the mongolian emperor GenghisKhan managed to build the greatest empire of all time, in terms of territorial extension. The vastness of its empire covered regions that stretched from China to Eastern Europe, passing through Persia and the Middle East. O Mongolian Empire, which lasted during the 13th century, subjected various peoples to its yoke, including Turks and Muslims. To do so, it was necessary to develop a sophisticated machineinwar.
To understand the war machine set up by Genghis Khan, it is necessary to know how Mongolian society itself was structured. The Mongols were fundamentally nomadic peoples, organized into clans, called ulus, and lived in tents, called gher. It is worth noting that the Mongolian empire, due to its nomadic character, did not have a sophisticated state organization. Furthermore, nomadism, unlike sedentary societies, favored the violent style of battle, with rapid advance, pillage, and devastation, that characterized the Mongolian war machine.
One of the essential components of nomadic life also formed the basis of the Mongolian warfare: the horse. In fact, the Mongols perfected a breed of “double pony” that measured about 1 meter and a foot in height and weighed approximately 300 kg. He was strong and tough enough to cover a distance of over 40 kilometers without getting tired. As the Mongol army did not have infantry, that is, it did not have a contingent of soldiers who fought on foot, the battle fought on horseback was the basis of its strategies.
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The structure of Genghis Khan's army was organized as follows: a dean headed ten knights; a centurion, in turn, headed ten decurias; a millenarian was in charge of leading ten centuries, and a captain finally commanded 10,000 men. This hierarchical structure, however, did not disenfranchise any combatant. All knights were distinguished for their feats in battle, and Emperor Genghis Khan appreciated each one's fidelity.
In addition, the horsemen also used two or three bows with three arrow bags, an ax and ropes to pull the vehicles that were hitched to the horses. The combatants' legs were covered, and there was also the use of helmets and leather breastplates, which gave a lot of mobility to mount the horse and shoot arrows in motion.
The Mongolian cavalry also obeyed a structure in three columns: on the left (join), on the right (baraghun) and to the center (qoel). This structure made possible greater control over the mobilization of the assault hordes against the adversaries. Genghis Khan also had an extensive espionage service and proposed reporting to warriors from the opposing army to provide information to aid the Mongolian strategic vision.
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
FERNANDES, Claudio. "The War Machine of Genghis Khan"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/a-maquina-guerra-gengis-khan.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
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