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, culture and/or property:

    We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true. “And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation, and the beasts shall reign over the earth.”
    —Ted Sherdeman. Gordon Douglas. Dr. Medford (Edmund Gwenn)

    Unthinking people will often try to teach you how to do the things which you can do better than you can be taught to do them. If you are sure of all this, you can start to add to your value as a mother by learning the things that can be taught, for the best of our civilization and culture offers much that is of value, if you can take it without loss of what comes to you naturally.
    D.W. Winnicott (20th century)

    It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to pay the aggrieved party may seize on the property belonging to the other, its citizens or subjects, sufficient to pay the debt without giving just cause of war.
    Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)