Strength, ruthless, fearless, these words can describe the Mongol Empire. They put a mark on history which shaped the whole basis of interaction between civilizations. One expedition is the Sack of Baghdad. The Mongol sack of Baghdad of 1258 is a turning point in world history because it destroyed the Islamic Golden Age by destroying their society, killing their citizens and their knowledge. The sack of Baghdad destroyed the society of Muslims. Before, Baghdad was the site of intelligence. They had numerous libraries scattering all over the area. The House of Wisdom allowed scholars and professors to advance their knowledge. Though they were very intelligent, they had no strong army. “ The Abbasid army was effectively non-existent, and only served as bodyguards of the caliph.” …show more content…
Now, without any symbolism and a leader, Baghdad’s society was destroyed. The sack of Baghdad killed many citizens. “Their army, estimated at over 150,000 soldiers...It is estimated that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 people were butchered in that one week of destruction.” (Lost Islamic Society) In my opinion, with numerous people dead, it will be hard for Baghdad to regain back their population. Baghdad will then become depopulated and uninhabitable. The sack of Baghdad not only destroyed society, culture, and numerous amounts of people, but it lost a great deal of knowledge and research. “Hundreds of thousands of priceless manuscripts and books were tossed into the Tigris River.” (The Great Courses Daily) Majority of Islam’s symbolism got flooded; lost. Their hard work, research, potential breakthroughs, all destroyed by the water. With the destruction of libraries and The House of Wisdom, in my opinion, the Mongols did not need to keep them. It was like trash to them. Things that were cluttering up their path. The Mongol sack of Baghdad of 1258 is a turning point in world history because