Sam Jones

Time Traveler Persuasive Essay

December 9, 2010

Honors Lit- Period 1

The Greatest Empire

Swords clash and the cries of men ring out as they receive devastating wounds. Suddenly,

from across the battlefield, hundreds of cavalry rush into the fight. The cavalry is made up of

superior horsemen, whose aim with a bow is deadly accurate. These were the Mongols, and to

their enemies they were ruthless and cruel. However, this is not how the Mongols ran their great

empire. The Mongolian empire would be a perfect one to visit, as it was an empire of protection,

diversity and generosity- all great qualities of an empire.

The Mongols protected their large empire well. When the skilled Mongolian army was

not attacking other civilizations, the soldiers were used to guard the empire and trade routes,

such as the Silk Road. One traveler on the Mongolian trade routes remarked that, “they are so

well protected, a woman could walk alone with a bag of gold and never fear attack” (Bergreen

28). These trade routes were used by not only merchants and traders, but also missionaries, who

brought ideas and religions to the empire, adding to the already culturally rich Mongols.

The Mongols conquered almost all of Central Asia, and with it, they inherited the cultures

of the people living there. While many other conquering armies would rid captured lands of their

religions and customs, the Mongols did not. Instead, they encouraged the practice of conquered

people’s culture, and even added some of those customs to their own. The Mongols also

supported religious tolerance, and they promoted Islam, Buddhism, and many other religions that

were common in Central Asia. This diversity of religions and customs helped to strengthen

relations with culture and empires outside of Central Asia, including Persia. However, the

Mongols did more for their followers than just giving them freedom of religion.

Until the thirteenth century, Mongolian leaders did little for their empire. This changed,

though, when Kublai Khan came to power in 1251 A.D. The emperor treated his subjects well,

and was very generous to the poor. He sold or even gave grain and bread to needy people,

sometime enough to sustain them for a year. In addition, Kublai Khan distributed warm clothes

to those who could not make or buy their own, to combat the below freezing temperatures of the

Eurasian Steppes. Despite this obvious selflessness, many people believe the Mongols were little

more than barbarian, who only killed and conquered.

A general perception of the Mongols is of bloodthirsty nomads who enjoyed violence.

However, this view is incorrect. The Mongols did conquer, but they killed only enough to gain a

reputation, and appear vicious, because it helped prevent the enemy from attacking. They often

would spare the best workers, and bring them back to the empire. The Mongols were only

“barbarians” on raids, but otherwise they were generous people who cared for the empire.

The true Mongolian empire would have been a great one to visit, as it was far from the

widely accepted idea of murderous conquerors. Mongols worked to protect their people and

interests, and to help their empire grow. They were very generous people, caring for the needy

and poor, which insured that no Mongols were third class. However, this is often over looked. If

it was not, the word “Mongol” would have a different connotation than the violent, aggressive

interpretation it holds today.