The rise and fall of the Mongol Empire - Anne F. Broadbridge

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: Regina Chu

It was the largest contiguous land empire in history—

此帝國坐擁史上最大的完整國土

stretching from Korea to Ukraine and from Siberia to southern China,

從韓國到烏克蘭 從西伯利亞到中國南方

and was forged on the open plains.

在大平原上崛起

In the 12th century CE, before the Mongol Empire formed,

12 世紀蒙古帝國形成之前

the East Asian steppe was home to scattered groups of Mongol

東亞大草原是 許多蒙古突厥遊牧民族的家

and Turkic pastoral nomads led by Khans.

他們由可汗領軍

The people herded sheep, cattle, yaks and camels.

這些人牧綿羊、牛、犛牛和駱駝

They lived in felt tents and moved between summer and winter campsites.

住在毛氈搭的帳蓬 並於夏冬兩季間遷徙

Nomadic women held significant authority,

遊牧民族的女性握有大權

managing these migrations, many of the flocks and trade.

管理這些遷徙、大量動物和貿易

Meanwhile, men specialized in mounted warfare.

同時間，男人負責騎馬打仗

These nomadic groups often fought each other.

這些遊牧民族時常相互征戰

That was to change under Temujin, who was born into an aristocratic Mongol family.

直到鐵木真誕生才有了轉機 他原為蒙古貴族家庭出身

Despite losing his father at an early age and growing up in poverty,

即使他年幼喪父後在貧困中長大

he quickly rose to power by forging strategic alliances with other leaders.

他仍透過整合策略聯盟 與其他將領合作快速取得權力

Unlike those khans, Temujin promoted soldiers based on merit

鐵木真和其他可汗不同 他會依據功績晉升士兵

and distributed spoils evenly among them.

並平均分配每人戰利品

His most brilliant move was to scatter the nomads he conquered

他最為明智之舉在於

把他所征服的遊牧民族 安插在自己的士兵之間

among his own soldiers so they couldn't join together against him.

這樣他們就不會聯合起來對抗他

These innovations made him unstoppable,

這些創舉讓他勢不可擋

and by 1206, he had united the people of the felt-walled tents

1206 年他統一了 以毛氈為牆來搭帳篷的人民

and become Chinggis Khan.

而成為成吉思汗

The Mongols were shamanists,

蒙古人信奉薩滿教

believing that the spirits of nature and their ancestors

相信天地有靈

祖靈存在他們週遭的環境裡

inhabited the world around them.

Over all arched the Sky god Tenggeri.

散布在穹蒼天神騰格里之間

Chinggis Khan believed that Tenggeri wanted him to conquer the entire world

成吉思汗相信騰格里 希望他以衪之名征服世界

in his name.

With the nomads of the Mongolian plain united,

隨著蒙古平原的遊牧民族統一

this seemed within reach.

這個心願似乎已然實現

Anyone who resisted the Mongols was resisting Tenggeri's will,

任何反抗蒙古人者 也就是反抗了騰格里的意志

and for this insubordination, had to die.

不服從者則亡

Under Chinggis Khan,

在成吉思汗統治之下

the Mongols first subdued northern China and the eastern Islamic lands.

蒙古先制伏了中國北方 和東邊的回教國家

After his death in 1227,

在他 1227 年死後

the Divine Mandate passed to his family, or the Golden Lineage.

神授之君權傳給他的家族 又稱為黃金氏族

In the 1230s, Chinggis Khan's sons and daughters

1230 年代，成吉思汗的兒女

conquered the Turks of Central Asia and the Russian princes,

征服中亞的土耳其人和俄國君王

then destroyed two European armies in 1241.

並在 1241 年擊潰兩支歐洲軍隊

In the 1250s, the Mongols seized Islamic territory as far as Baghdad,

1250 年代，蒙古人掠奪 伊期蘭領土直至巴格達

while in the East their grasp reached southern China by 1279.

1279 年時他們東征至中國南方

Life within the Mongol Empire wasn't just war, pillage and destruction.

蒙古帝國的生活並非只是 征戰、掠奪和催毀

Once the Mongols conquered a territory, they left its internal politics alone

一旦蒙古人征服一塊領地 就不干涉其內政

and used local administrators to govern for them.

任命當地官吏為其治理

The Mongols let all religions flourish, as long as the leaders prayed for them.

蒙古人任由所有宗教蓬勃發展 只要其領袖為他們祈福

Although they routinely captured artisans, scholars and engineers,

雖然他們不斷俘虜 工匠、學者和技工

they appreciated what those specialists could do

他們也讚賞這些人的專長

and forcibly settled them across Asia to continue their work.

並強行安置他們在亞洲各地 繼續完成他們的任務

The most valuable produce in the Empire was gold brocade,

帝國最有價值的產物是金絲綢

which took silk from China, gold from Tibet and weavers from Baghdad.

他們從中國取絲、西藏取金 運用巴格達的織匠

Gold brocade clothed the Mongol rulers, covered their horses

金絲綢用來製作蒙古君主衣冠

覆蓋在馬匹上和做為帳篷內襯

and lined their tents.

The Mongols particularly prized gunpowder technicians from China.

蒙古人特別賞識中國的炮彈技術

With much of Eurasia politically unified, trade flourished along the Silk Road,

由於歐亞政治結合 貿易也沿著絲路興盛

helped by an extensive system of horse messengers and relay posts.

這都要歸功於四通八達的郵驛制度

Robust trade continued at sea, especially in blue-and-white porcelain,

蓬勃的貿易發展至海上 尤其是青花瓷

which combined white pottery from Mongol China with blue dye from Mongol Iran.

結合了蒙古時期中國的白色陶器 和蒙古時期伊朗的藍色顏料

But this was not to last.

但好景不常

Succession to the Great Khan didn't automatically go to the eldest son,

可汗的長子不必然是繼承人

but rather allowed brothers, uncles and cousins to vie for leadership

任何兄弟、叔伯、姪甥都能爭奪王位

with senior widows acting as regents for their sons.

並由年長的寡母攝政代子治國

By the 1260s,

1260 年間

Chinggis Khan's grandsons were in a full- blown civil war over inheritance

成吉思汗的子孫陷入爭奪遺產之戰

and fragmented the realm into four separate empires.

因而將王國一分為四

In China, Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty

忽必烈在中國統治的元朝

is remembered as a golden age of science and culture.

是後世流傳的科學文化黃金時代

In Iran, the Ilkhanate inaugurated the development

位在伊朗的伊兒汗國開啟了

of new monumental architecture and Persian miniature painting.

新穎巨大建築與波斯繪畫的發展

In Central Asia, the Chagatai Khanate brought forth leaders like Timur

位於中亞的察合台汗國 帶來了未來的領導人帖木兒

and his descendant Babur, who founded the Mughal Empire in India.

繼承他的巴布爾 開創了位在印度的蒙兀兒帝國

And in Eastern Europe, the Golden Horde ruled for years

欽察汗國在東歐統治了幾年

until a trading post named Muscovy grew into a major world power.

直到莫斯科貿易站崛起 並成為世界主要勢力

Even though the Empire lasted only a short while,

即使蒙古帝國歷時不長

the Mongols left a legacy of world- domination that remains unmatched today.

蒙古人一統天下的傳奇至今無可匹敵