Often, we could see the trading caravans and the longboats going south. They always used the rivers we controlled. Well, we controlled all rivers in the vicinity but not always enforced the rules. They paid the dues, the tribute and we always welcomed them. More, we gave them protection and guaranteed safety. It was a good practice and, we saw life coming back to the area with trade and crafts and plenty of food. Soon, we were seen not as invaders but the partners and could be friends. Come to think, they were good people and we did not mind their company. We could be friends, and that could last. Again, my policy was not to take everything from them but to leave enough so, they could breathe, and keep prospering. That paid off much better. Trading with those people was much better than fighting with them, and I ordered to protect them not disturbing the fragile balance of peace. Every peaceful development was promoted and supported. We had to look in the future and beyond the war.
Considering the size of Russia and the number of people, I decided to leave Pskov and Novgorod controlled by its own Dukes. It was somewhat safer for now. These two cities gave me the most significant barrier between the very aggressive knights of Europe and us. I could not take on Russia and an entire Europe all at the same time. I needed to split it into the manageable pieces and handle it that way. More people would be required, and they were coming, but I needed time to put the campaign together. When these knights applied too much pressure on Pskov and Novgorod and actually started the crusade against us, I moved on Europe. It was the right time. Europe was in disarray even more than Russia. Still, they had a religious unity of some sort. They called it Christianity. They believed in a fairytale with an idol called Jesus Christ right in the middle of it. They were building so many churches for him, so he would reside there and filled them with the best paintings and sculptures. The churches were full of gold, and the servants of God were living in luxury; the people of the country did not have. The people were starving; thus, hated the ruling class and the church. The Christians believed that Christ was a Jew who came from the Jewish lands, but the Jews had never heard of him. This was a strange religion, which had the negative and the positive sides for us, Mongols if we wanted to conquer the Christian lands. The negative side was in the possible unity of the Christian warriors regardless of their nationality. They proved it conceivable with the Crusades going to the expanse called Palestine and fighting the Muslims. They could, and they did call the knights to arms when we invaded the Balkans, Poland, and Hungary. The good thing was that they kept fighting and losing in Palestine for a long time already. The fighting people, including most of the knights, kept going there and not too often coming back. This useless fighting stripped Western Europe of the most capable fighting force. The Fifth Crusade was another huge disaster for the stupid Christians, but the church kept pushing it. It was questionable if even the church believed in the crusades, but that was the Church’s solution to the European problems. That is how the church wanted to shift the blames in the other direction, away from the Vatican and the greedy nobility. Thousands of European soldiers from all countries died in Palestine and on the way there. They even fought each other for the little money made. What did they gain? What was the end game? How can you effectively control a territory thousands of miles away? The Romans tried it before and failed, and the opposition did not have an organized resistance as the Saracens had. They were a formidable power in the whole of Middle East. They were many, well adjusted to the area and at home. They ruled there for about a thousand years already growing stronger and stronger. The Christians could win one battle or a few but could not stay there for any prolonged time. The land did not want them. The Christians did not belong there, and the whole Middle East was fighting them not could ting each other. They were the biggest enemies to themselves, and they paid for that in blood.
The highway robbery and kidnapping for ransom was quite popular at the time even if you wore the crusader’s cross. Many thought you became rich in the Middle East. Thousands more were always in transition between Europe and Palestine, and many became the victims of the locals. That did not make it any easier. Sicknesses, the Black Death — a devastating global epidemic of the bubonic plague and the famine added to the state of disarray making Europe wide open for our invasion. They missed us coming, and we timed it just right.
When my spies informed us that another huge army went to Palestine, we moved in. Even if that army turns around and comes back to fight us, it would be too late already. Distance and timing were so important, and it was on our side. The Christians were looking in the wrong direction all the time. I did not think they were that stupid. How could they miss us for the mythical Jesus Christ? We were right here, and he was nowhere. He was so elusive, and we were not even hiding. That’s the power of brainwashing for you. Christ was not even in Palestine, and we were knocking the doors of their houses in Europe down already. Yes, that was my opening, and I took it. That was the opportunity of the lifetime, and we seized it. My advisers were absolutely correct; it was written in the stars, and I think in huge letters. Our holy men are saying that everything is predetermined, written in the stars. I say we choose what path to take, and then, we follow what was written in the stars. It was up to us to select the turn of events.
Islam was a prominent religion. At least half of my soldiers, at the time, were Muslims and I had to consider that. We, Mongols, were very tolerant of religion. Why would we care? How was it our problem? We preferred to ignore it, and that helped us considerably. I do not believe religion should run your life and influence the decisions. That is just your point of view. Still, one has to pay respect to the spirits and, especially, of your ancestors. Those are your ancestors. That’s very important, and we followed and obeyed all that was prescribes by the shamans and the healers. They knew the spirits and the spirit’s world. Yet, that was only for the ones that believed in it. If you believed in anything else and wanted to pray to god in any other way, that’s your business. Why should we care? That was my policy, and I vigorously enforced it.
My grandfather, the great Genghis Khan, was the same way. I learned it from him and my parents. All that was very wise and one of the most sensible policies we introduced. My grandfather called it “The Freedom of Religion” and “Spiritual Freedom.” In our Golden Horde, we had every religion there is. There were Jews, Christians, Muslims, Mystics, Necromants, Hinduists, Taoists, and anyone else who believed in something different. For as long as you were a part of us and did not do anything stupid that might hurt us or our goals, you were just fine and welcome. Serve your God in any way you liked. If your religion made you better in one way or another, it was good for us. Our Muslims were not very devoted Muslims but, nevertheless, they still were Muslims, and we had to respect that. Because of that and some other reasons, we tried to maintain good relations with the Muslim Empire of the Middle East. Well, to some degree. The Muslims of the Middle East believed that our war in Europe helped them to fight off the Crusades. I think it actually did. Thousands of the European knights had to stay back home, and not go to Palestine and all because of us.