Mongol Siege of Nishapur: Revenge That Changed War

Mongol Siege of Nishapur: Revenge That Changed War

In 1221, Genghis Khan's youngest daughter, Alaqai Beki, allegedly commanded the Mongol siege of Nishapur in eastern Iran. This episode separates fact from legend around her role, examines what the city's destruction meant for Mongol warfare, and explores how gender norms on the steppe allowed women to lead in battle while Persian chroniclers struggled to record it. Drawing on Jami' al-tawarikh, Tarikh-i Jahan-gusha, and later Persian accounts, Lucas and Luna trace the siege's connection to Genghis's earlier loss of a son-in-law, the use of Chinese trebuchets and naphtha, and the controversial claim that Alaqai personally ordered the massacre. They also discuss how the Nishapur campaign influenced later Ilkhanate military strategy and the myth-making around Mongol women warriors like Khutulun. A nuanced look at one of the Mongol Empire's most brutal victories and the woman history almost forgot. #MongolEmpire #Nishapur #AlaqaiBeki #GenghisKhan #Siege #WomenWarriors #MedievalHistory #PersianHistory #JamiAlTawarikh #TarikhIJahanGusha #Ilkhanate #MongolWarfare #Trebuchet #CentralAsia #Khwarezm #History #FexingoHistory #WarAndSociety Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Mongol Horse Archers and the Steppe War Machine

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the military revolution that made the Mongol Empire unstoppable: the horse archer. From the composite bow that could pierce armor at 200 meters to the tactical feigned retreat that broke enemy lines, they break down how steppe warfare was perfected. Hear about the training of riders and horses, the logistics of moving armies across vast distances (including the Mongol army's ability to travel 100 kilometers a day), and the use of signals like flags and arrows. Learn about the tumen system, the decimal organization that scaled from 10 to 10,000 soldiers, and how discipline was enforced through the Yassa code. Discover how the Mongols integrated conquered peoples' technologies, like Chinese siege engineers, while maintaining their core cavalry identity. This episode covers the battle of Yehuling (1211) as a case study and touches on the legacy of horse archery in later armies like the Mamluks and Ottomans. #MongolHorseArchers #CompositeBow #SteppeWarfare #Yehuling #TumenSystem #Yassa #GenghisKhan #CavalryTactics #FeignedRetreat #MongolArmy #HorseArchery #MongolLogistics #Tumen #SteppeTribes #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory #CentralAsia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Mongol Paper Money and the World's First Fiat Currency

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Mongol Empire introduced the world's first government-backed paper currency under Khubilai Khan. They discuss the Yuan dynasty's attempt to create a universal monetary system using mulberry-bark notes, enforced by the state and backed by nothing but imperial decree. The conversation covers Marco Polo's astonished reports, the collapse of the experiment under the Yuan's successors, and the lasting influence on later Chinese dynasties. Lucas explains how the Mongols used paper money to unify their vast realm, but also how counterfeiting, inflation, and overprinting undermined the system. The episode touches on the surprising role of Mongol paper money in the transition to fiat currency in the modern world, and what the Yuan case reveals about the nature of money itself. #MongolEmpire #PaperMoney #KhubilaiKhan #YuanDynasty #FiatCurrency #MarcoPolo #EconomicHistory #Inflation #Counterfeiting #Chao #MulberryBark #ZhongtongChao #ZhiyuanChao #SongDynasty #Jiaochao #CentralAsia #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Mongol Tribute System and the Subjugation of Rus

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the Mongol tribute system imposed on the Rus' principalities after the invasion of 1237–1240. They explore how the Mongols, under Batu and later the Golden Horde, enforced a complex network of tribute collection, population census, and political control through the institution of the baskaki — Mongol governors who oversaw the extraction of silver, furs, and soldiers. The conversation covers the role of the yam postal system in facilitating tribute, the impact on cities like Vladimir and Kiev, and the controversial figure of Alexander Nevsky, who collaborated with the Mongols to secure his own power. They also touch on the legacy of this system in shaping Muscovy's autocratic tax structures and the long-term economic effects on the region. Specific terms discussed include baskaki, dan', yarlyk, and the census of 1257–1259. The episode ends with a reflection on how historical narratives of 'the Tatar yoke' have been shaped by later Russian chroniclers. #MongolEmpire #GoldenHorde #Rus #AlexanderNevsky #TributeSystem #Baskaki #Yarlyk #Dan #Kiev #Vladimir #BatuKhan #Census1257 #Yam #MedievalHistory #EasternEurope #MongolInvasion #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Mongol Siege of Baghdad 1258 History's Greatest Conquest

In 1258, the Mongol army under Hulagu Khan laid siege to Baghdad, the heart of the Abbasid Caliphate and one of the world's great cities. This episode takes you inside that conquest: the political miscalculations of Caliph al-Musta'sim, the engineering of Hulagu's Chinese siege specialists, the betrayal of the Shi'a vizier Ibn al-Alqami, and the catastrophic aftermath that ended the Islamic Golden Age. We explore the myths and evidence—did the Mongols really turn the Tigris black with ink?—and what the fall of Baghdad meant for the Mongol Empire's expansion westward. Drawing on primary sources like the Persian historian Juvayni and the encyclopedic Jami' al-tawarikh, Lucas and Luna piece together a turning point that reshaped Eurasia. For listeners who know the Mongols as conquerors but not the specifics of this city's fall, this episode offers a granular, human look at a world-changing event. #SiegeOfBaghdad #HulaguKhan #AbbasidCaliphate #AlMustasim #IbnAlAlqami #Juvayni #JamiAlTawarikh #MongolEmpire #Baghdad1258 #IslamicGoldenAge #HouseOfWisdom #Mangonel #Ilkhanate #ChineseEngineers #History #MilitaryHistory #FexingoHistory #CentralAsia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]