Comments by "Harry Mills" (@harrymills2770) on "Knowledgia" channel.

I don't think people take this period into account when judging Islam and the Middle East. They took a very harsh lesson from the Mongols. They built a terrific civilization that was a SPONGE for knowledge, turning much of what's now desert into a gigantic oasis. But they didn't pay enough attention to the war machine a bunch of goat herders from the steppes of Asia (and Eurasia) could put together. Their innovations and great enlightenment could not withstand Genghis's main innovation: Meritocracy. Not only did the Mongols have the ultimate horse-archer army, but they actively recruited from all their conquered peoples, including Chinese engineers in very high places, because they understood siege warfare. I could - but won't - go on all day. My point is that the Mongol invasion did much to turn the religion and culture of the region into something very different from what they had been. Subsequent European Crusades did nothing to improve the Arab World's outlook on the of the world. In the current era, we see all the regressive aspects of their culture but never ask ourselves what role we play in making it worse, keeping them - and US - on The Wheel.
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