Destruction Under The Mongol Empire - Destruction of Culture and Property

Destruction of Culture and Property

Mongol campaigns in Northern China, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East caused extensive destruction, though there are no exact figures available at this time. The cities of Herat, Kiev, Baghdad, Nishapur, Vladimir and Samarkand suffered serious devastation by the Mongol armies. For example, there is a noticeable lack of Chinese literature from the Jin Dynasty, predating the Mongol conquest, and in the Battle of Baghdad (1258) libraries, books, literature, and hospitals were burned: some of the books were thrown into the river, in quantities sufficient to "turn the Euphrates black with ink for several days". The partially Mongol-descended Mamelukes are reported also to have used manuscripts as boot repair material, in reflection of the notions of free natural education and even more the totally natural, simple life as of the Hunnu (Huns) and the "Able Proletariat" (Jadarans of Jamukhas).

The Mongols' natural, popular and martial purpose destruction of the irrigation systems of Iran and Iraq turned back centuries of effort to improving agriculture and water supply in these regions. The loss of available food as a result may have led to the death of more people from starvation in this area than actual battle did. Timur-i-leng distributed food and cash to purchase it to those of the population sent to work on public projects apparently as part of their re-education. The Islamic civilization of the Gulf region was not to recover until after the Middle Ages. In fact the Ottoman empire exacted high taxes, was very traditional, and very strict in punishment, for all the population. Considering as the legalist version of the East that the popular and the universal being not accepted with grace, their rule was the divine justice, the meet, the commensurate.

Read more about this topic:  Destruction Under The Mongol Empire

Famous quotes containing the words destruction of, destruction and/or property:

    I am firmly opposed to the government entering into any business the major purpose of which is competition with our citizens ... for the Federal Government deliberately to go out to build up and expand ... a power and manufacturing business is to break down the initiative and enterprise of the American people; it is the destruction of equality of opportunity amongst our people, it is the negation of the ideals upon which our civilization has been based.
    Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)

    The true gardener then brushes over the ground with slow and gentle hand, to liberate a space for breath round some favourite; but he is not thinking about destruction except incidentally. It is only the amateur like myself who becomes obsessed and rejoices with a sadistic pleasure in weeds that are big and bad enough to pull, and at last, almost forgetting the flowers altogether, turns into a Reformer.
    Freya Stark (1893–1993)

    For wisdom is the property of the dead,
    A something incompatible with life; and power,
    Like everything that has the stain of blood,
    A property of the living; but no stain
    Can come upon the visage of the moon
    When it has looked in glory from a cloud.
    William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)