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]

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[SunkenCiv]

One for the lovers of Marxist revisionism -- should make their heads explode.

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[FormerACLUmember]

Yeah, mass murdering terrorism is always an impetus for art, science, and culture.

/sarcasm

[pipecorp]

don't forget , he invented the telephone and the modern toaster.

[johnny7]

Yeah... and Hitler spurred our space program.

[nathanbedford]

"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,"

Maybe this regurgitator of the marxist line against religion ought to reflect that it is too bad a little bondage of Christianity and charity did not rub off on this mass murderer whose huge empire disintegrated after his death and left small legacy except perhaps where it was ultimately co-opted in China.

[GSlob]

"don't forget , he invented the telephone and the modern toaster."
Nah. It was AlGore.

[pipecorp]

i thought he invented the internet and the manzier

[GSlob]

he invented the stone ax, the wheel, bow and arrows, spear tip, flint and tinder fire ignition, indoor plumbing and toilet paper, zoos and circuses and god knows what else. And telephone is surely the part of the list.

[pipecorp]

well that's why i didn't vote for him... all those murders caused by indiscriminate firestarting...it's his fault.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

But now you've done it! The Genghis-worshippers will descend in a whirlwind of hooves...

[labette]

But didn't he have the ears of the people wherever he traveled?

[SunkenCiv]

[rimshot!]

[Fiddlstix]

[rimshot!]

Okay
Here's one for ya...

Rim Shot

Click the Pic J

[Bernard Marx]

don't forget , he invented the telephone and the modern toaster.

Much more important for modern thinkers were the Pill and Viagra.

[John Will]

Didn't the mongolian nobles become assimlated?

[PzLdr]

Actually, the Mongols practiced freedom of religion long before the West did. It was enshrined in the Yasa [Jasagh], Chinnghis Quan's Law Code, and enforced by the Mongol Army [although he wasn't real fond of Muslims].

The argument can be made that Chinnghis Quan and the Mongols are responsible for the European Age of Discovery.With the Pax Mongolica that lasted through the reign of four Qa Quans [Chinnghis, Ugeddai, Guyuk and Mongke], Europe had access to the Silk Road and all the goods of the East they desired, plus access to Eastern technology. And the entire Silk Road was secure and safe.

With the internal wars that developed after Mongke Qa Quan's death on campaign in China, on the one hand between his brother Hulegu's Il Khanate of Persia and the Golden Horde under Berke Quan; and the other between his other two brothers, Qublai and Arik Boka over the succession, that ready access was cut off, but not the desire for the goods Europeans had grown to require, and desire. The Age of Exploration was the result of that rupture.

By the bye, while Chinnghis, Uggedai, Guyuk and Mongke were pagans, Hulegu and Qublai were Buddhists, Berke was a Muslim, Hulegu's wife and one of Qublai's were Nestorian Christians. And Chinnghis' Empire , in areas, survived his death by three hundred years.

[PzLdr]

Where his army traveled. In potato sacks.

[Graymatter]

What happened in the 1200's was a catalyst of the Renaissance? Okaaaaay.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, I needed that.