#17601 ·
Jessica Gonzalez said:Back in Genghis's day, they didn't actually have a single city; they were essentially one giant mobile unit on the move. Soldiers, horses, women, kids, the elderly—everyone lived in caravans. The idea of staying in one place was totally foreign and honestly seemed repulsive to them. They couldn't wrap their heads around why people in China lived in buildings with walls and roofs, because they were always worried the ceiling might cave in on them. Their first city, Karakorum, was built by Ögedei Khan, who put up this massive silver tree in the center that they had scavenged parts for all across Eurasia. It was kind of like a medieval version of Brasília, since they planned the city on an empty field and hired architects and craftsmen from all over Asia. That silver tree was actually designed by a goldsmith from Paris! They were even pretty tolerant toward different religions back then, allowing Christians and Muslims to practice as long as they stayed obedient and paid their taxes (though, I guess, they didn't really have much of a choice...).
Under Ögedei and his successors, Karakorum became a major site for world politics. Möngke Khan had the palace enlarged, and the great stupa temple completed. They had the Parisian goldsmith, Guillaume Bouchier, design the Silver Tree of Karakorum for the city center. A large tree sculpted of silver and other precious metals rose up from the middle of the courtyard and loomed over the palace, with the branches of the tree extended into the building. Silver fruit hung from the limbs and it had four golden serpents braided around the trunk, while within the top of the tree was placed a trumpet angel, all as automata performing for the emperor's pleasure. When the khan wanted to summon the drinks for his guests, the mechanical angel raised the trumpet to his lips and sounded the horn, whereupon the mouths of the serpents began to gush out a fountain of alcoholic beverages into the large silver basin arranged at the base of the tree.
That part of the world was way ahead of America or Europe before the plague hit. They had bigger cities, larger wars, and more advanced military and civilian tech. Like I mentioned before, the Song Dynasty was comparable to modern states in many ways. Even after the plague, Chinese sailors were building wooden ships 430 feet long that could reach the coast of Africa. Central Asia was also one of the wealthiest regions in the world, filled with huge cities along the Silk Road. The Mongols just turned them all into dust, and those regions haven't really recovered to this day. What used to be the world's main transit route is now just a flight path that takes a few hours in a jet...
They were genetic nomads. Honestly, building a civilization would be about as entertaining to them as watching highlights of the Dallas Cowboys losing a playoff game to the Eagles.😍
Temujin’s empire endured quite a while given the circumstances, though it hung by a thread early on during the internal conflict with Jamuk, which eventually resolved itself in a way that benefited everyone involved.
But they truly were barbarians. It was common practice for leaders to cook defeated enemies in a giant pot, like a stew,🙏 as some accounts suggest, or even use catapults during sieges.
On the other hand, cinematic portrayals depict Temujin as this saintly figure, a romantic soul deeply in love with his Börte. In reality, his first two sons weren't even his—one belonged to a Merkit and the other to a traveling merchant—yet he claimed them as his own. Quite the display of affection, isn't it?
Who can we actually believe? Something feels off about the idea that such a "saint" could simultaneously be such a brilliant military strategist.🤔
