Evening star., 1928-05-20
in After Many Victories Made "Ruler of All Men,


pride the ivory or horn baton, shaped
like a small mace, that belonged by
right TO gereral--a leader of men.
And he was obsessed by a hunger for
men to serve him. No doubt this hun
ger had its source in the misery Of the
lean years when Borchu had pitied him.
and the arrows of thick-headed Kassar
had saved his life.
But Temujin measured strength not
In terms Of political power, upon which
he had pondered little as yet, or Of
wealth. which seemed to be Of scant
use. Being Mongol. he wanted only
what he needed. His conception Of
strength was rlan-power.
And men flocked TO the standard o.
the nine yak-tails In great numbers, no
longer by families and tens, but by hun
dreds. A wandering clan, at feuo with
its former khan. gravely discussed the
merits of Temujin of the Mongols-
"He permits the hunter to keep all game
slain in the great hunts; after battle
each man keeps his just share of spoil
He has taken the coat from his back
and given it as a present; he has come
down from the horse he had mounted,
and has given It to the needy"
No collector ever welcomed a rare
acquisition as eagerly as the Mongol
khan hailed these wanderers.
He was gathering about him court,
without chamberlains or councillors
made up of warlike spirits.
The twelfth century was drawing To
its and, and Temujin was still laboring
at shat his elders told him could not
be brought about, confederacy Of the
clans. It could only come in one way.
by the supremacy Of one clan over the
others.
The Karaits, in their cities on the
caravan route from the northern gates
of Cathay TO the west, held what might
be called the balance Of power, and It
was this power that Temujin challenged
The warfare lasted for two years. until
the Karaits were routed in q bitter bat
tie near Lake Baikul. Temujin pushed
forward to their city In the desert, Kar-
akorum, the Black Sands.
His cousin, Chaniuka the Cunning
was made captive afterward and
brought before him.
What fate dost thou expect?" Ten
ujin asked.
The same that I would have BE-
slowed upon thee. had taken thee"
responded Chamuka without hesitation.
The slow death"
He meant the Chinese torture Of SLOW
diSmemberment that begins the first
day with cutting of the joints OF the
little fingers and continues up all the
limbs. Surely there was no lack Of
courage among the descendants Of the
Bourchikoun. Temujin, however. fol-
lowed the custom of his people, which
forbids shedding the blood of a chief
tain of high birth. and sent away
Chamuka to be strangled with q silk
bowstring. or stified between heavy
felts.
v1--- 80 A.. .rx.s "a A.. xr.z-
ats, who had entered the war unwill-
ingly. fed hopelessly beyond his lands
and was put 10 death by two warriors
of Turkish tribe.
Temujin now had q core Of king
dom, in the Karaits. who had clllti-
waited the soil and built cities-of dried
mud and thatch. It is true, but still
permanent abiding places. Using every
effort TO keep the Karaits settled and
reconciled. he launched his hordes Into
new conquests without an instant OF
delay.
"The merit of an action" he told his
sons, lis In finishing It TO the end"
= &*
TN the three years following the bat
tie that gave him the mastery Of the
Cobb, he thrust his veteran horsemen
far into the valleys Of the western
Turks, the Naimans and Ugurs, people
Of a superior culture. From the long
white mountains Of the north, down the
length of the great wall. through the
ancient cities Of Bishbalik and Khcten,
his officers galloped.
Once he had broken the armed
power OF hostile clan. the Mongol
hunted down all men of the reigning
family and put them to death. The
fighting men of the clan were divided
up among more dependable people: the
most desirable women were taken as
wives by his warriors-others were
adopted by Mongul mothers, ana the
grazing lands and herds Of the de-
feated clan turned over TO new owners
Temujins life. up 70 this point, had
been shaped by his enemies. From ad-
versity he had gained strength Of body
and the wolf-like wisdom that seemed
10 lead him to do instinetively the right
thing. Now he was strong enough 70
make conquests on his own account.
Around the person of the conqueror
were gathered the widest spirits OF al
Asia. the Turko-Mongol warriors from
the sea to the T'ian shan. where Gutch-
lux TIte0 EakACk GAtKlAN. EuE VIZ IllO-
ment clan feuds were forgotten. Bud
Cihist and shaman. devil-worShtper and
Mohammedan. and HISTORIAN Christian
sat down as brothers, awaiting events
Almost anything could have hap
pened. What did happen was that the
Mongol khan rose above the linita-
tions Of his ancestors. He called to-
gether the kurultai. the council of the
khans. to select q single man 20 rule
all the peoples Of high Asia. An
emperor.
He explained 70 them that they mus
choose one Of their number 20 have au-
thority over the others. Naturally
enough. after the events OF the last
three years. the choice Of the kuralrsi
fen upon Temujin. More than that.
the council decided that he was TO have
fitting title. A soothsayer in the
gathering nov came forward and an.
nounced that his new name should be
Genghis Kha Khan. the Greatest cI
Rulers. the Emperor of AL Men.
The council was pleased. and at the
unanimous insiStence OF the khans
Temuiin assumed his new title. Gen.
ghis Kahn prepared 10 launch his Mon
sol horde against the world.