- Posted by MASTER VIKRANT ROHIN
MONGOL: MASSACRE
According to the works of the Iranian historian Rashid al-Din (1247-1318), the Mongols killed over 700,000 people in Merv (Turkmenistan) and over 1,000,000 in Nishapur (Iran).
Genghis Khan was a ruthless conqueror. Many regard him as a brutal ruler because of his brutality, which killed millions. The wars he led killed 40 million people, and one can bet that he did not accomplish this through peaceful negotiation and smooth diplomacy.
WAR: STRATEGY
A Mongol strategy called for the use of the KHARASH.
Mongols would gather prisoners captured in previous battles in Kharash, then move them forward in sieges and battles.
These captured soldiers were used as “shields,” often taking the brunt of enemy arrows and crossbow bolts, thereby protecting the ethnically Mongol warriors.
Mongols sometimes used catapults to throw the bodies of plague victims into the city. This would cause the disease to spread inside the city and allow it to be captured easily.
The Mongols ordered that no woman, man, or child be spared. Each soldier in the army was assigned around 300 people to kill.
They massacred hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, and according to some historians, they built pyramids of skulls by gathering their victims’ heads. The Mongol cry “Feed the Horses” was a signal to rape, murder, and plunder the defenceless population.
Mongols took a few prisoners and made few distinctions between combatants and noncombatants. The killings were carried out in a highly organised manner. The victims were not tortured but were executed as quickly as possible.
In some ways, the Mongol invasions resembled the German blitzkrieg.
The term “Blitzkrieg” refers to a method of offensive warfare in which mobile, manoeuvrable forces, such as armoured tanks and air support, are used to strike a quick, focused blow at an enemy. Such an attack should ideally result in a quick victory with minimal casualties.
