George R.R. Martin’s fictional Dothraki people, with their fearsome reputation and nomadic lifestyle, are one of the most in-your-face, take-no-prisoners cultures to exist in the world of “A Song of Ice and Fire.” For many fans and historians alike, the Dothraki are reminiscent of nomadic horse lords like the Mongols. Under leaders like Genghis Khan, the Mongol people forged one of the largest empires in history. This article aims to get into some comparisons on the two.
Nomadic Lifestyle
- Real Life: The Mongols were renowned for their nomadic lifestyle, moving across the steppes of Central Asia with their herds and families. Their entire society was adapted to mobile life, depending on horses for transportation and combat.
- Fiction: Similarly, the Dothraki are depicted as a horse-bound warrior culture, with their society, economy, and warfare all centered around their mounts. They are known to live in mobile tents, traversing the vast plains of Essos.
Military Tactics
- Real Life: Mongol military tactics were revolutionary, particularly their use of highly mobile cavalry units and psychological warfare. They were masters of the feigned retreat, a tactic to lure enemies into traps.
FEIGNED RETREAT
This tactic is often attributed to the Parthians. Though the Mongol warriors utilized it to great effect, simulating a disorganized retreat to lure their enemy into a trap. Here’s how it typically worked:
- Initiation: During a battle, Mongol cavalry would engage the enemy and then begin to retreat, often in a seemingly panicked and disorderly fashion.
- Enticement: The retreat would entice the enemy to break formation and pursue the Mongols, often abandoning their advantageous positions or defensive structures.
- Ambush: Once the enemy was drawn out and dispersed, the Mongols would regroup at a predetermined location. Other Mongol units, previously hidden or stationed as reserves, would then encircle the overextended enemy.
- Counterattack: With the enemy vulnerable and disorganized, the Mongols would launch a devastating counterattack from multiple directions, often using hidden troops to devastating effect leading to decisive victory.
- Fiction: The Dothraki also employ cavalry-based warfare, emphasizing speed and sudden, overwhelming attacks. While specific tactics like the feigned retreat (sadly) aren’t detailed in the books, their battle prowess and strategies are clearly inspired by steppe nomads.
Cultural Values
- Real Life: The Mongols had a complex set of laws and customs known as the Yassa, which governed everything from theft to hygiene. Not unlike other warrior cultures, honor and courage were traits highly valued. Blood played a significant role in their culture as well. It was believed that spilling blood onto the ground in the act of killing made it so that the victim would not go on to see the afterlife.
Example: The Mongols held specific beliefs towards shedding blood, especially where it concerned that of a fellow Mongol. It was believed that he who felt he had been wronged so severely that they did not wish for their foe to live on in the afterlife definitely meant business (loopholes were in place of course. Bloodless executions like staged “wrestling” matches were frequent, where the condemned would end up having their spines broken over the knee of an executioner or simply through being lifted and slammed back down upon on a rock… fucking ouch.) - Fiction: A martial society at heart, Dothraki culture values strength and prowess in battle above all else. Their leaders, known as Khals, are chosen based on their ability to lead in war and maintain control over their khalasar. Their hair is an important signifier in their masculinity, with warriors cutting their bell-riddled braids they don only if and when they have been bested in battle. It is clear the Dothraki place a premium on physical prowess. As we have seen in GoT, a khal who lacks the strength to ride his mount is considered no khal at all, even by the ones closest to him.
Example: Drawing parallels with the Mongols, it is forbidden to wear a blade or shed a free man’s blood within the confines of the Dothraki capital Vaes Dothrak. These laws are strictly observed by any khalasar that makes the venture into the city’s boundaries. Note that when Drogo killed Viserys, he spilled no blood, nor did he bare any steel (another one of those loopholes, molten metal was literally a method used Mongol society).
Impact on Sedentary Societies
- Real Life: The Mongols were not only conquerors but also facilitators of trade and cultural exchange across the vast network of commerce that was the Silk Road. Despite their reputation for brutality, they also helped to connect disparate cultures.
- Fiction: The Dothraki are mostly seen as raiders and pillagers in the eyes of the more sedentary cultures of Westeros and the Free Cities. However, they too engage in trade, exchanging horses and plunder for goods they need. Their capital of Vaes Dothrak does know markets where merchants from all over the known world come to ply their trade.
Leadership and Legacy
- Real Life: Genghis Khan’s leadership is legendary; his ability to unite the Mongol tribes and lead them to conquer immense stretches of territory is a significant historical feat.
- Fiction: Khal Drogo, one of the most prominent Dothraki leaders we get to see, echoes this as a powerful figure capable of commanding a khalasar 40.000 strong. His marriage to Daenerys Targaryen and his intended conquest of Westeros were poised to blend his legacy with that of the Targaryens before his untimely death.
Conclusion
The parallels between the Dothraki and the historical Mongols provide a fascinating lens through which we are able to see the fictional blend with the historical. Martin’s ability to draw from such historical sources makes his work stand out. The world he has created feels grounded and real despite technically falling under the nomer of “fantasy.” Readers and viewers alike are invited to draw connections to our own world’s past. This interplay between history and fantasy only adds to the depth and, in my opinion, is a big reason it has resonated (and continues to resonate) so extremely well with such an immense audience.
Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below!
