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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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Alternate
History: Ghengis Khan Dead before invasion. Part 1: The forging of an empire. First, the Mongol invasions in Europe supposedly began
the end of the European dark ages, the Chinese trade flowing in once more to
Europe after their invasion. Secondly, Temur and Babur, famous descendants of
Temujin would not exist, due to his death, which eliminates any Mughal India or
Temurid empire. Now, you need to find a suitable time to kill off
Temujin. Fairly early, before he gains any political influence. So I've chosen
when he was kidnapped. In the OTL, he killed his guard and escaped. But in this
time-line he will fail to do so, and be executed by the enemy clan. 1155-1162 -
"Temujin", son of a Borjigin Chieftain is born. 1165-1172 - Yusugei,
Chieftain of the Borjigin tribe is poisoned and dies. Yusugei's wife and
children, including Temujin are exiled to the plains. 1166-1173 - Temujin
kills one of his brothers, because he is trying to steal food that the family
has saved up. This shows the young man's ruthlessness, something which was
formidable in a Mongol at the time. 1167-1174 -
Temujin is kidnapped by an enemy clan while out hunting. He is executed soon
after. The family of Temujin, without him soon starve in the steppes, the family
dead in a matter of months. 1180 - Markit
clansmen kidnap the Qongirat Chieftain's daughter, Borte. She is killed soon
after, her father and family wondering of what came to her. (Borte was the first
wife of Temujin, and actually was kidnapped. I'm assuming she would be killed if
he hadn't saved her.) 1181-1195 -
A stunning army under the force of a man named Togrul, and a younger man Jamuka
speed through Mongolia, defeating common enemies together. 1195 -
Khuriltai assembly. Several Chieftains of Mongol tribes come together, and elect
Togrul and Jamuka as the Khans of Mongolia, both given the title Genghis. (In
OTL, Temujin was elected Genghis Khan of Mongolia. Togrul was an old friend of
Temujin's father, Jamuka a younger Chieftain who had joined him. The three were
allies, but soon drifted apart. So Togrul and Jamuka still met up in this TL,
but are largely friendly, and in turn elected the rulers of Mongolia.) They are
named, Genghis Togrul Khan, and Genghis Jamuka Khan. 1196 -
Despite being elected, many Chieftains protest the election. There can only be
one emperor on earth, just as there was one god in heaven. The twin Khans(as
they were nicknamed), gathered a fierce army, and went about destorying all
Chieftains that protested their twin rule. They gave the common quote: "One
emperor, one god. We cannot know for sure if we are right, so let us look
forward without problems and take all." 1200 - The
last Mongol tribe questioning the divine rule of the Twin Khans is defeated. (In
OTL, the last tribe was 1204. But these are two men, commanding different
armies, both skilled. It would be quicker. On a side note, Togrul protested the
election and was killed in the OTL, but since Temujin is dead..and he was
elected, no protest, obviously.) 1202 - Second
Khuriltai assembly. Togrul and Jamuka
are once again proclaimed the Twin Khans of Mongolia. This election was far more
serious, with no protests from Mongol clans. The Twin Khans give a famous speech
of gaining more land for the Mongols, and to forge an empire larger than the
earth it's self. (OTL, the second Khuriltai was convened in 1206, but since the
last tribe was killed 4 years earlier, the second assembly was four years
earlier than the OTL.) 1203 -
Togrul releases a list of teachings, written on papyrus with military techniques
both he and Jamuka had used in the 1196-1200 campaigns(named the four year war
by the Mongols). It begins a mass re-working on the Mongolian army. Cavalry are held above all, as all Mongolians learned
to ride when they were young. Infantry was on a lower scale, and the whole army
was reformed in a decimal system, something which most tribes men scoffed at.
These teachings are called the Togrul Code. 1204 - The
Twin Khans invade China. China was divided into three. The Jin and Tangut
kingdoms in the north, the Sung in the south. The Jin was hit first by the two
armies raised by Togrul and Jamuka, and were quickly overwealmed and forced to
fall back behind it's lines. The invasion of China marked not only a turning point,
but rapidly changed the Mongolian military. Chinese engineers were conscripted
into the Mongolian populace, and made to build siege machines. Soon trebuchets,
battering rams, and mongonels became common in the Mongolian army, and for
"testing", a Mongolian siege regiment knocked down a ten mile stretch
of the Great Wall, known today as the "scar of the Mongols". With Togrul effectively handeling the war against the
Jin, Jamuka rides off and directly conquers Manchuria with his cavalry units and
siege equipment built by the enslaved Chinese. The territory was large, and a
nice addition to the growing Mongolian kingdom. 1205 -
Jin cannot fight back against the streams of Mongols pouring forth and collapses
into anarchy. Togrul takes this chance and marries the only daughter of the Jin
emperor, effectively making him emperor of the Jin kingdom(after killing all of
the former emperors sons). The young princess bares him three children, all
girls. They remain in the former Jin capital for the rest of their lives,
marrying Mongolian nobility. Siege of Pyongyang. The Koreans were silent and
un-nerving, neither insulting or facing the Mongols. Yet Jamuka laid siege to
this city and captured it near the end of the year, extending Mongolian
influence to northern Korea. 1206 - Togrul,
after refueling and resting his army, invades the Tang kingdom. It too faces
hard pressure from both the Mongolian army led by Togrul, Manchu raiders from
the Mongol held Manchuria, and lastly peasant revolts from the lack of food and
supplies. Major Chinese cities are laid waste too, and by the end of the year
Peking is defeated by the Mongols, forced to lay Prostrate before them, effectly
bringing all of Northern China under Mongol control. Siege of Seoul. The Koreans once again faced attack
from Jamuka and his army which had refueled in Pyongyang. The city held out
bitter resistance, but soon fell to Jamuka with a combination of stavation,
siege weaponry, and cavalry. All of Korea is under Mongolian control, although
the Korean nobility and royalty flee and establish court on a tiny island off
the coast of Korea, and continue to rule. 1207 -
Togrul is coronated as "Emperor of China and Mongolia", while Jamuka
is coronated as "King of Korea and Mongolia". The twin Khans have not
seen eachother in over two years, but know of eachothers deeds. They reunite in
Peking, and replish their armies. They plan a march to the south in the coming
year with a refueled army of siege weaponry, Mongolian cavalry, Chinese
infantry, Manchurian Cavalry, and Korean infantry. The Imperial records in Peking are opened up and their
secrets revealed to Togrul and Jamuka. They invite the wisest Mongolians to the
city to begin using these records to better perfect Mongolian society. The
Chinese elite of the city are also recruited, although they are less than
overjoyed by the circumstances. 1208 -
Invasion of Sung China. The dual army of Togrul and Jamuka bee-lines through
easily, putting pressure on the Sungs to surrender while they have a chance. The
Mongols take advantage of the knowledge of gunpowder from the Imperial records,
putting it in barrels with a long oil cloth coming out. The cloth would be
ignited with a flame, which would later make the gunpowder combust, creating a
crude explosive. These bomb-like items were used in the siege of the Sung
capital, which led to it's fall later in the year. Togrul is crowned emperor of China, ridding himself of
the "northern emperor". Jamuka doesn't object, for he is already king
of Korea and Khan of Mongolia. 1209 - Mongolian
governors are installed in the conquered areas of China, Manchuria, and Korea,
to prevent any uprising. Togrul and Jamuka return back towards Mongolia, their
army carrying as much loot as possible. Mongolians from the steppes are conscripted into
service in China and Korea, to act as imperial garrisons, as the Twin Khans do
not yet trust the Chinese enough to let them protect themselves. Togrul promotes
"rule in time" depriving the Chinese of their rights until they are
loyal to the Mongolian regime. 1209 also marks the first year since 1203 where there
has not been war. Togrul is growing old, weary of battlement. He spoke in
staggering slurs in Mongolia, and soon left it to retire in China, effectively
installing the "Kereit"dynasty in the now united kingdom. 1210 -
Togrul dies, after months of agony. He is succeeded by his son Yasaq, who also
took his title Khan of Mongolia. Jamuka accepts the appointment and meets Yasaq
in Peking. Yasaq had plans, to march south, into the weak confused states of
Southern Asia, and asked Jamuka to go with him. The king of Korea agrees, and
they march together to southern China, refueling and refreshing their dual-army
with Chinese recruits, siege weaponry, and some gunpowder weaponry, tread
southward. 1211 -
Invasion of the Southern states. SE Asia was a confused mess in 1210, a mix of
Thai, Khmer, and Viet kingdoms, none which could muster even an army to fight
off the Mongol yoke. Cities in the southern area fall with ease, although supply
lines and the harsh jungles result in some of the first Mongol defeats. 1212 - Jamuka
and Yasaq install Mongolian governors and garrisons in the Southern states,
relying on the late Tugrul's "rule in time" policy to keep the natives
subdued. The duo make a visit to the Angkor Wat in Khmer, locking the doors
behind them, make personal prayers to the Mongol gods. Yet Jamuka and Yasaq had
grown apart in their recent invasion, their short friendship slowly turning into
bitter enemies. The two left Southern Asia, changed. 1213 - Yasaq
sends a messanger to Jamuka, speaking of the states east of Mongolia that could
be easily brought under their sphere of influence, in time. Jamuka sends reply
back that such an attack would be foolish, and that he will not spare his troops
for such "suicide". This angers Yasaq, and war is declared. 1214-1220 - The
Mongolian civil war. The elder Mongols never thought that the two Khans of
Mongolia would fight a war against EACH OTHER. The Mongol empire became torn.
Korea, Manchuria, and eastern Mongolia pledged alligniance to Jamuka, whilst
Western Mongolia, and China pledged alligniance to Yasaq. The states of Southern
Asia remained neutral in the conflict, being too backwards to contribute
anything to either side. The Mongol govenors of the southern region become
de-facto independant rulers. They embrace Bhuddism and become
"Princes". Petty wars are fought(largely overshadowed by the civil war
going on), and by 1220 there are two princes with secular states. Prince Esqure
of Khmer, which included the Khmer and western Siam region, and Prince Modiro of
Annam which included eastern Siam, the Malay pennensula, and Annam. These
regions after the war were no longer considered in the sphere of the Mongoloid
empire, and the Mongols only introduced Chinese arts and Mongol military
techniques, adopting a culture, an odd breed of Chinese, Mongol, and South Asian
ways, in these southern "Prince-doms". In 1215, 1218, and 1219, Khuriltai assemblies are
called. The '15 and '18 assemblies are called by Jamuka to elect another Twin
Khan, which produces nothing but half-hearted canadates which later step down
from the position. the '19 assembly was called by the elders, to elect two new
Khans to start a new. It however is crushed by Yasaq's forces, and nothing is
produced. The the first major battle occured outside Peking.
Jamuka laid siege to the city, but Yasaq with wonderful techniques unleashed
fire-works and other gunpowder items to scare off Jamuka's army. Jamuka's army
retreated soon after, lacking any large siege supplies which it could only
recieve in China. Manchuria fell to Yasaq's forces in early '16, after
1214 was spent rebuilding Peking after the siege, 1215 re-arming and re-training
the lax Chinese garrisons. Manchuria had no stiff resistance, as the Manchus
lacking any sort of culture had assimilated into the Mongol way of life. Yasaq
promises "rule in time" and marched onward. Jamuka was facing hard times. He was cut away from any
form of siege equipment, and his Manchu horsemen had fallen away to Yasaq's
forces. The Koreans were relucktant to aid their king - he had destoried two of
their most famous cities, which had yet to be rebuilt. In '17 and '18, Yasaq's
forces pushed down into Korea. They rebuilt Pyongyang and Seoul in
Chinese-Mongoloid style, and Jamuka was chased from the Korean pennusula, but
safely got on a boat, taking voluntary exile in Nippon. The former royal family
of Korea returned to Korea, becoming governors under Yasaq's regime. The Koreans
had earned what was promised to the Chinese, and earlier the southern asians.
"Rule in time". 1220 was the end of the war. Eastern Mongolia was
absorbed, and the Mongol empire was united into one, aside from the Khmer and
Annamese princedoms in Southern Asia. 1221 -
Khuriltai assembly. The elders attempt to hold an election for yet another time,
to elect a Khan to rule along side Yasaq. But it is silenced. Instead, Yasaq
promotes yet another idea, featured in a letter written to the elders: "I
am the Ghengis Khan. Below me, prostrated before me are the Lord Khans, one for
each region we take in our rush for a worldly empire. Below the Lord Khans are
the Vessal Khans, 2 for each Lord Khan, to serve and maintain the peace."
Thus it was done. Only one Khan would rule the empire of the Mongols, which
would pass from father to son. The Lord Khans would be chosen by the Genghis
Khan, the vessals choosen by the Lords. 1222 -
Yasaq wished to set forth to invade Khwarizim, only delayed by the fact that his
army was still worn from the civil war which had nearly left the Mongolian
ruling system in ruins. Khwarizim was an area east of Mongolia, an Islamic state
under the Shah, his capital at Samarkand a city which extracted the riches of
the silk road, or atleast did when it functioned. 1223 - Refueled
and rested, a newly raised army leaves for Khwarizim. It consisted of Mongolian
and Manchu cavalry, Chinese siege equipment, Chinese and Korean infantry, and
gun-powder rockets. It was swift and caught the Khwarizim people off guard. Otar
fell to Mongols with ease, and found Samarkand in their grasp by the fall.
(Also, Temujin was known for burning down the cities which he took. Togrul and
Jamuka(and decendants) keep the city, over-throw the elite of the city and
ruler, replacing them with Mongols. They are known for keeping the beaurocratic
practices of the Chinese, later applying them to other cities, and adopting
Korean and Khmer, Thai and Viet ways, never applying anything "Mongol"
besides military design.) 1224 - The
Mongol armies pour over Iran and Afganistan, laying siege and occupying any city
possible. The Mongols have struck deep into the heart of Islam, and conversions
are becoming full-spread through the army. It is dubbed the "White
army", for the soldiers adopt clean white robes, like the Imam's of Islam. Jalal ad-Din Mingburu, the Shah of Khwarizim becomes a
vessal to Yasaq. In return, he is made Lord Khan of the Khwarizim region, if he
supplies fresh recruits and tribute yearly to Peking(Peking has offically become
the center of the Mongol world, which is odd considering Peking is mainly ethnic
Chinese!). 1225 - Merv,
the Queen of Cities is occupied after a long siege by the Mongol forces. Yasaq
pays his tribute at the local mosque, and when asked what his religion is by a
soldier, he merely said: "I don't know. Maybe my decendants will tell you
in time!" From Merv the forces headed south, towards the Red
City, and City of Sighs. Yet another religion was closing in on the Mongols:
Hinduism. Yet they had conquered Bhuddism, and Islam. Hinduism would just aid
the Mongols in their conquest of cities, and refixing them to work effectively. 1226 - The
two cities are occupied early in the year, but Yasaq keeps from going deeper
into India. India is a land of harsh jungles, and is personally asked by Jalal
to continue invasions towards the rest, for the safety of both Yasaq and his
troops. Yasaq agrees, and they leave the Hindu kush towards the Abbasid
Caliphate, streching from Baghdad to Cairo, to Spain even. It was under the rule
of the Caliph Al-Mustansir at the time, and would be a perfect edition to the
Mongoloid empire. 1227 -
Baghdad is invaded and occupied after a long siege by the Mongol forces. Al-Mustansir
flees to Cairo, but it does not matter. The center of Islam has been occupied,
and in a frenzy Yasaq crowns himself Caliph of Islam. He is not a Muslim, but
states that he has taken the city, and has the right. From Baghdad the army
pours in three directions. Towards Egypt, towards Jersalem, and towards
Constaniople. The Mongol empire is the mighiest the world has seen.
It stretches from the steppes of Mongolia to China, Manchuria and Korea, Iran
and Afganistan, and even the heart of the Islamic world, mesopatamia. 1228 -
Armies attack Jerusalem and Cairo, and fall to the advanced tactics of the
Mongols, not to mention the powerful siege weaponry employed from China. The
Khan boasts that he controls the city sacred to both "Jews, Muslims, and
Christians". Yet the Mongols freedom of religion and other politcal
items do not cause dissent amongst the local people who fall up the spheres of
the Mongoloid empire. Yasaq promotes "rule in time" to Mesopatamia,
Palestine, and Egypt, installing Mongolian "Lord-Khans" in the region,
and garrisons are raised from able bodied Mongols, brought in from the steppes. The Mongols send Muslim philosophers and scientists to
Peking, to further the cause. The Mongols are considered a band of people who
merely assimilate to more advanced cultures. It is true, but the Mongols
mixed-adaptation is helping them muchly. Restoration of the silk road. Once more trade is being
sent through the silk road, to reconnect the east with the west. The road is
more stable that it was under the three kingdoms, and all caravans are protected
thanks to Mongol installed toll houses along the road, which extract a bit of
tax from the caravasai. 1229 -
Attack on Constaniople. The Mongol army under Yasaq is routed, and the great
Khan is forced to retreat as his forces are shattered by a liquid flame spewed
from the Byzantine navy..Greek fire. Yasaq makes it back to Jerusalem, only to
tell the people of the dangerous tool. North Africa and Spain are now de-facto independant of
the Keresit Caliphate, viewing the new Caliphs as foreign, unable to truely
represent a universal united Islam. These two regions split into divided Taifas,
largely ignored by the Mongolian empire due to the fact there are more pressing
issues at hand. 1230 -
Yasaq decides to turn away from Constaniople, and enter Europe from a different
route. His wisest generals suggest a trek through Siberia towards the
city-states of Muscovy. There they would have access into Europe, through Poland
and Hungary. It is agreed to, and a new army is raised in Baghdad and marched
towards Siberia and Muscovy.. Simular armies are also raised, in Peking, Cairo,
Samarkand, Seoul, and Kakakorum, each using mixed ideas from different regions
that had been invaded. The raised armies are known as "The Khans
Army", the largest raised army in Medieval history. 1231 - The
majority of the year was spent treking Siberia. The large army was slowed by
horrible weather, disease, and even mutiny. This snapped Yasaq to reality. He
may be forging a large empire, but how would he ever hold it together? The
Lord-Khans of each region were as loyal as his soldiers, but he knew that even
they could forge a kingdom like those in Southern Asia. 1232 -
Muscovy invaded. The massive Khan's army quickly pushed into Muscovy. The army
number 900,000 men. It had been almost 1.5 million in 1230, but some died, and
some settled down in Siberia to populize the area. Muscovy's way of fighting is useless against the
trained Mongol hordes, and many Russian cities are occupied and the way of life
of the invaders are enforced. Mangonels knock down walls, and Ballistas knock
down towers. 1233 - Novgorod
is occupied by the Mongols, and effectively Kievan self-rule ends. The cities
however do take easily to the change, and Chinese secrets once hidden away seep
into the region, further aiding their way of life. Yasaq has been constantly moving since 1210, never
resting. Now 60, he can recall when he defeated Jamuka and united the Twin
Khanates into one. He has seen Egypt and even Europe. With this call, he
installs Mongol governors in the Rus region, leaving behind pieces of his army
as garrisons, and quickly prepares to ride back to Peking, to live the rest of
his life in peace. 1235 -
Yasaq is greeted openly as he enters Peking, with a full celebration. The people
cheer and cheer for their emperor, large baskets of flowers tossed around as he
parades into the Forbidden city. With a bow out, he enters the palace to live
the rest of his life in peace. 1236-53 - Yasaq's
remaining life. It is quiet, as he dictates poetry and writes of military
strategy that even his children may use in further years. He takes 3 wives
during this period, fathering 4 sons and 2 daughters. On his death bed in '53,
Yasaq decides he must select a faith, so he can accordingly be judged. He
converts to Christianity as it was the last Faith he conquered, and in his
sleep, dies. 1253-55 - Years
of selection. Yasaq left behind many sons(from women in cities he captured, and
his first wife back in Peking), and it is a trouble on who should succeed him.
Finally it was decided, on Jebe, one of his sons from a concubine. He was a
bastard, but he had been a part of many invasions Yasaq took part in, so he was
choosen. Jebe was proclaimed Emperor of China, Khan of the
Mongols, Caliph of Kereit, Prince of Kiev, and Shah of Samarkand. He was twenty
at the time of his selection in '55, and the Mongol empire was slowly going into
decline. The Mongolian ruling system was not meant for long-time rule. It was
meant to be always conquering, not able to handle domestic needs of the people.
Even that was fading, as Mongols became assmilated in regions where they
settled. 1256 - Jebe
travels to Baghdad, where he converts to Islam in one of the local Mosques. From
there he also raised an army, to take on the city which had thwarted his father
almost thirty years before: Constaniople. The first Mongolian chartered navy is
also built in Alexandria, and is quickly used to surround the city. Fireworks are fired towards the walls from the navy,
maiming and causing some panic. A large fire is started inside Constantinople
from a stray firework, and in the panic the Baghdad army crosses through the
golden horn on ships and enter Constantinople with ease. The Byzantine emperor expects to be slaughtered, but
Jebe is calm and greets him unarmed. The two become good friends, and
Constaniople is added to the already spawling Mongol empire. The former emperor
is instated as Lord-Khan, and right away Jebe gives Constantinople "rule in
time", something only the Koreans have gained thus far. 1257 -
Peasant rebellion along the yellow river in China. The peasantry have been hard
pushed since the invasion by Togrul and Jamuka to produce adequate food,
soldiers, and gold for the coffers. The Chinese are pushed to psycological and
physical limits. The rebellion spreads to near-by towns within weeks,
Mongolian garrisons too few in numbers to fight back, or joining the rebels.
Late in the year news reaches Jebe, and he begins a quick ride back towards
Peking, ordering the raising of an army in Kakakorum to destroy the insurgence. 1258 - The
Kakakorum army reaches the yellow river in Spring, and quickly supresses the
peasant uprising. With the army effectively in the area, all garrisons rejoin
the army. Leaders of the rebellion are paraded to Peking and beheaded in front
of the emperor, who returned in summer. He gives a famous speech: "They were promised rule in time. Togrul promised
that date 1260. But you are not ready, thus I deny you such a thing, for later
in life." 1259 -
Jamuka dies. He was in exile in Nippon after the civil war, and rose to become a
member of Nippon's strange feudal society, adopting Samurais to his remaining
army. He vowed to return and kill Yasaq, but never did trouble the Mongol empire
again. His only son succeeded him, at the age of 30. 1260 -
News of Jamuka's death in Peking empowers Jebe to undertake a conquest of
Nippon. It is however discouraged, and that "he cannot become another
Togrul or Yasaq". The Mongolian system continues to decay, with a lack of
suitable Khan willing to defy his elders and take what he wishes. 1261 - Jebe
does the unthinkable. He appoints a general to act as "Yasaq and Togrul"
to go forth and conquer more land, whilst Jebe remains in Peking to handle the
government. A Mongol who does not like war? It sounds unthinkable, but Jebe was
a thinker. Although he had enjoyed wars with his father, he had softened and no
longer wished to war, the memory of Yasaq still too close. The general, named Mohammad was a charismatic man, who
had been head of Cairo part of the Khan's army, an Arab who adopted easily to
the Mongol style. He was 50 already, but he was deterimened to make Jebe proud. 1262 -
After preparations, Mohammad disbanded all active "armies" in the
Mongol empire, putting these veteran men in garrisons, or sending them home to
live their lives. This effective move also removed some of the economic burden
from the empire, having to clothe, feed, and pay the armies, when all of them
were sitting idle at the time. Some Mongol elite even talked of putting Mohammad on
the Mongol throne. The Mongols found Jebe too much of a pacifist, the Chinese
thought that Jebe had lost the Mandate of Heaven (especially after the peasant
rebellion.), The Arabs find Jebe removed from their ways of life, and the
Russians and Byzantines in Constaniople found Jebe too stupid to rule the
empire. 1263 - Mohammad
begins planning with the aristocracy of the different regions of the empire, to
form a military coup. He too finds Jebe too weak minded to rule such a vast
area, and that he would make a much more effective Khan. The general and nobility all decide that they must
quickly attack Peking, or Jebe will reinforce it. Mohammad has the support of
the nobility, but they can only provide feudal levies and money, while Jebe has
the actual people, cities, and industry. He could out-produce and make peasant
armies more quickly than Mohammad can bring them down. 1264 - Mohammad
declares that Jebe is too weak minded to rule the great Mongol empire, and
quickly sends in an army similar to "The Khans army" model into China.
Peking is quickly surrounded and Mohammad enters it with little fighting. Jebe
is beheaded, his body burned, instead of being buried in the Tomb where Togrul
and Yasaq laid. Mohammad later in the year found himself being crowned
in Peking. He was effectively Emperor of China, Caliph of Ali, Prince of Kiev,
Imperator of Constaniople, King of Korea, and Shah of Samarkand. He is however
refused the title of Khan. He is not ethnically Mongol, he is an arab. A
foreigner cannot rule the Mongol steppe! Mohammad reluctantly agreed, and an
ethnic Mongol was found - in Nippon. The son of Jamuka's son, Touli. Touli returned happily to the land which his father
could never see, and was given the title Khan of the Mongols. The Twin Khanate
was restored, in a way. Mohammad was the ruler of everything else, and despite
owning so much more and able to outmuster Touli in anyway possible..he was a
vessal to the Khan. The Mongols told Mohammad that his decendants could become
Khans and become equal with Touli's off-spring if he married a Mongol, produced
children, and had those children breed with Mongols. In a few decades, the Ali
family would be cleansed of their Arab blood. The second Twin Khanate, was known as the unequal
Khanate. The lesser was more powerful, and the stronger was an unwilling vessal.
Both the Khan and Emperor were willing to go to war however, so the problems
with the Twin Khanate were laid aside. 1265 - Touli
and Mohammad agree to an invasion of Nippon. An army is raised in the fiefs
Touli has control of in Nippon, and are released to attack and wreak havok over
Nippon. It however ends in failure, the more diciplined Samurai regiments
quickly over-running the poorly equipped Nipponese infantry. 1266 -
Two armies are raised, in Baghdad and Constaniople. These armies begin fighting
in the Balkan region, intent to defeat the rest of the Byzantines. There are
many victories, as the Byzantine emperor urges that they surrender and accept
the overlord-ship of the Mongols. Lord-Khans(chosen by the Byzantine emperor)
are installed in the Balkans and Greece, and Mongol influence is further
extended, staring into the eye of Hungary, and only a trek from Rome. 1267 - Samarkand
fire. A large fire started by unknown causes ends with Samarkand being almost
totally burnt down, not to mention destorying five caravansai that were en-route
to Antioch to complete their silk road trek. The losses shake the Mongolian
economy, and depression takes over. The standing armies in the Balkans are
quickly disbanded and stuffed into garrisons, and a army preparing to strike
Poland is called back and the soldiers begin their life as farmers again. Yet it was not enough, and debt begins to pile up. More
toll houses are opened whenever possible, and odd taxes such as "birth
tax" for people who have children, and "death tax" for people who
have died. Funds from things as immoral as prostitution are taxed. 1268-74 -
The Mongol depression. The Samarkand fire severely ruined the economy of the
Mongoloid empire. It was a cross-road of the silk road, and with it lost emmense
wealth, not to mention five caravansai were lost in the fire. This depression
lasted six years, and kept the empire from doing ANYTHING, even rationing and
heavy taxing did nothing but fuel unrest. Yet by 1274 Samarkand had been
rebuilt(It took so long due to the pinny-pinching of the Empire), and caravansai
once more began their travels. Interestingly, the Mongol depression also effected the
economy of mediterranian states, who relied on silk road trade to trade with
other states in order to effectively run. Yet Touli and Mohammad ignored these
items, and once Samarkand was bustling once more, they built two armies in
Peking, and rushed off together with them towards Poland, to finally attack the
state which was only saved due to the depression. 1275 - Was
a quiet year, the twin army traveling across Siberia towards Poland. Mohammad
and Touli took notice of the pestilince and other items in towns they visited,
suffering from the depression, and inefficient aid from the central government.
Siberia outposts were noted for asking Touli if he had seen Yasaq invade Russia
yet. There was some minor uprisings in Southern China, but
the local garrisons put down the insurgence before it became too wide spread. 1276 - Winter
fell early and the Twin Khan armies were forced to camp in Moscow. They were met
cooly by the local Boyars, still upset about the invasion half a century ago
under Yasaq. Troubles were seen - Kievan Rus still practiced and worked as it
did before the invasion, unchanged even through Yasaq's reforms. The Twin Khan
armies attacked Moscow from within, slaying the conservative Boyars. Loyal
soldiers were given Boyar titles, and quickly Chinese beaurocratic practices,
Islamic law, and other systems were introduced, "Mongolizing" Kievian
Rus. 1277 - Invasion
of Poland. This attack surprized the Mongols greatly. Kieveian Rus, while
European was removed from European ways of life. Poland was not, and heavy
cavalry was abundant as the Mongols thrashed forward. In the myst of the attack, Touli found a sign from
"God" and bravely led his forces forward. The sun set at the end of
the day, and the Mongols were victorious. They would not move on towards
Poland's innards, atleast not yet. They needed to rest and refuel, and Touli
needed to visit a monestary, for by the end of the battle, he had become
Catholic. It was not surprising. All Khans chose a faith accordingly, but Touli
was the first Catholic Khan. Yasaq had been a Christian, but it was of the
Orthodox kind, and it was short lived, only for a few hours. 1278 -
By order of the Khan, Mosques, Churches, Synagogs, Monestaries, and Madressas
are built all through the Mongol empire. Bhuddist and Hindu temples are also
built, but less in number than the former. This promotes more learning and
exploring, especially after the Imperial Archieves had been used for all they
were worth in 1250.
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