. Mediæval and modern history . by Yule untamed and unbelievably cruel nomads bred on the steppes ofcentral Asia, that nursery of conquering races, appeared asmarauders on the eastern frontiers of Europe. The outgoingpoint of their savage expeditions was Mongolia. Their first greatchieftain was Jenghiz Khan (1206-1227), the most terrible scourgethat ever afflicted the human race. At the head of innumer-able hordes composed largely of Turkish tribes, callous and pitilessin their slaughterings as though their victims belonged to anotherspecies than themselves, Jenghiz traversed with sword and to
. Mediæval and modern history . by Yule untamed and unbelievably cruel nomads bred on the steppes ofcentral Asia, that nursery of conquering races, appeared asmarauders on the eastern frontiers of Europe. The outgoingpoint of their savage expeditions was Mongolia. Their first greatchieftain was Jenghiz Khan (1206-1227), the most terrible scourgethat ever afflicted the human race. At the head of innumer-able hordes composed largely of Turkish tribes, callous and pitilessin their slaughterings as though their victims belonged to anotherspecies than themselves, Jenghiz traversed with sword and torch a 1 They were won to Christianity in the tenth century. See above, sect. 126. §158] THE MONGOL CONQUESTS 145 great part of Asia. He conquered northern China, and then turningwestward overran Turkestan and Persia. Cities disappeared as headvanced; populous plains were transformed into silent death overtook him he had extended his authority to theDnieper in Russia and to the valley of the Indus. Even in death. The Mongol Empire under Jenghiz Khan and his ImmediateSuccessors (thirteenth century) The shaded area shows the countries either under the direct rule of the Mongols ortributary to them he claimed his victims: at his tomb forty maidens were slain thattheir spirits might go to serve him in the other world. The vast domains of Jenghiz passed into the hands of his sonOktai (d. 1241), a worthy successor of the great conqueror. Hepushed outwards still farther the boundaries of the empire in theeast as well as in the west of Asia, and made a threatening inva-sion of Europe. In the space of two or three terrible years(1238-1241) almost half of Europe (a large part of Russia,Poland, and Hungary) was pitilessly ravaged. 146 MONGOLIANS IN EUROPE [§ 159 One of the most noted of the successors of Oktai was KublaiKhan (1259-1294), who made Cambalu, the modern Peking, hisroyal seat, and there received ambassadors and visitors from allparts of the world. It was at th
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