This week on the blog, we finish up our discussion of the Fremen Mirage, the pop-history myth that 'hard times' make 'strong men' who are morally and martially superior to their 'decadent' adversaries and why this is so unhelpful as a historical concept.https://acoup.blog/2020/02/28/collections-the-fremen-mirage-part-iv-desert-power/ …
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When I teach my students argumentation, this is the bit we call "considering counter-arguments." You can reject a counter-argument or - what I do here - incorporate it into your own thesis. The Mongols are the real deal, but not because they're 'hardtime-strongmen.'
The Mongols - and other steppe nomads - are effective because their specific pattern of subsistence plays into a specific pattern of warfare so well. Other, similarly 'hard-timey' peoples - including other nomads! - don't perform nearly as well.
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Even if we look at just steppe nomads, that’s over 2000 years of military might. Usually societies got around this problem, by paying them off and divide and conquer. That’s how China was kept from being overrun all the time.
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But that also puts our steppe nomads outside of the Mirage! After all, 'Fremen' societies are supposed to be morally pure and hold wealth in contempt. Buying them off should hardly be possible. I can't escape the impression you have missed the point of my argument.
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You say the Mongols were unique but they aren’t really. Oh sure, they were the best at it but it’s not a fundamental difference. They aren’t that different from the Turks, who you didn’t mention. The Mongols most famous defeat came from other barbarians.
Kiitos. Käytämme tätä aikajanasi parantamiseen. KumoaKumoa
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It’s the Romans who are the real historical outliers. Maybe you don’t realize it because that’s your main focus, but having an extraordinarily competent state regularly kicking barbarian ass is unique. Most people were terrified of barbarians, and with good reason.
Kiitos. Käytämme tätä aikajanasi parantamiseen. KumoaKumoa
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I’m not interested an extended debate but I’ll just say this: you should read more on Chinese history. Your analysis of it is incredibly shallow and you show a lack of understanding of why these barbarians were so menacing for thousands of years.
Kiitos. Käytämme tätä aikajanasi parantamiseen. KumoaKumoa
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