Genghis Khan with his horde "walked" throughout Asia and part of Europe, capturing vast territories and killing many people. No army could resist the army of the Tatar-Mongols. Historians have estimated that at the end of their conquest, one tenth of the world's population was destroyed.
Success in the campaigns was carried out thanks to an effective and brutal army. Mongol warriors could not be weak in any form. Life inside the horde required the abandonment of basic amenities and forced to commit terrible things.
Even on our site there is an article about the most cruel rulers in history, in which, of course, there was a place for Genghis Khan.
So, we present 10 amazing facts from the life of the inhabitants of the Mongol horde
10
Mongols refused to wash clothes
During the reign of Genghis Khan, it was believed that water pollution could cause the wrath of the dragons that controlled this element. The Mongols believed that by staining water with clothes, they would cause the wrath of the gods, and they would send a storm at them, destroying houses and settlements. For this reason, nothing was washed or washed in the Golden Horde.
It was strictly forbidden to wash clothes or swim in the rivers. Most of the population did not consider it necessary to even change clothes. From time to time they took off their outer clothing, knocked lice out of it, and then put it back on. Every day, year after year, the Mongols wore the same outfit, until he literally fell into disrepair, decaying on the body.
They refused to wash the dishes - the plates were rinsed with the broth left after cooking the food. After such a “wash”, the broth merged into a vat, in which new dishes were prepared.
The warriors smelled terribly, but were proud of it. It was believed that the stench exudes strength and power. If a khan granted a man his cloak, the latter rejoiced not only at the opportunity to put on a new thing, but also at the fact that he became the owner of the smell of the great khan.
9
Riding lessons from three years old
After the first steps of the child, he began to learn to ride a horse. In any family, regardless of wealth, there should have been a horse. Horse riding was practiced even among shepherds. In order to have good rider skills from a young age, the Mongols began teaching children from the age of three.
For safe learning, the child sat in a special saddle, which did not allow him to fall and cripple. In the early education of children riding, the whole meaning of the existence of the people was hidden. It also created a certain image for them - the European peoples, who were attacked by the horde, passed word of mouth that even Mongolian girls excel men from Europe in the skills of riders.
After the child could stay in the saddle, they handed him a bow and arrows, and began training in shooting. These two skills were considered no less important than walking, since for most of their lives the Mongols either roamed on horses or conquered new territories.
By the way, at TheBiggest.ru you can find out about the largest horse breeds in the world.
8
The Mongols drank horse blood, making holes in the veins on their neck
Genghis Khan's riders could ride about 130 kilometers per day. At that time, these were distances beyond the control of other nations. To maintain a high pace and not be distracted by halts, the Mongols refused to eat on the road.
Overcoming great distances, they laid raw meat on horses' croup. Some historians believe that by doing this they achieved the softness of the meat, which allows it to be eaten without losing time on cooking. Other scientists put forward the theory that meat was intended for medicinal purposes - it accelerated the healing of ulcers in horses that could appear during long transitions.
According to the famous traveler Marco Polo, the army of the Khan moved non-stop up to ten days, allowing himself only short stops for making a fire. If they were tormented by thirst, they quenched it with the blood of horses, which they drank by making holes in the necks of animals.
The horses also provided them with alcohol. Whenever possible, the Mongols preferred to ride on mares to milk them during short rests. Under the scorching sun, milk began to ferment, turning into a drink that preceded the modern liquor.
7
Mongols ripped animals into the chest for further cutting
The people of Genghis Khan practically did not consume vegetables. During the campaigns, they could eat plants found along the way, or take the supplies of the conquered army, however, the greatest delicacy for the Mongols was milk and meat.
Their diet was fundamentally different from the vegan diet, and cooking can not be called kosher. The animal intended for slaughter was connected, after which the chest was ripped open with a knife. The heart of cattle was squeezed to fill the arteries with blood.
For cooking, absolutely all the insides were used - they were cooked in a vat or roasted on a spit. All the blood went to cook the sausage. Most often, lamb or horse meat was eaten. The latter were cautious for the preparation of festive dishes at victorious feasts. One of the travelers who visited Mongolia claimed that everything was eaten, down to the placenta.
6
Mongol men could have about 30 wives
Relations outside of marriage were strictly punished in the khan state. If a man was caught with a married woman, he could lose his lips, which were simply cut off. Death was punishable by men who were caught with a married woman during sex. If the Mongol was caught with an unmarried virgin, both were subject to death.
However, a man could marry an unlimited number of times, it all depended on his desire, or rather on the ability to support women. For each wife, a dowry should be paid and taken to a separate tent, where they could retire. Some warriors married up to thirty times, and the number of wives of khans was hundreds. Women simply took it for granted. Often after a joint night with one of the wives, the Mongol gathered everyone else, and they drank together.
5
The youngest son inherited his father’s wives
Feeling the approach of death, the Mongolian man was obliged to take care of his wives. The land of his father and all his property was divided between his sons. The best allotment and the majority of the acquired was received by the younger. He also got slaves, a house and the wives of his father. He who received the inheritance was not obliged to marry his mother, but had to provide for other women, and he could also make them his wives and bring them to his own tent.
This may seem strange and defiant to you, but the world knows more cruel traditions, which you can read about by clicking on the link.
4
They acted on enemies psychologically
Not only the courage of the city takes, but also the trick. Surely the Mongols were of this opinion, using psychological attacks during frequent raids. This approach allowed us to conquer countries, suffering minimal losses.
Before any battle, the khan kept secret the number of soldiers. If the opponents had more people, the Mongols used spare horses, on which they placed stuffed warriors, and also made "extra" bonfires, which misled the enemies. If there were more Mongols, they attached branches to the tails of horses, which helped to hide the army under a dusty cloud.
The Mongol army also achieved outstanding results in intimidating residents of besieged cities. The army went on a campaign together with yurts, suitable not only for life, but also for signals to the enemy. At the beginning of the siege, the horde raised its tents in white, which meant: "We will spare you if you surrender." Red yurts “promised” to kill only the male population of the city, and black hinted at the death of all the defenders.
Want to know how the forces of the modern armies of the world are distributed? Then read our article about the most powerful armies on the planet.
3
They wiped cities from the face of the earth
The image of merciless killers was earned for a reason. No intimidation will work unless you fulfill your "promises." And the Mongol army carried them out, really carving whole cities. If the besieged did not submit for too long, everyone, even women with children or pets, would die. They were surrounded and stabbed, after which the heads were cut off to the corpses and folded in the form of a pyramid, rebellious as a warning.
Pregnant women who were not just killed were subjected to special atrocities. According to the assurances of the Arab writer, their bellies ripped open and killed the fetus.
2
Killing nobles without bloodshed
The inhabitants of the Golden Horde believed that the essence of man is in his blood. They were afraid that if the blood of a murdered nobleman fell on the ground, then it would defile it. Therefore, the killer was forced to find another way.
Most often, nobles were drowned or strangled. The traitors of the great khan from the family were spun into the carpet and immersed in water. In some cases, the killing occurred with particular cynicism. The enemy Guyuk Khan was sewn up all the holes, including ears and mouth, and thrown into the pond.
Savvy was also manifested during the assassination of enemy nobles. Genghis Khan ordered hot silver to be poured into the eyes of his high-ranking enemy, and another time the Russian princes were driven under a wooden canopy and strangled, making a feast on top for "bloodless" strangulation.
1
They bombarded besieged cities with people with deadly diseases.
Many historians agree that the Mongols were the first to use biological weapons. After hiking in the European kingdoms, the khan learned about the existence of the plague and figured out how to use it for his own purposes. During the siege of Kafa, the plague struck the Mongol troops, realizing that in time they would have to retreat, the horde dealt a terrible blow to the besieged. The bodies of warriors who died from the disease were catapulted onto the walls of the city.
Even dying from the plague, the Mongols continued to carry danger to the enemy. The inhabitants of Kafa, disposing of infected bodies, threw them into the Black Sea, however, this led to worse consequences: the water supply was infected, and the plague spread throughout the fortress.
Part of the population escaped from the city, heading towards Europe, but among them there were infected people who brought infection to other cities of the continent.
Finally
Now all the facts about Mongolian life seem horrifying and unlikely, but in the Middle Ages, even in the developed cities of Western Europe, people considered water to be a carrier of diseases and committed many things that are unacceptable in our time. But, despite the savagery and rampant population of the Khanate state, their skills in waging war can only delight! Probably, all this allowed the Mongol Empire to grow to gigantic proportions. You can also find out about this on TheBiggest.ru in an article about the largest countries in history.
Article Author: gunner1886