Having exterminated the strongest Mongol leaders, Temujin became the only significant force in the region. Almost all chiefs informally recognized his primacy and did not dare to oppose the most authoritative steppe leader. The great conqueror realized that informal ties were certainly good, but extremely unsafe for the further prosperity of his ulus and the assertion of his dominant position. In this regard, Temujin decided to document universal subordination and somehow systematize steppe relations, giving them a touch of legality.
Now Temujin became the personification of the Mongol steppes.
In the spring of 1206 Temujin gathers Kurultai at the headwaters of the Onon River. A kurultai is a kind of gathering of noble chiefs to decide the most important issues in the region. At this meeting Temujin finally receives the title of great khan, and with it the official confirmation of his own primacy. By universal decision he received the name Genghis Khan, from Mongolian it was translated as “ocean-like ruler”, which spoke of his swiftness and efficiency in solving regional problems.
With the proclamation of Temujin “Genghis Khan” a unified Mongolian state was formed, where the great conqueror acted as the supreme ruler and legislator. Years spent in China were not in vain for the Great Khan, he realized how important it was to introduce a sane system of laws to avoid lawlessness and strengthen his own power, so he did not come to the Kurultai empty-handed.
Genghis Khan revealed to the Kurultai the Great Yasa — a unified code of laws for all Mongol leaders. Unfortunately, the text has not reached us, but some provisions of this document are still known. Temujin’s son, Ugedei, was engaged in the preparation of the Yasa. The young man did a monumental work, he had to compare all the disparate laws of the steppe tribes, to determine the most optimal options for interpretation, so as not to offend anyone and write it all down in the form of commandments and rules.
This is how Ugedei looked, quite simple for the successor of the great conqueror.
The main accents in the new law were aimed at mutual assistance and mutual trust. In addition to political expediency, Temujin was also guided by personal experience, as we all remember very well how the life of Yesugei, Genghis Khan’s father, ended. The great conqueror sincerely wanted to unite the disparate uluses, realizing how important it was to act as a united front without fickle alliances, from which the unity of the steppes suffered.
In addition to laws and rules, in Yasa Genghis Khan presented the main values — loyalty and bravery. If about the necessity of loyalty I have told in the previous paragraph, with bravery it is worth noting one interesting feature. As such bravery on the battlefield is what was required from a steppe man by default, but the document implied bravery as a broader concept and applied it not only to men. Yasa clearly distinguished the duties of women and men. And for female representatives of the fair sex was implied their own bravery, expressed in the upbringing of children, getting food when a man is on a campaign and defending the rights of heirs, in case a man did not return from the campaign. The chiefs also had their own criteria of bravery, for example, the ability to give up the private for the common good was considered a manifestation of bravery or perseverance in the search for justice. The main negative qualities were considered cowardice and treachery. By the way, this whole system of values applied not only to allies, but also to enemies, so, according to Yasa, it is important to treat the enemy with respect, if he has generally recognized virtues.
This is where the Yasa was somehow forgotten…..
The Yasa also elaborated the issues of social organization. For example, marriage for Mongols was to be a sacred matter, and adultery was to be one of the first crimes. If one of the spouses went to the left, and the adultery was discovered, the one who was found out could be killed on the spot without a trial. However, something tells me that the law acted in one particular direction — female, men in military campaigns hardly restrained themselves in expressions of love for captured ladies.
I will now speak a little of the political innovations. Since marriage still seemed to be one of the most common ways to conclude a union between families, the Yasa stipulated the following: if families wished to conclude a marriage between children who had not reached the required age, they could do so, and if the child did not live to marry and the agreement had already been concluded, it continued in force without the wedding.
This is how the Yandex Masterpiece neural network sees Genghis Khan on horseback. Calm, proud and confident. What else do you need for a great leader?
Besides, Temujin did not forget about his supreme power. For example, anyone who arbitrarily proclaimed himself the Great Khan was outlawed and subject to execution. It was possible to claim the supreme title only after convening the kurultai, which was convened only with the consent of the current Great Khan. This is such a legislative ostensation turned out.
Unfortunately, in the future Yasas will not save the heirs of Genghis Khan from the division of conquered territories. But before conquering new lands, it is necessary to create a professional army. I will tell about it in the next article.