Historian Rashid Al-Din

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Historian Rashid al-Din I, Rashid al-Din, historian, state: 1. I am a historian who has been requested by Mahmud Ghazan to study Mongol history from the reign of Genghis Khan through his death. 2. Ghazan Khan told me that I was to record a history of the Mongols. In its’ first volume, I wrote an account, later titled Jami’ al tavarikh, of Mongol rulers, starting with the reign of Genghis Khan. 3. Genghis Khan led the Mongols to being an assertive and powerful force that unified Eurasia. Despite the destruction that occurred during the process, in order to accurately describe his deeds, one must look at what he created. 4. Genghis Khan and the Mongols formed the largest empire in history, nearly unifying the entire Eurasian continent. For example, after the fall of the Tang Dynasty, China split up into separate kingdoms, the Qin and the Song. One of Genghis Khan’s grandchildren, Khubilai Khan followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and politically and administratively unified these kingdoms back together. 5. In addition, the conquests transformed warfare, using terror tactics in order to maintain the authority over conquered individuals. The Mongol army is considered to be the first “modern army,” meaning that it was based on a rational structure and promotion was dependant on their quality of work. Also, they Mongols were much more knowledgeable about the place they conquered than the people living there themselves. 6. The army used their resources well; they were powerful with the horse and bow, they used forests as hideouts, and they developed a guns and cannons. Craftsmen were skilled in building machines from their local resources. 7. As they continued to expand, they spread technologies such as paper, gunpowder, paper money, and the compass. These technological advancements spread through long-distance trade, establishing an empire that grew stronger
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