Page 103 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

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WARFARE ON THE STEPPE
After the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongols
often fought one another in a series of bloody
power struggles. Here sword-wielding Mongol
cavalry pursue defeated rivals, who are shooting
their composite bows from the saddle.
STEPPE HORSEMEN
THE MONGOLS
AT WAR THE MONGOLS
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan from the early 13th
century, the Mongols created the largest empire in history.
Their secret was the ability to blend the traditional fighting A
tactics of nomadic horsemen with technology adopted from T W
the settled civilizations that they subjugated. AR
Born Temüjin, the son of a tribal chief, to augment their traditional mounted
the future Genghis Khan spent two bowmen with armored cavalry
decades uniting the various Mongol equipped with swords and lances, and
and Turkic peoples of eastern Central protected by metal armor, instead of
Asia. Although they had similar their usual felt or silk tunics. Rather
lifestyles—living in tents and in than avoiding close combat, this heavy
close proximity to their horses—the cavalry would charge an enemy
Mongols, Merkits, Naimans, Keraits, already weakened by the bowmen,
Tatars, and Uighurs were traditionally and deliver the final, crushing blow.
hostile to one another. However, using Overall, their approach to warfare
a combination of savage warfare and was ruthlessly practical: they would
cunning diplomacy, Temüjin united lure the enemy into a position of
them into a vast steppe confederation. weakness, then destroy them. Speed
In 1206, the tribes formally of maneuver was therefore of the
acknowledged his authority and essence. Traveling light and living
he assumed the title Genghis Khan, off the land, they could overcome
or “lord of all.” With a huge army at the more cumbersome armies of
his disposal, Genghis embarked on settled civilizations.
campaigns that reached from Beijing
(Zhongdu) in China, to the wealthy THE OLD AND THE NEW
Central Asian cities of Samarkand and However, if traditional steppe warfare
Bukhara (in modern-day Uzbekistan), was the foundation for Genghis
before his death in 1227. Khan’s empire, then its expansion
The Mongols’ style of warfare was strongly based on new technology
originated from hunting. With their adopted from conquered territories
powerful composite bows and sturdy, in China and the Muslim world. From
nimble horses, large groups of riders Beijing in 1214–15 to Baghdad in
would pursue herds across the steppe, 1258, the Mongols demonstrated
then encircle and kill the animals with their skill at siege warfare, battering
arrows; this is also how they attacked city walls with projectiles hurled by
their enemy in battle. The Mongols had mangonels and trebuchets. They were
none of the obsession with personal also pioneers in the use of gunpowder
bravery and honor that governed as a military explosive and incendiary
medieval European knights at the material, using primitive bombs
time. A traditional steppe horseman hurled by catapult, and handheld
would use his bow to kill from a devices that were ancestors of the
distance whenever possible, instead flamethrower and the handgun.
of risking his life in a close-quarters At their peak the Mongols were a
encounter. Similarly, Mongol near-unstoppable military force, but
commanders directed battles from a their high-casualty tactics prevented
position of safety, using flags, smoke the long-term consolidation of their
signals, and trumpets to convey far-flung realms. By the end of the
orders; they considered it foolish to 14th century, the mighty empire that
risk personally leading their men into Genghis had so skillfully founded was
combat. However, they also learned reduced to fragments.