The Jewish Nation of Mongols

by Boris Zubry

  Me? Subutai? We would shed them off as we went, and that was good. That title and the territory would come for life, so they had to defend it for themselves and me building the own little empires to the best of their ability. If they failed, I would take it away and appoint in their place someone else and so on. Those fiefdoms would become my frontier. By the time the enemy went through them, if the enemy were strong enough for that, the Golden Horde capital of Sarai and the Ulus would be protected. By then, I could meet the enemy anywhere and with force. That little delay would give me time to assemble the army and to move it anywhere. It did not take too much of time. Because of the financial implications, because it was their domain of some sort and the family was there, they would hold that territory for as long as they could. They would fight to the death. Usually, it was a considerable time, enough for me to send the reinforcement and maybe save them. But, if necessary, they would die fighting for it, and they often did. That’s how important it was for them. They were hard people, and it was their new home, and they were defending it from everyone. The entire structure was good, and it worked well.

  Of course, they were hiding some taxes from Ogedei and me, but they were kinsfolks, and they loved us. They always shared everything if we asked. You did not even need to apply much pressure. Just ask and explain the situation. They would listen with deep concern and comply. They liked it when you took them into your confidence. They thought better of themselves then. Usually, we were not hard enough on them but, if we did, we had to kill the entire family, and that was reserved only for the traitors. It had to be proven beyond any reasonable doubt. It was not an easy decision to make, never ever. Even if you did not like much that specific relative, you needed a concrete proof of the guilt. If you didn’t have that, you did not have anything. Justice and fairness were fundamental to us, all of us. After all, we were not the barbarians as the Russian were. We brought the new ideas from the East, and that was good for the West. We were the best that ever happened to the West, and the West could move forward. Old was not working for the West any longer. Still, blood had to be shed. I hated it when it happened, but it happened often enough.

  The closer people get to the power, the more they conspire, and that leads to treason. I think it happens just about everywhere, in every country and in every kingdom on earth. Death of a relative was a terrible thing, a tragedy so, we killed a few non-relatives for the sake of the same crime just to balance it up, to feel better and to scare the enemies at the same time. They should be guilty of something anyway. Anyone is guilty of something. That’s the truth and a known fact. It’s just that we were not always looking for the guilt. If there was no threat to us or our society, we left it alone, until it became a threat. Then, if it happened, we dealt with it as the situation called.

  Enemies were plenty and all around, and we had to deal with them in the harshest possible way. And, not too many enemies survived the ordeal of being our enemies. We were smarter and more powerful. If one was our enemy, he was not smart already. How could he win anyway? No, only the stupid ones would conspire and believe they could win. We try to bring it to the point when no one could afford to be our enemy when no one dared to be one. Yet, I noticed that the more successful you are, the more enemies you get. They become active and aggressive. They want what you have and even your job. They are ready to spill blood and a lot if necessary. They were prepared to kill you and your family and also, to lose some of their own. They may gain some but stand to miss so much if it did not work. For a few extra pieces of gold… What is heavier a few more gold pieces or the lives of your family? Even if you were lucky and escaped? What would you choose? Stop and think before you chose.

  Still, I do not know if I trusted the relatives more than the ordinary people. The ordinary people knew precisely where they were, and a small reward could make a lot of difference. I know I trusted the Khazars more. Interesting, but the Jews had never betrayed Genghis, Ogedei or me. Subutai trusted them more than their own children. They proved to be the most trusted people. Maybe they were not the best fighters in the world, but I rather have them on the battlefield than the Tatars. The Tatars could waver under pressure, but the Jews would not. They will stand the ground and hold the position no matter what. And, when it comes to managing treasures, there was no other choice but the Jews. They were God-given to us. I believed that.”

  “The time had come, and we were ready for the West. I did not rush anything. You do not rush things like that. Supplies and the Tumen readiness were the most critical items on my list. Only when the reports met the requirements, I gave the order to move. It was perfect. I did not think we could improve much in our readiness, but I left orders and a few trusted Jews and the Chinese to implement it. It would be done, and even better than required. These were good people.

  We attacked Western Europe in three mighty columns but with the concentration on Poland, Hungary, and Germany. The Chinese advisors called it Central Europe and made the maps for us. They knew it better, but what was laying beyond? I wanted to go as far as we could, to the last sea. The Chinese were saying that there was a sea and then, there was nothing beyond. Actually, they said that there was an island of many people and then, there was nothing. They said that the Vikings went as far as that island and tried to go beyond, but no one came back to tell what they saw. They think it was because there was nothing beyond that island and you just fall off the earth. Then, you could not come back and tell the story. If you tried to go beyond that last sea, you would fall off the planet. That sounded right. The Earth was flat, and the edge was at the end of the Last Sea. That’s where you fall off. I would love to go there to see that. What happens when you fall off the earth? Where do you go then? Do you meet the gods? Is there another adventure beyond that one? What kind of adventure? What an adventure would that be? How far was it? How big was the last sea? Was it endless? What does it mean? Did anyone ever go that far and then, came back to tell the tale? My advisors did not know but tried to find out. Vikings, maybe. They went everywhere and often came back. Vikings were saying that there was more than just one big island in the last sea and they went there. We do not know that for sure. There was no real proof. There was nothing we could accept as definite proof. I have not seen anything severe enough to believe the story. Just the tall tales… We are not the seagoing people so, this is kind of awkward for us to understand. The endless sea… No boundaries. I cannot envision that.

  I have to see it. The traders (the Italians living with us for a while) mentioned it as well, but they said so many things and presented no proof. We may see it when we go to their country. They called in Italy. Interesting. Judging by the stories, it should be a strange place. Where was it precisely, and how do we get there? Oh, we should, we would find it. We have found so much already. I want to see what they have, the Italians. The stories sounded so good. Maybe we could befriend them and not fight. We did not need to fight everyone we met. The Italian and French traders were knowledgeable men. We do not want to kill smart and crafty people. I want to see everything there. I want to see the cities. Buildings made of stone. Cities made of stone. Walls made of stone. Statues made of stone. Art… Treasures… The claims were huge. What’s the real truth? Could they support that? So far, no luck. We had nothing to touch, to see. Well, we saw many things but not exactly what I wanted to see. Neither Russia nor Poland was that exciting. People were not impressive, dull. They were not much more advanced than us.

  In many cases, they were not advanced at all. But, maybe in Europe, we would find someone who could tell us more, show us more, take us to some other places. I hope so. Show me these beautiful cities built out of stone. There were many people in Europe, and some had traveled. So, it is possible that they know the truth. I want to know what they know. But first, we need to find people we could trust.

  We needed Poland for the food for people and horses. We needed a steady stream of supplies, and there it was. I was told that there we could get plenty of the supplies
, good craftsmen, animals and anything else we may need. We could stay there for the winter if needed. Also, Poles made great slaves and especially, the women. They were almost as slaves already, but we would treat them properly. We were better people. In our society, all people, but the slaves were free. In Poland, all people, but the Nobility, were slaves. That was like in Russia and worked to our advantage. We were a better alternative, and Poles recognized it right away. We were not the enemy of the serfs. We were the saviors. Leave your masters and join us. You’ll do much better as our slaves.

  In many cases, no, in all cases, we treated the slaves better than the Polish “Szlachta” (Polish nobility) recognizing people for their talents and giving them credits for that. Our slaves, even the lowest ones, never starved and always had a roof over the head. We constantly shared everything equally with the entire household, including the slaves. Well, slaves did not need money or other valuable, but we gave them a little anyway. They did not have the freedom of movement so, they could not spend any of that but, nevertheless, we continually gave them some money for the personal needs and a free day to rest. They could save all the money and buy themselves out. That happened and quite often. There were many cases where a freed slave owned some slaves. A blacksmith in the Golden Horde who always shoed my horses and tended my personal weapons was a freed Korean slave. He was the best blacksmith there is. Now, he has five slaves working in his shop as the assistants. He makes an excellent living and much respected in Sarai. His slaves are becoming well-known as well. They work hard and know the business of the blacksmith already. There are many examples like that, and I see those people quite often.

  I like when things like that happen. People should have that chance in life. People should be happy. They should have the opportunity to be free and grow wealthy if they have talent. Talents should be rewarded. The Poles and the Russians were treating their own low classes as dirt so, the low classes did not care much when we killed their nobility and replaced one slavery with another but somewhat better. With us, they were more of the servants than the slaves, and there was a hope to be free. Well, not all, but many. Some remained the slaves for the rest of our life if we did not see why it should change. It could change if you worth it. Show the loyalty, the devotion, the skills. We see everything, and we will notice if there anything to notice. Demonstrate that you worth to be noticed and we would be happy to acknowledge it, to recognize you. I would like to see my empire in a hundred years after all these people mix up and adapt. There could be a common language and customs. Many good looking, bright people would join us in building the perfect society with the Mongols leading the way to perfection. Once the Khazars told me over the feast of that ideal society described in their books. They had some interesting books. The Chinese also had books, but we did not. King David, Solomon, and as such. I asked to translate those books for me. I wanted to read it for myself. I was told that it should be ready by the time we come back from Western Europe. Probably by winter. I can hardly wait. They needed time and a few good people to do it right. I do not speak much of the Khazar language (just a few words), so they need time to translate it accurately. I want to understand everything. Soon, soon… Now, back to war.”

  “We needed Poland for many things. It was located just right to build a new Horde Ulus, maybe a new Sarai. If we to control Western Europe, we needed to be much closer to it that the Golden Horde on Volga River. It was too far for any serious undertaking. It was too far for anything. The steppes, Volga River, the River Don, Poland, and the last sea. That we could control in many ways, but I would put a few smaller Uluses in between anyway. We need to move the supplies, troops, and the mail in the most efficient way. The smaller camps, caravan Sarais, along the way, is the way to go. That will give us the safety, fresh horses, supplies, repairs, medical care, and the needed rest. I traveled along the Silk Road, and that is how they did it there. It works so well over there. There is no need to fix what works already. Is there? In short, we needed Poland for the base of operations, the supplies, and the slaves. There were many people here.

  I needed to position my troops and all supporting services in key locations. It worked out just fine and would cover so many necessary components. There was some resistance, but I had one hundred and twenty thousand regular troops and maybe as many Tatars, not counting the families and the old people following the horde. They always were there providing us with the elements of home when we needed it so badly. In the times of war, one gets lonely, moody, and needs some home feeling. That’s what the accompanying families did for us. And, they also tended for wounded. Yet, we had mobile and stationary hospitals outfitted with Chinese doctors. Some of them constantly moved with us, and some were in permanent Sarais along the way.

  Every Tumen had a mobile hospital but the lightly wounded and the injured went to the train to be tended by the families and the older people. It was better for everyone. The badly wounded were in the permanent hospital with a doctor in attendance. Whatever was available, was available for everyone. Everyone was equal in that regard, especially wounded. That’s how we were. That’s what we believed in. We considered everyone a relative, kin, and we never left anyone behind if there was a chance of survival. Anyone deserved that chance. We did not leave the wounded, even if he was not a Mongol, on the field, behind. That would not be right. If there was no chance for survival from a wound or an injury, we made certain that our brother would not be caught by the enemy. Then, we would take him to a Chinese doctor. Torture was not the right way for a Mongol to die, so, the capture was not an option. We, Mongols, would send the brother to the gods through the mercy-killing ritual. Our brother should die an easy death if he had to die. That was the right, everyone’s right. Just go to sleep, and we would hold you all the way to the gods. Please, greet the ancestors for us. Please, tell them that we remember them with enormous respect. We’ll take care of your family, children, rest assured. We had never failed, and the brother always went to the gods. We know that for sure. Our holy men told us that, and they speak to spirits.”

  “My soldiers (the advanced guards) had successfully skirted Romania and the Carpathian Mountains popping up around the villages and small towns pillaging them at will. The Romanians rarely resisted to our superior force, so we did not destroy their settlements, not too many of them anyway. We just took what we needed/wanted and went on our way. It was mostly food and horses. We went easy on slavery in that region as well. We had more than enough slaves already. What do we need more for? More could be problematic because we had to take care of them. I had to transfer thousands of slaves back to the Golden Horde and beyond, and that meant guards, supplies, wagons, and the horses. Slaves had to be kept alive and healthy to be worthy of something. Who needs the dead slaves? So, we took only what we needed and never more. That’s the right way. Sometimes local heroes would attack my columns, kill the soldiers, and liberate the slaves. There could be the loved ones in the column; wives, sisters, children, and the lovers. Often, they would take my soldiers as slaves. That’s life for you. One day you are on top, and the other day, you are down. One day you own a few slaves, and now, you are a slave yourself. We never let it slide. We hunted those people down and liberated ours, whoever was still alive. If you have civilians in the column, you cannot go fast, and you leave the trail. We would catch you sooner or later. All that was a colossal waste and on a large scale. It made everything much more difficult, more complicated than it had to be. Back then, I understood that slaves should be taken on the way back. It was much more productive. When you were still going forward, enslave only the ones you really need to sustain your advancing and treat them well. You do not want them to turn against you, not on the move. Get what you need now and mostly, the ones that would like to stay with you if you treated them right. That’s the key. Call them servants and even pay something. Do not upset them too much but befriend them instead.

  In many cases, serfs from Eastern Europe were better off with us if they were not the
full slaves. They were like a step or two above the station before. The food was better and much more, and we never threatened their lives if they did not break any laws, and they rarely did. The owner of the serf was not allowed to make life and death decision. The tribe leader made that decision, and he usually was more responsible and followed our instructions and the laws. We had quite strict rules about the slaves and the servants, families, inheritance, and your station in life. If the issue was too complicated and people needed to appeal the decision of the tribe leader, they could go even to me. It was forbidden to prosecute the person no matter what he or she was, even a slave unless that person had a chance to defend him/herself. Yet, the owner had some rights, and the slave had to follow the orders. Often, the slave would not understand the law, and we had to explain it. It was not easy, but it was needed. The slave was rarely the winner of the argument, but there were ways to improve the dangerous situation. If the owner of the slave did not do that, we would advise selling the slave to another person but not to kill. The killing did not help anyone in any situation. So, we tried to cool the state of affairs down if it was only possible and not too late. That usually helped, and the condition often improved. Slaves were people too, not as us but, nevertheless, people. Lives were saved, and some of those saved people became a valuable part of us. Still, many of the slaves were punished and even killed. No matter what, but the owner had more rights than the slave, and we liked it that way. That is why one was the owner and the other one - the slave. That’s how it was.