Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Acerca de Shen Yun
    ¿Nuevo en Shen Yun?
    9 características de Shen Yun
    Nuestra historia
    Nuestros desafíos
    Danza clásica china
    Orquesta Sinfónica
  • Artistas
  • Videos
  • Lo nuevo
    Lo nuevo
    Noticias
    Blog
  • 5000 años
    Danza china
    Música
    Vocales
    El vestuario de Shen Yun
    Proyección digital
    Los accesorios de Shen Yun
    Historias e historia
    Shen Yun y la cultura tradicional china
  • Preguntas frecuentes
  • Reseñas
  • Newsletter Apoyo Empleos Buscar
    Español
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • עברית
  • Entradas & Info
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Entradas
    Lo nuevo
    Menu
    • Acerca de Shen Yun
      • ¿Nuevo en Shen Yun? 9 características de Shen Yun Nuestra historia Nuestros desafíos Danza clásica china Orquesta Sinfónica
    • Artistas
    • Videos
    • Lo nuevo
      • Lo nuevo Noticias Blog
    • 5000 años
      • Danza china Música Vocales El vestuario de Shen Yun Proyección digital Los accesorios de Shen Yun Historias e historia Shen Yun y la cultura tradicional china
    • Preguntas frecuentes
    • Reseñas
    • Tienda
      • Shen Yun Creations
      • Artist Fashion
      • Tienda De Regalos De Shen Yun
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    ¿Qué nos hace únicos?

    DESCUBRE LAS 9 CARACTERÍSTICAS
    • Empleos
    • Apoyo
    • SUSCRÍBASE
    • Buscar
    Idioma
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • עברית
      Blog
      Volver Blog > Famous Parallel Figures 6/10: Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great
    SYWEB 271 FPF #7  GenghisKhan AlexanderGreat  V1  AB 800x376

    Famous Parallel Figures 6/10: Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great

    In this series we look at historical figures from China’s past who have intriguing Western parallels.

    Amidst the mighty torrent of history, few heroes in the East and West have stood out like Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great.

    Alexander (356 B.C.E.–323 B.C.E.) and the first Great Khan (1162–1227) both had a thing about conquering the world. And they were both record-breakingly good at it. But in addition to their success on the battlefield and in empire-building, they also shared values and ambitions, a connection with their respective gods, and an interest in new knowledge and cultural diffusion.

    Starting with his first victory at age 18, Alexander never lost a battle. Through his conquests, his empire became the largest the world had known—spanning over two million square miles from the Adriatic to northwestern India. His goal, however, was to reach the “ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea.”

    Alexander was a bold and charismatic leader who fought among his men, personally leading them into decisive battles. He took the mythical Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior of all time, as his role model. And he considered Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods, his father. During the 13 years of his reign, Alexander attained a number of enviable titles including King of Macedon, Hegemon of Hellenic League, Pharaoh of Egypt, Shah of Persia, and Lord of Asia.

    Alexander disdained hedonism, and pursued honor and self-restraint. He did not indulge in food (only wine), and was generous in rewarding his men for their achievements.

    Interestingly, Alexander’s first tutor was Aristotle. Aristotle infused a philosophical take in the young prince, teaching him rhetoric, geometry, and astronomy. He also introduced Alexander to Homeric poetry and medicine, both of which became lifelong interests. An enthusiastic learner and avid reader, Alexander had a team of botanists and zoologists collecting wildlife specimen wherever they went, and always carried an annotated copy of The Iliad in his campaigns. Indeed, one of his greatest legacies is the spread of Greek culture across the ancient world.

     

    As for Genghis Khan, he seems like a reincarnation of Alexander. Genghis Khan was the founder of the Mongol empire—hence the imposing 131-foot statue of him on horseback that looks out over modern Ulaanbaatar. He, too, was a charismatic leader with great prowess on the battlefield. As a young man, he was betrayed by a sworn brother; but after that defeat he, too, never lost a battle.

    With an army of elite mounted archers, Genghis Khan united the warring nomadic tribes around him, then went on to conquer much of China and Central Asia to form the biggest empire in history. His advancement into Chinese territory paved the way for his grandson Kublai Khan to establish the Yuan Dynasty in 1279.

    Legend has it that Genghis Khan was born clutching a clot of blood in his fist. When he became ruler, or khan, a shaman chief declared him the representative of the supreme god of the Mongols. And Genghis saw it as his destiny to conquer the world for this god.

    “I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you,” he is recorded as saying.

    Still, Genghis usually gave cities a chance to submit peacefully, rather than face complete annihilation.

    Genghis Khan was a military genius, and he was an astute leader in civil matters as well. Other than appointing some Mongol officials as supervisors, the Khan allowed conquered citizens to continue on with their lives as before.

    He established and promoted international postal and trade routes. He ordered the establishment of a writing system for his people. And he never stopped learning from the peoples he came upon. He picked out the experts—top scholars, generals, craftsmen—from the conquered peoples, and always brought translators on his campaigns for this purpose.

    He considered excessive wealth a foible, and shared the spoils of war with his men. He outlawed the kidnapping or selling of women. And for the thirteenth century, he was well ahead of his time in his policies for religious tolerance. As such, he helped many cultures spread across Eurasia.

    * * *

    Alexander and Genghis weren’t the only two leaders that were alike, but from their connection to mythological gods to their thirst for knowledge to the rule they played in spreading culture—they shared many uncanny similarities. In the end, the Greek Pharaoh and his Mongolian counterpart fell short of their ambitions to conquer the entire world. But they most certainly managed to influence it.

    Betty Thumb

    Betty Wang

    Dancer

    Ver todas las publicaciones
    CONTENIDO RELACIONADO
    • SYWEB FPF #1 Kangxi LuisXIV  V4 AB 400x246
      Famous Parallel Figures 1/10: Kangxi and Louis XIV
    • Podcast 650x400 Esp3 MongolianBowls
      Beyond the Notes, Episode #3: Mongolian Bowls
    • Erhu And Cello Duet Thumb
      Erhu and Cello Duet - Mongolian Bowls
    • Mongolian Thumb
      Soulful Bowlfuls of the Mongols
    Comentarios
    verification

    Anterior

    5 Things to Consider When Buying Dancewear

    Próximo

    Famous Parallel Figures 8/10: Wang Zhaojun and Helen of Troy
    Más reciente
    • Consejos antiguos para la vida: La transición del otoño
      Lifehack Autumn Thumb
    • El hombre en la Luna: Una leyenda del Festival de Medio Otoño
      Change JadeRabbit SYWeb 嫦娥 玉兔 Thumb
    • Classical Chinese 101 (Part 2)
      SYWEB 284  Classical Chinese 101 P2  V2  Web Head Thumb 400x246 A
    • 3 consejos para cuidarnos, al estilo tradicional chino
      Chinesemedicine Thumb 650x400
    • ¡Marquen sus calendarios porque llega el año del Ratón!
      CNY 2020 Web
    Más popular
    • Todo
    • Noticias
    • Blog
  • 1 Los Reyes Dragón de la 'mitohistoria'
  • 2 Consejos antiguos para la vida: La transición del otoño
  • 3 Artistas destacados: Evangeline Zhu
  • Ver más
  • 1 Artistas destacados: Evangeline Zhu
  • Ver más
  • 1 Consejos antiguos para la vida: La transición del otoño
  • Ver más

    Etiquetas

    • Artist Perspectives
    • Famous Historical Figures
    • Ancient History
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts es una compañía de danza clásica china y música de primer nivel, establecida en Nueva York. Presenta danza clásica china, danzas étnicas y folklóricas y danzas que cuentan historias, con acompañamiento de orquesta y cantantes solistas. Durante 5000 años, la cultura divina floreció en la tierra de China. Con impresionante música y danza, Shen Yun está reviviendo esta gloriosa cultura. Shen Yun, o 神韻, puede ser traducido como “La belleza de los seres divinos al danzar”.

    Quiénes somos
  • ¿Nuevo en Shen Yun?
  • Orquesta Sinfónica de Shen Yun
  • Nuestros desafíos
  • Shen Yun & Espiritualidad
  • Conozca a los artistas
  • Preguntas frecuentes
  • Vacantes existentes
  • Videos
  • Últimos & destacados
  • Acerca de Shen Yun
  • Conozca a los artistas
  • Reseñas
  • Noticias & Blog
  • Lo nuevo
  • Destacado
  • Noticias
  • blogs
  • Reseñas
  • Descubrir
  • Danza china
  • Música
  • Vocales
  • El vestuario de Shen Yun
  • Proyección digital
  • Los accesorios de Shen Yun
  • Historias e historia
  • Shen Yun y la cultura tradicional china
  • Interactúe con nosotros:
    Firme nuestro libro de visitas
    Aprenda más sobre Shen Yun
    en nuestra plataforma de videos
    Centro de Evaluación de Aptitud para las Artes
    Recuerdos y colecciones premium
    inspirados en Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Sitio oficial de Shen Yun Performing Arts Copyright ©2023 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Todos los derechos reservados.
    Contáctanos Términos Privacidad Mapa del sitio

    En ShenYun.com utilizamos cookies. Al usar este sitio, usted está aceptando nuestra Cookie Policy.