In the hinterland of Asia, where vast grasslands and boundless deserts are distributed, there lives a great nation – the Mongolian people. The ethnic group on horseback originally resided in the upper reaches of the Erguna River, but later migrated westward to the vast grasslands at the source of the Tula River, Krulun River, and Ordos River. They have been thriving here for many centuries, riding horses, singing pastoral songs, driving herds, chasing water and grass, integrating into the earth and the sky like a dome, and living a nomadic life of unity between heaven and man. The footsteps of history are often unexpected. In the first half of the 13th century AD, a whirlwind suddenly swept across the vast grasslands, sweeping across most of the Eurasian continent. A grassland nomadic empire that shocked the world, leaping out of the horizon of history with a majestic posture. The founder of this nomadic regime was Genghis Khan, known as the proud emperor of his generation.
Gandeli Grassland, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Every morning, with the rising sun, an ancient, mysterious, and melodious sound always echoes from the Gandeli grassland. This sound has been heard here for more than 700 years, and with this ancient sound, the Dalhut people’s daily work begins. The meaning of Darhute in Mongolian is a person who bears a sacred mission, which has been passed down from generation to generation. For over 700 years, the Darhute people have never stopped guarding the spiritual tent of Genghis Khan, the ancestor of the Mongols.
Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum Guardians: Genghis Khan’s two great generals, one is Borshu and the other is Muhuali. Before Genghis Khan passed away, they were given peace of mind. After I passed away, you will guard my coffin. The descendants of the two great generals have been passed down from generation to generation, and they are the tribes guarding the spirits, which are the Dahute people. That’s how it has been passed down for over 780 years.
The Darhute people bear the sacred responsibility of guarding, worshipping, and managing the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan. They are worshippers and also the voice transmitters of Genghis Khan. For a long time, the sacred lamp worshipped by the Darhute people has never been extinguished.
Genghis Khan Mausoleum, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan enshrines the coffins of Genghis Khan and his four wives, as well as the saddles, bows and arrows, holy milk barrels, historical records, and reincarnated white divine horses used by Genghis Khan during his lifetime. Due to the prevalence of secret burial among the Mongolian people, no one knows where Genghis Khan was buried. This tomb of Genghis Khan has long been a holy site for Mongolian worship. Nearly a million people come here every year to worship, and this place also attracts millions of tourists to visit and admire.
The Long Scroll Series of Mongolian History Oil Painting Genghis Khan Mausoleum
In the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, there is a collection of the world’s longest oil painting. This oil painting was created by more than twenty painters over a year. The oil painting is 206 meters long and 2.5 meters high, depicting the glorious life of Genghis Khan from birth to death. Before welcoming tourists every day, the tour guide here will stroll through the 206 meter oil painting, carefully admiring it and experiencing the history it tells. This is a tradition of Chengling for many years. The legend of Genghis Khan will always be an endless story to be told on this grassland. In 1162 AD, Tiemuzhen was born on the banks of the Wonan River. According to the Secret History of Mongolia, when Tiemuzhen was born, he tightly grasped a black clot in his hand. This coagulation from the mother’s body seems to announce the birth of a hero who is about to conquer the world. World history will change with this baby. Temujin’s carefree childhood was too brief, and an unfair fate pushed this child into the harsh winter of life early on.
Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hongjila Province
At the age of 9, Temujin’s father also took him to the Hongjila tribe, which was rich in beautiful women, and arranged a marriage for him. His fianc é e was named Boerte, and Temujin stayed at his father-in-law’s house. Unfortunately, on his way back home, Temujin was poisoned to death by his arch nemesis, the Tatar people. Yisu should have been the leader of the Mongolian Qiyan tribe, but the tribe abandoned orphans and widows. The Temuzhen family struggled on the brink of death, but with the efforts of their mother He’elun, this family was able to survive tenaciously. According to the Secret History of Mongolia, in order to support five children, He’elun ran back and forth by the river every day, searching for food and picking up small fruits to satisfy his hunger. To support his family, Temujin used sharpened animal bones as sharp tools to make wooden arrows and capture rodents on the grasslands. Even for the sake of a little food, Temujin actually killed his half brother – Buick Tyler.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: This also created a personality of Genghis Khan in a very harsh living environment, which is his cold and ruthless personality. This is really impossible. At that time, it was survival of the fittest. If you were weak, you would be eliminated by the strong enemy. Only by showing more coldness than the enemy can you become a king.
The hatred on the grassland is passed down from generation to generation, and retribution never stops. As the eldest son of the leader of the Mongolian Qiyan tribe, Temuzhen is the heir of the tribal leader. The hostile tribes of the Qiyan tribe are worried that Temuzhen may seek revenge after inheriting the tribal leader in the future. They never let go of this grassland chick. Not long after Temuzhen’s father passed away, the hostile Taichiwu clan found Temuzhen on the grassland and arrested him. It seems to be the common fate of great people to come to their rescue from strangers in moments of life and death. With the help of the people in Suoerhanla, Temujin escaped pursuit and returned to his mother’s side.
At the age of 16, Temujin finally married his long lost fianc é e Boer. However, another enemy of the Mongolian grasslands, the contemptuous Erqi tribe, quickly took Temujin’s wife away. The Miser Beggar was not just satisfied with taking away the bride, they wanted the life of Temujin. They organized a team to search day and night, and Temujin was hiding in the Buerhan Mountains. He prayed to the mountain god for three days and three nights, hoping that Changshengtian and the deities of Buerhan would bless him, and that this grassland chick would not prematurely fold its wings in the blue sky.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Buerhan Mountain often played an important role in the growth of Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongol Empire, as it is located at the source of the Three Rivers, the birthplace of Mongolia. Mongolians usually rely on the power of Changshengtian when talking, and it is Changshengtian who blesses them.
Erihe and Mubatu Mongolian Homai Inheritors
Erri and Mubatu are the inheritors of the ancient Mongolian singing technique of Homai, while Alatanzana is the inheritor of the Mongolian long tune. The two are both performance partners and Mongolian Anda. Anda is an ancient ritual of sworn brotherhood in Mongolia. The most well-known pair of Anda on the grassland are Temuzhen and Zamuhe. The legendary story of Temujin and Zamu merging on the grassland is sung by Eri, Mubatu, and Alatanzana. When Temujin and Zamuhe first became sworn brothers in Anda, Temujin was only eleven years old and was still a child of the Zadalan tribe. After Tie Muzhen’s wife, Bo’er Tie, was taken away by a beggar named Mi Er, Tie Muzhen sought help from his childhood friend An Da and Zha Muhe. Zha Muhe readily agreed to Tie Muzhen’s request. At this time, Zha Muhe was no longer the same as before. He had grown into a grassland hero and became the leader of the Zha Dalan tribe in Mongolia. Under his banner, a large number of followers were gathered, but relying solely on the power of Zamuhe did not have an absolute advantage. Temujin also sought help from his adoptive father, Wang Han, the leader of the Kree tribe. Tiemuzhen, Zamuhe, and Wang Hanhe fought together, crossing mountains and mountains, and defeated the beggars. Tiemuzhen avenged himself as he wished and took back his wife. From then on, Tie Muzhen, Zhamuhe, and Wang Han truly became the three giants of the grassland. Temujin completely broke free from his childhood of running around and began to grow stronger. Although he was attached to Zamuhe and nomadic at this time, he accumulated energy, searched for opportunities, and strengthened his strength in it. The once grassland chick has grown up and longed to soar above the grassland, searching for a broader sky. He yearns to gallop on this vast grassland.
Professor Zhang Fan from the Department of History at Peking University: At that time, the grassland was in a very chaotic and turbulent situation, with many large tribal groups. Within this tribal group, there were also many tribes, and there were many small clans. They were in a relatively chaotic state. In this state, Mongolia was not one of these tribes that was very powerful. However, later on, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, he developed and grew stronger, gradually completing the unification of the grassland from a tribal group.
The Long Scroll Series of Mongolian History Oil Painting Genghis Khan Mausoleum
This series of oil paintings on the long scroll of Mongolian history is the treasure of the Chengling Mongolian Historical and Cultural Museum. Vividly depicting all the battles that Genghis Khan went through throughout his life, from conquering the grasslands to embarking on a westward expedition, Genghis Khan dominated the world and shook all directions. One of the battles was the scene where Genghis Khan was defeated, which was the Battle of the Thirteen Wings. As Temujin’s power grew, Zamuhe began to be wary of him. There were constant disagreements between the two, and Temujin had to break away from Zamuhe. From then on, the sworn brothers broke up and began to compete for dominance on the grassland. One mountain cannot tolerate two tigers, and the war achieved two heroes on the grassland and a pair of sworn enemies. In 1190 AD, Temujin and Zamuhe fought on the banks of the Krulun River, and Zamuhe gathered a force of 130000 troops to attack Temujin. Temujin also divided his 30000 soldiers into 13 wings to face Zamuhe, a war known as the Battle of 13 Wings. As a result, Temujin was defeated. Zamuhe chopped off the head of the captured leader, tied it to his ponytail as an insult, and cooked the captive in a large pot. This action ruined his future, and people’s fear of him increased. They all went to Temujin to support this young leader.
Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Krulun River
The Krulun River originates from the Mongolian Plateau and flows through the Hulunbuir grassland. It is a winding and winding river that once connected the three major grasslands of Tiemuzhen, Zhamuhe, and Wanghan together. Temujin once suffered a disastrous defeat here to Zamuhe. Thirteen years later, another event recorded in Mongolian history occurred downstream of this river. The protagonists of this incident were replaced by Temujin and Wang Han. In 1203 AD, Wang Han lured Tie Muzhen to come and discuss marriage, and then launched a sudden attack on him, causing Tie Muzhen to suffer a great defeat. Hastily fled to the bank of the Banjuni River, and Temujin looked around. Only 19 people followed him and shouted out who would help him complete his great cause. The 19 people all pledged to follow him to the death in unison. Temujin was deeply moved and ordered them to drink the turbid river water together. He raised his hand and swore to heaven that whoever drank this water with me would be my use. Temujin’s oath deeply moved 19 generals, and this is the Banjuni River Oath recorded in the history of the Mongol Empire. Later, all 19 generals became the founding heroes of the Mongol Empire. In the autumn of the same year, Temujin, who had regained his morale, launched a surprise attack on Wang Han, turning the tide and completely eliminating the powerful Kelei tribe. Wang Han was killed while fleeing.
Professor Zhang Fan from the Department of History at Peking University: He is a leader of a group, so when faced with setbacks, he can give everyone encouragement and boost their cohesion, enhance this cohesion, and exert this cohesion. This is mainly a manifestation of this aspect, which is also an essential quality for a leader.
Starting from the rupture with Zhamuhe, in the following twenty years, Tiemuzhen took the step of unifying the various tribes on the grassland. In 1190, he was defeated in the Battle of Thirteen Wings, and in 1200 and 1201, he united with Wang Han to defeat the enemy tribal coalition twice. Tiemuzhen tended to attack and annihilate the four tribes of Tatar, completely occupying the Hulunbuir grassland. In the autumn of 1202, he defeated the remnants of the coalition forces such as Wuyila, Taichiwu, and Tata. Zhamuhe led his troops to surrender to Wang Han, defeated Wang Han in 1203, and eliminated the Kelei tribe. In 1204, he was defeated by the barbarians, and in the same year, he defeated his archenemy Mierqi. The remnants, soon after, Wang Gu’s troops also returned to him. At this point, the strong forces were basically flattened by Tiemuzhen, and Tiemuzhen became the strongest ruler on the grasslands of northern desert.
Mongolian Khmer Inheritor: The heavens say, we must protect all the animals in the world; The heavens say, we must protect all life in the world; The heavens say, we must protect all the rivers in the world.
Now, the only opponent on the grassland is Temujin’s Anda – Zamuhe. After several battles, Zamuhe suffered a disastrous defeat and fled to the Naiman tribe. In 1204, Temujin attacked and destroyed the Naiman tribe. One day, Zamuhe was offered to Temujin by his subordinates. Temujin valued loyalty above all else and sincerely urged him to reconcile. Zamuhe was deeply moved by this former young companion, but he only wanted to die, hoping to execute himself in a noble way. Zamuhe swore that if Temujin buried his bones in a high place, his spirit in heaven would protect Temujin. Family.
Mongolian Khmer Inheritor: The horse on its back ruled the world. Our ancestor Genghis Khan, bless our descendants. Your voice and story are sung all over the world and will forever echo in people’s ears.
In the spring of 1206 AD, the most solemn moment in the history of the Mongolian people finally arrived. Tiemuzhen convened the Hulitai Conference at the source of the upper reaches of the Wonan River and officially ascended to the throne of the Great Khan. The country he established was then known as the Yike Mongol Wulusi, also known as the Great Mongol State. Tiemuzhen was revered as Genghis Khan, which became the most important day for the Mongolian people. Every spring, the Chagan Suluk Spring Festival is held at the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, which is the largest and most solemn annual sacrificial activity of the Mongolian people. The ancient sacrificial ceremony has been passed down since the 13th century, and on this day, thousands of people… Mongolian people come here from all over the world to pay tribute to their ancestors.
Liu Xiao from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: For centuries, we have known that various tribes on the Mongolian grasslands have been in constant conflict. The emergence of Genghis Khan put an end to the centuries long war and turmoil on the Mongolian grasslands. The rise of the Mongolian Empire and the true Khan of Tiemu opened up a new chapter in Mongolian history. From then on, various tribes with significant differences in language, race, and even economic and cultural aspects on the grasslands combined to form a community, and the Mongolian people were born.
However, the establishment of the Great Mongol Empire was only the first step for Genghis Khan to achieve his great cause in his heart. To establish a truly powerful super empire, Genghis Khan still has a lot to do next.
Inner Mongolia Museum, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
This is the Inner Mongolia Museum located in the center of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The museum houses a large collection of cultural relics from the Mongolian and Yuan dynasties. There are also a few cultural relics related to Genghis Khan that are one of the few in the country.
Inner Mongolia Museum – Yu Baodong: Here we see the tripartite copper seal of the Yuan Dynasty, with two thousand household seals and one hundred household seal. In fact, this thousand households is a big concept, some may be less than a thousand households, while others may be several thousand households. These thousand households organize their families into one, which is actually a military and political system. During peacetime wars, these people ride horses, prepare weapons, rations, and horses at home, and go on expeditions. They usually graze. What is his greatest significance? The loose organization in the past made him concentrate all at once. So he strengthened his combat effectiveness.
Qincha Qinjun Qianhusuo Copper Seal Inner Mongolia Museum
After the establishment of the thousand household system, Genghis Khan appointed Muhua Liming as the left hand ten thousand households, Borshu as the right hand ten thousand households, Gangya A as the central army ten thousand households, and Huoerchi as ten thousand households. Unlike the thousand household chief, the ten thousand household chief was the military commander without administrative power. Genghis Khan also established a guard army system, known as the “cowardly Xue” in Mongolian. After the establishment of the Mongol Empire, he expanded the guard army to ten thousand, with night shifts for the night guards, day shifts for rocket launchers, and scattered shifts, each divided into four teams, rotating for three days and nights, collectively known as the “four cowardly Xue”. Bo Erhu, Bo Ershu, Mu Huali, and Chi Laowen were appointed as the four cowardly Xue Changs.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The system of the Guard Army is a very important manifestation of Genghis Khan’s strengthening of central khanate power. At the same time, the timid Xue group where the guard army was located also formed the core content of the ruling system of the Mongol Empire and even the Yuan Dynasty in the future. He separated one or two of these functions and expanded them to become the government of the Mongol Empire. For example, Zhaluhuchi was also a function of the cowardly Xue. By separating it and expanding it, it became a system of officials known as the Great Duanshi, which was common among the first four khans during the Mongol period.
Hesaer Ancient City Site, Erguna City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
This is the ruins of Hesaer Ancient City located on the east bank of the Erguna River in the Hulunbuir Grassland. According to historians, this is the former capital of Zhuochihesar, the second brother of Genghis Khan, also known as the Heishantou Ancient City Ruins. The current ruins of Hesaer Ancient City have gone through nearly 800 years of wind, frost, snow, and rain, leaving only a circle of three to four meter high city wall remnants standing firmly on the vast grasslands. After unifying the Mongolian Plateau, Genghis Khan divided his subordinates among his relatives and designated land boundaries for his sons and younger brothers. Hesaer, Hechiwen, and Tiemuguowuchijin, whose fiefdoms are located in the eastern part of Mongolia, are known as the kings of the Eastern Dao. Shu Chi, Chagatai, and Wokuotai, whose fiefdoms are located in the west, are known as the kings of the Western Dao. According to the tradition of Mongolian children inheriting property, the young son Tore stayed in Mongolia and inherited the vast majority of the people and army of Genghis Khan. With his hegemony completed, peace finally arrived on the Mongolian grasslands. Genghis Khan, who could have sat on his throne, was not satisfied with it. He is now beginning to search for new enemies, he wants to expand his territory, he wants to soar high to the Eurasian land, gather wealth for his golden family, and a war accompanied by blood and fire, which shocked the world, is about to begin.
Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Liu Xiao: Previously, nomadic peoples had this kind of tension that erupted outward. The reason is also very simple. There is a huge difference between agricultural peoples and nomadic peoples. Our agricultural peoples say that our people rely on nature for a living, but in reality, the benefits we obtain through agriculture are guaranteed. However, grasslands are not like this. Grasslands are greatly affected by the natural environment. If there is a big storm and all the cow heads die, then they have no food to eat. They can only survive by plundering outward. In the future, this natural law will settle down and become a primitive driving force for their outward expansion.
The first conquest chosen by Genghis Khan was the Western Xia Kingdom. In 1205, 1207, and 1209 AD, Genghis Khan launched three consecutive military campaigns against Western Xia. In the third attack, the main force of Western Xia was defeated, and many cities were captured. At this time, the monarchy of the Western Xia Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, was helpless due to its declining national strength and chaotic political situation. The Mongolian army finally surrounded the capital city of Western Xia, Zhongxing Prefecture (now Yinchuan, Ningxia), and irrigated the city with the Yellow River water. The King of Western Xia surrendered, offered his daughter for peace, submitted to Mongolia, and guaranteed to pay tribute every year. Genghis Khan plundered the first fruits of war from the outside world.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: There are both accidental and inevitable factors in choosing Western Xia. The accidental factor was that when he unified the various tribes of Mongolia, an enemy named Sangkun ran to the Western Xia. So he will inevitably pursue his enemy and demand this fugitive from Western Xia. Of course, Western Xia did not agree. The second one is that the Western Xia was considered a relatively weak country among the neighboring countries after the unification of the Mongolian Plateau.
Mongolia and Western Xia were once vassals of the Jin Dynasty. Genghis Khan’s ancestors were killed by the Jin people, so they had an irreconcilable feud with the Jin Dynasty. Genghis Khan never forgot his deep blood feud with his ancestors. Therefore, after conquering Western Xia, Genghis Khan relieved his worries about the future of the Jin Dynasty. So, the expedition against the Jin Dynasty began. In the spring of 1211 AD, Genghis Khan personally led a large army from the Krulun River basin, heading south towards the Jin Dynasty, opening the prelude to the Jin War. In 1214 AD, the Jin Dynasty surrounded Zhongdu (Beijing), and Emperor Xuanzong surrendered, offering gold and a princess to Genghis Khan. The Mongol Jin peace treaty was reached, and Genghis Khan retreated. Later, Emperor Xuanzong moved the capital to Bianliang. Genghis Khan once again launched an attack on Zhongdu, but Zhongdu fell. In 1234 AD, the Jin Dynasty was defeated by the northern and southern pincers of Mongolia and the Southern Song Dynasty. In 1219 AD, Genghis Khan was already in his prime. In his late sixties, he worked hard to bring peace and prosperity to the Mongolian Plateau, but he wanted to possess more wealth and set his sights on the Khwarazm of the Muslim world in Central Asia. In order to negotiate a trade agreement and formally establish commercial relations, Genghis Khan sent a special envoy to Khwarazzm. King Mahamo reluctantly agreed, and Genghis Khan then sent a caravan and delegation to go. However, when the caravan entered the city of Erdra, the arrogant and greedy garrison took the goods and killed the Mongolian merchants and their attendants. The news quickly spread back to the Mongolian Khanate, and Genghis Khan was shocked. He immediately sent envoys to negotiate, but Mahamo not only did not punish his subordinates, but also accused Genghis Khan of being the most disrespectful and even killed some envoys. Angry, Genghis Khan once again climbed to the top of Mount Buerhan and prayed for three days and three nights. He said he was not the creator of this dispute and requested that God grant him the power of revenge. He then descended the mountain and prepared for war. In the spring of 1220 AD, Genghis Khan’s army crossed the Ar Mount Taishan Mountains, crossed the desert, made its way up the mountain and across the water arch bridge, and suddenly appeared in the depth of the enemy’s defense line at an astonishing speed. At the end of the year 1220, Genghis Khan’s iron cavalry swept across the entire territory of Khwarazm Empire, looting, killing, and destroying. The Mongols completely destroyed the new empire Khwarazm. After the elimination of Khwarazm, the Mongolian army was unable to stop. It continued to expand its war, and continued to fight in new areas. The war was called Mongolia’s first western expedition in history.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The foundation of the Mongol Empire was established through conquest and slaughter. Genghis Khan’s Annals mention that he destroyed the country for forty years. He established a huge empire on the ruins of many countries after a brutal war, with the premise of causing casualties and war damage. Of course, after his unification, he broke down the barriers between the East and the West.
Genghis Khan created a mythological history and left many speculations for future generations. They quickly rose from the East and swept away towards the West, shocking the world. A painter in Europe who witnessed Genghis Khan’s expedition with his own eyes painted the scene at that time.
Iron Horse Golden Tent Group Carving of Genghis Khan Mausoleum
Based on this oil painting, the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan recreated the grand scene of Genghis Khan’s expedition, and created magnificent sculptures of iron horses and golden tents. According to records, during Genghis Khan’s westward expedition, he often launched surprise attacks on enemies with astonishing speed and endurance, thus achieving victory. He relied on the Mongolian horse, which is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. The Mongolian horse is a typical grassland horse breed that is durable, fearless of cold, and has extremely strong vitality. It can survive in harsh and harsh conditions. Riding Mongolian horses in grassland areas, it can travel 50 to 100 kilometers per day and advance continuously for more than ten days. After being trained, the Mongolian horse is not surprising on the battlefield and is incredibly brave, always a good military horse.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The success of the Western Expedition was primarily due to the superior military skills of Genghis Khan and the mobility of Mongolian cavalry. The emergence of Mongolian cavalry caused great panic in the Western world, especially during the second Western Expedition, which did not have a significant deterrent effect as he had not yet invaded Europe. There have been several times in Europe where a sudden ethnic group from the East oppressed them, and they had no understanding of their history. They all believed it was a punishment from God.
Mongolian Yuan Cultural City Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Hundreds of years ago, the descendants of Genghis Khan used this way to feel the majestic wind of their ancestors’ expedition to the west. In the Gobi, 300 kilometers away from the Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum Tourist Area, people there remembered their ancestors’ glorious history in another way. This is the Mongolian Yuan Culture City located in Toke Banner, Ordos. Local people combined archaeological materials and built it one-to-one according to the scale of the capital city of the Mongolian Empire at that time, Hala and Lincheng. Not only did it restore some important buildings in the cities of Hara and Lin at that time, but it also reproduced the siege equipment and tanks used by Genghis Khan during his western expedition. These tanks were built in a one-to-one ratio to ancient tanks. Starting from the attack on Western Xia, Genghis Khan discovered that Han craftsmen were familiar with how to manufacture siege weapons, which could use large amounts of stones from afar to destroy cities. Therefore, Genghis Khan formed a special branch of the military – the Artillery Artillery Team. The craftsmen ensured that the weapons of the Mongolian army remained at the world level.
Museum of Mongolian History and Culture with Continuous Crossbow
Excellent military horses, special siege equipment, and advanced weapons made Genghis Khan’s iron cavalry invincible. However, in order to conquer the Eurasian continent on a long journey, Genghis Khan and his Mongol army needed other secret weapons. After entering July, the rainfall on the grassland increases and the water and grass are abundant, which is the most beautiful time of the year on the grassland. Every autumn, Badamagaribu would come to his aunt’s house in Xinbaoli Gesumu to help her prepare food for the winter. Autumn is the best season for making milk skins and dried milk, when the milk skins are thicker. To make dried milk, it is usually cut into pieces using ponytails or fine thread, and placed on a wooden board to air dry for a few days.
Madama Garib: This dairy product is a specialty food of our Mongolian people. When we drink milk tea every morning, we eat this dried milk and milk skin, which are the best foods for our bodies. They can detoxify and detoxify. Dried beef is the best food for wintering on the grassland. The material chosen for air dried beef is carefully selected yellow beef. First, cut the large pieces of beef into small pieces, then remove the fascia and use a blade to make large and long strips. Hang the sliced strips in a ventilated area inside the house and air dry them for about ten days. The prepared air dried meat has a long shelf life, is easy to store, and has high calories, and is known as Genghis Khan’s marching grain. During Genghis Khan’s expedition to the West, in order to gather supplies for the army, he dried beef and ate it. This not only made it easy to pick up, but also preserved the various nutrients contained in the beef. The Mongolian iron cavalry, with strong and resolute armor, swept across Europe and Asia. Its strong combat power and endurance are due to its good logistical support. Mongolian specialty foods such as milk skin and dried beef played an indispensable role in the victory of the war.
Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Liu Xiao: Genghis Khan was indeed a military commander with great talent and strategy, not the kind of reckless hero we usually think of, who only knew how to bow and shoot large eagles. In every battle, he will use many of his unique military skills, be good at assessing the situation, have courage, talent, and strategy.
During the Western Expedition, Genghis Khan was already over sixty years old. He knew very well that he could not live forever, and he had to prepare for the transfer of power in the empire. He had to choose a great Khan among his sons to manage this huge empire. Therefore, Genghis Khan held the Hulitai Conference, where his son Chagatai once again questioned his eldest son Shu Chi’s biological father and insulted him as a bastard who despised children and begged people. When the two fought, Genghis Khan was in great pain and warned them that you all came from the same mother’s womb. That was enough, and he asked them to take care of their mother’s love. Finally, Chagatai proposed to grant the right of succession to the throne to Oguotai. Helplessly, Shu Chi had to agree. In order to prevent future generations from competing for the throne, Genghis Khan also formulated many specific legal provisions. Starting from 1202 AD, Genghis Khan began to formulate the Zasa, also known as the decree. With the establishment of the Great Mongol Empire, Zhasa gradually evolved from the command of Genghis Khan to an insurmountable rule.
Liu Xiao, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In fact, during the Yuan Dynasty, every new emperor ascended to the throne with someone dedicated to reciting the Great Zhasa, in order to establish his position as the legitimate successor to Genghis Khan. The ideology of Dazasa had a significant impact on the governance policies of the Yuan Dynasty and even the inland Eurasian countries after its downfall.
Genghis Khan and his Mongol Empire created a miracle in world history. Over the past twenty years, the Mongolian army conquered more land and people than the ancient Romans did over four hundred years. The three westward expeditions of the Mongol Empire were inevitably accompanied by bloody storms, bringing heavy disasters to the areas they passed through. But he changed the political landscape of the Eurasian continent, opened up the long Eurasian transportation line, promoted economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West, and had a significant impact on the development of world history. The Mongolian Plateau has been admired by the whole world for a long time, with the eagle spreading its wings and soaring above it. In July of 1227 AD, Genghis Khan, the previous hero of the desert grassland, suddenly passed away.
In ancient Chinese history, the Mongolian Plateau has always been the heartland of nomadic dynasties. Here, powerful nomadic empires or alliances such as the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Rouran, Turks, and Uyghurs have emerged. They have faced off and clashed with the central dynasties in the southern agricultural areas, as well as influenced and frequently interacted with each other, forming an inseparable part of Chinese history through close political, economic, and cultural connections.
The Great Mongol Empire established by Genghis Khan put an end to the long-standing disputes on this land, promoted the integration of various tribal communities in the north, and nurtured the birth of the Mongolian nation.
The dawn slowly opened, and the sun rose from the grassland. Another peaceful morning fell, and the melodious sound of white conches arrived as scheduled. Jiren Bayar and his tribal companions began a new day, cleaning, offering incense, praising, and worshipping. From the past to the present, from the present to the future, this place will always be a holy land in the hearts of the Mongolian people.
90 Seconds in History: Battle of Xiangyang
In January 1273 AD, the Yuan army had besieged Xiangyang City for a full five years. This sturdy military fortress had caused great suffering for the Yuan army and greatly delayed their military plan to continue southward and eliminate the Song army. Xiangyang City, with the Han River as the natural moat on both sides in the northeast and the Xiang Mountain as the defense in the southwest, had a tall city wall and a wide moat, known as the Iron Defeated Xiangyang. Together with the Fan City on the opposite bank of the Han River, it formed an important defense line for the Southern Song Dynasty to block the Yuan army’s southward movement – Xiangfan. In order to quickly open the southward passage, the Yuan army built castles, trained naval forces, and cleared peripheral strongholds one by one. Finally, the water communication between Xiang and Fan was cut off, and Xiangyang City was tightly surrounded. As the war was raging, a huge and magical weapon was pulled onto the battlefield. It was the large catapult and cannon made by Kublai Khan’s two Hui craftsmen, In January of the tenth year of the Zhiyuan era (1273 AD), under the fierce attack of the Huihui Cannon, Fancheng fell. In February, the defending general of Xiangyang, Lv Wenhuan, surrendered. In the Battle of Xiangyang, the Yuan army was victorious, and a large catapult launched a Huihui Cannon, hence the name Xiangyang Cannon.
