Certificate of Achievement
has completed the following course:
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
We will be looking at common myths of the Mongol empire and investigating how and why there is a gap between the representation and historical reality of the empire. The popular images of the Mongols in social media often can be traced back to myths of the Mongols in written sources from earlier centuries. The aim of this course is to critique and analyze the myths of the Mongols, and to learn about the historical realities of the nomads and their empire beyond the myths.
3 weeks, 3 hours per week
Margaret Kim, PhD
Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
Transcript
Learning outcomes
- Critique popular myths of the Mongols and distinguish them from the historical realities of the Mongols
- Compare and discuss the differences between the cultures of nomads from Inner Asia and major sedentary civilizations of the world, including learners’ own culture and community
- Analyze and demonstrate the way writers’ subjective views and preconceptions influence the writing of history
- Describe and represent major events and developments of world history in the thirteenth and fourteenth century with respect to the Mongol empire
Syllabus
• Introduction to the myths of the Mongol Empire
• The Mongol horde: The myth of bloodthirsty subhuman nomads
• The tyrant: Chinggis Khan and the myth of absolute power
• Super patriarchy: The myth of hyper-masculinity
• The legend of Prester John: The myth of a Christian kingdom in the East
• The Mongols and the world: Civilization vs. savagery
In association with
Issued on 9th November 2025
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