10/20/07

The Mongolian Empire: Khubilai's Dream of a United Asia, Africa, Europe



Born in the vast grasslands of Mongolia, the Mongolian Empire was built by the almost mythical military might of the Mongol Horde. Modern day nations it controlled include Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Iran, and China to name a few. The only countries within reach of the Horde that they could not conquer was Vietnam and Japan.

This documentary focuses on the peak of that empire, the reign of the Great Khan Kubilai. A map has surfaced in Japan, showing the enormous plot of Kubilai. He looked for a united world with no boundaries. This map also has the earliest recorded mapping of the entire continent of Africa.

Also shows the great diversity that the Mongol Empire had, and the great tolerance for various religions and cultures. Islamic, Chinese, Turkish, African, and numerous others rose to the top of this huge empire and joined Khubilai's inner circle.

This was before western culture became a force, and in this era the world's strongest nation was by far the Mongol Empire comprised of numerous ethnicities and nations. It is interesting to think what may have been if the empire continued.