1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,680 The mighty Chinggis Khan 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,840 has risen to become the undisputed leader 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,360 of the Mongols. 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,760 Uniting the once divided people under his command. 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,080 Chinggis Khan did something no one else 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,240 had done before. 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,800 Taken the Mongols farther than they've ever been before. 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,320 This was a whole new world for them. 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,640 Having reshaped society and quelled 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,320 all internal opposition, his ambitions have shifted 11 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,760 beyond Mongolia's lands. 12 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,280 Chinggis Khan conquered his enemies, the Tanguts, 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,640 who now swear loyalty to the Mongols. 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,720 His armies in the East have killed the emperor of the Jin 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,600 and continue to ravage their lands. 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,960 You get the sense of overwhelming dread about 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,160 the Mongol invasion. 18 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,000 Chinggis Khan is now in his fifties. 19 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,720 And has been in command of the Mongolian people for ten years 20 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,160 and now his gaze turns west. 21 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,360 His forces will travel further than ever before 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,400 where a new wave of destruction 23 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,120 awaits his enemies. 24 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,320 1216 Chinggis Khan controls 25 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,360 the whole of the eastern steppe. 26 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,680 {\an8}He's also master in effect of a lot of northern China 27 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,240 and he's expanding eastward. 28 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,920 The Jin in the east and the Tanguts to the south 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,480 have felt the awesome power of the Mongolian army 30 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,680 but to the west lies a new potential threat, 31 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,200 a great Empire that could challenge the might 32 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,000 of Chinggis Khan. 33 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,760 {\an8}-There is a big power just on the west 34 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,280 {\an8}that is called the Qara Khitai Empire. 35 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,440 Qara Khitai is the big central Asian Empire 36 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,080 that is just next to the new Mongol Empire. 37 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,160 This is really a core area. 38 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,800 Mainly on trade connection which is super important 39 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,640 for Chinggis Khan. 40 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,280 The Qara Khitai were the people who were kicked out 41 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,480 by the Jin over in the Far East. 42 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,760 They migrated on masse and had fled one of the princes 43 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,240 {\an8}who'd been defeated by Genghis and he'd taken over 44 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,200 {\an8}and was therefore a threat. 45 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,000 The Qara Khitai, led by one of Genghis Khan's 46 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,200 worst enemies. 47 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,520 They are not going to trade peacefully with the Mongols. 48 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,360 Genghis Khan starts putting some pressure 49 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,160 on the Qara Khitai Empire. 50 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,760 He sends one of his ace generals, Jebe. 51 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,320 He begins to take over and occupy regions 52 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,520 from the Qara Khitan Dynastic rule. 53 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,280 This conquest is very fast. 54 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,040 When the Mongols arrived many people opened doors 55 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,320 and said ok we are happy to make a deal with you 56 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,920 as long as you let us practice our religion, Islam. 57 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,280 The Mongols thought that religious agreements 58 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,080 they can practice their religion as long as 59 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,000 they support Mongol power. 60 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,520 It's implemented first time in Qara Khitai land, 61 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,560 then it will be implemented everywhere in the Empire 62 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,960 by the Mongols and it's gonna work very well. 63 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,400 Now Chinggis Khan's prime left tenant 64 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,760 is basically ensconced in the Qara Khitan capitol. 65 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,880 So this whole part of central Asia entered 66 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,000 the Mongol Empire, absorbed by the Mongols. 67 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,480 And the Mongols gain access to this trade network. 68 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,160 It was an essential part in his progress. 69 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,400 As part of that expansion, 70 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,320 Chinggis Khan's Empire is bumping into another rival 71 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,760 Empire emerging from the west. 72 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,960 The Khwarazmian Empire, the largest Islamic 73 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,480 Empire of the early 13th century. 74 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,120 Mohammed, the king of Khwarazmian, 75 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,640 had expanded successfully over much of the Middle East. 76 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,680 A lot of Persian areas were now tributary to him. 77 00:04:53,760 --> 00:05:00,760 Emerging from Khwarazmian way out west to the Caspian Sea 78 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,640 and we're still in the process of growing, 79 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,880 Mohammed the second had been really successful. 80 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,480 He's done some great conquests. 81 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,080 {\an8}He's extended the Khwarazmian Empire to its greatest extent. 82 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,600 {\an8}-Khwarazmian was the richest Empire 83 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,080 {\an8}of their time. 84 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:22,360 {\an8}Rich in the wealth, rich in people, rich in culture. 85 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:23,720 In many ways there were a lot of 86 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,640 similarities actually between the Mongol conquest 87 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,960 and those of the Khwarazmian Shah. 88 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,160 Khwarazmian also controlled a lot of urban 89 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,160 and agricultural areas so they had more by the way 90 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,440 of infantry and other sedentary forces. 91 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,240 Both of them drew upon steppe land subjects to form 92 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,760 the basis of their cavalry units. 93 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:47,880 Expanding across the territories and gaining 94 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,000 this submission from various cities and regions. 95 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,720 Most local rulers would often be left in place provided 96 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,320 they swore fealty to the new ruler, 97 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,560 in this case the Khwarazmian Shah. 98 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,440 They were trying to mop up territory and gain wealth 99 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,080 and power from the regions 100 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,440 they controlled just as Chinggis was. 101 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,040 Chinggis Khan's Empire expanding to the west 102 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,080 and the Khwarazmian Empire expanding to the east. 103 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,760 Sultan Mohammed Khwarazmian Shah, 104 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:23,840 the ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire, 105 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,840 he was dealing with nomadic raiders 106 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,280 and stumbled across the track of the Mongols, 107 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,640 Mohammed is able to catch up with them. 108 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,360 He encounters Jochi. 109 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,720 Jochi does not want to fight the Khwarazmian Empire. 110 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:42,120 He tells Mohammed, we're going back to Mongolia. 111 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,760 Mohammed says, you're invaders, I am powerful, 112 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,960 I am the second Alexander the great 113 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:51,600 and they fight the Mongols, 114 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,920 even though Jochi's armies are outnumbered, 115 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,160 they fight the Khwarazmian to a standstill. 116 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,680 The battle ends at nightfall. 117 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,480 They're out on the open steppe, it gets dark fast. 118 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,520 Under the cover of night, the Mongols who never wanted 119 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:15,000 the fight, they leave, but the battle the previous day 120 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,440 shook Mohammed to his core; 121 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,600 he'd never fought an army like this. 122 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,880 So he knows the Mongols are dangerous, 123 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,120 Mohamed Khwarazmian Shah, feeling quite confident 124 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,280 in his power and he sends a caravan to the Jin Empire 125 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,000 to gather intelligence. 126 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,480 And this caravan meets Chinggis Khan and they see the siege 127 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:43,360 of Zhongdu, they see what's happening in the Jin Empire 128 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,280 and they come back and they tell Mohammed, 129 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,480 who views himself as the second Alexander the Great, 130 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:49,680 it looks like there is a new power. 131 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,240 Chinggis Khan seems to have been very 132 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:00,960 prepared to coexist with the Khwarazmian Empire. 133 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,080 He's occupied by the Jin. 134 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,920 He seems to have wanted to initiate trading relations 135 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,560 with the Khwarazmian Empire. 136 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,080 In which Chinggis was interested because he liked 137 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,800 the idea of trade routes which would bring him wealth 138 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,520 which would be useful for preserving the loyalty 139 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,920 of his generals and his allies. 140 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,240 His first advances were diplomatic; 141 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,960 he offers to look upon the Shah in a kindly way 142 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,320 as if he were a son and so on, so it was a little bit 143 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,320 patronizing but sort of nevertheless friendly 144 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,760 so it's to try and establish good relations 145 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,880 with his western neighbor. 146 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,920 Sending three times his ambassadors 147 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,000 to negotiate with the Khwarazmian Shah 148 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,080 about what to trade and how to cooperate. 149 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:54,600 And a big caravan of goods were sent to Khwarazmian. 150 00:08:54,680 --> 00:08:56,360 He sent a trade mission. 151 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,200 He would have regarded them as envoys; 152 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,120 the idea was that a trade mission would establish 153 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,720 trade links with the Khwarazmian Empire 154 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,040 and everyone would benefit. 155 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,040 The caravan that Chinggis Khan sends 156 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,200 to central Asia to the Khwarazmian Empire 157 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,640 consists of approximately 100 merchants 158 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:19,160 and 400 camels each camel can carry about 400 pounds 159 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:25,360 of goods so this includes silk, and spices, furs, 160 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,000 and allegedly there is a gold nugget the size 161 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,720 of a camel's neck. And if you're familiar with 162 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,800 the size of a camel that's a really big nugget. 163 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,920 This mission was seen by the local governor 164 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,840 in the town called Otrar which exists. 165 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:45,520 And the Governor there decides that these merchants 166 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,000 are probably spies. 167 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,120 It's true to say that the Mongols 168 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,720 had a reputation for using merchants as spies 169 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,520 and gathered intelligence that way. 170 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,480 The governor of Otrar City 171 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,760 took all these goods and killed all the merchants. 172 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,840 Basically they robbed the caravan by killing everyone. 173 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:22,880 The governor there probably got permission from Sultan Mohammed. 174 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,800 Chinggis acknowledged if you want your own envoy 175 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:27,880 to be protected you better protect the envoys 176 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,680 that come to you as well. 177 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:36,200 So it was a sort of diplomatic no-no to kill an envoy. 178 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,680 However there was a camel tender. 179 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,080 He survived the massacre. He escapes. 180 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,040 He goes back to the Mongols and he informs them 181 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,160 of what happened. 182 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:50,400 Chinggis sends some more envoys 183 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,040 to try to establish what's gone wrong. 184 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,040 Chinggis Khan asks Khwarazmian Shah 185 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:02,640 to send him the Governor of Otrar who killed his traders. 186 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,600 Of course, they reject it. 187 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:09,920 Mohammed burns the beards of the guards 188 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,440 and then kills the envoy. 189 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:18,360 As a result, drove Chinggis into a fit of rage, 190 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,880 such as nobody had ever seen before. 191 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,840 This fall for Chinggis Khan, is undoubtedly 192 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,080 a declaration of war? 193 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,280 To him it's now unmistakable that the Khwarazmian's, 194 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,680 are bent on military conflict. 195 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:38,720 Sultan Mohammed believes he's the most 196 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,040 powerful ruler, but he's not as powerful as he thinks he is. 197 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:44,600 Not surprisingly, Chinggis feels 198 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:46,480 very much up to the challenge. 199 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:50,520 He's never been faced down before. 200 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,000 He decided that he was unable to live alongside 201 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,800 such an aggressive power as the Khwarazmians. 202 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,400 He headed west instead of finishing 203 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,240 the campaign against Jin. 204 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,440 And he summons his armies to prepare for 205 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:12,880 a major new campaign into the Empire of the Khwarazmians. 206 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,360 Chinggis Khan, enraged by the Khwarazmian 207 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,600 Shah's rejection of diplomacy and the slaughter 208 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,840 of his envoys, gathers his armies, 209 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,760 they will enter the biggest war the Mongolian Empire 210 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,880 has ever faced. 211 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,400 {\an8}-The Mongols then start attacking various parts 212 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,760 {\an8}of the Khwarazmian Empire. 213 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,080 {\an8}-It became the start of the Mongol war, 214 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,280 {\an8}which was directed towards the Middle East. 215 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:51,800 Chinggis Khan's Invasion of 216 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:57,800 the Khwarazmian Empire was an enormous military campaign. 217 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,600 Quite how big his forces were isn't really well established 218 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:05,720 {\an8}down from 70,000 way up to maybe 200,000 219 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,840 {\an8}but whatever the size of the invasion force, 220 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,320 {\an8}it's pretty certain that the most reliable troops 221 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,800 would have been his step cavalry that had taken 222 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,120 the Mongols to victory so many times before, augmented 223 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,640 and supported by other kinds of specialist troops. 224 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,800 They've got siege engineers and so on, 225 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,920 some of them drawn from the areas of what is now northern 226 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:31,000 China and Manchuria, as well as other kinds of specialist 227 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,840 troops, which they bring in for this big new western expansion. 228 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:42,800 Chinggis Khan makes his sons key military commanders there. 229 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:47,360 He also relies upon one of his ace generals, Jebe. 230 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,880 Anticipating the tough war ahead. 231 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,680 Chinggis Khan calls upon his subjects, the Tanguts, 232 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,520 for assistance. 233 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,800 One of the generals says, well, 234 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,280 if you don't have enough troops, perhaps 235 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,360 you shouldn't be the Khan. 236 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,480 It was certainly considered to be an insult. 237 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:12,760 Chinggis Khan was very angry, of course, 238 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,720 {\an8}by saying that I have a more important thing to do, 239 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,480 {\an8}but I'll come back to you after I finish my business. 240 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,720 The Tanguts refuse to assist. 241 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,800 Then Chinggis Khan continues leading his armies toward 242 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:31,640 the Khwarazmian Empire. 243 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,160 Readying their first assault on the city of Otrar, 244 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,240 where his envoy was massacred. 245 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,080 Chinggis himself marches through along 246 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,880 the main trade routes where armies 247 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,920 might be expected to appear. 248 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,440 Chinggis Khan's army was very well prepared. 249 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,960 It was not difficult to have long distance travel 250 00:14:55,040 --> 00:15:01,840 because they used to have this at their own homeland, 251 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:07,240 usually Mongols, they do start their raids in the Autumn. 252 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,200 If you start from Autumn, you have to pass 253 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:11,920 also through the winter. 254 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,040 But winter was not the obstacle for the Mongols, 255 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,280 because we have in Mongolia a really harsh winters. 256 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,320 So everybody is ready for this, 257 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,240 and we are well equipped for this. 258 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,880 Livestock was in many ways a key ingredient 259 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,800 in the success of Mongol steppe armies 260 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,520 because it enabled mobility. 261 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,880 Camels were certainly used crossing the deserty regions. 262 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,200 They could carry heavy burdens where they're particularly 263 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,400 valuable for that. 264 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,800 But the mainstay of the Mongol fighting force was, 265 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,760 of course, horses. 266 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:57,600 As long as there's grass there, 267 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,880 you have fuel for the horses, cattle and sheep 268 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,520 as well, you have food. And that's the crucial element. 269 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:09,920 Typically, any Mongol force would bring 270 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,400 a lot of spare horses, remounts, as they were called. 271 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,200 So a single Mongol Trooper would often have a string 272 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,360 of four, five or perhaps six remount horses, 273 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,760 so that when one steed tired, they could swap out 274 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,080 and ride another one, which meant that you could cover 275 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,040 much greater distances. 276 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:36,640 They waited until the horses gained weight 277 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,160 to be ready for crossing. 278 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:45,360 They endured all this, mainly due to Mongols survival 279 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,680 skills and Mongol horses' survival skill. 280 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,640 Having strategically prepared for their invasion, 281 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,120 the Mongol forces descend upon their first target. 282 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,600 The Mongols come to Otrar. 283 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:05,880 The city where the governor ordered 284 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,120 the death of the traders. 285 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,640 And the governor tries hard to survive. 286 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,520 The garrison they're trying to escape, 287 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:19,960 and the Mongols realize it's a lot easier to kill people 288 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:24,760 when they're running away, so they wipe out that garrison. 289 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,840 The Governor was greedy. 290 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,640 His avarice led him to massacre the caravan 291 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,560 and steal everything. 292 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,920 Chinggis Khan has shown the city of Otrar 293 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,400 no mercy. 294 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,400 He now targets the heart of the Khwarazmian Empire. 295 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,400 He splits his army into different battalions, leading 296 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:01,480 his own troops through the treacherous Kyzylkum desert. 297 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,600 If he succeeds in this dangerous journey, 298 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,720 his forces will be able to strike directly at the heart 299 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:10,680 of the Khwarazmian Empire. 300 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,520 Chinggis Khan's forces have advanced deep 301 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,920 into hostile lands. 302 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,160 They now prepare to strike one of the Khwarazmian's 303 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,160 most prized cities. 304 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,680 Genghis Khan turns up at Bukhara, 305 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,520 300 miles behind enemy lines. 306 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,600 It was wondrous urban center, 307 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,640 famed for its architecture, its mosques, 308 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:47,200 beautiful buildings and so on, and it was very well defended. 309 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,160 {\an8}-This is where Mohammed has stored 310 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,400 {\an8}the treasure from the caravan, 311 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:58,200 and again, Chinggis Khan is demanding the treasure. 312 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,960 The Mongols encircled Bukhara, 313 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,000 relentlessly battering the city with their powerful 314 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,920 catapults for 12 long days. 315 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,600 It was quite a siege. 316 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,920 The siege goes on for a while. 317 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,920 {\an8}It was eventually successful. 318 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,640 And then we have the great scene where Chinggis Khan 319 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,600 enters the Great Mosque of Bukhara. 320 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:25,760 And he's supposed to have given 321 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:27,640 a sermon from the pulpit. 322 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,600 {\an8}He said, the reason that you are suffering, 323 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,160 the reason that I have been sent is because 324 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,320 God has sent me as a punishment upon you. 325 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,320 This was picked up by the Muslim historians 326 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,040 and repeated as a truth. 327 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,200 So this gives you a sense of the way 328 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:50,320 in which the Mongol Empire tries to make Mongol victory 329 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,040 a kind of manifest destiny, historical inevitability 330 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:58,280 willed by God or Heaven. 331 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:01,240 And the best way when you're faced with that kind 332 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,560 of inevitability, is simply to surrender. 333 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,640 The people of Bukhara finally surrender, 334 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,160 but not soon enough to save themselves. 335 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,880 The Mongolians slaughter 30,000 people 336 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,400 and burn the city's buildings to the ground. 337 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,720 Those who are not killed become fodder 338 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:25,640 for the next battles. 339 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:33,760 Great cities like Bukhara and Otrar taken one by one. 340 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,400 The Khwarazmian Empire sends 50 war elephants, 341 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,040 the Mongols have never met war elephants before. 342 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:45,360 Now, elephants tend to frighten horses 343 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,440 because they're loud, they're scary, 344 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,480 but the Mongols have a pretty good record fighting elephants 345 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:55,000 because it turns out elephants don't like 346 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,000 being shot by arrows either. 347 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,400 Some of the elephants, they killed, some of the elephants, 348 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,360 they let them go. 349 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,440 The Khwarazmians find it difficult to note 350 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:09,080 the best way to defend against these simultaneous strikes 351 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:13,400 from different directions by Mongol forces. 352 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,720 The information that the Khwarazmian Shah is getting 353 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,520 is very confused. 354 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,480 They don't have a single location where they can 355 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,120 be sure to find the main Mongol force. 356 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,560 Word of the Mongols brutality spreads fear across 357 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:34,320 the Khwarazmian Empire, city after city fall in fierce 358 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:39,760 campaigns led by Chinggis Khan and his sons. 359 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:43,080 Chinggis devised a new and rather dramatic way 360 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,760 of taking the Empire. 361 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,440 In general, if the Mongols besieged your city 362 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,640 and you surrendered straight away, the terms of surrender 363 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,360 weren't too bad. 364 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,440 Siege warfare is extremely expensive. 365 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,080 Each was an operation, and it's far simpler, 366 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,800 if you can persuade a city to surrender in advance. 367 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,520 Very often, the local rulers 368 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,080 would be left in place. 369 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,480 A Mongol Garrison might be placed there 370 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:11,560 to keep an eye on it. 371 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,560 This might include extracting artisans and crafts people 372 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,960 and so on, to be relocated somewhere useful 373 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,480 to the Mongol conquerors. 374 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,720 But in general, early surrender meant relatively 375 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,240 good accommodation with the new conquerors. 376 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,000 However, if the siege lasted, and particularly 377 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,360 if they stretched out and were stubborn, 378 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,520 and the Mongol forces began to suffer losses 379 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,760 from disease or attrition or something then 380 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:46,640 the terms shortened to something really brutal. 381 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,880 There were very often massacres as a result. 382 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:52,920 So the purpose, for instance, 383 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,240 of destroying Samarkand was not so much to destroy it, 384 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,680 but to convince next cities down the line to surrender 385 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,920 in advance, having been told that this would be their fate 386 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,440 if they didn't. 387 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,800 And this happens extremely quickly, as you can imagine. 388 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,640 It would take a matter of minutes for one Mongol 389 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:15,240 soldier to slit the throat of, say, 10 people. 390 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,800 You can deal with 10s of 1000s of people in a morning. 391 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,600 And it destroyed the heart of Khwarazmian Empire, 392 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,120 from then onwards. 393 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,840 Chinggis Khan has this very well entrenched 394 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:35,200 reputation as a brutal conqueror. 395 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:39,280 But the reality is that if you compare his conquests 396 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:42,920 to others, the scale is enormous. 397 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,400 The scope for massacre and bloodshed, just simply, 398 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,560 is larger. 399 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,880 Other famous conquerors in history like Alexander 400 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,200 the Great, they were also very brutal. 401 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:01,800 It was a standard feature of pre-modern Empires 402 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:03,800 included massacres. 403 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,080 The civilian population were frequently killed in large 404 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,560 numbers as a result of these huge conquests. 405 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,600 So, these were brutal times, and Chinggis Khan being 406 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,600 the most powerful, the most successful conqueror, 407 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,040 in a way that brutality was amplified. 408 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:27,880 There is a term in Chinese culture 409 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,520 Jing guan, big spectacle in translation, 410 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:35,800 which means that the enemies who were killed, 411 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,400 their skulls would be collected by the victors, 412 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:44,440 and they were piled into mountains to showcase 413 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:46,000 {\an8}your own achievement. 414 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,320 {\an8}But your victory over the enemies, at same time, 415 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,920 {\an8}you try to frighten the enemies, 416 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,040 they would need to establish aura. 417 00:24:55,120 --> 00:25:00,040 Try to awe and shock the enemies so that you do not resist. 418 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,920 This kind of practice was never denounced as some kind 419 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,520 of symbolism of brutality in East Asia. 420 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,640 This is a standard practice. 421 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,640 {\an8}-Of course, every invasion in conquest, 422 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,760 {\an8}it has lots of casualties, lots of death, 423 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:22,160 {\an8}lots of cruelty, that's obvious. 424 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,840 So if you look at European history as well, 425 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,960 so many slaughtering as well. 426 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,480 Mongols didn't write their history. 427 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:35,400 Mongols' history was written by the losers, by the victims. 428 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,480 Therefore, they will, of course, naturally, 429 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:42,600 sort of characterize Mongol, as you know, as brutal. 430 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,800 The Mongols were brutal, just like anybody else. 431 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,080 The stories of the Mongol's terrifying massacres 432 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,720 spread across the land. 433 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,040 The Khwarazmian realize they are powerless against 434 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:57,520 the invading force. 435 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,560 Muhammad, he's seeing his Empire fall apart. 436 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,320 He had fought for this. 437 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,480 He had plotted to get this from Kara Khitai 438 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:14,080 for most of his early reign, and then it's gone. 439 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,240 The Mongols have taken it in less than a year. 440 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,240 Chinggis Khan's armies have weakened 441 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:23,600 the Khwarazmian Shah. 442 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,880 Can his Empire withstand the force of the Mongolian 443 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,360 onslaught. 444 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,200 The Khwarazmian are overrun. 445 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:43,520 The cities are taken. 446 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,480 The Emperor chased away. 447 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,960 He's stripped of all his power, 448 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,760 living from pillar to post, and he's fled. 449 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,280 And then Chinggis Khan sends a task force 450 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:00,160 led by his commander, Subudai and Jebe. 451 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,920 Jebe and Subudai chase Mohammed all over Iran. 452 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,040 {\an8}-It makes sense for Chinggis Khan 453 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,240 {\an8}to make sure he is dead. 454 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,800 After all, he is the rival ruler, 455 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,680 and he doesn't want him rallying support. 456 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,760 Muhammad has to flee with some of his troops 457 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:21,640 on an island in the Caspian Sea. 458 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,680 In complete poverty and surrender. 459 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,680 Muhammad went from being one of the most powerful 460 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:33,120 people on the planet to basically a beggar. 461 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,120 Jebe and Subudai are way out west, 462 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,640 and they have at least one division each. 463 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,120 Jebe and Subudai eventually find 464 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,080 the Khwarazmian Shah hiding place, 465 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,280 but he has already met a grim fate, 466 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:58,680 succumbing to the ravages of dysentery. 467 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,160 He is eventually chased to death. 468 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:05,920 Meanwhile, the remaining forces 469 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,040 of Khwarazmian Empire rally under the leadership 470 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:11,160 of the Shah's son. 471 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,280 Their resistance is short lived. 472 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,360 Mohamed Khwarazmshah's son Jalal Al-Din has put up 473 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,480 an effective resistance in Afghanistan. 474 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,360 Which is where Chinggis pursues him. 475 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,320 Eventually, Chinggis Khan will chase him down 476 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:26,480 to the Indus River. 477 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,400 Jalal All-Din will flee into India. 478 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,400 {\an8}The Mongols will send a pursuit force after him, 479 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,280 {\an8}but eventually give up. 480 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,640 {\an8}-Chinggis withdrew from Afghanistan, 481 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:42,760 {\an8}which was as far west as he ever got. 482 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,920 He still had unfinished business in the Far East, 483 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,720 Jin still remained to be taken. 484 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,080 At one point, Chinggis Khan thinks, 485 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,000 let's invade India, and then we'll cross Tibet 486 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,720 and then invade the Jin Empire from that direction. 487 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,280 But they encounter rhinoceros, 488 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,520 it's mentioned the sources as a unicorn. 489 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,520 His advisor says this is an ill omen. 490 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,000 We shouldn't do this. 491 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,840 And eventually return back to Mongolia. 492 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,280 Chinggis Khan returns east to fight 493 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,320 his old enemy, the Jin. 494 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,480 Although he has left their lands, 495 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,000 he dispatches troops to eliminate the last pockets 496 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,160 of the Khwarazmian resistance. 497 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,560 It will take the Mongols two more years to finally 498 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:40,040 wipe out one of the largest Empires known to mankind. 499 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,680 The Mongols are the supreme force 500 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,920 in the region. 501 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,200 They've defeated the other conquest dynasty. 502 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,760 They've got supreme access to the trade along 503 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:54,280 the old Silk Road. 504 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:59,440 Silk Road is the trade network in Central Asia. 505 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:03,120 This trade network connected what is Mongolia today, 506 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:08,440 northern China, southern China to Central Asia, to Iran, 507 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,160 up to Anatolia, up to Europe. 508 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,560 It included Russia. 509 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:19,800 It included Siberia, their connection with Western Europe, 510 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,520 their connection with 1000 Asian powers also, 511 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,560 but it's bigger than the Mongols. 512 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,920 All this allowed a traveler, a trader, 513 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:36,840 {\an8}to cross almost all of Eurasia safely and make good business. 514 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:38,280 And at the time of the Mongols, 515 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,760 there were so many communities exchanged. 516 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,600 {\an8}-Tributes were based on specifics 517 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,880 {\an8}of the locations Mongols learned what to gain 518 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:54,160 from where Russia were just good suppliers of the fur 519 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:59,160 Middle Eastern countries, they had spice, 520 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,240 Chinese, they had grain. 521 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,880 It was really key for Chinggis Khan 522 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,200 and his successors. They need to attract traders, 523 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,600 and it's not so easy to do that, 524 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,840 because you cannot force traders from another part 525 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,200 of the world to come and deal with you. 526 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,680 You have to make them understand that good business 527 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:20,320 can be done. 528 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:21,760 So you have to convince them. 529 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:23,920 You have to make yourself known. 530 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,280 They want people to believe in the system. 531 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,840 So what they create is a very small tax, 532 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,520 up to 4% of what you've sold as a trader. 533 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,880 4 percent is really nothing. 534 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,400 You don't necessarily pay with coins. 535 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:41,760 People can actually pay in what they produce the best. 536 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,400 So you can pay in silk, or you can pay in foods, 537 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,280 spices, animals. 538 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,080 This system functions very well. 539 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,080 Actually, it pushed them to produce more. 540 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,960 Imagine at the scale of the whole system, then at the end, 541 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:58,880 it's a lot of money that circulates 542 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,040 through this Silk Road. 543 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,560 At the first stage of the conquest, 544 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,360 there were military overseers who were in charge 545 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:12,040 of collecting taxes, and it was done just to reinforce 546 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,960 the military army needs. 547 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,800 And then there was transformation 548 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:22,360 of the military overseers into civil ones. 549 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,440 When they became civil overseers, 550 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:29,520 they starting to take yearly basic taxes 551 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,920 from the local people. 552 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,240 And it wouldn't be just only for military needs, 553 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:41,920 it would be needed also for the Khan's court. 554 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,680 The Mongols were really keen to produce 555 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,600 a lot of written agreements and a lot of documents 556 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,000 that could also protect the traders. 557 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,960 So, the vision we have of an Empire built upon violence 558 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,600 is just a very tiny part of the picture. 559 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,320 The Mongols have annihilated the Khwarazmians 560 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,040 but their lands are so vast, Chinggis Khan does not fully 561 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,600 integrate their territory into his own. 562 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:20,760 {\an8}-He does not try to occupy 563 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,200 {\an8}all the Khwarazmian Empire. 564 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:24,760 Basically. He makes the Amu Darya River 565 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,560 his border and pulls most of his troops back. 566 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:30,840 So having returned from his successful 567 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:32,480 campaign in the Middle East, 568 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:34,200 the Khwarazmian Empire is rolled up. 569 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,800 {\an8}Now he's defeated his main rival, 570 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,560 {\an8}Chinggis Khan returns to his Mongolian Heartlands. 571 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,880 The Secret History suggests that Chinggis, around 572 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,600 this time, begins to decide on who will be his successor. 573 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,560 At this time, Chinggis Khan, he's in his 60s. 574 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:52,920 This is the central question 575 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,600 for any dynasty. 576 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:58,120 So this is a really big deal as to who might succeed 577 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,080 to the throne. 578 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:01,760 Some divisions seem to be emerging 579 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,520 between Chinggis Khan's four sons. 580 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,320 Jochi seems to have been a bit headstrong. 581 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:12,000 He doesn't seem to rendezvous with other commanders 582 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,240 very readily. 583 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:19,040 Chagadai is supposed to be also rather difficult. 584 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:23,520 The Secret historian writes up Chagadai as being not easy 585 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,880 to get on with, and we get an account in The Secret History 586 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,600 of a vicious dispute over succession breaking 587 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:36,080 out between Jochi and Chagadai, where Chagadai accuses Jochi 588 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,600 of being illegitimate. 589 00:34:39,720 --> 00:34:44,800 {\an8}-The sons in the rivalry called him a Merkit Bastard, 590 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:48,600 and this was an insult that he couldn't tolerate. 591 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,160 These kinds of family disputes begin 592 00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:56,240 to emerge at this time, particularly over seniorities, 593 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,960 these important markers of one's status are also grounds 594 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:05,280 for disputes, which increasingly emerge alongside 595 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:09,920 the victories of the Mongol Empire. 596 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,920 Jochi was off on a mission to the tribes 597 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,840 of the North in Russia. 598 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,080 He was either dispatched or went off his own accord. 599 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:22,400 When he mysteriously died. 600 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:24,840 No further details available. 601 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,040 Chinggis Khan appoints his middle son 602 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:35,760 Ögedei as his heir. 603 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,560 Ögedei is even handed and well liked. 604 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:45,760 You want someone who is peaceful. 605 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:49,000 {\an8}You want someone who would put people together. 606 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:52,680 Ögedei fits the picture. 607 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,920 At that point, Chinggis Khan decided that Ögedei 608 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,160 would be his successor. 609 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,360 Chinggis Khan now turns his attention 610 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:06,400 to the Tangut rulers who have betrayed him. 611 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,040 Chinggis Khan decides to settle old scores 612 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,480 with the Xi Xia, the Tangut rulers, 613 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:15,160 who didn't support him when he needed additional troops 614 00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:16,800 for his invasion of Khwarazmian. 615 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,120 He had thought in his first invasion he had left 616 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,280 a nice, obedient vassal. 617 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:26,080 Turned out that he was not so obedient, 618 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,080 because when he asked for troops from Xi Xia 619 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,040 the invasion westwards. 620 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:33,320 The Xi Xia Emperor refused to give them, 621 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,960 so he had to be punished, and then the rest of North China 622 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:39,960 had to be taken from Jin. That had to be established. 623 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,920 The Tangut make an alliance with the Jin, 624 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,080 and now they're fighting the Mongols. 625 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,320 Meanwhile, Chinggis Khan has received word about this. 626 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:58,240 Chinggis Khan loses his patience and invades. 627 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,320 And this is a campaign of destruction. 628 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,600 He mobilizes his army. 629 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:08,880 He marches into Xi Xia and seizures their capital city. 630 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,360 The extent to which Chinggis Khan himself would be engaged 631 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:16,880 in any combat, I think, is almost minimal. 632 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:18,640 He's the prime Commander. 633 00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:20,880 You wouldn't risk him by putting him too close 634 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,040 to any of the front lines. 635 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:26,760 He has his top general, Subudai, 636 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,680 just eradicating fortresses as they go. 637 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,360 Now, remember when he conquered them in 1209, 638 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,600 Chinggis Khan did not occupy Xi Xia. 639 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,440 He says, you guys are loyal to me. 640 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:38,320 You can rule yourselves. We're good. 641 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,960 But now he's destroying fortifications 642 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:42,520 wherever he finds 643 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,920 and eventually they're reducing their cities 644 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,760 one by one, if the Tangut are foolish enough to send out 645 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,480 an army against them, it gets destroyed. 646 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:56,760 The Mongols are quite good. 647 00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:59,840 They have siege trains with equipment being carried 648 00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:02,320 by camels that they can rapidly assemble 649 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:04,600 and put against any city. 650 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:06,200 They've refined their techniques. 651 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,880 They have a core of engineers able to build roads, 652 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,200 make bridges across rivers. 653 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:14,600 The Tangut are not safe. 654 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:36,400 It is 1227, and war rages on against the Tangut. 655 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:41,600 Chinggis Khan is now 65 and despite his advancing age, 656 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:45,520 he still accompanies his forces on campaign. 657 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:47,440 He was heading south. 658 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:51,680 He had reached a part of what is now Xi Xia in China, 659 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:57,000 inner Mongolian, near down the Xi River. 660 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,720 Chingis Khan is hunting wild donkeys, 661 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:02,040 and some of them come out of the brush. 662 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:03,520 He gets flung from his horse, 663 00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:10,080 and this probably has done some internal injuries to him. 664 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,760 He gets sick. 665 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:13,960 There was typhus in the area, 666 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:19,160 {\an8}and it's probable that he caught typhus. 667 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:21,480 His health condition deteriorates 668 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,120 over some time. Could have been weeks, 669 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:27,480 could have been months, but he still gives commands. 670 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:32,160 {\an8}As his health is worsening, he decrees that his illness 671 00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:35,440 {\an8}and possible death should remain completely secret 672 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:37,640 {\an8}until the campaign is won. 673 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:40,920 {\an8}They don't want the enemy to know that the commander 674 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,520 in chief is dying. 675 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,080 {\an8}-This is such a key moment, 676 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:48,800 {\an8}we could imagine that this is also the end of the Empire 677 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:50,520 {\an8}he has built. 678 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,800 So the whole affair is shrouded in secrecy 679 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:59,520 until the campaign against the Tangut Xi Xia rulers 680 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:04,680 is complete, but he never recovers. 681 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:15,280 In August 1227, Chinggis Khan dies. 682 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,760 A rather symbolic end for such a conqueror 683 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:24,720 that he dies whilst conquering. 684 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:28,360 The whole episode is, I think, largely poetic. 685 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,600 He endured all kinds of hardship. 686 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:40,680 He survived and he managed to unite the Mongols 687 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:46,600 he was fighting all of his life. 688 00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:49,680 {\an8}He defeated his rivals or enemies, 689 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:52,680 {\an8}and eventually he emerged as a great leader. 690 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:57,720 For someone of that age to survive and live that long 691 00:40:57,800 --> 00:40:58,960 was actually a miracle. 692 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:07,560 {\an8}-As people began to reflect on the enormity 693 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,360 {\an8}of what Chinggis Khan had completed. 694 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,360 His afterlife took on new meaning 695 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:22,680 in the traditional belief system of the Mongols. 696 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:25,680 There is no transcendental afterlife. 697 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:27,880 The afterlife is pretty much like the mundane. 698 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:29,720 If you are just an ordinary Shepherd. 699 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,400 You're gonna be an ordinary shepherd for all eternity. 700 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:37,600 If you are a Khan in the spirit world, you'll also be Kahn. 701 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:43,920 But then you have someone like Chinggis Khan, 702 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:48,320 who's done something no one else had done before. 703 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:55,440 So he became a God, and in many ways, his words became sacred. 704 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:08,440 Now, of course, at this time, the Mongols did not have 705 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:13,600 a ruler and a compass to measure the extent 706 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,520 of their Empire on a map to say, wow, Chinggis Khan 707 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,000 just conquered more territory than anybody else. 708 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,800 They just knew it was a lot. 709 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:25,560 They've taken the Mongols farther than they've ever 710 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,600 been before they entered new lands. 711 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:31,640 This was a whole new world for them. 712 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:35,480 They just knew that he had done something unbelievable, 713 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,760 unlike anyone else. So his spiritual power 714 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,480 was greater than anything else that they had ever experienced. 715 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:47,600 Any other Khan in the steppe, dwarfed by Chinggis Khan. 716 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:55,480 I mean he is somebody who I admire, not just admire, 717 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:57,960 but I guess worship. 718 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:05,480 Mongolians celebrate Chinggis Khan for giving customs. 719 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:10,280 He give law to us. He gave custom to us. 720 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,080 He gave language to us. 721 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:21,240 The world irrevocably changed with his actions. 722 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,840 It could not go back to the way it was before Chinggis Khan. 723 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:34,120 {\an8}-The war against the Tangut continues. 724 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:40,160 {\an8}With their visionary leader gone, 725 00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:44,280 {\an8}the Mongol armies face their greatest test yet. 726 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,320 {\an8}Will their Empire fall, 727 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:52,240 {\an8}or can it survive the death of Chinggis Khan.