Megan Blackburn

Tierney
World History
11/21/13
Develop a specific topic to research and develop
and argument.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

During the Mongol rein in the 1200s, the Mongols killed more than 5%
of the worlds population (Humphrey). They were known to be a repulsive
nomadic culture. The Mongols never washed their clothes (Frazier). If they
ever got hungry, they would drink the blood from the neck of their horse
(Frazier). They were characterized by their large heads that they shaved on
the tops and sides but would leave the rest to grow (Frazier). Their favorite
drink was fermented mares milk and it was said that you could smell a
Mongol from a mile away (Frazier). Their tactics and power surpassed all
others. They craved power and wealth and thats what they achieved.
Despite common belief, the Mongols didnt siege Baghdad for those reasons.
Instead of the Mongols taking Baghdad for wealth, they sieged it on behalf of
the Christians that had been oppressed by the Muslims.
During the Islamic expansions, the Christians and other conquered
religions were not treated fairly. The Muslims came and took their land out
from underneath their feet in order to spread the Islamic religion (Sizer).
Although the Christians were able to practice their own religions, they were
heavily taxed and had to share half of their produce with the Muslims (Sizer).
Along with that, the Christians also had to pay a poll tax and land tax,
couldnt build places of worship, couldnt display a cross outside of church
and had to wear a badge that marked them as being non-Muslims (Sizer).
Due to these restrictions, most Christians resented the Muslim rule.
The Mongols, surprisingly, were religiously tolerant people. As Mongols
conquered new areas of the world, the new citizens had two choices. They
could either surrender and live freely or fight back and suffer the
consequences (Dutch). The Mongols learned early on that it was much easier
to offer these choices. Through this system, they were able to gain the
support of all the different religions that had been oppressed by the Muslims
(Dutch). As a result, the Mongols were made up of a variety of different
religions and cultures. The leader of the Mongols that took Baghdad was
named Hulagu Khan, the grandson of the great Genghis Khan. Hulagus
mother was a Nestorian Christian which means they had a less extreme view
of Christs divinity (Frazier). Even Hulagus teacher was a Nestorian Christian
priest (Frazier). Even though Hulagu didnt hold the same religious views, he

was greatly influenced by them. His mom would often ask of him to be more
caring to conquered Christians (Frazier).
Hulagu was sent on a journey. In 1255, the ruler of the Mongols,
Mongke, Hulagus brother, sent him off to conquer Persia, Syria, Egypt and
the great center of learning in the Islam world known as Baghdad
(Alkhateeb). Baghdad was at crossroads in the world. Its placed at such a
spot that they could trade amongst people on all sides of them. Baghdad
itself held the House of Wisdom which was full of literature and knowledge.
During the 1200s, there was much dispute in the Muslim world. The Muslims
were divided between Suuni and Shia and they had a new ruler by the name
of Mustasim (Frazier). Dealing with the disputing Islamic sects, Mustasim
disregarded the news of the oncoming Mongol army, thinking that they could
easily defeat them.
As Hulagus army reached the outskirts of Baghdad, they called in the
Georgian Christians who had been oppressed by the Muslims (Frazier). Using
the years of built up anger found in the Christians and the Mongols fighting
tactics, they were able to take over the Islamic empire. Even though the city
was filled with riches, the Mongols sole purpose was to get revenge on the
Muslims and not to access their wealth. If the Mongols were desperate for
wealth, they could have just as easily attacked their neighboring countries of
Japan and Korea (MacArthur, Mostapha, and al Khoury). After Baghdad was
sieged, the Christians were able to return to Damascus which was an
important city in the spread of the Christian religion (Damascus and
Christianity).
Baghdad held a lot of power, not only in the Islamic empire, but across
the world too. As they expanded, they conquered and oppressed the
Christians and other religions. Hulagu Khans mother was a Nestorian
Christian that encouraged Hulagu to be greatly influenced by the Christian
faith. In order for Hulagu to follow Mongkes desires, he called on the
Georgian Christians who held a lot of hatred for the ways that the Muslims
treated them. The Mongols conquered Baghdad to help release the
persecuted Christians from the Muslim empire.

Works Cited
Alkhateeb, Firas. The Mongol Invasion and the Destruction of Baghdad.
Lost Islamic History.
17 Nov. 2012. Universal School. 11 Nov. 2013.
<http://lostislamichistory.com/mongols>
Damascus and Christianity. Old Damascus. N.p. 2003. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.oldamascus.com/babkissan.htm>
Dutch, Steven. The Mongols. The Mongols. 25 Sep. 1998. University of
Wisconsin. 11 Nov.
2013. <https://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/WestTech/xmongol.htm>
Frazier, Ian. Invaders: Destroying Baghdad. Annals of History. 25 Apr. 2005.
The New Yorker.
12 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/04/25/050425fa_fact4>
Humphrey. How Bad Were the Mongols? Quodlibeta. 13 Dec. 2011. N.p. 11
Nov. 2013.

<http://bedejournal.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-bad-weremongols.html>
MacArthur, Robin, Mahomet Mostapha, Naim al Khoury. History of Jihad
against the
Mongols. History of Jihad. N.d. History of Jihad. 11 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.historyofjihad.org/mongolia.html>
Sizer, Stephen. Christian Minorities under Muslim Rule. Christian Minorities
under Muslim
Rule. Apr. 2009. Stephen Sizer Ministries. 11 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.sizers.org/articles/fuller.htm#_edn7>