Genghis Khan quote

[cabdude]

I’ve seen a quote generally attributed to Genghis Khan as follows;

“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.”

You might have heard Governor Schwarzenegger say it in the historical documentary ‘Conan the Barbarian.’

I’ve never had cause to doubt it as it sounds like sort of conciliatory rhetoric he would employ. However, I just read somewhere else that he never said it at all.

ADDENDUM: Reader Andrew Patrick informs us: “With regard to the quote from Genghis Khan, the ‘slay your enemies?plunder?etc.’, was not actually said by Genghis Khan. After he had been traveling around, conquering various peoples and subjugating them for many years, Genghis looked at his three sons and asked them what was best in life. One of his sons replied with the aforementioned quote. Genghis told him that he was wrong, that what was best was riding in the open steppe, with the wind in your hair and a falcon on your wrist (which, ironically, is the opposite of the way it was depicted in Conan, not that Conan is a source of historical knowledge!). Apparently, Genghis was missing the good old days before he set about creating his Empire.”

Is there a sure answer one way or the other?

[Chairman_Pow]

Can’t say whether or not the Khan thing is true, but I’m positive I’ve read a very close variation of that quote in the Conan books. That’d be my guess where it came from. A google search only brought back other message board references. Yahoo search brought back more references to the movie.

[cabdude]

Yeah - I guess there are four possibilities;

One - he did say it

Two - his son said it

Three - someone else entirely said it

Four - the whole thing is bollocks