Genghis Khan and Mongol Rule (Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World) [Hardcover]

George Lane (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313325286 | ISBN-13: 978-0313325281 | Publication Date: September 30, 2004

The legacy of the Mongols has often been associated with their contributions to the arts of warfare and annals of horror. A more realistic association would be their contribution to international trade and cultural exchange. Spawning an empire ranging from Persia to China, Genghis Khan united a nomadic warrior culture that had lived with their agrarian neighbors through controlled and limited extortion. It was a society whose leaders waged successful war and increased the tribe's prosperity. But the Mongols also understood it would serve their purposes to maintain commerce and agriculture, and to cultivate the arts in order that the luxuries they coveted would be all the more readily available. It was to this end that, after the first decades of destruction and rampage, the Mongols' policy changed to one of cooption and governance. The Mongols became effective cultural brokers as they forced, urged, bribed and coerced the movement of artists and artisans, scientists and scholars around their empire. Thematic chapters provide an accessible overview of the Steppe people from which Genghis Khan emerged, and chronicle his ascent as the Great Khan, as he subdued enemies and then conquered lands to the east and west. Following are excellent overviews of the founding and cementing of Mongol rule in China--the Yuan Dynasty--and Persia, centered in Iran. A concluding chapter provides a fresh perspective of the Mongol empire and makes clear the relevance of this vast and influential period to the contemporary world. Useful endmatter for students and researchers includes sixteen biographical sketches of figures ranging from Yuan Dynasty founder Qubilai Khan to famed Italian merchant and traveler Marco Polo. A score of annotated primary documents provide immediate access to the issues of the period through the eyes of the people living through them. Five maps, an annotated timeline, a glossary and annotated bibliography and several illustrations round out this engaging and valuable resource.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up - Lane argues convincingly that the Mongols were not necessarily the destructive barbarians of popular history, but rather an empire that encouraged cultural achievement, international trade, and even religious tolerance. Particularly intriguing is the chapter in which the author draws parallels between the U.S. response to 9/11 and the response of Mongol ruler Hülegü Khan to the Assassins (properly known as Isma'ilis) and his subsequent overthrow of the Caliph of Baghdad. In Crusades, Nicholson discusses the many different types of crusades, including not only the expeditions to the Holy Land, but also those against heretics and pagans in Europe; the "reconquest" of Spain from the Muslims; and crusades against the Turks in the Balkans. She also discusses the different schools of thought among historians as to how to define crusades and why medieval Christians went on them. Her analysis focuses on European views of the crusades, in contrast with Amin Maalouf's The Crusades through Arab Eyes(Knopf, 1989). These books are fairly detailed and academic and would be most suitable for students doing advanced-placement history classes. The appended biographies and glossary are well done, but even more useful are the relevant primary documents conveniently included in each volume. - Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
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Review

“Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students.”–Choice

“[E]xamines the war legacy of the Mongols to history and their contributions to international trade and cultural exchange a less stated facet of their history.”–MBR Internet Bookwatch

“Lane argues convincingly that the Mongols were not necessarily the destructive barbarians of popular history, but rather an empire that encouraged cultural achievement, international trade, and even religious tolerance. Particularly intriguing is the chapter in which the author draws parallels between the U.S. response to 9/11 and the response of Mongol ruler Hulegu Khan to the Assassins (properly known as Isma'ilis) and his subsequent overthrow of the Caliph of Baghdad....[w]ould be most suitable for students doing advanced-placement history classes. The appended biographies and glossary are well done, but even more useful are the relevant primary documents conveniently included.”–School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313325286
• ISBN-13: 978-0313325281
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,724,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reading, January 12, 2005

By 

Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Genghis Khan and Mongol Rule (Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World) (Hardcover)

I had went to the library to find the book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford, after hearing about it on NPR. That book was checked out, but this one caught my eye, so I took this book instead. I enjoyed this book; it is fairly easy college-level reading. The book covers the life of Genghis Khan and his family, from one generation before him to 4 generations after him. In this time, the Mongols conquered the Eurasian landmass from Korea to the Baltic states. The book highlights the major battles of course, and also goes in depth to show how Mongol rule affected the local cultures and peoples, and vice versa.

The book includes reprints of primary documents (translated to English of course), provides a short biography of all the major Mongols, and is replete with references to other works. The book also does a good job in explaining how the same person / tribe / or place could go by different names, or several different spellings of the same name.

In all, I recommend this book.