Genghis Khan and the Formation of the Modern World

Author: (USA) Jack Weatherford, Qinghai, Yao Jianren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Almost every aspect of our lives—borders, politics, technology, war, business, clothing, art, literature, language, and music—has left the mark of Genghis Khan and the empire he founded. This book recreates how an extraordinary figure in a remote corner of the world created his own empire, thereby unveiling the curtain of modern society. Genghis Khan was not, as Westerners once thought, a cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant. In fact, he was a visionary commander whose army brought advanced Eastern culture and technology into Europe, which was still in the Dark Ages, and awakened a global human awakening. Driven and stimulated by him, Europe began unprecedented technological, trade, and intellectual revolutions. As he climbed the pinnacle of power, Genghis Khan developed his own theories of war, creating revolutionary offensive tactics such as lightning war and encirclement warfare. He first crushed the resistance forces in East Asia, then struck the entire Islamic world from the rear, and finally, made Europe's outdated knightly phalanx helpless. Under his command, the Mongol Empire never once deployed a large-scale army of more than 100,000, yet in 25 years, it conquered more territory than the Roman Empire did in 400 years of warfare. The boundaries of his empire stretched from Siberia to India, from Vietnam to Hungary, and from the Korean Peninsula to the Balkan Peninsula. The Mongol Empire redrawn the world map, tightly linking previously isolated empires and establishing a new order for the arrival of the new world and the new era. The author tells us that the Mongols were not only excellent conquerors in war but also possessed a gift for adapting to progress and benevolent principles. Genghis Khan was an innovative leader who, in the cities and countries he conquered, placed the power of law above his own authority, encouraged religious freedom, established public schools, granted diplomatic exemptions, abolished torture, and promoted free trade. The trade routes he established were not only channels for promoting business development but also facilitated the exchange of ideas, technology, and professional knowledge, thereby changing people's lifestyles. Europeans called him the "Whip of the World," but he was truly the "King of Humanity." The world order changed because of him. Humanity's worldview was elevated because of him.
—The Washington Post
Rising from disaster to excellence, apart from Jesus, few could rival Genghis Khan in this regard.
—Harper's Magazine
Weatherford is a genius orator who successfully shaped the image of Genghis Khan from the depth of his understanding. Weatherford's account provides us with many little-known, heart-touching stories and insightful perspectives, both for and against.
—Publishers Weekly
Genghis Khan's achievements are a model for modern business success, as he effectively combined the pursuit of excellence with employee loyalty, earning the admiration of entrepreneurs and ordinary employees alike.
—The Washington Post
Genghis Khan and his descendants nearly united all of Asia, opening up transcontinental routes that facilitated contact between China and Persia, as well as between Christianity and the Far East. Marco Polo encountered Buddha, and Beijing had a Catholic archbishop.
—French oriental historian Paul Pelliot
Genghis Khan erased the boundaries along the Silk Road, leveled the fortresses that hindered economic and cultural exchange, and thus began frequent interactions and shortened distances between the East and the West.
—Renowned Yuan history expert Han Rulin
Because of the Mongols, humanity first acquired world history. The indomitable, fearless, and agile spirit of the Mongols shaped the great Genghis Khan. Seven hundred years before the internet emerged, the Mongols connected the relationships between countries and established a new international order.
—Former President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung
Almost every aspect of our lives—borders, politics, technology, war, business, clothing, art, literature, language, and music—has left the mark of Genghis Khan and the empire he founded. This book recreates how an extraordinary figure in a remote corner of the world created his own empire, thereby unveiling the curtain of modern society. Genghis Khan was not, as Westerners once thought, a cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant. In fact, he was a visionary commander whose army brought advanced Eastern culture and technology into Europe, which was still in the Dark Ages, and awakened a global human awakening. Driven and stimulated by him, Europe began unprecedented technological, trade, and intellectual revolutions. As he climbed the pinnacle of power, Genghis Khan developed his own theories of war, creating revolutionary offensive tactics such as lightning war and encirclement warfare. He first crushed the resistance forces in East Asia, then struck the entire Islamic world from the rear, and finally, made Europe's outdated knightly phalanx helpless. Under his command, the Mongol Empire never once deployed a large-scale army of more than 100,000, yet in 25 years, it conquered more territory than the Roman Empire did in 400 years of warfare. The boundaries of his empire stretched from Siberia to India, from Vietnam to Hungary, and from the Korean Peninsula to the Balkan Peninsula. The Mongol Empire redrawn the world map, tightly linking previously isolated empires and establishing a new order for the arrival of the new world and the new era. The author tells us that the Mongols were not only excellent conquerors in war but also possessed a gift for adapting to progress and benevolent principles. Genghis Khan was an innovative leader who, in the cities and countries he conquered, placed the power of law above his own authority, encouraged religious freedom, established public schools, granted diplomatic exemptions, abolished torture, and promoted free trade. The trade routes he established were not only channels for promoting business development but also facilitated the exchange of ideas, technology, and professional knowledge, thereby changing people's lifestyles.