The Influence of Genghis Khan Throughout Asia and Europe During the 13th Century

Mongolian Khagan, which means “Khan Of Khans” or “king of kings” within Mongol Khel, the Mongolian language, perhaps more commonly translated as “emperor”, Temüjin Borjigi who is more well renowned for his title than his name, a title which is often mistaken for his name, Genghis Khan (pronounced “jeng-giss” with “jeng” sounding like “Jenga” and “giss” sounding like “kiss” with a hard “s”) killed over 40,000,000 (40 million) people during his reign as the Mongolia Khagan. This staggering death toll was the result of widespread military campaigns launched across Asia and Eastern Europe, in which entire cities were systematically destroyed. These conquests led to the formation of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history. Borjigi’s various strategies (e.g. psychological warfare, mass executions, scorched Earth tactic for villages encountered etc.) helped reshape the geopolitical landscape of the east and west during the 13th century, turning Mongolia into the centralized power of the period. Despite this brutality, Borjigi’s legacy also included positive benefits (e.g. advancements in trade, advancements in communication, advancements in governance etc.), systems which went on to direct future empires. Borjigi’s advancements included the promotion of the Silk Road trade network, the creation of a postal relay system reaching across vast distances of territory, and the implementation of merit based leadership over blood ties, ideas which fostered connectivity and administrative efficiency throughout the empire. Additionally, Borjigi unified multiple warring tribes and enforced legislation which highlighted and punished corruption when exposed. Borjigi’s empire was not solely predicated upon conquest however, as his ideas also helped maintain control, structure, and cohesion within its vision for a constantly expanding empire, something extremely difficult to successfully accomplish. The way the Borjigin dynasty governed, most especially its methods of organizing logistics, enforcing legislation, and leading people, continues to echo within the frameworks of modern governments during the modern day via foundational principles which continue to shape how states manage infrastructure, enforce law and order, and mobilize populations. From the codification of legal frameworks to the strategic coordination of supply chains and communication networks, the Borjigin dynasty laid legacy groundwork capable of transcending its period of use and relevance. Because of this, Borjigin not only drew up and rearranged world borders, he changed how empires think and act as they expand outward

The National Security System of Dubai

Dubai has one of the most sophisticated surveillance states in the world. It is incredibly difficult to bypass Dubai intelligence, which Dubai promotes as a positive aspect of its government. The Arab Spring of 2011 gave way to multiple riots and protests across the Middle East which is why monitoring and security have become especially tight within the past decade. Social media and smartphones played a pivotal role in the uprising of the public across the Islamic world which is why Dubai has stepped up its surveillance measures. Dubai’s surveillance system is an ecosystem entitled “Falcon Eye”, a nod to the importance of falconry within Arab culture, a sophisticated network with software which tracks the movement of a person from the moment they leave their home until the moment they return. Camera surveillance is not the only method used however as the Dubai government has openly admitted to the tracking and monitoring of smartphones as well as to sending state agents to follow individuals like journalists via motorized vehicle and upon foot when a person is deemed to possibly cause a threat to the states national security. The reason this activity is not hidden from the public is because the Dubai government wants citizens and foreigners to know that they actively engage in the monitoring of what people do when within its borders. Dubai started spending millions of dollars in 2011 on state of the art Israeli spyware which had the ability to infect smartphones and turn them into portable surveillance devices as they are almost always with the person who is being spied upon. In the past decade, as of 2019, the United Arab Emirates has made strides in opening up communication and relationships with law enforcement and governments located near the Indian Ocean. This allows the reach of the Dubai government to effectively be international, much the same way that the U.S. has international diplomatic links with many other democracies around the world