamour seems

to have been his pride and his

megalomania we might say and you see

this in this mosque it is

colossal size was the big thing the the

entrance way is 50 ft tall and clearly

the impression you're supposed to get is

is I The Humble little worshipper have

to go through this 50ft Doorway to get

in the magnificence of samand is a

testament to the might of teor but it is

also a testament to his brutal means of

keeping

order outside the walls of saman his

merciless cruelty becomes

Legend from 1385 on timour

systematically sacks all of Western

Persia as well as cities throughout

aeran Georgia Armenia and the

Caucasus tens of thousands of people are

slain along the

way in 1398 timour follows in the

footsteps of the Greeks leading an

audacious Expedition over the world's

most notorious mountains the Hindu Kush

he then lays waste to Northern India but

the farther timour extends his reach the

more difficult it is to control hostile

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populations when the inhabitants of

Delhi rebel against their new Mongol

Masters timour takes a page out of genas

Khan's book of Terror and writes a new

and even more horrific

chapter the reports that he cut off the

heads of his victims and piled them into

huge heaps URS so often that one can't

help wondering whether this is not

accurate and not just mere rhetoric but

it wouldn't account for the numbers

70,000 880,000

I think we're talking about

psychological warfare which is something

that the Mongols had introduced it's one

thing to go to war it's quite another to

use Terror as a weapon of war and this

is what teamour

did team more built upon the legacy of

chingas and used it effectively he was

more terrible in that sense that he

slaughtered more brutally more quickly

uh but always always sparing The

Artisans when they say he destroyed the

city that's uh somewhat of a metaphor

meaning he killed off enough people to

look at bad to make it look bad and then

he brought back from every city he

conquers the best workers the best

Artisans uh the best engineers

the best

products the vaed skyline of modernday

Istanbul Bears Testament to the one

Dynasty that stood in the way of timor's

dream of a gengas sized Empire the

ottoman

Turks in 1402 timor's expanding lands

reached the immovable borders of Ottoman

Sultan

bazid proud to the point of arrogance

neither leader can tolerate the other

timour even goes so far as to suggest

beit's mother is of dubious birth

meaning she is a

[Music]

[ __ ] beaz it can stand no more leading

one of the finest armies in the world

the sultan rides out of his Fortress at

anara to meet timur's far smaller Force

confident and imposing he knows little

of that cunning Genius of the Mongol

timour in 1402 goated by slurs on his

honor the ottoman Sultan bazit races to

meet timor's Mongol forces but timour

aware of the Sultan's route does an end

sweep around the

Turks traveling off the Beaten Track he

catches the sultan off

guard he lays Siege to the the Turkish

stronghold anara

itself it is a humiliating turn of

events for bazid he is forced to beat a

hasty Retreat to defend his

City when his weary troops finally

arrive they are no match for the

well-rested

Mongols even worse in the heat of battle

an entire Turkish Battalion defects to

the Le side when they see a beloved

Prince fighting for

timour tricked betrayed and totally

routed Sultan bazid nobly refuses to

leave the field of battle he is

determined to fight to the last but he

is captured and taken

[Music]

prisoner the ottoman defeat May taste

sweet to timour but it is even more

delicious to Christian

Europe

now if you look at this on the grand

strategic map of Ura at the time the

ottoman Sultans were poised to scoop up

Constantinople they had moved into

Europe they had encircled it they were

ready to begin the siege that would have

destroyed the principal city of Eastern

Christendom and just then that was their

bad luck someone came knocking at their

back door

and that was Teo the reaction uh in

Europe to the defeat of of bazid yerim

was unrestrained

[Music]

Joy with the defeat of the Ottomans in

1402 timor's Empire nearly matches

Genghis Khan in size and

scope predictably it is not enough for

the voracious

conqueror

to secure his place in history he must

do his hero one better and the only way

to accomplish this is to take what genas

could not

China but like genas Khan timour

mysteriously Falls ill and dies on the

march to

China in

1405 in Sumer

he is laid to rest in a tomb as ornate

as genas Khan's was

simple there's a curious story that as

he Lay Dying he

said do not disturb My Grave for if you

do a fate worse than me will fall upon

you and his grave was kept absolutely

untouched until the 22nd of June 194 41

when Soviet archaeologists opened the

grave and found the skeleton of a tall

man with a damaged

hip and on the 22nd of June 1941 Hitler

launched his attack on

Russia and that was the signal for some

20 million Russians to perish in the

following four

years so you could say that he had a

long arm and that that long arm

stretched right into the 20th

century without the force of timor's

personality and Leadership his heirs are

unable to hold the empire together the

Mongols begin to fade into history too

small in number to rule their vast

Empire they become assimilated into the

cultures they conquer adopting their

religions and Customs as their own and

yet their impact remains immeasurable

even today

by opening China to the West the Mongols

created an insatiable thirst for Asian

Goods the drive to quench it spurred the

age of Discovery and the Voyages that

would lead Europe to

America truly by shattering the old

empires of China and Persia the Mongols

gave birth to the modern

world an Empire that stretched from the

Sea of Japan to the Baltic

from uh koreaa to East

Germany

and took in most of your Asia apart from

India and Southeast Asia there's been

nothing like

it will the world ever see another

Empire like it in Mongolia some

fervently hope so even today genis Khan

is worshiped there as a

god his name is a source of national

Pride his tent a hallowed Shrine Small

Wonder then that the Mongols wait

eagerly for the spirit to rise a new and

for the Barbarian to

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return

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