Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (Secret History of the Mongols) Doc 1
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1.What tactic/strategy did the Mongols use to defeat the Cathayan military?
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The Secret History of the Mongols, 13th Century, compiled from Mongol Oral
Traditions
After this in the Year of the Sheep1 Chinggis Khan set out to fight the
people of Cathay (the Chin Empire in north China). First he took the city
of Fu-chou then marching through the Wild Fox Pass he took Hsuan-te-
fu. From here he sent out an army under Jebe’s [Mongol leader]
command to take the fortress at Chu-yung Kuan.
When Jebe arrived he saw the Chu-yung Kuan was well defended, so he
said: “I’ll trick them and make them come out in the open. I’ll pretend to
retreat and when they come out I’ll attack them.”
So Jebe retreated and the Cathayan army cried: Let us go after them!
They poured out of their fortifications2 until the valleys and
mountainsides were full of their soldiers. Jebe retreated to Sondi-i-wu
Ridge and there he turned his army around to attack as the enemy rushed
towards him in waves. The Cathayan army was beaten and close behind
Jebe's forces Chinggis Khan commanding the great Middle Army
attacked as well, forcing the Cathayan army to retreat, killing the finest
and most courageous soldiers of Cathay, the Jurchin and Khara Khitan
fighters, slaughtering them along the side of Chu-yung Kuan so that
their bodies lay piled up like rotten logs.
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
1
Year of the Sheep: year in Chinese zodiac; way of measuring time (Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat,
etc.)
2
fortification: fort; military base; protected city
Mongol Documents HIPPO (Chronicles of Novgorod) Doc 2
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1.According to this document, what did the Mongols do to people who resisted their control?
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The Chronicles of Novgorod, 1016-1417, written by anonymous monks in
Novgorod near Russia.
[In 1238] foreigners called Tartars [Mongols] came in countless
numbers, like locusts3, into the land of the Ryazan4, and on first coming
they halted at the river Nukhla, and took it, and halted5 in camp there.
And thence6 they sent their emissaries7 to the Knyazes of Ryasan… And
the Knyazes said to them: only when none of us remain then all will be
yours…and then the pagan8 foreigners surrounded Ryazan and fences it
in... And the Tartars [Mongols] took the town on December 21, and they
had advanced against it9 on the 16th of the same month. They likewise
killed the Knyaz and the Knyaginya, and men, women, and children,
monks, nuns and priests, some by fire, some by sword, and violated
nuns10, priests wives, good women and girls in the presence of their
mothers and sisters. And who, brethren, would not lament11 over this,
among those of us alive when they suffered this bitter and violent death?
And we, indeed, having seen it, were terrified and wept with sighing day
and night over our sins.
3
locust: insect that eats all plants in sight
4
land of the Ryazan: Russia
5
halt: stop
6
thence: from there
7
emissary: representative; ambassador
8
pagan: non-Christian
9
advance against: march towards; attack
10
violate: sexually assault
11
lament: cry; mourn; grieve
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (Travels) Doc 3
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1.According to this document, what are two reasons the Mongols were so fierce?
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Travels, Marco Polo, Written in 1298 based on his travels from 1274 to 1290.
Their arms12 are bows, iron maces, and in some instances, spears; but the
first is the weapon at which they are the most expert, being accustomed,
from children, to employ it in their sports. They wear defensive armor
made from buffalo and hides of other beasts, dried by the fire, and thus
rendered13 extremely hard and strong. They are brave in battle, almost to
desperation, setting little value upon their lives, and exposing themselves
without hesitation to all manner of danger. Their disposition14 is cruel.
They are capable of supporting every kind of privation,15 and when there
is a necessity for it, can live for a month on the milk of their mares, and
upon such wild animals as they may chance to catch. Their horses are
fed upon grass alone, and do not require barley or other grain. The men
are trained to remain on horseback during two days and two nights,
without dismounting.
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12
arm: weapon
13
render: to make
14
disposition: nature; attitude
15
privation: hardship
Mongol Documents HIPPO (“Letter from Great Khan to Pope Innocent IV) Doc 4
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1.According to this document, what does the Khan mean when he says “If not by the
command Heaven, how can anyone slay or conquer out of his own strength?”
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Letter from Great Khan to Pope Innocent IV, Written by Kuyuk Khan in
1246
Those of whom you speak showed themselves highly presumptuous16
and slew17 our envoys.18 Therefore, in accordance with the commands of
the Eternal Heaven the inhabitants of the countries [Mongols conquered]
have been slain and annihilated. If not by the command of Heaven, how
can anyone slay or conquer out of his own strength?
Thanks to the power of the Eternal Heaven, all lands have been given to
us [the Mongols] from sunrise to sunset. How could anyone act other
than in accordance with the commands of Heaven? Now your own
upright heart must tell you: We [Christian kings] will become subject to
you [the Mongols], and will place our powers at your disposal. You in
person, at the head of the monarchs, all of you, without exception, must
come to tender19 us service and pay us homage,20 then only will we
recognize your submission.
But if you do not obey the commands of Heaven, and run counter to our
orders, we shall know that you are our foe.
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (“Letter from Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khan”)
16
presumptuous: arrogant; rude
17
slay: kill
18
envoy: representative; ambassador
19
tender: offer; give
20
homage: tribute
Doc 5
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1.According to this document, how did the Mongols conquer people and treat those they
conquered?
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Letter from Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khan, Written in 1245
It is not without cause that we are driven to express in strong terms our
amazement that you, according to what we have heard, have invaded
many countries belonging both to Christians and to others and are laying
waste in a horrible desolation,21 and with a fury still unabated22 you do
not cease from breaking the bonds of natural ties, sparing neither sex nor
age, you rage against all indiscriminately23 with the sword of
chastisement24.
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (History of the Mongols) Doc 6
21
desolation: devastation
22
Unabated: relentless; constant
23
Indiscriminately: at random; completely
24
chastisement: punishment
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1.According to this document, how did the Mongols rule their conquered territories?
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History of the Mongols, Rashid al-Din, Mongol high official, written after
1241.
During the seven years (between 1235 and 1241) Ogedei (the son of
Chinggis Khan) enjoyed life and amused himself. He moved from
summer to winter camp and vice versa, serene and happy, and took
permanent delight in beautiful women...
At every opportunity, he allowed his sublime25 thoughts to overflow
lavishly into the most just and charitable of good deeds, into the
eradication26 of injustice and enmity, into the development of cities and
districts, as well as into the construction of various buildings. He never
neglected any measure designed to strengthen the framework of peace,
and to lay the foundation of prosperity.
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (Persian History of Chinggis Khan) Doc 7
25
sublime: inspiring; magnificent; wonderful
26
eradicate: get rid of; exterminate
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1.According to this document, how did the Mongols rule their conquered territories?
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Persian History of Chinggis Khan, Juvaini, prior to his appoint as governor of
Baghdad in 1259 by the Mongols.
For they have divided all the people into companies of ten, appointing
one of the ten to be the commander of the nine others; while from
among each ten commanders one has been given the title of commander
of the hundred, all the hundred having been placed under his command.
And so it is with each thousand men and so also with each ten thousand,
over whom they have appointed a commander whom they call
commander of the men. In accordance with this arrangement, if in an
emergency any man or thing be required, they apply to the commanders
of the men; who in turn apply to the commanders of the thousands, and
so on down to the commanders of tens.
Throughout the length and breadth27 of the land they established yams
[rest stops], and made arrangements for the upkeep28 and expenses for
each yam, assigning a fixed number of men and beasts as well as food,
drink, and other necessities.
Name: __________________ Date: _______________ Period: ________
Mongol Documents HIPPO (Persian History of Chinggis Khan) Doc 8
27
breadth: width; extent; range
28
upkeep: maintenance; running
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1.According to this document, why should the Mongols be considered the greatest empire
(THREE reasons)?
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“Why the Mongols were the Greatest Empire in World History”
Business Insider, 2015.
In talking about Mongols, many have an outdated, often-racist picture of
some murderous "barbarians" who got lucky. Only in the recent times have
the historians unearthed some fascinating things about them and are giving
them their due respect.
The Mongols actually built a very professional force that was open-minded
and highly innovative. They were master engineers who used every
technology known to man, while their competitors were lazy and stubborn.
A lot of world's technology growth (including the spread of gunpowder,
paper, and the printing press to much of Europe) happened as a direct result
of their conquests. In short, they helped greatly shape the world we live in.
In their forces, a Christian, Muslim, Confucian, Buddhist all were treated the
same, and they were not stuck much in ideologies29.
They were extremely innovative and played on key weaknesses of the
opponents. They would bring European/Middle East trebuchets to fight the
Chinese, and to fight the Middle East they would bring the Chinese siege
crossbows and gunpowder. If they didn't get stone for trebuchets, they would
cut huge trees and soak the logs in water to act as rocks.
The other views of Mongols:
Genghis Khan brought the writing system to Mongolia that is still used
by many Mongolians. The Mongol empire spared teachers of taxation and led
to the great spread of printing all over East Asia. They also helped the rise of
an educated class in Korea.
Mongols built a spectacular international postal system through a big
chunk of Eurasia called the Yam (route) whose efficiency was not matched
for the next five centuries.
They started creating standardized bank notes and paper currencies
centuries before Europe created its own.
Under Mongols there was a fantastic “free trade area” that connected
most of the known world. Trade flourished30 as merchants traveled
29
ideology: belief system; idea
30
flourish: thrive; grow
without worrying about raids. Economy prospered. It is in this time that
Marco Polo and other Europeans could visit Asia.
In an era of religious fighting, the Mongols built a religious tolerance
that spanned31 almost all religions they knew—Islam, Christianity,
Buddhism, Confucianism.
Chinese sciences, astronomy, medicine, engineering, and mathematics
exploded in the Mongol era, as the Khans understood the value of
sciences. Some great scientists in this era include Guo
Shoujing and Zhu Shijie. Mongols also produced a highly accurate
calendar.
Art and theater flourished in the Yuan era of China. They introduced a
variety of European advancements in glass and musical instruments to
China.
Mongols had a constant thirst for knowledge and were very quick
learners. They also spread whatever they learned from various cultures.
This caused an explosion of ideas. Europe rose to its age of exploration
within a century of the contact with the Mongols.
Like all great empires of the world, they had a lot of blood on their hands.
However, their contributions to human existence through the explosion of
ideas in sciences, art, and trade have shaped our history more than any other
superpower.
31
span: cover; extend over
