1. Barbarians For Progress!
Gregory Guzman, "Were the
Barbarians a Negative or Positive
Factor in Ancient and Medieval
History?"
2. Temujin, aka Chinggis Khan
• "The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your
enemies and chase them before you, to
rob them of their wealth and see those
dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their
horses and clasp to your bosom their
wives and daughters."
5. Guzman’s Thesis
• "In their conquests of civilized centers,
they frequently destroyed and eliminated
the old and outdated and preserved and
passed on only the good and useful
elements. ... Old and new practices and
processes merged, and provided viable
alternatives to the old, outdated civilized
ways which had failed or outlived their
usefulness. This fusion brought forth
dynamic creativity and development."
6. Barbarian Rule
• "The first century after the initial conquest
was usually an era of dynamic leadership,
good government and economic
prosperity, as nomadic strengths mixed
with the local advances and practices of
that civilization ... low taxes, agricultural
revival, and peace."
9. Questioning Guzman: Mongols?
• Who benefits?
• Destructive conquests of healthy societies
• Racial hierarchies
• Anti-foreign backlash
• Pillage is not economic progress
• Disease
10. Sources
• Background: Yuan-era porcelain, Nelson-
Atkins Museum, Kansas City (Picture by
Jonathan Dresner)
• Gregory Guzman, "Were the Barbarians a
Negative or Positive Factor in Ancient and
Medieval History?" in Kevin Reilly,
Sources of World History, 2nd Edition, pp.
388-395.
• Maps from Stearns, et al., World
Civilization, 6th edition.
• Temujin quote from Chabers, p.6.
