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What Jack Weatherford thinks about China

@jack-weatherford · 22 positions · 0 changes of mind

Anthropologist and author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, and DeWitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology emeritus at Macalester College.

Jack Weatherford did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

6 dated positions, 2025, in their own words. Our reading of what Jack Weatherford has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingThe Mongols manufactured almost nothing themselves, so raiding was not aggression but their way of getting the trade goods of China.

    Their wordsMongols produced nothing. They could produce felt to make their tents, but they were not craftsmen. And so they had to get these items from somewhere, and it was through raiding.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 2nd of 22 in this recording

    Interesting

  3. Our readingA nation of a million people cannot rule hundreds of millions by warfare; the Mongol Empire lasted because it offered its subjects things they actually wanted.

    Their wordsIf you have a nation of 1 million people and you are ruling over hundreds of millions of people, hundreds of millions of people, China, Russia, the Middle East, you do not do that through warfare. You conquer them initially through warfare, but you do not rule them through warfare. You've got to be offering something that they want, something that they like.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 10th of 22 in this recording

    Russiawar

    Interesting

  5. Our readingThere is no documented case of anyone crossing between China and Europe before the Mongols, and since Genghis Khan there has not been a single year without contact between East and West.

    Their wordsWe really don't have any well-documented case of anybody, say, from China visiting Europe or Europe visiting China before the Mongols. But since Chinggis Khan, there's never been a year without contact between east and west. It was permanent. Once he created it, it was permanent.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 16th of 22 in this recording

    Europe

    Interesting

  7. Our readingKublai Khan's invasion of Japan failed on its own terms but achieved its real purpose, which was cutting the Southern Song off from Japanese sulphur for gunpowder.

    Their wordsBut there actually, I think there's a very, very good reason for invading Japan. Several. The main one was to cut off the supply of sulfur. They needed it for gunpowder in the South Song. They lost their sources in northern China when they were driven out. They got it from Japan. It was a great source.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 17th of 22 in this recording

    Japan

    Interesting

  9. Our readingThe Mongol Empire was destroyed by the plague, which its own courier system carried out of southern China to the rest of the world.

    Their wordsBut this great system that united, it's called the Yam or Ortogh, that had united everything, people could move back and forth quickly that it could also take the plague out of Southern China into all parts of the world. And I do think that's what happened. And the plague destroyed the Mongol system.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 19th of 22 in this recording

    Interesting

  11. Our readingGenghis Khan's army was the greatest military force in history, and no power will ever repeat what it did.

    Their wordsNo other power in the history of the world has conquered Russia and China and Persia and Central Asia and Turkey and Korea. No power in the world has done that. Not Alexander, not the Romans. Nobody will ever do it again.

    ↗Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #476youtube.com 20th of 22 in this recording

    Russiawar

    Interesting