Like a bird without wingsA historical analysis of horses throughout the Mongol Empire. It was commonly said of the Mongols that “seeing a Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings”. The horse was integral to the success of the Mongols and was responsible for the size of the Mongol Empire, which history hails as the greatest empire to ever exist. Covering swathes of regions of Asia from around 1206 to 1270 AD. Led by the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan, the empire rose to power under his command and governance until his death in 1227. The empire would continue to grow as it had under his leadership and would eventually divide into four distinct factions in 1294, which would be the beginning of the end for the Mongol Empire. To understand who Genghis Khan was and the strength of his mighty empire, we must first examine the genesis of the horse in Mongolian culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay The Mongol civilization (separate from the Mongol Empire) was formed in 209 BC, as part of the Xiongnu Empire. In a much older history, the earth was inhabited by homo erectus almost 850,000 years ago. It wasn't until around 40,000 years ago, during the Upper Paleolithic, that modern humans arrived in the land that would become Mongolia. There is no region in the world where horses are more common in daily life than in Mongolia. Often called "the land of the horse", Mongolia has a reputation for having the best horsemen in the world. It would be almost impossible to imagine a Mongolian culture without the horse. It was during the Bronze and Copper Age that equestrian nomadism appeared in Mongolia, traveling the countryside on horseback in search of new lands. Genghis Khan, although little is known about him in terms of his appearance or the circumstances of his death, was once quoted as saying "It is easy to conquer the world on the back of a horse." The horse was treasured by a Mongol soldier for countless reasons, including their dependence on the horse for food, drink, transportation, armor, shoes, ornaments, strings for their bows, rope, fire, sports, hunting, spiritual power and in death. , to ride and ride into the afterlife. Khan's military campaigns were built around the idea of ​​mounted cavalry archers and subsections of what he called light and heavy cavalry. Some of Khan's generals were ordered to perform pursuit maneuvers as if they were fighting over horses, and many captured leaders were punished by Khan by being trampled by herds of horses. Although this will be discussed in more detail later, Mongolian horse breeds are considered very low maintenance for their masters, and as such it was much more efficient to maintain a larger army of mounted soldiers . Their exceptional endurance allowed for faster movement times and the ability to outrun and outmaneuver any enemy cavalry that got in their way - not to mention the misfortune of any cavalry that attempted to flee a Mongol regiment. In modern Mongolian equestrian culture, horses are not bathed or fed special foods, such as grain or hay. Instead, the horses are left to graze freely. The Mongols take a very hands-off approach. In winter, these horses are forced to dig in the snow for food. The Mongols believe that nature sufficiently provides for their horses and therefore their breeding should cost little or nothing. Consequently, horses are not considered a.