| Date | May 2017 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 17M.1.BP.TZ0.2 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Analyse | Question number | 2 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The sources and questions relate to Case study 1: Genghis Khan c1200–1227 – Campaigns: Mongol invasion of China: attacks on the Jin dynasty; capture of Beijing (1215).
Source B
John Man, an historian specializing in Chinese and Mongolian history, writing in the biography Genghis Khan, Life, Death and Resurrection (2004).
The attack would not be easy. From a population ten times that of the Mongols, the Jin Emperor could draw cavalry and infantry numbering several hundred thousand, and his cities were well fortified.
Genghis’s invasion was carefully planned. In spring 1211 the Mongols advanced across the Gobi, well spread out and in several waves in order not to drain the scattered wells and pools. This was a huge operation: imagine something like 100 000 warriors with 300 000 horses, strung out in perhaps 10–20 groups of 5 000 to 10 000 each, each with camel-drawn carts, and all linked by fast-moving messengers as the army travelled 800 kilometres.
As the Mongol army spilled into northern China and approached the pass that led to Beijing, the Jin commander seems to have made a fatal mistake. He had a chance of launching a surprise attack when the Mongols were looting. Instead, perhaps to win time, he sent an officer to discuss peace terms. The officer promptly defected [joined the opposing side] with the information that the Jin were waiting at the far end of the pass. There the Jin cavalry, packed between ridges, was overwhelmed by arrows and a Mongol charge. Horsemen turned and trampled their own infantry.
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source B for an historian studying the Mongol invasion of north China.
Markscheme
Value:
- The author is a professional historian so the book is likely to have been well researched; as a specialist in Chinese and Mongolian history he is likely to have detailed knowledge of the topic.
- The source is from a book on Genghis Khan, one of the key actors in the Mongol invasion of north China.
- The source discusses, and provides information on, the actions of the Mongols and the actions of the Chinese Jin army.
Limitations:
- The source was written almost 800 years after the event it describes, so it may have been more difficult to find source material.
- The book is on Genghis Khan rather than specifically on the Mongol invasion of China, so the material offered on the invasion itself may be limited.
- The mention of the word “resurrection” in the title of the book, a biography, may suggest that the author has placed too much emphasis on the achievements of Genghis Khan.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. It is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and no set answer is required. The focus of the question is on the value and limitations of the source. If only value or limitations are discussed, award a maximum of [2]. Origin, purpose and content should be used as supporting evidence to make relevant comments on the value and limitations. For [4] there must be at least one reference to each of them in either the value or the limitations.
