Mongol Empire
In the twelfth century, a storm rose from northwestern Asia that turned the world into a marketplace of murder and devastation. The name of this storm was the Mongol army, led by Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was born on 31 May 1162 in Mongolia and died on 18 August 1227. Under the leadership of Genghis Khan, countless wars were fought. Countries were destroyed and turned into ruins, and millions of people were killed. According to one estimate, nearly thirty million people were put to death, and an empire spanning three crore square kilometers was established. This empire came to be known as the Mongol Empire.
The Mongol army was like a whirlwind that turned the peace of the world upside down. Towers of human skulls were built. Clouds of fear and terror loomed over the world during their time. The question arises: how did these savage Mongols become so powerful that the entire world trembled with terror at their name?
Genghis Khan united the scattered and mutually warring tribes and made them pledge to establish unity among themselves. Some problems arose, but Genghis Khan overcame them. The army kept growing, and Genghis Khan began launching attacks on other regions.
The Mongol soldiers were skilled in warfare. They were so hardy that when severe hunger struck them, they would cut their horse’s vein with a dagger or any sharp tool on the horse’s back. Blood would start flowing from the wound, and the Mongol soldier would drink that blood to quench his hunger and thirst. Besides being hardy, they were also brave and equipped with the advanced technology of that time.
The Mongol army had engineers who built advanced types of catapults (manjaniqs), gunpowder, and many other modern methods, through which they continued to achieve victories. They would tie incendiary material to the tips of arrows, which caused significant damage when they struck the enemy forces.
Genghis Khan took special care of his soldiers. He was an excellent organizer, a great commander, a skilled lawgiver, and a shrewd king. He also made excellent arrangements for delivering mail and messages quickly. He had built caravanserais (inns) approximately every 25 miles, where fresh horses were kept. These inns also provided the best beds and excellent food. In this way, messages or mail reached their destination very quickly, as after every 25 miles, another horseman would take it to the next station.
Even after the death of Genghis Khan, the conquest of regions and the chain of wars continued. His sons and grandsons also committed acts of oppression and tyranny. The descendants of Genghis Khan destroyed many regions. Behind their successes was not only courage and bravery but also the help of traitors. The example of Baghdad can be cited here.
Two important officials of the Islamic Caliphate, Nasir al-Din Tusi and Ibn al-Alqami, invited Hulagu Khan to attack Baghdad and assured him of their support. Hulagu Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan and extremely ruthless, attacked Baghdad. At that time, Baghdad was a symbol of modern civilization and culture. A network of madrasas and educational institutions was spread across it, where various sciences were taught. Baghdad was famous far and wide for its modern civilization and knowledge. Scholars, philosophers, sages, poets, thinkers, and scientists from different countries came to Baghdad. Almost every person in Baghdad was literate.
In 1258, Hulagu Khan besieged Baghdad. At that time, the 37th Abbasid Caliph, Al-Musta’sim Billah, was in power. Hulagu Khan’s forces began their attack with arrows and catapults. The Caliph offered a heavy tribute in exchange for peace, but Hulagu Khan rejected it. After about ten days, Al-Musta’sim Billah surrendered along with his emirs and ministers before Hulagu Khan.
At that time, the Tigris River flowed through the middle of Baghdad. When the Caliph surrendered, all the emirs and ministers were killed. Only the Caliph was spared because, according to Mongol law, the Caliph’s blood should not be spilled on the ground. Hulagu Khan completely destroyed and ruined Baghdad. Historians say that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 people were massacred. The streets of Baghdad were filled with corpses, and burying them became difficult. Troubled by the stench and foul smell of the bodies, Hulagu Khan moved his tents outside Baghdad.
The water of the Tigris River first turned red and then black. It turned red because blood from the wounds of the people flowed into the river. It turned black because hundreds of libraries in Baghdad had their books thrown into the Tigris River. These precious books were destroyed by the river, and the ink from them turned the water black.
The Caliph was imprisoned and kept hungry for several days. Later, a tray covered with cloth was brought before the starving Caliph. Thinking it was food, when he lifted the cloth, he found it filled with diamonds and jewels. Hulagu Khan said to him, “Eat these.” When the Caliph replied, “How can I eat these?” Hulagu Khan said, “If you had used these jewels to buy swords and arrows for your soldiers, I would not have been able to cross the river.”
According to one tradition, the Caliph was later wrapped in a carpet, thrown on the ground, and trampled to death by horses.
Why were Genghis Khan and the Mongol army successful? This is not just a story or tale, but a lesson of warning. From this event, we learn that when there is no preparation for war, the enemy succeeds when it attacks. The Mongol army was also successful because Genghis Khan had united them into a single thread. Why were regions conquered? They were conquered because of disunity. Advanced technology could also be an important reason, but when Baghdad was attacked, it was itself a great representative of modern civilization. It is certain that Baghdad must also have had modern weapons at that time. Treachery also harmed Baghdad.
Not only Baghdad, but many regions of the world fell victim to the Mongol savagery. There could be other reasons as well. At that time, Muslims were entangled in petty differences. For example, while Hulagu Khan was preparing for the attack, one group of Muslims was debating whether the bones of the sacrificial animal should be buried in the ground, burned, or thrown into the river. In another place, there was a debate about how many angels could sit on the tip of a needle.
Engrossed in such trivialities, Muslims were not in a position to compete. If Muslims had not been entangled in such literalist and petty issues, they would not have suffered such a terrible defeat. This defeat pushed the Muslims far behind. It is a law of nature that a nation that avoids struggle and hard work is bound to face defeat. A nation that struggles rises to a high position in the world. Disunity also causes severe damage to any nation or society.
In any case, there can be many reasons that can lead to the destruction of a nation or society. However, it must be acknowledged that the Mongol Empire was recognized as one of the largest empires of its time.
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