Nomadic warriors, sophisticated weaponry, and brutal tactics: this moderately sums up what the Mongol Empire is widely known for. Their reputation as merciless fighters – who ravaged Muslim lands, levelling entire cities and leaving nothing but death and destruction in their wake – perhaps makes their later conversion to Islam appear somewhat surprising.
Nomadic Conquerors
Genghiz Khan, son of a Mongol chieftain, was unstoppable even at a young age. He laid the foundations of the largest contiguous empire in history by defeating influential Mongol leaders and uniting the nomadic tribes of north east Asia. Not only did he conquer vast territory, but he also proved to be one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.
Though their reputation implies a sort of unchecked barbarism, the Mongol warriors were true geniuses when it came to military strategy. This was a key factor in their success in conquering vast lands, including the Muslim empires of the day.
The Mongols moved through the Muslim world, destroying numerous cities in their wake and dismantling four prominent Muslim dynasties in just forty years: the Khwarazmshahs, the Seljuqs, the Ayyubids, and the Abbasids. The Mongol forays into Muslim territory began with the initial campaigns of Genghis Khan and his sons in north eastern Iran between 1219 and 1222, when they reduced many of the most prosperous cities of the region to complete ruins.
While some cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand were granted terms that allowed urban life to continue, others including Merv and Nishapur, were not so fortunate. In Balkh in northern Afghanistan, as elsewhere, Genghis Khan commanded that the population, both men and women, should be put to the sword.
Juvayni, later a court historian for the Mongols, reported that it took survivors thirteen days and nights to count all of the corpses following the fall of Merv; they reportedly numbered 1.3 million, though this number may be inflated. According to David Morgan, Mongol actions in Central Asia were “an attempted genocide.
