U368 Mongol Conquest Lecture
Week 4, Wednesday:  What kind of ruler was Chinggis Qan?
 
  1. Chinggis Qan--Tribal Aristocrat or Revoluntionary Dictator?
    1. Tribal Aristocrat--Russo-Marxist thesis
      1. Supposedly expressed rising domainance of tribal aristocracy
    2. Revolutionary Dictator thesis--Oriental Despotism thesis
      1. Chinggis Qan supposedly destroyed tribes
      2. Decimal system created bureaucratic totalitarian control
      3. Guards system creates secret police elite
  2. Chinggis Qan takes over institutions from Kereyid and Naiman
    1. Decimal system
      1. Approximate numbers, not exact
      2. Natural nested units of pastoral society
      3. Ten=camp, thousand=lineage, wing=tribe (lots of exceptions)
    2. Guards (Keshig/keshigten)
      1. Night (Kebte 'ül) and day guards (Turqa'ud)
      2. Cadet branches balanced against outer commands
      3. Elite units, protected emperor's person, trained persons
    3. Writing
      1. Uighur at Naiman court, Tatar-Tonga, introduces writing and seals
      2. Shigi Qutuqu made scribe for decimal records, jarligs, judgements
      3. Secret History itself part of recording jarligs
      4. Tatar-Tanga and other "foreign experts" almost ignored by Secret History
      5. Baljuna covenanters:  Chinqai (Kereyid); Ja'far Khoja, Hasan (Muslim); Yelü Ahai, Tuhua (Kitan)
  3. The new aristocracy
    1. The four külügs (külü’üd), also four dogs, etc.
      1. Heads of powerful aristocratic clans, later headed Keshig
      2. Grants of immunity (darqan) hereditary
    2. Sons (except Tolui) and brothers form mini-realms
      1. Receive advisers, scribe, eventually own guards
  4. Chinggis and Teb Tenggeri
    1. Religious aspect--Teb Tenggeri
      1. Teb Tenggeri prophet of Chinggis Qan's heavenly mission
      2. After crisis, Chinggis speaks directly to Heaven (cf. §216)
    2. Family/clan aspect--Seven sons of the Qongqotad
      1. Grandpa Charaqa was Yisügei's man
      2. Father Münglig married Hö'elün
      3. After coronation, rivalry of Qongqotad and Chinggisid family
      4. After hesitation, Chinggis defends his brothers (lineage)
  5. Chinggis Qan finely balanced family/clan loyalty and imperial loyalty