I wonder what a deep trace a great man can leave in history. Genghis Khan was the great khan of the Mongol Empire at the dawn of the 13th century. He created an empire where there was nothing but disparate and ever-warring tribes. In just dozens of years, it has turned into the greatest military empire in history: the most ambitious, orderly and streamlined. Undoubtedly, the person who created it was wise, harsh and amazingly purposeful. After 8 centuries, we still have something to learn from him. Many quotes of Genghis Khan at all times remain relevant, while some give the idea that the great conqueror did not stop at nothing to achieve the goal. Let's try to look at him as a person who has achieved unprecedented success, which hardly anyone has had the chance or will be able to repeat. What qualities did he possess?
Fearlessness
Perhaps the most famous quote of Genghis Khan: "If you are afraid, do not do it, but if you do, then do not be afraid."
She characterizes him as a fearless person who knows no doubt. There is a proportion of the traditional East Asian view of events in this statement. There is no reason to be afraid and afraid of what has not happened yet. In fact, the Mongol nomad, who, in essence, has nothing for his soul except his life, is stupid to fear failure. Therefore, Genghis Khan, being a native of the usual steppe ulus, from his youth used to act decisively and without delay.
Wisdom
Some quotes and aphorisms of Genghis Khan speak of the extraordinary mind and experience of this person. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the author of this statement is a ferocious steppe who used to carve whole nations to the root, and not some ancient philosopher.
Indeed, many qualities coexisted in the personality of the great Mongol khan. Along with cruelty and ruthlessness, Genghis Khan possessed the ability to quickly learn the best from his enemies and the nations he defeated. He was able to extract important experience from his mistakes and not repeat them again. Are these not the qualities of a wise man and a born leader? Among the wise quotes of Genghis Khan is the statement:
Any word can be repeated anywhere that three sages agree on, otherwise you cannot rely on it. Compare both your word and the word of anyone with the words of the wise; if it matches, then it can be said, otherwise there is no need to pronounce!
Discipline
The foundation of the Mongol empire that Genghis Khan created was iron discipline. All military empires are certainly built on this foundation. But, perhaps, the Tatar-Mongols in this regard can be taken as a standard. From time immemorial, nomads used to follow the leader of the tribe and obey his orders. But keeping discipline in a small tribe is one thing, and establishing an iron order in an empire that was superior in scale to all civilizations and peoples of that time is quite another.
Of course, the methods by which Genghis Khan achieved his goal were unprecedented. But this man did not recognize half measures. So, in his troops there was mutual responsibility, when a dozen were cut out for the escape of one soldier. Or, let’s say, a case is known when one of the companies was late for some reason to the gathering place during the next military campaign. Genghis Khan, without hesitation, ordered to betray everyone to a single execution. All these rules were established by the khan at the dawn of his military career and forever ensured the perfect order and unquestioning fulfillment of his will. The following quote from Genghis Khan perfectly characterizes the principles of managing people and establishing discipline:
Everyone who is able to keep his house in order is able to keep his property in order; everyone who can, as it should be, build ten people for battle, is worthy of being given a thousand or tumen: he can build them for battle.
Ruthlessness
All the great conquerors were merciless. And in terms of the number of victims, especially on the scale of his era, Genghis Khan was and remains the first of the ruthless. Encountering resistance among the people he conquered, the great khan ordered to slaughter the entire population, sparing no one. During the Central Asian campaign, the Mongol army actually wiped out the most prosperous empire of that time - Khorezm. Genghis Khan exterminated three quarters of the entire population of this power. The blooming Khorezm empire was never restored to its former greatness.
This is hard to believe, but Genghis Khan's ruthlessness was not dictated by his hard-heartedness or hatred of other nations. Everything he did was necessary for the best result. And if in order to ensure obedience from the enemy it was necessary to exterminate the population of several towns or cities, he did it without remorse. The ruthlessness of the great commander is best illustrated by this quote from Genghis Khan:
Never leave alive the one who did good to you, so that no one should be in debt.
Uncompromising
Indeed, true leaders do not practice half measures. And even more so when it comes to the warlike nation of the Mongol nomads, accustomed to living only in war and raids. In Genghis Khan, this uncompromising embodiment was embodied in its purest form. He nurtured extremely ambitious plans to conquer the entire populated land of the continent from ocean to ocean. And, although not by him, but by his descendants, this was almost done. Genghis Khan used to say this:
It’s not enough that I won. Everyone else must lose.
It is unlikely that a Mongolian boy, named at birth by Temujin, could go the way to the first emperor of the Great Mongol Empire, if he did not possess or educate all these qualities in himself. Therefore, quotes, aphorisms and sayings of Genghis Khan have survived to this day and will survive many more generations, while remaining relevant.