2. This is true story of how the Mongols were able to rule a large
section of Asia as told by a Mongol warrior..
3. I always remember having to report to the next person higher in command. I
was in charge of 100 men, and my boss was in charge of 100 more like me.
This was really helpful in communicating. I was also able to group with 900
other men for an ambush or split into groups of ten for a minor job.
4. My neighbor’s family and mine have been fighting for years and
years, but suddenly in the army background and past family feuds
are not important. We are all equal now.
5. Even though I
was just a lowly
bread maker, I
was able to rise
in the ranks
because of my
ability. I am now
in charge a
thousand men!
6. I was able to have three or four horses, so I could ride long
distances without wearing out any horse. I was even able
to ride 100 miles in one day. Other soldiers and I were
brought up on this land so were able to survive even in the
worst conditions.
7. We also avoided direct combat. We would shoot arrows from a
long distance, and if the men were wearing armor, we would
shoot for their horses. We quickly learned that the European
men are not so powerful without their horses.
8. One of my most prized possessions was my horse. They were lighter than
those the Europeans used, and since their horses were covered in heavy
armor, we would often out run them. We also arrived at battlefields sooner than
our enemies expected.
9. I don’t think my men and I were ever out of supplies
because the carriages were well organized and stocked
at all times. Although, for those who were not close to
supplies, I have heard could live a month just on their
horses’ milk and little thinks they killed along their way.
10. Besides my horse, I always had my bow by my side.
During this time it was the best in accuracy, force, and
reach. It was also small, so I could even fire backwards
from my horse.
11. This sword was light weight
and long, so it was easy to
use even while on horse
back.
12. We also had power siege machines, but unlike the Europeans
who disassembled their machines to move them, we had
master engineers who could build accurate machines with only
the materials available. This drastically reduced the time
needed to attack.
13. We also used a tactic called Kharash. This move involved
using residents or capture soldiers as shields while running
into battle. We were able to shoot them, but most Mongol
fighters were unharmed.
14. I was surprised that
my leader already
had a pretty good
idea of how the land
was shaped and
which route would be
best. I later learned
that this was
because Khan had
sent scouts to survey
the land as long as
ten years ago!
15. The combination of tactics and advanced
weapons is what was instrumental in our
conquest of the majority of Asia.
