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Post by tantalus on Nov 26, 2006 21:55:01 GMT 3
Here are some classic quotes by Chinggis Khan. You may already be familiar with many of them. There are also some by Guyuk and Mongkhe. mongolempire.4t.com/r_quotes.htm |
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Post by aca on Nov 26, 2006 21:58:13 GMT 3
Thank you, and wellcome to SHF  |
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Post by kokturk on Nov 26, 2006 22:11:42 GMT 3
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Post by tantalus on Nov 26, 2006 23:43:33 GMT 3
Please copy/paste them here because a that site is directed to this frustrating site in my computer. Here they are. The quotes and comments are from the web site I listed. Quotes of Chinggis Khan[/b] "I will rule them by fixed laws [so] that rest and happiness shall prevail in the world."-CHINGIS KHAN, after being named khan. "Those who were adept and brave fellows I have made military commanders. Those who were quick and nimble I have made herders of horses. Those who were not adept I have given a small whip and sent to be shepherds"-CHINGIS KHAN, on the reorganization of his followers. Genghis was a brilliant statesmen and a mastery of making efficient government. The good reorganization of the steppes during his unification of the tribes contributed to the Mongols' future success. "With Heaven's aid I have conquered for you a huge empire. But my life was too short to achieve the conquest of the world. That task is left for you."-CHINGIS KHAN, to his sons at the end of his life. "All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender but opposed with struggle and dissension, shall be annihilated."-CHINGIS KHAN, during the war with the Khwarezmian empire. Usually, Genghis kept his word, and those who did surrender were indeed spared. It is this policy that separates Genghis from other leaders who did pointlessly kill people. Genghis killed for conquests, not for the joy of it like Tamerlane and Hitler "As my calling is high, the obligations incumbent upon me are also heavy; and I fear that in my ruling there may be something wanting"-CHINGIS KHAN "The pleasure and joy of man lies in treading down the rebel and conquering the enemy, in tearing him up by the root, in taking from him all that he has."-CHINGIS KHAN "If the great, the military leaders and the leaders of the many descendants of the ruler who will be born in the future, should not adhere strictly to the Yasa, then the power of the state will be shattered and come to an end, no matter how they then seek Genghis Khan, they shall not find him."-CHINGIS KHAN, discussing "the fall of the states" as ignorance to his Yasa (Genghis's maxims, regulations, code of law). "I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon You."-CHINGIS KHAN, said sometime during his campaign in Persia. "Heaven has appointed me to rule all the nations, for hitherto there has been no order upon the steppes."-CHINGIS KHAN "Perhaps my children will live in stone houses and walled towns - Not I" -CHINGIS KHAN. Genghis Khan remained a nomad for his life. His grandson Khubilai Khan, however, converted to sedentary life and became more Chinese than Mongol. "Say ye unto the Khwarezmians that I am the sovereign of the sunrise, and [he is] the sovereign of the sunset. Let there be between us a firm treaty of friendship, amity, and peace, and let traders and caravans on both sides come and go."-CHINGIS KHAN, to an ambassador from the Khwarezmian empire. Genghis actually wanted peace, but was compelled to go to war when the Mongol ambassadors were killed by the Persians "Despite all expectations, the time of my last campaign and of my passing is near. I wish to die at home. Let not my end disarm you, and on no account weep for me, lest the enemy be warned of my death."-CHINGIS KHAN, last words to his military commanders. Genghis made sure it was clear that after his death there will be a smooth transition. A succession crises that destroyed the empires of Alexander and Attila was avoided. "A man's greatest work is to break his enemies, to drive them before him, to take from them all the things that have been theirs, to hear the weeping of those who cherished them."-CHINGIS KHAN. Obviously, this shows the more brutal side of Genghis Khan. However, it should be noted that it was his "enemies" that he hated. Genghis treated well to those who respected him "Be of one mind and one faith, that you may conquer your enemies and lead long and happy lives."-CHINGIS KHAN "If unable to abstain from drinking, a man may get drunk three times a month; if he does it more than three times he is culpable; if he gets drunk twice a month it is better; if once a month, this is still more laudable; and if one does not drink at all what can be better? But where can I find such a man? If such a man were found he would be worthy of the highest esteem."-CHINGIS KHAN's YASA Other Quotes"There came into the world a blue-gray wolf
whose destiny was Heaven's will.
His wife was a fallow deer.
They traveled together across the inland sea
and when they were camped near the source of the Onan River
in sight of Mount Burkhan Khaldun
their first son was born, named Batachikhan."-The Opening Lines of the SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOLS, (translated by Paul Kahn). These lines describe the genesis of the Mongols, and their wolf-deer ancestry. "By the strength of Eternal heaven, Order of the Universal Ruler of the Empire of the Great Mongols."-The SEAL OF GUYUK KHAN (3rd Great Khan of the Mongols). Source: Storm from the East "Honor is nothing without victory"-SUBEDEI (The great Mongol General, led the invasion of Russia, Europe, and commanded in Persia and China) When view upon with Japanese Samurai codes, the Mongols were the most dishonorable of warriors, but it was such "run-away" tactics that brought them victory. "I do not understand these words of yours. Tengri (Eternal heaven) has slain and annihilated these people, because they had adhered neither to Genghis Khan nor to the Khakhan (Ogedei Khan), both of whom have been sent to make known God's command."-GUYUK KHAN, explaining to the Pope the actions of the Mongols in the invasion of Europe. Obviously, Guyuk is using divine justification. Source: Storm from the East "Send us your ambassadors: and thus we hall judge whether you wish to be at peace with us or at war...if you make war on us, the Everlasting God, who makes easy what was difficult and makes near what was far, knows that we know what our power is"-MONGKE KHAN (4th Great Khan of the Mongols), to King Louis IX of France |
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Post by kokturk on Nov 26, 2006 23:53:18 GMT 3
I like this quote: "If there is one Sun on the sky, then there must be one Khaan on the World."
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Post by H. İhsan Erkoç on Nov 27, 2006 0:12:39 GMT 3
Thank you very much tantalus, and welcome to SHF!  |
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Post by tantalus on Nov 27, 2006 0:25:18 GMT 3
Thank you, and wellcome to SHF Thank you very much tantalus, and welcome to SHF! Hello and thank you! |
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Post by Temüjin on Nov 27, 2006 1:13:34 GMT 3
"I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon You." -CHINGIS KHAN, said sometime during his campaign in Persia. in fact that's a quote from Timur, not Chinggis. |
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Post by tantalus on Nov 27, 2006 3:17:02 GMT 3
"I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon You." -CHINGIS KHAN, said sometime during his campaign in Persia. in fact that's a quote from Timur, not Chinggis. Timur may have said that but so did Chinggis Khan. He said that in the mosque of Bukhara after conquering the city. Of course the exact English words depends on your translation but he said: "I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, He would not have sent a punishment like me. " That quote is not really any different from the quote above - "I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon You" A different translation says "I am the scourge of God..." |
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Post by erdene on Nov 27, 2006 3:25:47 GMT 3
Timur is a copy cat ;D
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Post by tantalus on Nov 27, 2006 3:38:00 GMT 3
That is funny! ;D But I believe also true. He wanted to be like Chinggis Khan. |
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Post by H. İhsan Erkoç on Nov 27, 2006 21:14:31 GMT 3
We should also remember that most modern historians believe that preeching-in-Bukhârâ-Mosque story was probably fiction.
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Post by tantalus on Nov 28, 2006 5:27:46 GMT 3
We should also remember that most modern historians believe that preeching-in-Bukhârâ-Mosque story was probably fiction. Interesting. I have never read that before that it is probably fictional. And so far I can't find it mentioned in any of my books. Can you give me a source? Thanks! |
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Post by H. İhsan Erkoç on Nov 28, 2006 10:13:09 GMT 3
Appearently W. Barthold gives that theory in one of his articles about Chinggis Khan. Maybe he also talks about this event in his famous book Turkestan Down To The Mongol Invasion (I will check it at home tonight).
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Post by tantalus on Nov 28, 2006 22:56:32 GMT 3
You are right Tigin. I looked in Turkestan Down To The Mongol Invasion, and on page 410 Barthold says the story is "quite beyond belief. Of such an incredible incident, if it had in reality occurred..."
But interestingly, these other books that I looked through that mention the story seem to accept it as fact, (many/all may have used Juvaini as their source.):
Curtain, The Mongols, pages 109-110.
Brent, The Mongol Empire, page 64
Chambers, The Devil's Horsemen, page 16.
Juvaini, trans. Boyle, Genghis Khan, The History of the World-Conqueror, page 105.
Marshall, Storm from the East, pages 53-54.
and
Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes, page 239, tells the story and then mentions it "...is believed by Barthold to be no more than a legend."
These do not mention the speech story:
De Hartog, Genghis Khan
Hoang, Genghis Khan
Kwanten, Imperial Nomads
De Rachewiltz, The Secret History of the Mongols.
Juzjani, trans. Raverty Tabakat-I-Nasiri
Phillips, The Mongols
Associated with the story of Chinggis Khan's speech, and also taken from Juvaini, is the story about the desecration of the mosques and the holy books of Islam. Ratchnevsky, in his Genghis Khan, His Life and Legacy, page 131, says that this also may be a fabrication because
"Such a deed would have been a direct contradiction of Genghis' order to respect all religions, and Genghis was too astute a statesman to arouse the religious fanaticism of the Muslims."
I believe that Juvaini is the only source for the speech story. So with the above mentioned parts of Juvaini's Bukhara story being suspect, the speech story might also be suspect.
And with the opinion of the highly respected Barthold saying the story is "quite beyond belief", one would have to have second thoughts about the truth of Chinggis Khan's speech in the mosque at Bukhara.
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