Mongol Empire Project Cannon Sloan

The 5th of August, 1321 (First Entry)

The Mongols have been around for so long, it almost seems normal to wake up to the single bell in our town ringing with the loud and annoying sounds of alarm. This meant that the Mongols were here, but that wasn’t anything new. After they destroyed our town mercilessly, who would of thought it was a good idea to rebuild the town even closer to the Mongolian border in Hungary. Time and time again, they would just ride through the streets of our town, taking any anything, but I noticed they had an eye for manufactured items. I have no idea why they would kill people over such things, surely they could make their own, with such a great and strong population. Due to the repetitive incursions in our small town, I’ve grown interest in the Mongolian way and culture. Some people told me, beyond the Ural Mountains, which guard the way to Russia, the Mongolians have huge and grand cities, even larger than the ancient city of Rome. A hunter once told me that they live in small villages, and then eventually “move” their village somewhere else in another season. I don’t know how they could do such a thing, or why it would even seem plausible, but I might figure out myself one day. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance, messengers have told the nobility here that towns in Hungary are raided nearly every day, and most are completely annihilated. I could just imagine the Mongols riding through the streets of our town, murdering the people I see every day, with no other thought or shred of pity for the people cut down. Lighting houses on

Map of the Golden Horde and Russian Vassals

fire, and stealing any valuables people have worked their entire life for. It’s not a very good thing to imagine, but I know its happening in other cities along the Mongolian Border, and I fear it might get just as bad over here. I wish we could prepare, but the town’s nobility only care for themselves it seems like. They tax grain that our farmers work to harvest, and with the Mongols around, I would bet that it’s even harder to grow enough grain to sustain the village, let alone the massive tax the aristocracy demands. The nobles would probably just abandon the town when the real Mongol force arrived, anyway. They would get out while they still could, saving nobody but themselves from the Mongol threat. I’ve even heard that the Mongols fancy the name, “The Golden Horde,” seems rather hubristic to me, comparing an entire population to the wealth and commerce a resource can bring. I am very curious about the Mongolian way of life, however. It just seems so foreign, because they spread their culture from a large unknown land in the East, all the way up to Europe. I might attempt going there someday, maybe acting as a diplomat from Hungary to discuss terms, might be a good way to not get killed while inside their border.  

The 21st of August, 1321

Nominating myself as a diplomat headed to the Mongolian Empire wasn’t too hard, actually. It turns out, a lot of people didn’t want the job of travelling through the largest empire in the world, with brutal and merciless barbarians. I decided it would be a good experience, but I couldn’t just carry the title of

Mongolian Tent

a diplomat, I actually had to find a way to discuss a period of peace, if thats even possible. But on the way, I think it would be best to experience the Mongolian way of life and culture.

The 28th of August, 1321

Travelling just for 7 days, I have experienced more foreign culture than I ever could of expected. Originally, I relied just on the tales of suicidal travelers who were brave, or stupid, enough to travel across the Hungarian Border into the Mongolian land. They described the procedures they took to move their villages, but what I’ve seen is so much more. Compared to the European way of life, this is almost alien to me. The Mongols keep moving around every season to find the best location for their massive animal herds. It looks like they try to live on the land strictly around them, which would explain why they stole manufactured goods to huge extents. They couldn't make it themselves because they aren’t settled down in one place for awhile. I've observed multiple tribes within the Mongol Empire, but they all mostly follow the same procedures.

The 17th of October, 1321 (Second Entry)

I have been within the Mongol Empire for multiple months. I guess they aren't as bad as they seemed before. They have massive amounts of land, even more than the Europeans originally thought. They have connected the far east of this world with Europe in the west. They have also very lenient rules for conquered people. As long as they pay their tax, they can do whatever they see fit within the Empire. They can worship whatever religion they please, follow or be a part of any kind of culture. Surprisingly, they actually promote trade within the empire to a large extent. The ancient Silk Road is actually being used again, transporting goods throughout the entire Empire. They have also united the whole of China under their control, and started their own dynasty of rulers named the Yuan. Seems like a weird enough name, their culture really is different compared to ours in Europe. It really is weird to experience such a different culture. We had no idea a lot of this land owned by the Mongols even existed. And united under one Khan, they have made large amounts of scientific advancements, some even further than what we know in Europe. Maybe we were the actual barbarians to them, not making such scientific advancements, or fighting huge wars over small amounts of land. The Mongol Khan also seemed very modest about a peace offering, he said that under our full surrender, and if we joined the empire, everybody in Hungary would be spared. I knew the nobility of Hungary wouldn't even consider such a deal, giving up their titles and independence for such a barbarian.

Third Entry

History had many views on the Mongols, but it depended on what side of the world you were on. If your city of being conquered, and everything you have worked for is lost, then one would view the Mongols as bloodthirsty marauders, who don’t care about anything other than more land and treasure. If an outsider looked at what the Mongolians did within their empire, they would almost parallel to the Islamic Empires. The Mongols promoted trade within their empire, allowed different cultures and religions to reside peacefully within their empire, at the cost of an extra tax. The Mongols wouldn't force their beliefs and way of life upon any new addition to the empire as they were left mostly alone. Compared to the Islamic Empires, the Mongols also had a great influence on technology, and they influenced the growth of science and new technology within their Empire. The Mongolian army was actually extremely organized, and could be compared to how the Roman Empire organized their armies. The Mongolian commanders designed their squads so every leader would only have to relay their orders to ten men, and this made their job much easier. Maybe the two different sides of the sword has a bias. Of course, when your city is getting conquered, you will think of the Mongols as barbarians, with no sense of mercy or compassion. When you aren't being murdered by the Mongols, but you are actually part of their empire, you might notice the colossal steps they take to protect their own and have a good administration.  

Sources:

"Marco Polo: on Mongol warriors in the 13th century." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

"The Mongol Empire (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

Gabriel, Richard A. "Mongol Army." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

"Timothy May: The Mongol Empire in World History." Timothy May: The Mongol Empire in World History. N.p., 23 May 2008. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/5.2/may.html>.

Polo, Marco, and Henri Cordier. The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publ., 1993. Print.