The History Of Genghis Khan And The Code His Warriors Followed

There are many famous warriors that multitudes of history books have been written about, but Genghis Khan was a warrior unlike any other. Genghis Khan was born in the year 1158, and as he grew into adulthood, it became clear that his path would be one of greatness. When you read about the feats he accomplished, such as conquering vast swaths of what is now Europe and Asia in the name of the Mongol Empire, it is hard to imagine how he did it with the weaponry available in that era.

One of the reasons he was so successful was because of the rules that his warriors were expected to follow. Start scrolling to learn about the rules, and how modern they were for the time.

Conscription Of All Men

No military is complete without the bodies needed to fill all of the roles. To ensure that Genghis Khan always had a mighty army at his disposal, he instituted mandatory military service for all men aged 16 to 60.

That meant that he always had new men entering his army on an annual basis, and due to the population demographics at the time, roughly 1 out of every 7 citizens was in the military.

Equestrian Skills Were A Must

Mongolia today is known for its nomadic culture, which is also centered around horsemanship. This stems from the past, when equestrian skills were a must. All warriors in the army were trained riders, and knew how to fight from horseback.

This also meant that a large herd of horses traveled with every military group, as a fresh horse could be needed at any moment for a military venture. Each warrior was trained from a young age in how to care for and ride horses.

Archery Skills Were Prized

Just as horsemanship was important, so was archery. The art of being able to shoot a bow and arrow, and have the arrow find its mark in battle took some serious skill and a whole lot of training.

Due to this, children were taught how to shoot, and how to shoot from horseback as well. The best archers would compete in their villages, and would be selected for elite units within the military once they were old enough.

Always Obey The Rules

Genghis Khan’s government was one based on rules, and if one did not follow the rules, then punishments would be meted out. These punishments were not simple fines, like we have today, but were instead quite severe, and typical included corporal punishment and even death.

Thus, most Mongols obeyed the laws to avoid being punished, and that meant staying in the military for many years. One Italian Friar named Giovanni di Plano Carpini visited the Mongol Empire, and was astounded by how obedient the Mongols were.