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More reviews by Peter Gordon
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection by John Man
The West has more than its share of outsized historical figures, from Alexander to Napoleon; Asian history can seem somewhat impoverished as a result.
JACK WEATHERFORD and JOHN MAN have found in Genghis Khan a hero to balance the historical record, either in pure machismo (JOHN MAN reports a study showing that 16 million males in Eurasia share genetic material from a single progenitor of the 12th century), or in his effect on the technology, culture and geopolitics of the modern world.
JACK WEATHERFORD sees the Mongols as the precursors of modern economic globalization: "The Mongols displayed a devoutly and persistently internationalist zeal in their political, economic, and intellectual endeavors. They sought not merely to conquer the world but to institute a global order based on free trade, a single international law, and a universal alphabet." These efforts included universal paper money, primary school education and a unified calendar.
The modern borders of China (most controversially, the inclusion of Tibet, the North, West and Mongolian areas) owe, it would appear, rather more to Genghis Khan and his descendants, than to any native Chinese dynasty. Mongol conquests in Central Asia and Persia broke the political and cultural dominance of Arab elites, allowing the flourishing of native dynasties. "Seemingly every aspect of European life -- technology, warfare, clothing, commerce, food, art, literature, and music -- changed during the Renaissance as a result of the Mongol influence."
Even the exclamation "hurray" (says JACK WEATHERFORD) is derived from Mongolian.
Neither author glosses over the destruction wrought by the Mongols, nor Genghis Khan's ruthlessness, although some of the worst tales and statistics seem to have been exaggerated and deliberately allowed to circulate: anti-Mongol propaganda served to terrify their opponents.
Genghis Khan himself comes across as a remarkable man, raised in abject poverty by a strong-willed mother, killing his half-brother, and rising to become not just a conqueror but also an able and farsighted administrator, certainly in comparison with either Alexander or Napoleon. As multinational empires go, the Mongol one lasted rather longer than most.
Of the two, Weatherford's is the better book, solidly researched and analytical as well as a rollicking good read. JOHN MAN is more interested in the man himself and his personal legacy, which leads him into a certain degree of speculation. JOHN MAN notes, however, the ironic reincarnation of Genghis as a Chinese emperor: Because Genghis Khan founded a Chinese dynasty, "looking at things from south of the Gobi, Genghis Khan was actually Chinese."
A secondary story in both books is the resurrection of the Mongolian state after several centuries of Chinese imperial suzerainty, followed by decades of Soviet overlordship, and Genghis Khan's place in its founding myth: Mongolia is independent for first time in several hundred years. This is interesting, but something of a specialized story whose larger significance is still unclear: except of course that Mongolians now have control of their history, a history which has been covered and distorted for hundreds of years for political reasons.
Both books offer fascinating looks at an extraordinary man and his times. JACK WEATHERFORD's is the better history, while JOHN MAN's is a more personal quest (and thus more interesting if you like stories of jeeps getting in the mud and chats with the locals). Both more than touch on the beguiling document known as The Secret History of the Mongols (which only survived in a transliteration in Chinese characters) and the ongoing mystery of the Genghis Khan's final resting place.
But the most intriguing element of the story is how 'modern' it all seems: tolerance in matters of religion (many high-ranking Mongols had Christian backgrounds while Buddhists, Muslims and animists mingled freely); the emphasis on high-speed communications, globalized trade, international standards and education; and a pragmatic attitude to technology, new ideas and people (Genghis Khan ran a meritocracy, promoting shepherds to be generals).
Genghis Khan's legacy has been appropriated or suppressed by the empires and superpowers on either side of his homeland; now that Mongolia is independent, it will be interesting to see whether his legacy becomes one of Asian unity or division.
Peter Gordon
26/04/2004
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Peter Gordon is editor of The Asian Review of Books. |
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