Posted on 03/27/2005 1:16:52 PM PST by Destro
CHRISTIANS AMONG MONGOL INVADERS
Seven hundred years ago, Japan faced the threat of imminent invasion by the Mongol, hordes of Kublai Khan. The entire nation was in a state of alarm and many Japanese felt there was no alternative but to surrender to the invaders . This was to be the most serious threat of aggression from abroad that Japan was to experience until World War II of the twentieth century. This attempted invasion of Japan by Mongol Invaders occurred in 1274 and again in 1281.
The nomadic Mongol people, originated in the steppe lands, north of China, now called Mongolia; and by the first half of the| 13th century, they had already conquered China, all of Central Asia, Southern Russia, and a good deal of the Middle East. Their armies had penetrated into Europe, as far as Silesia, and through Hungary to the Adriatic Sea.
By 1259, Korea had been completely subjugated, and the last resistance in China had been crushed by 1276. In the East only Japan stood free of their rule. Kublai Khan sent emissaries to the Islands to demand the complete capitulation of the country to the Mongol Emperor.
In those days, which were called the Kamakura period, the emperor was no more than a figurehead, a Great High Priest of the nation, and the representative on earth of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. Actual administrative power was in the hands of the military regime at Kamakura, 300 miles away.
When the emissaries of the great Khan arrived at the Imperial Court in Kyoto, the terrified courtiers were ready to surrender. But the government of warriors at Kamakura, headed by Hojo Tokimune the Regent, flatly refused, and just to make their stand unmistakably clear, they beheaded five of the emissaries. To this day, the tombs of these emissaries may be seen at Taki-no Kuchi, in Kamakura. It is believed one of the emissaries was a Christian of the Luminous Religion. Also possible is the fact that he may have been of Middle Eastern origin. Naturally such a grave affront to the great Kublai Khan could not go unpunished, so in 1274, a strong Mongol force was assembled in Korea and set forth to conquer Japan. At first a few small islands were seized, and a landing was made at Hakata Bay near the modern city of Fukuoka in Northern Kyushu. But before any decisive battle could be fought, the Mongols decided to withdraw their fleet to the Continent, because of the threat of storms and the generally inclement weather prevailing at the time. That they would return was a foregone conclusion; but when, that was something else again. In the ensuing years, the Kamakura regime brought warriors from the western part of the country to stand guard in Northern Kyushu, and it was these men who constructed a great wall around Hakata Bay, hoping to impede the advance of the famed Mongol cavalry when the next invasion which was sure to come, began.
Sure enough, in 1281, the Mongols tried again, this time in a great joint fleet of Korean and Chinese warships. Once more a landing was made at Hakata, but this time, the invading forces numbered more than 150,000 men, the greatest overseas expedition the world had ever seen up to that time.
In large scale cavalry tactics, there was no equal to the famed Mongols. No one in the world could match their skill as warriors: they were the invincibles. With superior weapons at their disposal, such as gun powder bombs, masses of men who were ready to die for the cause, and an able officer cadet for leadership, they were unconquerable. Japan was easily expected to capitulate to this scourge of the world.
Against this overwhelming force, the Japanese could muster but a handful of warriors, who were accustomed only to a single combat. However, the great wall of Hakata did slow the Mongo advance, and the outnumbered Japanese attacked the Mongol fleet in the narrow waters of Hakata Bay again and again with their smaller but more mobile boats.
Added to this, a typhoon descended upon the fleet, destroying all the ships before the men and material could be deposited on the shore. So, the invasion came to a disastrous halt for the first time in history. The Mongols had failed to conquer. The Japanese believed that the typhoon was Kamikaze, "the divine wind" which protected the land of the gods (Japan) from foreign invaders. That there had been quite a few Christians among the Mongol soldiers, is seen in the many iron helmets, found on the battlefield after the war, that had the mark of the cross engraved on them. This again indicates the existence of Christian communities in China, at least some three hundred years before the Franciscan missionaries reached the Orient.
The flaw in the logic is that a cross on a helpmet does not a Christian make.
Christian: One who believes in and follows Christ Jesus. And as such, by default one who is Born Again (John 3:3) Reaches out to all with the Gospel (Mark 16:15) And believes with all his or ehr hearth that Jesus is God and spreads the word of Christianity and salvation only through Christ (Romans 10:8,9&10)
Therefore, a Christian would be at odds, not alliiegence with the mongul hordes.
What you wrote is based on your ideology and interpretation of what it means to be a Christian and is not a historical analysis worthy of discussion. Lastly, you are not an arbiter of what a Christian is or who is a Christian and thus your point is doubly moot.
Amen brother. The world has it own ideas of what a Christian is, but the Bible states what a true Christian is.
History reveals that the Mongols were not particularly (Eastern) Orthodox Christian just because it was alleged to be favourable to (Eastern) Orthodox members. It reveals that they are ecumenical as far as faith is concerned - Mongols adopted whatever religion their conquered land is - so for example in Yuan dynasty areas (China) they became Sinicized, in Central Asia they become - to the horrors of many here no doubt - Muslims - the Mughul Empire of India later on was Islamic yes, but bear in mind also that it was Mongol in ethnicity. In fact as the Yuan dynasty received the first ever official papal emissary to China from Rome later on, and as far as Christendom is concerned the Mongols are equal opportunity promoters.
Lastly I will write to you what I wrote to the other poster: What you wrote is based on your ideology and interpretation of what it means to be a Christian and is not a historical analysis worthy of discussion. Lastly, you are not an arbiter of what a Christian is or who is a Christian and thus your point is doubly moot.
Well, they were conquered Christians. Were they necessarily from China? Could they have not been from India, the nations which are now the "Stans" or Russia?
The Japanese were victims of foreign aggression in World War II?
As a thank you the Mameluks wiped out the Crusader states and many Chirstian populations.
Screw off - the presence of Christianity in is a well established fact but since the Mongols kept no written record we don't know many details. You and your knowledge base is what needs to get out of the trashcan. Go read a history book or something.
What does "at present" have to do with the situation in 1259 AD? You are irrational and divorced from facts and ability to analyze them. Leave this ost to peole who know how to think.
Play nice. Here's something I posted 2-3 years ago.
Christian Designs Found In Tomb Stones Of Eastern Han Dynasty
"When studying a batch of stone carvings of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.) stored and exhibited in the Museum of Xuzhou Han Stone Carvings, Christian theology professor Wang Weifan was greatly surprised by some stone engravings demonstrating the Bible stories and designs of early Christian times."
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