The Elements That Made the Mongolian Empire Outstanding

By Luca Crema Black

Overview of the Mongolian Empire

Before we look at the elements that made up the Mongol Empire, let’s overview it. The Mongol Empire existed from 1206 to 1368 (162 years). Keep in mind this is a relatively short time frame considering how much land the Mongol Empire amassed and how influential they were. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire and second largest country in history. First was the British Empire, which existed from 1583 to 1997 (414 years). The Mongol Empire was founded and led by Genghis Khan who united, through warfare, the tribes of Mongolia. A series of military campaigns followed, which allowed him to conquer such a vast territory.

Egalitarian Ideology

Genghis Khan ruled the Mongol Empire with egalitarian principles. He promoted soldiers purely based on merit and distributed the spoils of war. This created an equal ground for soldiers of any level to improve, which led to a disciplined and encouraged military. Ultimately, this meant a more skilled fleet of cavalry.

Mongolian Culture

The Mongols are famous for their tradition of training warriors from childhood. Children were taught a variety of athletic pursuits and competed in horse racing, wrestling, archery, and hunting. The Mongols were taught horseback riding and archery at such a young age that they grew up masters of horseback archery.

Military Intelligence and Tactics

The Mongols were prepared before engaging in battle. Spies gathered powerful intelligence. This was commonly the enemy location, fighting force, and possible dissenters. The Mongols used extremely effective tactics. A common formation was the “tulughma”, which involved heavy cavalry in the frontlines and light cavalry encircling the enemy. Ambushes were very common. They were especially effective as the Mongol Cavalry were extremely fast and were great at surprising the enemy. Another common maneuver was moving in with a small force and retreating. Once the enemy went after the small force, they moved in with a larger force.

Ruthless Discipline and Terror

A Mongol cavalry unit required immense communication and discipline to be properly utilized. Genghis Khan prioritized discipline and organization. Soldiers or Commanders who disobeyed orders were severely punished. This could include the death penalty. Genghis Khan was even more ruthless with the civilizations he opposed. He would often massacre a captured city to lower the morale of other cities and to make them surrender to the Mongols.

Adoption of Enemy Technologies

Although Mongolia is located on the Asian Steppe, the Mongols became excellent at siege and naval warfare. This was not needed when Genghis Khan united Mongolia, as the cities were not well defended. However, when the Mongols invaded China and Persia, they needed new military technologies to siege the massive cities surrounded by fortified walls.