Dutch show offers insights into Genghis Khan's military vision, social policies

More than 200 items linked with Genghis Khan and his descendants went on display at the Dutch National Military Museum on Friday to show the history of the Mongol empire that ruled most of Eurasia throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, and the multiple facets of its mysterious founder.

It illustrates his life from his birth in 1162 into the Borjigid clan of the Mongol tribe as a bizarre baby "born with a clot of blood the size of a knucklebone clutched in his tiny fist", which symbolizes courage and power in Mongol legends. The exhibition chronicles his ascension as the "great Khan" in 1206 and his campaigns, which expanded his empire from China to the Caspian Sea. It shows that his rule exhibited impressive vision and strategic brilliance.

With horse gears, armor, weapons, seals, imperial decrees, utensils, clothes and jewelry on display, the exhibition also states that one of the best-known figures in world history made groundbreaking developments in military equipment, strategies and tactics. He endorsed tolerant religious and social policies, established a legal code and sparked a new era of exchange and interconnection between East Asia and Europe.

"Genghis Khan and his successors have profoundly influenced the history of the world with their military inventions and strategies, but also through their cultural and religious exchange that took place via the Silk Road," says Hedwig Saam, director of the Dutch National Military Museum.

The museum combines the collections of the former Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg and Army Museum in Delft.

"We want to give the European audience an insight into Genghis Khan in a way that hasn't been done before," says Tim Pethick, a designer of the exhibition.

"The concept of conquest is one aspect of the story of Genghis. But we want to talk about Khans' encouragement of literacy, and his keenness to build a multifaith society. We want to show that, when approaching a town for siege, the Mongols actually were much happier to take that town peacefully rather than aggressively, because they wanted to trade with those people and learn from them."

Yong Ding, a researcher at China's Inner Mongolia Museum where all the items on display come from, was glad the exhibition immerses visitors in a gripping way.

"Inner Mongolia (the autonomous region) is a mysterious place with a long history, and via this exhibition we hope to bring a better understanding about the culture and history of Inner Mongolia to the Dutch audience," he says.

For him, the eye-catching golden saddle decorated in Mongol style is one of the top pieces in this exhibition.

"It was found in a tomb whose owner is believed to be a Mongol noble living in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) established by Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan. Its sophisticated relief sculptures tell us about the cultural and artistic attainments of the Mongols."

Since the 1990s, the Inner Mongolia Museum has organized many exhibitions focused on Genghis Khan in the United States, Europe and Asia.