Genghis Khan's Secret Weapon: Rain

For unsuspecting herdsmen in the 13th century, April showers didn't bring May flowers—they brought Mongol hordes.

New research by tree-ring scientists from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and West Virginia University may have uncovered the reason why an obscure band of nomadic Mongol horsemen were able to sweep through much of Asia in a few meteoric decades 800 years ago, conquering everything in their path: They enjoyed an unprecedented, and yet-to-be-repeated, 15-year run of bountiful rains and mild weather on the normally cold and arid steppes.

Very interesting read at Natural Geographic

The traditional view has been that the Mongols were desperately fleeing harsh conditions in their craggy, mountainous homeland. The Lamont-Doherty team, however, found just the opposite: Between 1211 and 1225—a period that neatly coincides with the rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire—central Mongolia enjoyed a spell of sustained benign weather unlike anything the region has experienced during at least the past 1,100 years and probably much longer.

"What makes our new record distinctive is that we can see 15 straight years of above-average moisture," says the study's lead author, Neil Pedersen, a tree-ring scientist with the Lamond-Doherty Earth Observatory. "It falls during an important period in Mongol history and is singular in terms of persistently wet conditions."

The fight for resources is not always the reason for war it seems, as mongols expanded their empire more when they had more resources.

By the other hand, the article tries to relate the expansion of the empire as driven by climate change. perhaps more rain also produced a leader to drive the mongols to conquer? Yes climate change is the answer to any question now days, very interesting read non the less filled with pretty tree pictures and all

Fighting for resources is one of the biggest causes of arguments and wars that ever existed amongst humans. Acquiring metals was another big reason for wars.

The snows melted and the grass grew abundant. Many foals and babies were born. The youth waxed strong training the animals to ride. One day, they had an Army. And they were bored…


So some damn fool decided to "conquer the world".

reply to post by intrptr


Boredom seems a good reason to conquer the world...

We should handle some Sudoku books to Putin/Obama et al.

reply to post by Indigent


. Yah, nothing like handling boredom. Still, would love to have seen it.

Imagine living in a small village. One day a cry arises… you look up and over the horizon comes a thundering hoard of riders, armed to the teeth… with bad intent.

Heading straight for you.

Weather changes helped and decimated civilizations.....a climate change is thought to be responsible for the fall of the great Roman Empire.

Good weather may have helped Genghis Khan, as rain means grass growing faster thus more food for their horses.

Sorry......double post!