There are hardly any documents on the Mongol Empire because they didn't have their own written language. The only found documents we have gives us a little bit of idea of how the Mongol culture may have been. These documents tell us about one relationship that the Mongol people did practice, which was known as anda. Anda was a close relationship between two men, and we learn a little about this practice from one of the major literary Mongol work, The Secret History of the Mongols. One quote found in the book says that when two men become anda their lives become one and they will always look out for one another. This friendship is close in resemblance to marriage in a religious manner. The Catholic religion considered a married couple one body, bound by their love and promises to one another. Anda is similar except it is between two men. The two men will even sleep together under the same blanket and grant one another gifts that have special personal value.
The first documents also touch base with the views of a newly proclaimed Khan, and his stresses and struggles. The documents show proof of great pride in the position and that the leader strives to do their best. After committing two mistakes, he is constantly putting himself down, feeling that he could had avoided them from happening. Another interesting thing found in the documents is the fact that Ogodei Khan is affected by others opinions of him.
The next document we get to look at is a letter from Chinggis Khan to a Chinese Daoist master named Changchun. These documents show the thoughts and the values of the emperor of the Mongols. He is stated to always be in the front of his army, to eat the same food, and wears the same basic clothes, he does not like change, and values those with great skills and considers them his close brothers. The people he rules over he considers his children, which is pretty nice to have a ruler who thinks that of the people he looks over. He sends a letter to this Daoist because he is looking for someone who is worthy to work close with him. He had heard of Changchun and was hoping he would join him by journeying a long journey to Chinggis Khan. According to the intro before the document, Changchun eventually does journey from China to Chinggis Khan and doesn't return back to china until almost a year later.
The Next Documents show us the Russian views of the Mongols. They actually use several different names to describe Mongols. First they call them Tartars, which are foreigners with countless numbers. Their countless numbers is compared to locusts. They came to Russian demanding one-tenth of everything, but the Russian obvious refuse to do so without a fight. So in effect they are later described as godless because of the complete brutality and destruction they cause on the Russian people. They burn down their houses and churches. They kill men, women, children, priests, nuns, everyone, all in different and various ways. The Mongols are seen as horrible, heartless people who think of nothing of themselves and taking everything for themselves.
The last document explains how the Chinese people thought negatively of the Mongols but others thought positively because the Mongols actually may have improved some China's way of governing. Many people feared the Mongols but the Mongols promised to protect the hard working people and told them not to keep their doors shut during the day. So in some ways the Mongols would favors to those who they found useful.
In my opinion, it sounds like the Mongol empire and ruler was pretty self centered. He took whatever he wanted however he wanted to take it, even if it meant killing many, and he only would benefit those who he personally found useful (oh wait this last part sounds familiar...). I really do believe that this group of people who brutal and they were brought up to be this way, were strength and power was their greatest value. This maybe why Chinggis Khan needed Changchun because of his lack of values, such as education and truth. Because of their existence, adjacent regions had a reason to fear for their lives because at any day the Mongol army could come and complete destroy them. They destroyed the peace and the only way to avoid this was to join them. I'm sure if more documents survived that describe other countries thoughts of the Mongols, they would say similar things that the Russians had written.
by Andrew Murillo
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