Great Yasa of Genghis Khan

Impact

The impact of the Yasa and the maxims of Ghengis Khan is profound. Although no copy of the Yasa has been found, it was clearly the guiding beacon for the Mongol nobility in ruling their empire. Diverting from the Yasa sometimes led to conflict, and even the most ardent Muslim ruler often found ways to defer to the Yasa, in some cases to maintain the loyalty of the Turko-Mongol commanders. In addition, the maxims of Ghengis Khan remained an important litmus test for judging a person's character, particularly because over the centuries his legend outgrew the historic reality. Indeed, in some areas of the Eurasian steppes his image became that of an infallible leader, so that it would be reasonable to ask: “What would Ghengis do?”

The observations of outsiders concerning Mongol laws also demonstrate their impact outside the Mongol Empire. Neighboring states and travelers were curious about the Mongols and attempted to understand how they viewed the world. Furthermore, they also used what they could find to justify their various agendas—to determine whether the Mongols were infidels, to promote a belief that the Mongols supported Islam or Christianity, or even to assert that the Mongols were a punishment from God.

Many directives of the Yasa and the maxims continued to be obeyed in Mongolia and other parts of the steppe. Indeed, in later periods numerous cultural practices or laws were simply justified as having been introduced by Ghengis Khan. Even though it is questionable whether Ghengis Khan created the law code or maxims attributed to him, in many ways they are largely responsible for the way in which he and the Mongol Empire is envisioned in the popular imagination.