James Baquet

The years 1211-1225 were extremely wet ones in the Central Asian highlands where the Mongol culture lived. At the height of the Mongol invasions under Temujin Borjigin (later known as Genghis Khan), the proliferation of grasses created an ideal condition for the breeding of horses, an essential part of Mongol success.

But this natural boost was just one of the factors in the success of Genghis and his successor Khans. Let’s look at some others.

The first advantage was the aforementioned horses, which facilitated the great mobility of the Mongol army. Moving on sedentary town dwellers, the Mongols were able to swoop in rapidly, raid what they needed, and escape quickly. Usually a Mongol soldier would have three or four horses, allowing him to travel great distances in little time, sometimes up to 160 kilometers per day, and to scout ahead to gather intelligence about what lay beyond the horizon.

Like the troops, Mongol horses wore armor, and their stamina allowed the Mongols to remain in battle longer. They were able to survive on fewer rations than other breeds of horse, which allowed the Mongols to be free of the usual supply lines. The horses themselves provided the troops with milk and meat. Leather goods were made from their hides, and their dung was used to fuel fires. Horsehair was used to make rope and fabrics.

Also, the Mongols had a bit of “secret advanced technology”: The stirrup allowed the soldiers to stand while riding, enabling them to shoot in virtually all directions, and with greater accuracy.

Furthermore, the Mongols, though referred to as “hordes,” were subjected to almost brutal training and discipline. They were drilled repeatedly in horsemanship, archery and troop movements. Though planning was essential, the troops were taught to make decisions in the field, so long as the overall plan was carried out. Instilling loyalty was also an essential part of their training. If a soldier ran from danger, he and the other nine members of his unit would be executed.

These are just some of the factors that contributed to the history-changing success of the Mongols.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. ability to move

2. increase, growth

3. foot support hanging from a saddle

4. allotted amounts of food

5. putting in little by little

6. excrement

7. large, unruly groups

8. sitting still

9. staying power

10. made possible, enabled