Genghis Khan And The Mongols Chapter Summary

In 2003, Jack Weatherford, professor of anthropology, published Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Genghis Khan began as a boy whose father died and tribe abandoned him. However, he began to conquer and unite lands from all over. He fostered trade, communication between cultures, and growing civilizations. He was possibly the most forward thinking ruler in history. He exempted the poor from taxes, established free education, and created religious freedom in his empire. He and the Mongols shaped the modern world. Jack Weatherford does a brilliant job of capturing the unique story of Genghis Khan and the Mongols.

SUMMARY: (topic, points of discussion, summary of content)

The Mongols began in the early twelfth century and lasted

He is a specialist in tribal peoples. He has written several other books including Indian Givers, Native Toots, Savages and Civilization, and The History of Money. Weatherford has a Bachelor's in Political Science, Master’s in Sociology, and a Doctorate in Anthropology. The president of Mongolia awarded him the Order of the Polar Star, which is highest national award in 2007. President Enkhbayar was thankful for his contribution to Mongolian culture. Weatherford is a well accomplished writer and a credible source. However, the book is not without its

He uses the name Genghis, rather than Chinggis, Jenghiz, or Djingis. This choice to use the Persian spelling is technically fine since a system of transliteration for Mongolian names and words has not been set in stone. However, it is not the original. The Mongol words he uses are not necessarily correct either. For example, he uses khan for a tribal leader or Mongol king. For the highest office, he uses Great Khan, rather than the Mongol khaan. He felt that that distinguishing between khan and khan would be too confusing. Weatherford also does not include umlauts (A mark over a vowel) or diacritical marks (marks above or under that change the pronunciation) in the Mongol words.

Weatherford also gives an excessive amount of credibility to the Mongols. He gives the reader the idea that the Mongols have done everything to make the modern world. He even goes as far to say that the Renaissance was caused by the Mongols. Weatherford writes, “Under the widespread influences...Europeans experienced a Renaissance, literally a rebirth...It was the Mongol Empire, picked up, transferred, and adapted by the Europeans to their own needs and culture.” Weatherford puts great emphasis on the Mongols impacting aspects of every