Chinggis was determined to use his military strength to conquer neighboring lands. He believed he had been chosen by the Mongolian god, Eternal Heaven, to rule the world. The Mongols believed in many spirits that ruled their herds, the success of the hunt, and almost all other aspects of their lives. But the right to rule was granted by Eternal Heaven only. They believed there was just one ruler in heaven, and just one on earth-Chinggis Khan.
There were also political reasons for Chinggis’s military actions. He insisted neighboring rulers hand over all refugees fleeing from Mongol rule. If they harbored these refugees, they were considered hostile nations.
Chinggis’s first attack came in 1209, as the Mongols invaded Xixia, in what is now northwest China, south of the Gobi Desert. The Tanguts, most likely from Tibet, ruled this empire, which had once been part of China. Rather than face a superior military force, the Tangut rulers quickly
Agreed to pay tribute to Chinggis and accept his rule. With Xixia now united with Mongolia, Chinggis controlled a key section of the Silk Road, a major trade route across Asia. He also had a western route for his troops when they attacked the Mongols’ major threat in the east, the Jin.
The invasion of northern China began in 1211. At first the Mongols were content merely to loot Jin cities and then return home, but eventually they took control of their enemies’ lands. In 1215 the Mongols captured the Jin’s northern capital, Yanjing (the site of modern-day Beijing), forcing the Jin rulers to flee south. Despite that loss the Jin continued to fight, and the war with the Mongols dragged on for another 19 years.
On the open plains of the steppe, the Mongols were nearly invincible. They could ride their horses for days and shoot arrows as they rode. They relied on their speed and discipline to catch their enemies off guard. Their army was split into divisions of 10,000 soldiers, called tumens, which were further broken down into 10 migghans. Each of these migghans had 10 squadrons, or ja’uns, with 100 men. Chinggis often had tumens travel separately, then skillfully brought them together at the right time and place for battle.
Deception was also key, as the Mongols sometimes faked attacking from one direction while their main force prepared to attack from another direction. Chinggis would also have his men pretend to retreat to lure their enemy into following them. Then the retreating forces would maneuver the enemy into a position where hidden
Mongols could easily defeat them.
Outflanking the Enemy
A key part of Mongol military strategy was flanking, or coming at an enemy from the side instead of head on. The Mongols' mobility on their horses made this strategy work, along with their deception tactics. The different army units used flags and torches to communicate with each other as they maneuvered into a flanking position. Into modern times, generals around the world have studied the tactics of Chinggis and the other great Mongol generals, replacing horses with tanks and other gasoline-powered vehicles.
The Mongols’ usual cavalry tactics, however, did not work well in crowded cities, and in China they had to adopt new methods of waging war. Using the skills of captured Chinese engineers, they built siege engines. These included different kinds of catapults, which hurled rocks and flaming or explosive objects. Siege warfare involved cutting off a city from the outside world so it could not receive supplies or fresh troops. The Mongols tried to force their urban enemies to surrender, while using the siege
Engines to wear down their defenses. For decades to come, the Mongols combined their cavalry attacks with siege warfare. The adoption of siege warfare was what made the Mongols different from other nomadic empires and is an important reason they grew so powerful.
World History
