How much do we know about Genghis's 'native' religion? Much of what I see online about Tengrism (if that is the proper term) seems to be somewhat influenced by modern revivalist theology, so as someone who doesn't study Central Asia it is hard to figure out what exactly Genghis and other (pre-Buddhist) Mongols would believe.

Hello Mr. Weatherford.

Did Genghis Khan and his inner circle have the concept of not religious freedom? Or did Mongols default to not caring about what you believe and were shocked that there were people who restricted religious practices?

Also I remember reading somewhere that the Yassa forbade people from washing clothes in the river for fear of angering the eternal blue sky. How does that play into religious freedom?

Thank you so much for participating in this AMA!

It's often said that we can view the Middle Ages (the same Middle Ages!) one of two ways: as the "roots of the modern world" or as the exotic, weird Other. The past 20-30 years have seen research on western Europe stress the latter angle, drawing attention to the more, er, visceral aspects of medieval Christianity and the disorganization and personalization of political culture. Meanwhile, there's been a lot more attention to "world history", writing Asia and the Near East into Anglophone history by claiming them as the ancestors of the modern (read: western) world.

As one of the authors unabashedly and enjoyably (if I do say so) in the second group, could you please talk a little about where you're coming from with this perspective, and how you see the varous political implications of claiming a tradition usually seen as Eastern/central for the "West"?

It's great to have this AMA and it comes at a wonderful time as I personally move towards central and west asia in my own work.

Your earlier book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World makes the very important point that much of our perception of the Mongols comes from biased sources, particularly in the west.

What differences might someone "on the ground" in a religiously diverse area like Armenia have experienced during the transition to Mongol rule?

You say that Mongolia is your favorite place in the world - why?

Did Genghis Khan demanded any kind of religious submission like accepting, worshipping or praising his god or religious beliefs / elements from the conquered peoples or their leaders?

Mr. Weatherford, I'm a bit curious about the historiography within Mongolia. I've seen a heck of a lot more on Mongolia come out in the past few years: What changes have you seen since the end of the Soviet Union?

What do you think of Anatoly Khazanov's article Muhammad and Jenghiz Khan Compared: The Religious Factor in World Empire Building? Specifically that:

The Mongols never claimed that they possessed the ultimate truth which excluded all others. Acquaintance with various world religions prompted the Arabs, by contrast, to deny them all, while the Mongols recognized them as the bearers of God's truth in their own way, hence their different attitude and policy towards other religions. The Mongols never considered the various religions as ideological rivals, or competitors with their own ethnic faith. They were quite open to the truth of others on the condition that the latter did not challenge their political domination

As soon as the Mongols became aware of the political necessity to integrate with subjugated societies, only one option was open to them: to adapt to the religions of the defeated. These religions were varied and thus contributed to the disintegration not of the Mongol empire as such, since it had been already fragmented, but of the Mongol commonwealth.

Though I would be interested in your thoughts on the article generally, including his points on social structure and context in the Eurasian steppes.

edit: link here for reference: http://www.kobiljski.org/CUNY_GC_Spring_2010_Islamic_History/the%20conquests/Muhammad%20and%20Jenghiz%20Khan%20Compared.pdf

Dr. Weatherford,

Thank you for your time today. We are all very much in appreciation. I have a couple of questions.

1. Your works are historical in nature, but you are trained as an anthropologist. We know that there is much overlap and interdisciplinary exchange in these two fields. How does your training make your perspective on the Mongols, specifically related to your two works listed in the introduction, different than that of a researcher trained in history?

2. You mentioned in a question that you don't typically watch films on the Mongols, but both books have been optioned. If they are made into films, how much control/influence would you have in maintaining your opinion of an appropriate portrayal of the Mongols?

Religious differences seem to have contributed to the first major split within the Mongol Empire, with the Golden Horde favoring Islam while the Ilkhanate favored Buddhism and Christianity. Do you think this split might have been avoided if Genghis Khan had chosen a state religion earlier?

What exactly are the beliefs and tenets of Tengrism? How similar or different is it from other nearby forms of animism, like Chinese folk religion?

Genghis Khan and his armies, besides promoting religious freedom, also committed many atrocities, even by the standards back then. Yet in general most people these days seem to put this in the back of their mind, and see Genghis Khan as someone to be admired. Particularly the Mongolians themselves, who see Genghis Khan as a kind of George Washington or maybe even Romulus. How did the negative image of the Mongol conquests and atrocities end up taking a back seat, and what implications does this have for things like the Third Reich and Imperial Japan?

What's you're favorite Mongolian food, and favorite movie about Genghis Khan?

Thank you so much for doing this AMA! I wondered if you would give us a taste of the research methodology you've used in your career. Your unique anthropological perspective on Genghis Khan is quite interesting!

Additionally, the dedication in Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World says this:

To the Young Mongols: Never forget the Mongolian scholars who were willing to sacrifice their lives to preserve your history.

I suspect there is a larger social implication in your statement. Could you expand upon your meaning?

Have the higher-ups of Mongolia ever engaged in a theological or philosophical or whatever might be the best word for it discussion/writings/something of the sort regarding the problem of religious freedom and the validity of multiple religions? As in "who's right" and "which god is the right one" if there's a whole bunch of people saying and believing different things.

Hello Mr. Weatherford, I'm a big fan of your book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.

1. I don't remember where in the book it was, but I remember reading that Genghis Khan thought of Attila the Hun in a way as his inspiration. This is something I haven't been able to find anywhere else. Would you be able to give me a source or two? I find that Mongol-Hun connection very interesting.

2. As someone who has backpacked from Chile to Canada and plans to backpack Scotland to Taiwan, what is Mongolia like? Well, that question seems a bit broad, so how do the locals feel about outsiders? I wish to go, but I don't want to seem an annoyance or look foolish for being a foreigner to loves Mongol history.

Hello, Mr. Weatherford. Thank you so much for doing this AMA.

How did the Mongolian military incorporate foreign armies into their campaigns? For example, both Chinese and Goryeo played various roles during the Mongolian invasion of Japan. But how did they fit tactically?

In addition, I've learned that there were many interactions between the Goryeo kingdom and Mongolians, and marriage alliances were settled through various points in time. This led to the Goryeo royalty holding prominent positions within the Mongolian social hierarchy. That being said, how did the various foreign princes/princesses acclimatize within the Mongolian court? How were they treated?

Thank you so much for doing this AMA, Mr. Weatherford! I apologize if this question strays too far from Mongolia, but I was wondering about the flow of information from Central Asia of the 13th century to the Western cultures. Especially in regards to the story of Khutulun and how was her life experience retold to suit the audience of a different culture, eventually transforming into the story of Turandot. Was Marco Polo the sole source for this? What liberties were taken and how does the western depiction differs from traditional Mongolian ones?

In the major cities of the Golden Horde, like Sarai Batu and Astrakhan, did Slavs live alongside the Tatars? If so, were they dhimmi, or converts, or did the khans not impose religious law?

In the Golden Horde, did the Mongols retain their language for long, or did they all become Tatars? Were Seljuks and Khwarezmians present?

Hi Mr. Weatherford,

Your book The Secret History of the Mongol Queens was one of the stepping stones that brought me to a degree in Tibetology! You mention this early on in the book:

Once we know what we are looking for, we find the Mongol queens in... silken thangkas hanging in Tibetan monasteries.

Did you have specific thangkhas in mind when coming up with that line? I've seen a few murals of Mongols (aka "Dreadful Invaders") in Bhutan, but never anything that would suggest Manduhai Khatun or any Mongol women.

Thank you for doing this!

There are accusations that your works tend to gloss over the more hideous and atrocious aspects of the Mongol Empire such as mass slaughter, genocidal actions on certain groups, and the destruction of agricultural societies under the Mongols. Do you think this is a valid critique or do you think it's unwarranted? Have you ever played Crusader Kings 2 and how do you feel about the representation of Mongols in that game?

Thank you for doing this, Mr. Weatherford.

If these days one had wherewithal and time to travel to Mongolia and through the places Genghis Khan knew, where and what would you recommend should be on one's itinerary?

What became of the zakat and the jizya in Muslim lands while they were under Mongol rule?

One of the main themes that pop-historians (e.g. Dan Carlin) focus on with regards to the Mongolian Empire is the supposed superiority of the steppe horse archer as a weapon platform and way of waging war more generally.

Any views you have on the subject would be very interesting.

Thanks

Do we have any record about the interaction of Mongol rule and Judaism? I am curious considering the very mixed record of treatment different empires have had concerning the Jewish people over the millennia, is there any documentation on this or is Judaism too small a religion to have been mentioned?

What were Genghis Khan's great regrets in his life?

My knowledge base lies predominantly in Medieval Christian-feudalism, Irish folk lore, and random information on the Ottomans, Abbasids, Savasids, etc etc. So, my question is rather broad (lacking specialized understanding): Which philosophical writings or schools of thought influenced Genghis Khan the most in your opinion?

First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your day to do this AMA!

Secondly, my question is: how was Genghis Khan's rule influenced by the politics of the peoples he conquered? Specifically of the Chinese to the east and later the Turks to the west?

Thanks for doing this AMA - I have a feeling it's going to make for fascinating reading.

My question's a two-parter: firstly, what was the socioeconomic structure (beyond the rather generic nomadic/pastoralist labels) of Mongol society in Ghengis' time, and what effects did his and his successors' conquests have on this society? And secondly, how did the structuring of society effect the Mongol approach to belief and religion, both native Tengrism and other religions they encountered?

Hello Mr. Weatheford, thanks for taking time to participate in this AMA!

I have three questions, please feel free to answer in as much or as little detail as you wish:

1.) In my mind the Mongols are an especially interesting case when it comes to the topic of alcohol use within an organized army especially since some of the most famous Khans were strong alcoholics (e.g. Genghis, Ogedei). Have you come across anything in your studies about the use of alcohol within the Mongol cohorts before the capturing of a city? How much did alcohol play a role when it came to meeting an adversary in battle?

2.) On another note, thank you very much for your work The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, I found it a very fascinating read! Are there any specific beliefs/reasons that you can point to for why the Mongols put women in prominent places of power within the Mongol empire? Was this at all related to any specific religious belief?

3.) Lastly, what were some specific ways of training a Mongol army back in the steppe? This is a very broad question but I'm curious to know what the Mongol armies did to become as strong an army as they were before engaging in actual conflict. Thanks again for your time!

Since everyone killed and massacred in this time period, Ghengis just won more often because of his genius: Do you believe he has had an overall positive or negative impact on the world?

This is quite a speculative question but I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Had Genghis Khan continue to live for another 10-15 years, do you think he could have conquered Europe or instructed his heirs to continue his conquest into Europe mainland? Would his armies wipe the floor with Europeans still?

I read that the Mongolian Empire had a set of laws that no one was allowed to know. Is that true? What was the point of it?

Thank you Mr. Weatherford for taking the time to answer our questions, my question is that I picked up somewhere that the Mongols don't like to shed royal blood, can you verify the authenticity of this factoid? If so, to what extend of "royalness" would this have been applied?

How long did the decimal-based tumen military system that Genghus Khan instituted last in the various successor states of the Mongol Empire? Did it gradually wear down, or was it formally abolished?

i was wondering if you would know anything about the role of women. to be more specific were only the royal women treated with respect and also were their jobs different from the men or did the mongols promote/hire based on hard work and skill?

When Genghis Khan was in control, did the Mongols have written laws and if so how well were they enforced, or did they have a code that they followed. Thank you.

What role did horse archers play in the mongol's army in regards to their battle tactics.