Of all the images evoked by the name Genghis Khan, few would have thought of a visionary who brought education, law and culture to his people. His name is often synonymous with evil, and his image is that of a brutal savage who slaughtered millions for power. But a BBC documentary aims to turn the reputation of one of the world’s most notorious warlords into a hero who rose against all odds.
Ed Bazalgette, the show’s producer, said Genghis Khan was one of history’s villains, along with the likes of Hitler and Attila the Hun.
We hear this saying somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan. Everyone has heard of the name, but few know its history. This is one of the great untold stories in history, and we want to demystify these myths. No one claims he was a good man, but his story is written by the people he beat. As an analogy, imagine that the history of our country was written by the people of Africa or India.
Eager to share his wealth with his people, he wanted to improve culture, law, and literacy. He also brought traditional Chinese medicine to his people. Accumulating material wealth is not important to him as he shares everything with his loyal followers. He is considered a generous leader.
Genghis Khan also showed a fairly open-minded and tolerant attitude towards other people’s beliefs, and never persecuted people on religious grounds. Born in Mongolia sometime after 1160, he created the largest known empire, covering one-fifth of the world and stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea.
