The Mongols built an empire with one technological breakthrough (2017)

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/05/the-mongols-built-an-empire-with-one-technological-breakthrough/

by avsaro • 9 years ago

4 1 9 years ago

ZooAgent• 9 years ago

Mongols once built a large wooden platform and forced six Russian princes to lay down underneath it. The Mongol generals then held a feast on the platform, crushing the Russians to death.

Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols would catapult the dead bodies of soldiers infected by the bubonic plague over city walls during sieges. This is one of the earliest accounts biological warfare.

Japan was invaded by the strong Mongol army TWICE, and both times were saved by harsh storms that crippled the Mongols. They called these storms "Kamikaze" or "Divine Winds".

Mongols would commonly use a military tactic known as "kharash." This involved the gathering of local residents or soldiers surrendered from previous battles, and then driving them forward in sieges and battles, effectively making them "alive boards" or "human shields".

People of the Mongol empire NEVER washed their clothes or themselves because they believed washing would pollute the water and anger the dragons that controlled the water cycle.

Mongols under the rule of Genghis Khan pulled the bowstrings of their bows back with their thumb instead of using a "Mediterranean draw" with three fingers, so to protect their thumbs, the Mongols invented a "thumb ring".

Twice as many Mongols live in China as in Mongolia

The Mongols built an empire with one technological breakthrough (2017)

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