Reward for the loyalty, retribution for treachery: judicial practice of Chinggis Khan

Abstract

The article is an analysis of judicial activity of Chinggis Khan towards persons who entered his service under different circumstances. Analysis allows to state that Chinggis Khan not always used the same criteria taking his decision on the reward for loyalty and punishment for treachery. Authors attempt to explain the reasons of taking one or another decision by Chinggis Khan and clarify their correlation with political ideology formed by him during the establishing of the Mongol Empire. Besides, it seems that the analysis of specific cases could help trace the process of forming the system of khans court which foundation was laid by Chinggis Khan just during the period of the unification of Mongol tribes at the initial stage of creating of his empire. The source base for the research includes medieval historical works: Secret history of Mongols, Sheng-wu qin-cheng-lu, Compendium of chronicles by Rashid ad-Din, Yuan shih, Altan Tobchi by Lubsan Danzan and some others. Positions of different scholars on decisions of Chinggis Khan are also taken into account.

Keywords

• chinggis khan
• mongol empire
• crime and punishment
• court and proceedings
• traditional steppe law
• suzerainty and vassalage
• treachery
• betrayal