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Mongol Armies |
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The Mongols were nomadic herders and hunters who spent their lives in the
saddles of their steppe ponies. They learned to ride and use weapons,
especially the composite bow, at an early age. For hunting and war, every able-bodied
male under the age of 60 years was expected to take part. The armies of the
united Mongol tribes consisted of the entire adult male population.
They fought under a strict code of discipline. Booty was held collectively. The
penalty was death for abandoning a comrade in battle. This discipline, together
with leadership, intelligence-gathering, and organization, raised the Mongol
force from a cavalry swarm into a true army.
The Mongol army was organized according to a decimal system, with units of 10,
100, 1000, and 10,000 men. These numbers for units were probably rarely
approached due to casualties and attrition. The 10,000-man unit was the major
fighting unit, like a modern division, capable of sustained fighting on its
own. Individual soldiers identified most with the 1000-man unit of which they
were a part, the equivalent of a modern regiment. Original Mongol tribes
fielded their own 1000-man units. Conquered peoples, such as the Tatars and
Merkits, were broken up and distributed among other units so that they could
pose no organized threat to the ruling family.
Genghis Khan created a personal guard unit of 10,000 men. This unit was
recruited across tribal boundaries and selection was a high honor. In its early
stages it served as a form of honorable hostage-holding. It grew into the
family household and the source of the growing empire's ruling class.
Mongol soldiers at first received no pay other than booty. Advancement was
based on merit. Once the rapid conquests slowed, a new system of pay was put in
place. Officers were later able to pass on their posts to heirs.
Each soldier went on campaign with approximately five horses, allowing quick
changes and rapid movements. No comparable armies moved as rapidly as the
Mongols until the mechanized armies of the twentieth century.
The Mongols fought mainly as light cavalry archers (unarmored), using the
compound bow. This was a compact weapon of impressive range and penetration
power. They employed Chinese and Middle Easterners as siege engineers.
Infantry, garrison troops, and heavy cavalry (wearing armor) that used lances
came from the armies of subjected peoples.