The Mongol Empire was a powerful state that emerged in the 13th century due to the activities of Genghis Khan and its allies. The empire included the largest conquered territory in history, and there are many testimonies of the troops’ brutality. However, there is information about the diplomatic attempts and examples of tolerance of the Mongol people. This essay aims to consider selected examples and analyze the historical activity of the Mongol Empire.
One of the apparent pieces of evidence of the barbarism and cruelty of the Mongol army can be the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire. After the conquest of the Kara-Khitai Khanate, the Mongol Empire happened to border the Khorezmids. There is evidence that Genghis Khan signed a peace treaty with them, but after that, Khan started a war (Atwood, 2021). The battle included the assault on critical strategic objects, such as large cities. Moreover, the inhabitants of the cities that had already been conquered witnessed the manifestation of cruelty towards them.
However, not only cruelty and killings are the infamous features of Genghis Khan. There are pieces of evidence of Khan’s justice and honesty in the division of the occupied territories and gains (Atwood, 2021). Moreover, the Mongol Empire treated its allies honestly, providing them with protection and military-technical assistance. However, it should be noted that this happened only in the case of the voluntary surrender of territories.
To conclude, the Mongol Empire is famous for its cruelty and barbaric policy. Its troops killed their enemies with remarkable brutality. However, there is data showing the diplomacy of Genghis Khan regarding its allies. It is worth mentioning that a positive attitude could be observed only in the case of surrender states.
Reference
Atwood, C. P. (2021). The rise of the Mongols: Five Chinese sources. Hackett Publishing.