China says Genghis Khan catalyst for Renaissance

Turkish Daily News ^ | Saturday, July 22, 2006 | Reuters

[SunkenCiv]

"Genghis Khan introduced papermaking and printing technologies to Europe and pioneered cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe," it quoted Zhu Yaoting, a specialist on Mongolian history at Beijing Union University, as saying. "He brought cultural progress that helped liberate the Europeans from the bondage of theology -- in this sense, his expeditions served as a catalyst for the Renaissance," he said. Genghis Khan's expeditions to Europe also reopened the Silk Road and laid the path for Marco Polo's historic trip to China. "The expedition revived the ancient trade link and made economic and cultural exchanges possible again between the isolated civilizations," said Chen Yuning, a professor at Ningxia University.

[SunkenCiv]

Heh... and don't forget, Aristotle stole all his ideas from the Great Library of Alexandria...

[Mike Darancette]

I would say the Plague was more important as it virtually destroyed the Feudal System.

[PzLdr]

The plague may haver gotten to Europe as the result of Mongol catapaults used in an attack against a Genoese trading city in the Crimea. [The Mongols had a secret alliance going back to the 1220s with the Venetians].

[Mike Darancette]

The plague may haver gotten to Europe as the result of Mongol catapaults used in an attack against a Genoese trading city in the Crimea.

For sure the plague originated in Asia.

[Little Ray]

Actually, I think that was pretty much the way business was done in that era...

[ZULU]

I didn't read the whole article and I have no idea what kind of blather this Commie had to say about Genghis Khan.

As a matter of fact, the great Khan was extremely tolerant in the field of theology. Clergymen of various faiths were welcomed in his camp although he was an Animist personally.

He did develope a healthy hatred for Muslims after some of them had the stupidity to nail a couple of his emissaries to the wall of their city.

Genghis' response is one the west should probably consider emulating.

There were no further incidents in his lifetime from the Muslims against Mongol emissaries.

A good lesson taught reaps benefits for the future.

[ZULU]

If Genghis ran for President he'd get my vote.

As a war leader he had no equal.

[ZULU]

I'm one of them, thank you. Perhaps you should read of his exploits. They might surprise you.

Some of his descendents actually proposed an alliance with the western Christians against Islam.

We should have taken them up on it.

[ZULU]

Not for nothing was he called Genghis Khan.

I like your post and totally concur.

He was a great man.

[socal_parrot]

Translation...

White folk have never had an original thought in thier life.

[SunkenCiv]

I have.

[PzLdr]

Actually, he did. The greatest General in history: Subodai Bahadur.

[ZULU]

I think Subodai was a great general also, but why do you think Subodai was greater than Genghis?

Can the apprentice be greater than the master?

[PzLdr]

If you study Temujin's campaigns in North China, and during the period he unified the tribes before that, they're pretty straight up, strategically. True, he attacked the Jin by attacking from the West, after conquering Hsia Hsia, but he tended to keep the Army under his control.

With Khwaresm, all that changed. the Mongols attacked in multiple columns from several different directions; culminating in Chinnghis' column, with which Subodai rode as a sort of Chief of Staff, appearing in the rear of the entire Khwaresm Army. That plan had Subodai's fingerprints all over it.So does the pursuit of the Khwaresm Shah, and Mongol operations in the Caucasus and southern Kievan Russia culminating in the battle of the Khalka River in 1223. He may have learned some of that from Jebe Noyon, with whom he had been partnered since at least the Chin casmpaign, but none of it had appeared in Chinnghis' earlier campaigns.

Consider the final phase of the Mongol invasion of the West, which began in 1236, and ended with the withdrawal of 1242. Subodal attacked Eastern Europe with four columns on a front of at least five hundred [probably more] miles. Two had to cross the Carpathians in winter, attacking fortifications as they went. One column of two TUMENS attacked the entire area of Poland. The fourth stormed through the Balkans. Three of the four rendezvoused, as per the plan near Buda and Pest by the date specified. The fourth column was less than a week late. After a feigned retreat, the Mongols destroyed 70% of the Hungarian Army pursuing them [Mohi], using detached columns to do so. They had already destroyed the military capability of Poland, and forced Bohemia out of the fight. By the following Spring [1242], Subodai had taken Buda, Pest and the rest of Hungary, were raiding Vienna, and had a column working its way into northeastern Italy. Another column was pursuing Bela IV down the eastern coast of the Adriatic.I consider it history's greatest campaign.

Chinnghis Quan created the Army Subodai [and others] put to such good use. He organized it, equipped it, and gave it purpose. He used it to create the Mongol state. He was a good commander. But he was no Subodai.

[SunkenCiv]

[Rebelbase]

“Didn’t the mongolian nobles become assimlated?”

I think the last of them died out as rulers of northern India principalities in the early 18th century.