Were the Mongols in China Barbarians?

The Mongols in Medieval China were not barbarians. The Webster Dictionary definition for a barbarian is “a person without culture, refinement, or education; philistine; a person in a savage, primitive state; uncivilized person.” Mongols were not that definition, they had culture, refinement, and they were moderately civilized.

The Mongols had a set leader, Genghis Khan. When he was elected as the new Supreme Leader in 1206 he created the largest empire in the shortest time. Genghis Khan made his empire more civilized and expanded its territory. Khan had created his own language and writing system so that everyone could communicate.

Under the rule of Genghis Khan the Mongols occupied part of central Asia. They had a nomadic way of life and moved throughout Asia. They were comprised of multiple tribes which made communication difficult due to the multifarious amounts of languages. Since the soldiers were usually illiterate Khan would use poems to tell them how he wanted something done or what they were going to do next. He organized his camps the same so it was easier for the troops to know where to go if they needed something at a different camp.

The nomadic way of life was popular in central Asia and it was also the Mongols’ culture. They moved throughout Asia and conquered many different empires quickly. It was difficult for other tribes to attack them because they didn’t have a set homebase and they were always mobile. They moved around so much to find new pasture for their animals. They also followed a seasonal pattern so they knew where they were and where they were headed. The Mongols were united and fought together. The men were tough and strong and would fight with a bow or a gun.

Before Genghis Khan the Mongols weren’t very refined. The former leader had given the cities that he was going to conquer an ultimatum. They either had to become part of their empire or they would all die. Under Genghis Khan, however, they no longer followed that strategy. Khan accepted people if they were loyal to him and helped to support the army. Khan was religiously tolerant, he accepted people of different religions. The former emperor also looted, took men as slaves, and left the women and children behind to die. Under Khan’s rule the soldiers were not allowed to loot, they had to bring whatever they found and it would be split evenly. If a soldier was caught looting for himself they would be punished and could face charges sometimes as strict as death.

Civilization.