from 1206Reputable sourceWell documented
The Yasa and the Machinery of Empire
On the timeline · around from 1206 ·
What happened
Genghis Khan built a state as well as an army. He issued a body of law, the Yasa, that bound Mongol and conquered peoples alike; promoted men by merit and loyalty rather than birth; and organized society and the military into a strict decimal system of tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten-thousands. Across the empire he established the Yam, a network of relay stations where couriers could change horses and carry messages and travelers vast distances at speed.
Why it matters
These institutions are why the empire endured and functioned rather than merely raided. The Yasa, meritocracy, decimal army, and Yam gave the Mongols an administrative reach and communication network unmatched in the medieval world.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Mongol Empire · Reputable source