Is Genghis Khan the Panacea for the Modern World?

Genghis Khan poses a quandary among those who aspire to be better and admire those who do. Most people are familiar with the name; he has the brand recognition of the Prophet Mohammed, the Beatles, or Buddha. In the popular, collective consciousness, he was a ruthless, barbarian, who marched his Mongolian hordes across Asia and Europe, bringing devastation wherever he went. Anyone familiar with Medieval history knows this to be a crude and inaccurate assessment. In reality, the Great Khan was a remarkable individual in possession of many admirable qualities. From a simple background, Temüjin Borjigin, as he known in his youth, rose circuitously along a difficult path to become the Khan of his tribe. From there, he united all the Mongolians. Not content to only rule the nomadic people of the Eurasian steppe, he ventured on campaigns of conquest, his empire eventually stretching from Korea to Hungary.

Like many other great figures of the past, we can only speculate about how he looked.

None of this was easy of course. Temunjin always had to contend with the threat of other Mongol tribes. He faced danger when rescuing his abducted wife, and his Mongol rivals did not yield easily. Almost every conquest proved a lesson, to which he had to adapt. Rival clans had larger numbers and fearsome warriors; neighbouring kingdoms had fortresses, strategic locations, and different weapons. Genghis Khan, however, learned his lessons well. He adopted techniques and technology from vanquished peoples, and he sought out useful craftsmen and scholars. He slaughtered the aristocrats of conquered lands to prevent uprisings, and he grouped soldiers together in a mix of nationalities to create a more cohesive army. Adapting to war in new lands resulted in technology and military tactics. He was as great an innovator as any, and he did it all on his own initiative from the unlikely position of an ordinary Medieval man.
 

His legacy is enormous. His empire bridged Asia and Europe, creating unprecedented amounts of trade. Mongol ideas of a religious tolerance and meritocracy may well have influenced the formation of the modern world. The Renaissance was somewhat inspired by Chinese art, as the Mongol Empire brought cultures closer together. His broad kingdom and the trading networks within it brought forth new technology, constituent parts coming together to fashion era-defining novelties such as the canon and the printing press.

Genghis Khan casts a long shadow over the centuries.

World history would surely have been very different if Genghis Khan had not lived his extraordinary life. However, before we laud him with awe-struck praise, we might well reflect on the pain and terror he rained upon countless people. His achievements all came with devastation and murder, and the modern world he helped create saw no less violence than the past. Some highly influential autocrats are rightful villains in our eyes; Hitler and Pol Pot generally do not receive praise. Yet they also were innovative and emerged from modest backgrounds, facts we avoid considering for too long lest we forget they were monstrous men. Others, such as Alexander the Great and Marcus Aurelius, are very rarely questioned about the violence and destruction that they sanctioned. In some circles, the latter is treated like an unimpeachable, stoical sage. Are such favourable assessments aided by the amnesia of time, which affects our judgement? Or perhaps it is just absurd to continue taking offence to crimes committed in antiquity? Were we victims of Genghis Khan's enterprise, might we wish to bear witness through the centuries to the crimes of a monster who destroyed our lives?  And does ingenuity or great achievement ever really mitigate murder?

These questions I cannot easily answer, and I have no convictions about how best to characterise Genghis Khan. However, I am certain about one thing after some research on the great Mongolian leader: things were better in the past. When you peruse the rich tapestry of bygone eras, you cannot help but be struck by the fact that people talked actually to each other. Unlike nowadays, where everybody has their head in their phone, you were able to have a conversation without being interrupted by a ping from the little glowing box in your pocket. No less astonishing is that children played outside. And in Genghis Khan's time, we all ate real food and didn't need pills to be happy. We didn't argue all the time, and you could say what you wanted without fear of someone getting offended.

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