Jewish China
- Thread starter richie42
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HueyLong
Banned
Got to admit, I like the crypto-analogues here too. Considering that Central Asian Islam was far from Orthodox (and still is), might it find itself further separate in TTL?
Of course, thats ignoring what TTL's Mongols may do to the Middle East itself.... Islam may be far separate from anything in OTL as it is fractured and isolated.
BTW, one suggestion towards dissenting rabbis- it may become Mongol policy to wipe away the existing clergy. Would put power in civil and working Jews, which would encourage less orthodox opinions.
These are the Mongols we're talking about here, after all......
Of course, thats ignoring what TTL's Mongols may do to the Middle East itself.... Islam may be far separate from anything in OTL as it is fractured and isolated.
BTW, one suggestion towards dissenting rabbis- it may become Mongol policy to wipe away the existing clergy. Would put power in civil and working Jews, which would encourage less orthodox opinions.
These are the Mongols we're talking about here, after all......
I don't know just how plausible the following scenario is (I apologize in advance if it turns too ASB). But I think it's one of the few remotely plausible ways to turn most of China Jewish.
Most of it was also taken/inspired from a short story by Judith Tarr called "Measureless to Men" from Harry Turtledove's Alternate Generals III.
POD: c. 1142: The girl who will one day be known as "the Honored Deborah" in Eastern Jewish mythology is born to a family of Jewish merchants in Bukhara, in the Kara-Khanid Khanate.
c.1143-1160: It is thought by modern historians that Deborah somehow receives a detailed instruction on the history and rituals of the Jewish people from a relative, possibly her father. What is known (from records in Chengdu and Karakorum), is that in the year 1160 (by the calendars of Christendom), Deborah is taken by Qarluq slavers while on a journey with her family on the Silk Road and brutally raped in the process, to the point where she was, “left as bereft as the Taklamakan and as vengeful as a winter storm” (to quote the 1227 document The Secret History of the Mongols). It is speculated by historians in Nanjing and Kaifeng that this is when she swears revenge on the Qarluq.
c.1162: Temujin, the who will one day strike terror into the world around him as Judah, Ghengis Khan, is born to Yesugei, the leader of Kiyad, in Mongolia, and a vassal of Ong Khan of the Kerait tribe, of the Borjigin Clan.
c.1161-1170: Deborah is sold to a plethora of masters, before finally becoming the property of Dei Seichen of the Onggirat tribe in 1170. He also happens to be the father of Borte, the future wife of Temujin.
c. 1170 onwards: For his part, Dei Seichen treats Deborah with indifference when it comes to her religion, allowing her to practice it openly.
One of her main tasks is to look after young Borte. For her part, Borte becomes curious about Deborah’s strange religion. Seeing how Borte is betrothed the son of a local chief, Deborah takes the opportunity to tell her the story of her people and the enduring strength of her people’s Covenant with the Lord God. She tells Borte many stories from the Five Books of Moses during this time as well.
Borte is very intrigued, especially after Deborah tells her how Judaism, despite suffering under tyrannies and great empires ranging from Babylon to Rome, has survived long past their fall.
It’s unknown precisely when Borte declared her conversion to Judaism. Regardless, as various historians have established, she was already practicing her interpretation of the rituals Deborah passed to her by the time of her marriage to Temujin. Records indicate that Deborah had passed away by this time (from an unknown cause).
While all this is going on, Temujin becomes estranged from his tribe and is abandoned with his family to the wilderness, eking out a living on the steppe.
c.1182: Temujin is enslaved by his former tribe; he eventually manages to escape with a sympathetic guard who would later father his general, Chilaun.
c.1188-1200: As previously arranged by his father, Temujin marries Borte. Borte tries to tell him of the power of the “Lord of the Skies and Earth,” but he scoffs at this strange philosophy that she’s apparently trying to teach him. Borte merely tells him that the Lord will lead him to his destiny by any means necessary, as The Secret History of the Mongols tells us.
Around 1190 Temujin forges a small confederation from his supporters and family of Mongols.
c.1200:
Borte is kidnapped in a raid by the Merkit tribe. In sheer desperation afterwards, Temujin prays to Borte’s “Lord of the Skies and Earth” for his rescue attempt to be successful, and for her to be safe.
With aid from his friend (and future rival) Jamuqa and Ong Khan, along with 20,000 Kerait warriors from his father's blood brother Toghrul, Temujin rescues Borte and destroys the kidnappers. On the way to rescue her, Temujin later tells Borte, he had a fitful dream in which a “Mighty Spirit” told him that his prayer had been successful and his attempt would succeed (though modern day scholars stress that he was under a great deal of duress at the time, and therefore it would be expectant for him to have such a dream; naturally the faithful refuse to even comprehend such a thought).
Borte tells him that it was the Lord God speaking to him. Then, she tells him that she knew all along his attempt would succeed, as the Lord provides for those under his Covenant.
This is all that’s needed to convince Temujin; he declares his conversion to serve the “Lord of the Skies and Earth” until the day he passes on.
Temujin manages to convert Ong Khan to this new religion, along with his brothers—Khaser, Khajiun, and Temuge—his mother Hoelun, his sister Temulin, and his half brothers Bekhter and Belgutei, along with the bulk of the Kerait tribe and the Borjigin Clan. Jamuqa, however, refuses to convert, causing a rift between the two former friends that will never be healed, ending their Blood Brotherhood.
Temujin also moves his followers to convert to his new religion, after ensuring that his tale of the "miracle" spreads far and wide. It’s during this time that the Yassa Code (whose variations govern much of the east to this day) comes into being for the first time. It’s likely that Borte had a heavy hand in their design, as it incorporates what she remembers of the Ten Commandments into the Code.
Borte has by now, according to The Secret History of the Mongols informed her husband of the existence of the original “People of the Covenant” to the west. Temujin vows to one day find these communities and bring them under his protection.
But first he has to deal with Jamuqa, who has now become Gur Khan (universal ruler) in his own right, a direct challenge to his authority. Combined with his defiance of Temujin’s efforts to spread Judaism, he raises the ire of Temujin.
Although he defeats Temujin in several battles, Jamuqa makes the fatal mistake of encouraging ethnic divisions in his forces, while Temujin uses every opportunity to unify his forces by allowing promotion based on merit and spreading the faith in the Lord of Hosts. Combined with aid from Toghrul--who unlike IOTL does not side with Jamuqa, as he’s more influenced by Temujin’s new faith even than his own son—it doesn’t take long before Jamuqa is captured and executed by Temujin, having spurned one last offer of forgiveness (and conversion).
1205: By this time, Temujin has brought the formerly various Keraits, Uyghurs, Merkits, Naimans, and Mongols under his control, ensured the diffusion of Judaism amongst them, and having vanquished his rival Jamuqa, declares that he has taken the name new name Judah (after the son of Jacob), and the new title Warrior of the One God. He declares to his soldiers that God has taken them into His Covenant, and that it is the duty, as soldiers of the Lord of Hosts, to conquer the world and bring it into the Covenant. The Mongol Empire is born.
1206-1211: After a brutal series of invasions, the Western Xia Dynasty acknowledges Judah Khan as their overlord. By 1211 the Dynasty’s old lands have been absorbed into the Mongol Empire.
1212-1215: Judah subjugates the Jin Dynasty, concluding with the sack of their capital of Yanjing.
In his wake from the two major conquests, Judah leaves his son Chatagai to implement the Yassa Law in the newly conquered lands. The first mass conversions to Judaism happen during this time. However, Chatagai is forced to crush several revolts as he tries to purge the lands of all pagan influences, which he finds almost impossible. However, he does succeed in establishing the first Houses of the Host in the major urban centers of the former Xia and Jin.
Of course, historians emphasize how chaotic the situation must have been; after all, Judah Khan wasn’t exactly planning to cross the rivers by feeling the stones when it came to religious worship.
Meanwhile, Judah hears that the surviving Jin government has reassembled in Kaifeng, the same city with a strange community of people who came from far away and who believe in one God. Feeling like the Lord of Hosts is leading him on, Judah decides to take his forces to Kaifeng....
~~~~~
Comments? Too ASB? This certainly isn't my greatest area of expertise.
bloody hell, thats impressive
ditto for the second installment
Indeed. I've heard of crypto-Sephardic communities existing to this day in remote parts of South America and in the Balerics. That's certainly a possibility TTL for the Muslims of Central Asia at the very least.
Point taken. In silencing them he can simply claim that he's enforcing the Yassa Code (which is itself a hybridization of the Ten Commandments and Mongol codes of conduct).
I should tell you that Mesureless to Man actually takes place after the time of Judah, during the reign of Solomon (Khublai) Khan. I'd certainly recomend it.
Cool then. Enjoy.
And thanks again for the comments and suggestions. Much appreciated.
Good timeline DBE. I look forward to more. How different are the dietary laws of Deboran Judaism?
Well, as of yet Deboran Judaism only officially forbids the priesthood from consuming traditional un-Kosher foods. Many higher-ups within the Mongol Empire avoid such foods when they can. And of course they do nothing to stop the traditional Jewish communities they encounter from keeping their traditional dietery laws.
In other words, a lot looser than in the Judaism that we know, since they're trying to spread the Covenant as far and wide as possible, some things are bound to alter greatly from the Jews of the Diaspora. This will cause some interesting issues later.
Thank you!
Anyways, I made some mistakes with Part II, so I've redone it, along with Part III.
Part II (2.0)
1216 onwards: Judah marches into Kaifeng, which he orders his army to leave completely intact. He comes to the synagogue of the Kaifeng Jews (built in 1163) and meets the adherents of the faith which the locals refer to as (as modern day translations tell us)—tiao jin jiao—the religion which removes the sinew.
Thus begins Kaifeng’s transformation into a focal point of Eastern Jewry (which will come to be called Deboran Judaism by the Jews of the West). Judah instructs the keepers of the Kaifeng synagogue to help in the implementation of the Yassa Code, and specifically in bringing the pagans of the city into the Covenant of the Lord. The Jews of Kaifeng have little choice but to obey, as stories of Judah’s bloody wars of conquest have long reached their ears.
The Kaifeng Synagogue also begins its transformation into a Rabbinical School during this time; the first students ironically will include the eldest sons of the surviving Jin aristocrats (having seen how their place in this new society is secured by converting to this new religion). Another student will be Judah’s eldest son Jochi, who will dedicate the rest of his life to religious study and proselytizing to the unconverted of Kaifeng, as well as in neighboring towns and cities.
1218-1220: Urged by Borte (who remembers the painful story of Deborah’s humiliation at the hands of the Qarluq), Judah Khan invades and conquers the Kara-Khitan Khanate.
The Mongols begin implementing the Yassa Code in the former Khanate, forcing countless conversions, often at sword point. As in the former Xia and Jin states, the local aristocrats are among the first to convert, so long as it guarantees them positions of power in the new order. The Mongols are forced to crush several revolts from the Muslim population during this time, cracking down harshly and forcing countless unrepentant Muslims into exile. Many flee into the neighboring Khwarezmid Empire, where their stories of the Mongol destruction of their religion send the Shah and his governors into outrage. The Shah begins planning a strike against these enemies of Islam, and begins cracking down on the local Jewish communities in his realm, fearing them to be foreign agents.
Construction begins on a great House of the Host (synagogue) in Balasagun, the former capital of the Khanate.
The troubles of policing such an unruly conquest forces Judah to delay his plans to conquer the Khwarezmid Empire. After a time of prayer and meditation, he decides to spend time consolidating his new lands.
However, he won’t get long to rest.
1220 onwards: In the former Khanate many Muslim converts, along with surviving Buddhists and Nestorian Christians, continue to practice their faith in secret, while professing devote Judaism in public.
Part III
1221-1224: Although he desires nothing more than to consolidate his realms before moving towards a new conquest to the west, several incidents drive him over the edge.
By early 1221, a trickle of Jewish refugees from the Khwarezmid Empire has entered the Mongol lands. Judah, currently residing in Balasagun, meets several wealthy families from the Khwarezmid capital of Samarqand and from Bukhara, who describe the new trials of tribulations that the Jews of that city are undergoing thanks to Shah Ala ad-Din Muhammad’s paranoia of an imminent invasion.
The Five Books of Judah documents this well; from Judah, Chapter Five, Verses 66-72:
”And Judah, Warrior of the One God, Khan of the Lord of Hosts, Lion of Judah, Protector of Jewry, did hear the plights of the Lord’s Chosen People. Declaring with the purest voice of righteous anger, Judah did declare, in Balasagun the doom of the followers of the false upstart of Khwarezmid. So he declared in his righteous anger, ‘It is the Will of the Lord that His Chosen People know of his justice. May He show the Shah mercy, for he shall receive none from me.’ So said Judah, Warrior of the One God, Khan of the Lord of Hosts, Lion of Judah, Protector of Jewry.”
Even in his deepest rage, old habits take over; Judah orders that the armies of the Khwarezmid be thoroughly scouted before an invasion can take place.
By this time, the Mongols have brought siege engines and dragooned engineers (all of whom converted out of intimidation, of course) from China.
The conquest of the Khwarezmid Empire is one of the bloodiest events in the history of the Mongol Empire; historians estimate that at least 4 million civilians perished in Judah’s campaign of vengeance. The Shah is literally forced to flee for his life, as Judah specifically ordered at least one whole army after him.
However, Judah orders his commanders to follow at least one specific doctrine when laying siege to cities. First, an offer is made that if the city’s inhabitants acknowledge Judah as their lord, and agree to enter into the Covenant, then they will be spared. If they refuse, then they will asked to send their Jews from their walls. Then the city will be reduced to rubble; those gentiles not killed will be sold into slavery.
This formula saves Bukhara and Samarqand from total destruction, as the inhabitants agree to convert en masse to save their lives. However, the cities of Merv and Kunya Urgench are completely destroyed in the process, along with many other settlements, the survivors sold into slavery. However, bound by the Yassa Code, freedom is offered to all those who choose to convert to Judaism (as one key law states that, "No members of the Covenant shall be slaves or servants"). Not surprisingly, many would-be slaves choose this option. Meanwhile, the Shah, broken and hounded by the pursuing Mongols, dies hiding on an island in the Caspian Sea not long afterwards.
During this latest round of conquests, Judah comes into contact with Deborah’s people—the Jews of Bukhara have heart rumors of a conqueror from the east that called himself “Judah, Warrior of God,” but now they get to see him in the flesh, forcing their former Islamic overlords to convert to their faith.
However, the rabbis of Bukhara express their reluctance to begin converting the gentiles of the surrounding areas, as it goes against their religious doctrine.
This begins a serious rift in the Jewish community; other Jews believe that Judah, and the circumstances that led to the embrace of their faith simply means that God has not forgotten them, and that their faith is destined to rule the world. A few Bukharan Jews agree to help bringing the gentiles into the Covenant. Many more will be brought directly Judah’s court to assist in the refining of Jewish doctrine. Bukhara itself will soon become the center of a vibrant Jewish community, as many Mongols will also settle there over time. The rebuilt city of Urgench will also be resettled mainly by Mongols, giving Judaism a solid base there as well.
Those Jews who dare speak against converting the gentiles en masse are disposed of quickly by the Mongols; the rest soon learn to silence their criticism, as this seems to be the Will of the Lord, after all.
Meanwhile, conquest concludes when Judah destroys the last active Khwarezmid army in an epic series of three battles on the Indus River, the last of which results in the death of the Shah’s son, Jalal Al-Din. Satisfied, Judah instructs Chatagai to implement the Yassa Code in the new conquests, and in fact grants him stewardship in his place. The Chatagai Khanate is born.
c.1225 onwards: The shofar, a horn used for Jewish religious purposes, makes its way into usage in the Mongol armies, probably from the Jews of Bukhara. It becomes extremely popular as a call to battle, as well as for important holidays.
The countless slaves taken during the conquest of the Khwarezmid Empire becomes the basis of the notorious slave trade that will entrench itself in the Mongol Empire in years to come; many Muslims, who despite offers of emancipation if they convert to Judaism refuse to abandon their faith, are kept as slaves, being sold in markets in the cities of China. Judah, in authorizing this move, is influenced by Chatagai, who has long pushed for this solution for rebellious pockets of Muslims who refuse to agree to exile or conversion.
Also starting around this time, a steady stream of Jews from the other Islamic states begin migrating into the Mongol Empire, many Muslim rulers begin forcing them to leave, afraid of attracting the attention of the Mongols otherwise; Judah does his best to ensure that they receive a hearty welcome, and while many choose to settle in the new Chatagai Khanate, others wind up as far east as China as the years go by, warmly embraced by their new brethren and encouraged to settle all over the empire.
A select group of Bukharan Jews are requested by Jochi all the way from Kaifeng to assist in the instruction of more Chinese rabbis to help spread the Covenant as far and wide as possible in the former lands of the Jin and Xia. The first Chinese rabbis will begin translating the torahs that the Bukharen Jews bring them into their own language. Many more Bukharan Jews are sent to Judah's court to help in the further refining of Jewish culture, where they will enjoy the patronage of Borte herself.
To the east, construction begins on Houses of the Host in the cities of Xingqing, Xijin, and Yidu.
Last edited:
Max Sinister
Banned
About the shofar: The Mongols used colored flags on day, colored lanterns a night to give signals. Which was an advantage because it's hard to hear drums or horns during a fight, but you can still see signals.
A brief correction
c.1225 onwards (2.0): The Shofar, a horn used in religion ceremonies, begins to spread though the Mongol Empire, probably thanks to the Jews of Samarqand and Bukhara from around this point on.
c.1225 onwards (2.0): The Shofar, a horn used in religion ceremonies, begins to spread though the Mongol Empire, probably thanks to the Jews of Samarqand and Bukhara from around this point on.
