43 pages • 1 hour read
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
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Essay Topics
Why does Weatherford make Genghis Khan the central figure of his history, rather than, say, Khubilai? Does Genghis Khan seem the most responsible for the innovations brought about by Mongol rule, or do his descendants bear more responsibility? Is Genghis Khan’s establishment of the empire more significant than his descendants’ roles in maintaining, changing, and expanding it?
In what ways did traditional Mongol ideas of family relationships shape the structure—and history—of their empire?
Do you accept Weatherford’s premise that Europe gained the most from the Mongol expansion as it was a trading partner, but not a casualty of, the vast Mongol empire?
How would you characterize the role of women in the history of the Mongol empire? How much agency did they possess as individuals? How did this differ from other contemporary, previous, or subsequent societies?
Describe the similarities as well as the tensions between Mongol religion and the other religious traditions the empire came into contact with. How did the unique Mongol religious tradition encourage or hinder the spread of the empire? What unique challenges did it create?
How would you characterize the nature and importance of loyalty among Mongol rulers and subjects?
Why do you think rulers such as Khubilai clung to traditional Mongol practices even after many of their other customs had veered far from tradition?
Describes the strengths or weaknesses of the Mongol khuriltai system of choosing a Khan, as detailed by Weatherford. How do different players in the history of the empire exploit this system?
Describe the effect that Weatherford’s personal experience in the Mongolian wilderness (as described in the Introduction and Epilogue) has on his theories about the Mongol Empire.
Why do you think state authorities in both China and the USSR went to such great lengths to suppress the history of Genghis Khan during the twentieth century, as detailed in Weatherford’s introduction?
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