ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.
The Mongol Empire: Rise and Fall
From Genghis Khan’s unification of the steppe to the fragmentation into khanates, the film traces the empire’s rapid expansion, administration, and eventual decline.
Chapters
- 0:07 Birth and Unification
- 1:16 Mechanisms of Conquest
- 2:34 Empire at Its Height
- 4:19 Decline and Legacy
On-screen text
- 0:07 Birth and Unification
- 0:14 Birth and Unification
- 0:31 Temüjin's birth near Onon River (c.1162) Historical record · The Secret History of the Mongols
- 0:49 1206 kurūltāi crowns Genghis Khan Historical record · The Secret History of the Mongols
- 1:07 Yassa: Genghis's legal code Historical record · Yuan Shi
- 1:16 Mechanisms of Conquest
- 1:23 Mechanisms of Conquest
- 1:40 Composite bow on swift horse The Institute's interpretation · Allan Watt, The Mongol Empire (2004)
- 1:58 Yam relay stations speed messages Historical record · Yuan Shi
- 2:16 Kublai’s paper money, 1271 Historical record · Yuan dynasty paper money, National Museum of China
- 2:34 Empire at Its Height
- 2:41 Empire at Its Height
- 2:58 Stone palace foundations at Karakorum Historical record · Archaeological excavation report, Karakorum, Mongolia (1995)
- 3:16 Four successor khanates Historical record · The Secret History of the Mongols
- 3:34 Golden Horde wins at Kalka River Historical record · The Russian Primary Chronicle
- 3:52 Baghdad sacked, 1258 Historical record · Juvaini, Tarikh-i Jahangushay
- 4:10 Trade surge on Silk Road The Institute's interpretation · Peter Jackson, The Mongols and the Silk Roads (2017)
- 4:19 Decline and Legacy
- 4:50 Red Turban rebels forced Yuan retreat, 1368 Historical record · Yuan Shi
- 5:06 Mongol postal network inspired later European couriers The Institute's interpretation · David Morgan, The Mongols (2007)
- 5:34 C2* lineage traces to 13th‑century expansion The Institute's interpretation · N. Haber et al., Nature 2020
Sources
Historical record: The Secret History of the Mongols · Yuan Shi · Yuan dynasty paper money, National Museum of China · Archaeological excavation report, Karakorum, Mongolia (1995) · The Russian Primary Chronicle · Juvaini, Tarikh-i Jahangushay
The Institute's interpretation: Allan Watt, The Mongol Empire (2004) · Peter Jackson, The Mongols and the Silk Roads (2017) · David Morgan, The Mongols (2007) · N. Haber et al., Nature 2020
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 99 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (7) — the next things to make
- A relay station with fresh horses, a rider handing a scroll to a fresh courier.
- A caravan of camels laden with silk and spices passing a bustling caravanserai.
- A caravan of camels laden with silk and spices passing a bustling caravanserai.
- A stylized map showing four colored regions across Eurasia.
- A caravan of camels laden with silk and spices passing a bustling caravanserai.
- A caravan of camels laden with silk and spices passing a bustling caravanserai.
- Red Turban rebels on horseback cross a wheat field, banners flapping, torches flickering, villagers watching from huts.