I recently saw this fascinating video about modern Mongolia by RealLifeLore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTvgG-bKOo) and it was a revelation to discover that it's basically almost entirely empty while a huge chunk of the population is concentrated in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
Also, there are only 3.3 million people, which is 2 million fewer than the much tinier Denmark.
What would Genghis Khan say? (Probably something in Mongolian, so I wouldn't understand him.)
The destruction of Baghdad and its library is a pretty complex issue than pop culture discussions. Nasir-al-din Tusi, the astronomer who was traveling with Hulagu, took 400,000 books from the House of Wisdom to his observatory before the library’s destruction. Hulagu later set him up with an observatory at Maragheh, in Azerbaijan, where all the books were stored.
Do you think the House of Wisdom was a real place, or more metaphorical? I've always understood there to be no evidence of a physical place per se, but I also understand that the loss of knowledge in Baghdad would have been monumental and catastrophic (never mind the loss of life).
I have my doubts if the loss of knowledge was catastrophic if 400,000 books were indeed shifted out. We actually see a mini revival in the Islamic world in sciences during the Mongol rule. Tusi later the published in the Zij-i-Ilkhani which helped Copernicus in develop a heliocentric model of our universe. I'll share a post on this soon.
The least I can tell you is that they destroyed us 💀
(I am not spreading hate but pure facts)
Umm, and an interesting fact?
Well, I don’t find a lot interesting about the Mughal Empire given the rich and vast history of our country. Honestly, the Mughal Empire is a part of very recent history. Far more interesting things have happened over the years. I like the ancient period the most.
For example,
The oldest school of medicine comes from ancient India.
Aryabhatta discovered ‘zero’.
The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC.
The first known mention of the solar system is found in the ancient Hindu text Rigveda (written around 1,500 BC), approximately 3,000 before Copernicus.
I did. Food was generally bland, but heartly. Lots of meat (beef) and soup. Also tried fermented horse milk. Tasted like wine, beer, with a splash of milk. An acquired taste.
So good! One of my favorite subjects is Historical Fiction. It turns out to be more history than fiction, but I find it incredibly seductive. I make up a character and include it in the story. This way, I get to tell a story and invent a protagonist that either causes chaos and mayhem or saves the world with his actions.
And it's so much fun to write. The research is the only thing that is somewhat burdensome. Precise dates, precise names, etc. But, as the wise say, "the results are worth the sacrifice." ✌️
I love what I do. It's not fiction, but I do try to give a little life to the characters who lived through the real stuff. And yes: the research is the hard part! Fortunately, it's far easier now than ever before. The research that took me 2 hours before takes me 10 minutes today.
If you like historical fiction...Conn Iggulden's Emperor series starts w/Genghis as a child. I've never felt so cold as reading that first book. So immersive.
I read that the Mongols had a policy of “measuring against the lynchpin,” which entailed lining up all boys and men after sacking a village and killing anyone who stood taller than the lynchpin of their wagon wheels! This is pretty grim, and I can’t remember where I read it or if it’s supported by historical documentation but, given the number of people said to have been killed by Temujin and his descendants it’s probably not too hard to believe. I think there was a pretty strong incentive to appease the Mongols with whatever you could muster to save your village! I cannot imagine the terror of seeing them mounted on horses approaching your village.
Generally (and from what I understand), villages that submitted to Mongol rule were spared of devastation, but those who resisted, got the full brunt of destruction. There was simply no mercy shown if there was resistance.
So many years ago, Genghis' grandson, Kublai, captured my imagination. One other thing that captures my imagination about the Mongols is their religious tolerance. This is desperately needed in today's world.
I am more familiar with Genghis Khan. I appreciate the way he engineered distributed teams and integrated learning into his growth strategy.
As one biographer put it, his was “a persistent cycle of pragmatic learning, experimental adaptation, and constant revision driven by his uniquely disciplined and focused will.”
Also John's Green course on Literature was brilliant. He introduced me to the works of Emily Dickinson and I have been in love with the art of poetry ever since. Come to think of it, I owe a lot to this guy 😅
Great article! I love that you added a link to John Green's crash course series at the end. It was the best history course that I ever watched and it is what turned me into a history buff.
It's a wonderful overview. I don't always agree with every conclusion nowadays, but I will go back and rewatch these from time to time. I don't know if a kid can do much better to start.
The Mongols. How did I get sucked in to that obscure bit of history? Only because I never know where I am going to wind up when I step into one of your posts. My take away from today's romp: "Ultimately, his mother’s lessons to forge alliances were what allowed the young leader to consolidate power into his own hands, slowly at first, and then faster and faster as time went on." ... with the words "forge alliances" cinematically expanding until they covered the entire screen.
And thanks for the "crash course in history" ... I feel an addiction coming on. As always, kudos and thanks.
I recently saw this fascinating video about modern Mongolia by RealLifeLore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTvgG-bKOo) and it was a revelation to discover that it's basically almost entirely empty while a huge chunk of the population is concentrated in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
Also, there are only 3.3 million people, which is 2 million fewer than the much tinier Denmark.
What would Genghis Khan say? (Probably something in Mongolian, so I wouldn't understand him.)
I like to envision all historical characters who have appeared in "Bill and Ted" as they appeared there, so hopefully that helps.
I think that's as accurate as it gets!
The destruction of Baghdad and its library is a pretty complex issue than pop culture discussions. Nasir-al-din Tusi, the astronomer who was traveling with Hulagu, took 400,000 books from the House of Wisdom to his observatory before the library’s destruction. Hulagu later set him up with an observatory at Maragheh, in Azerbaijan, where all the books were stored.
Do you think the House of Wisdom was a real place, or more metaphorical? I've always understood there to be no evidence of a physical place per se, but I also understand that the loss of knowledge in Baghdad would have been monumental and catastrophic (never mind the loss of life).
I have my doubts if the loss of knowledge was catastrophic if 400,000 books were indeed shifted out. We actually see a mini revival in the Islamic world in sciences during the Mongol rule. Tusi later the published in the Zij-i-Ilkhani which helped Copernicus in develop a heliocentric model of our universe. I'll share a post on this soon.
Nice, handing the baton off to you for a scholarly dive!
As an Indian, I know the Mongols a bit too well.
What can you tell me about the Mughal Empire?
The least I can tell you is that they destroyed us 💀
(I am not spreading hate but pure facts)
Umm, and an interesting fact?
Well, I don’t find a lot interesting about the Mughal Empire given the rich and vast history of our country. Honestly, the Mughal Empire is a part of very recent history. Far more interesting things have happened over the years. I like the ancient period the most.
For example,
The oldest school of medicine comes from ancient India.
Aryabhatta discovered ‘zero’.
The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC.
The first known mention of the solar system is found in the ancient Hindu text Rigveda (written around 1,500 BC), approximately 3,000 before Copernicus.
and a lot more!
They may have been mainly goat herders prior to their rapid expansion!
Hey!
I visited Mongolia last summer. Wide open fields, horses running free, and lots of very proud Mongols.
Very interesting place.
Did you go out to eat anywhere? What was the food like?
I did. Food was generally bland, but heartly. Lots of meat (beef) and soup. Also tried fermented horse milk. Tasted like wine, beer, with a splash of milk. An acquired taste.
I think it would take me a long time to acquire that taste! I've been programmed otherwise. Thanks for sharing this!
So good! One of my favorite subjects is Historical Fiction. It turns out to be more history than fiction, but I find it incredibly seductive. I make up a character and include it in the story. This way, I get to tell a story and invent a protagonist that either causes chaos and mayhem or saves the world with his actions.
Good way to learn about history, both for writer and reader!
And it's so much fun to write. The research is the only thing that is somewhat burdensome. Precise dates, precise names, etc. But, as the wise say, "the results are worth the sacrifice." ✌️
I love what I do. It's not fiction, but I do try to give a little life to the characters who lived through the real stuff. And yes: the research is the hard part! Fortunately, it's far easier now than ever before. The research that took me 2 hours before takes me 10 minutes today.
If you like historical fiction...Conn Iggulden's Emperor series starts w/Genghis as a child. I've never felt so cold as reading that first book. So immersive.
I read that the Mongols had a policy of “measuring against the lynchpin,” which entailed lining up all boys and men after sacking a village and killing anyone who stood taller than the lynchpin of their wagon wheels! This is pretty grim, and I can’t remember where I read it or if it’s supported by historical documentation but, given the number of people said to have been killed by Temujin and his descendants it’s probably not too hard to believe. I think there was a pretty strong incentive to appease the Mongols with whatever you could muster to save your village! I cannot imagine the terror of seeing them mounted on horses approaching your village.
Generally (and from what I understand), villages that submitted to Mongol rule were spared of devastation, but those who resisted, got the full brunt of destruction. There was simply no mercy shown if there was resistance.
So many years ago, Genghis' grandson, Kublai, captured my imagination. One other thing that captures my imagination about the Mongols is their religious tolerance. This is desperately needed in today's world.
Yes!!!
I am more familiar with Genghis Khan. I appreciate the way he engineered distributed teams and integrated learning into his growth strategy.
As one biographer put it, his was “a persistent cycle of pragmatic learning, experimental adaptation, and constant revision driven by his uniquely disciplined and focused will.”
That's a great way to put it!
Also John's Green course on Literature was brilliant. He introduced me to the works of Emily Dickinson and I have been in love with the art of poetry ever since. Come to think of it, I owe a lot to this guy 😅
Dickinson's rhyming style was soooo cool.
Great article! I love that you added a link to John Green's crash course series at the end. It was the best history course that I ever watched and it is what turned me into a history buff.
It's a wonderful overview. I don't always agree with every conclusion nowadays, but I will go back and rewatch these from time to time. I don't know if a kid can do much better to start.
The Mongols. How did I get sucked in to that obscure bit of history? Only because I never know where I am going to wind up when I step into one of your posts. My take away from today's romp: "Ultimately, his mother’s lessons to forge alliances were what allowed the young leader to consolidate power into his own hands, slowly at first, and then faster and faster as time went on." ... with the words "forge alliances" cinematically expanding until they covered the entire screen.
And thanks for the "crash course in history" ... I feel an addiction coming on. As always, kudos and thanks.
Thanks, Joyce! Those Crash Course videos are fantastic.
yes ... and I definitely need another addiction!
And all arguably that's left of that great Empire is the country now known as Mongolia.
Wow! That's one impressive guy!