Remember the old Soviet saying that the commissar says, «Do as I do!» and the political officer says, «Do as I say!» Genghis Khan understood this rule well, so he ate the same food as his fighters, slept on the ground like them, wore exactly the same clothes. And as a result, he enjoyed loyalty not only because he was Khan, he was respected as the first among equals.
At the time, Mongol society saw itself as a big family. This meant that Genghis Khan with his friends and relatives went to war against the Merkit chief with his friends and relatives because they were radish. That is, the ruler was obeyed because he was the eldest (not literally) in the clan, not because he was a sovereign.
That is why he was like a father to his soldiers, and they behaved like faithful children. What mattered was not the individual, but the collective, which is why rewards and punishments were not individual. Remember the classic provision of the Great Yasa: for the flight of one will suffer a dozen, for the flight of a dozen — a hundred, etc.
But more than punish the great khan liked to pardon and reward his fighters. After the capture of Northern China, each of them was given silk shirts, so that when an arrow hit the clothes did not tear, and the tip could be pulled out. A reward system was introduced, and anyone who distinguished himself in battle could expect an additional share of the spoils.
Feasts were held in honor of great feats so that the soldiers would appreciate their ruler more. Every soldier was entitled to a fair share of the spoils, even if he did not directly participate in the battle, but performed other important duties. Not only gold was shared, but also livestock, looted goods and women.
Genghis Khan from the very beginning adhered to strict meritocracy. That is, promotion was based not on nobility, but on personal merit. Regardless of faith, ethnicity and social origin, a brave, intelligent and loyal soldier could become a general.
Thus, the son of a blacksmith from the Uryankhai reindeer people named Subudai is considered the most honored general of the Mongol Empire. On the other hand, here is what Khan said about one of his soldiers: «There is no stronger and more talented warrior than Yesunbai. But since he does not get tired and does not starve, he thinks that everyone is like him. But this is not so, and therefore Yesunbai cannot be a general.»
In his army Genghis Khan maintained strict discipline. In his bet regularly held war games and competitions, and from time to time arranged large hunts to accustom the fighters to act in a team. Therefore, they could perform military maneuvers accurately and in a timely manner. Under him, the army had Chinese doctors to provide the soldiers with the necessary medical care.
Nevertheless, sometimes he had to punish, and the punishment was swift and severe. For most misdemeanors, including military offenses, the Great Yasa provided for the death penalty. Even his own relatives did not escape responsibility — thus, his eldest son Dzhuchi, who refused the command to conquer Desht-i-Kipchak, lost his life.
And one of the khan’s brothers blabbed that the lord would give an order to exterminate the captured Tatars in the morning. After that those managed to prepare for the attack, and the Mongols suffered some losses. A relative was suspended from participation in the military councils. Another brother was also punished when his troops, before the final victory, began to plunder, although this was strictly forbidden.
The Khan was characterized by religious tolerance. In those times there were many Nestorians among the nomads, who enjoyed equal rights with the warriors who professed traditional Turkic-Mongolian paganism, as well as with those who preferred Buddhism or Islam.
Therefore, Genghis Khan’s army was a brotherhood of warriors bound by the bonds of comradeship and understanding of a common goal. The sovereign enjoyed the unquestioning loyalty of his troops and could rely on them in everything.