From Makrizi
1. An adulterer is to be put to death without any regard as to whether he is married or not.
2. Whoever is guilty of sodomy is also to be put to death.
3. Whoever intentionally lies, or practises sorcery, or spies upon the behaviour of others, or intervenes between the two parties in a quarrel to help the one against the other is also to be put to death.
4. Whoever urinates into water or ashes is also to be put to death.
5. Whoever takes goods (on credit) and becomes bankrupt, then again takes goods and again becomes bankrupt, then takes goods again and yet again becomes bankrupt is to be put to death after the third time.
6. Whoever gives food or clothing to a captive without the permission of his captor is to be put to death.
7. Whoever finds a runaway slave or captive and does not return him to the person to whom he belongs is to be put to death.
8. When an animal is to be eaten, its feet must be tied, its belly ripped open and its heart squeezed in the hand until the animal dies; then its meat may be eaten; but if anyone slaughter an animal after the Mohammedan fashion, he is to be himself slaughtered.
9. If in battle, during an attack or a retreat, anyone let fall his pack, or bow, or any luggage, the man behind him must alight and return the thing fallen to its owner; if he does not so alight and return the thing fallen, he is to be put to death.
10. He (Jenghiz Khan) decided that no taxes or duties should be imposed upon the descendants of Ali-Bek, Abu-Ta-leb, without exception, as well as upon fakirs, readers of the Al-Koran, lawyers, physicians, scholars, people who devote themselves to prayer and asceticism, muezzins and those who wash the bodies of the dead.
11. He ordered that all religions were to be respected and that no preference was to be shown to any of them. All this he commanded in order that it might be agreeable to God.
12. He forbade his people to eat food offered by another until the one offering the food tasted of it himself, even though one be a prince (Emir) and the other a captive; he forbade them to eat anything in the presence of another without having invited him to partake of the food; he forbade any man to eat more than his comrades, and to step over a fire on which food was being cooked or a dish from which people were eating.
13. When a wayfarer passes by people eating, he must alight and eat with them without asking for permission, and they must not forbid him this.
14. He forbade them to dip their hands into water and ordered them to use some vessel for the drawing of water.
15. He forbade them to wash their clothes until they were completely worn out.
16. He forbade them to say of anything that it was unclean, and insisted that all things were clean and made no distinction between the clean and unclean.
17. He forbade them to show preference for any sect, to pronounce words with emphasis, to use honorary titles; when speaking to the Sultan or anyone else simply his name was to be used.
18. He ordered his successors to personally examine the troops and their armament before going to battle, to supply the troops with everything they needed for the campaign and to survey everything even to needle and thread, and if any of the soldiers lacked a necessary thing that soldier was to be punished.
19. He ordered women accompanying the troops to do the work and perform the duties of the men, while the latter were absent fighting.
20. He ordered the warriors, on their return from the campaign (battle) to carry out certain duties in the service of the Sultan.
21. He ordered them to present all their daughters to the Sultan at the beginning of each year that he might choose some of them for himself and his children.
22. He put Emirs at the head of the troops and appointed Emirs of thousands, of hundreds, and of tens.
23. He ordered that the oldest of the Emirs, if he had committed some offence, was to give himself up to the messenger sent by the sovereign to punish him, even if he was the lowest of his servants; and prostrate himself before him until he had carried out the punishment prescribed by the sovereign, even if it be to put him to death.
24. He forbade Emirs to address themselves to anyone except the sovereign. Whoever addressed himself to anyone but the sovereign was to be put to death, and anyone changing his post without permission was also to be put to death.
25. He ordered the Sultan to establish permanent postal communications in order that he might be informed in good time of all the events in the country.
26. He ordered his son, Jagatai-ben-Jenghiz Khan to see that the Yassa was observed.
From Mirhond
27. He ordered that soldiers be punished for negligence; and hunters who let an animal escape during a community hunt he ordered to be beaten with sticks and in some cases to be put to death.
28. In cases of murder (punishment for murder) one could ransom himself by paying fines which were: for a Mohammedan—40 golden coins (Balysh); and for a Chinese—one donkey.
From ibn Batuta
29. The man in whose possession a stolen horse is found must return it to its owner and add nine horses of the same kind: if he is unable to pay this fine, his children must be taken instead of the horses, and if he have no children, he himself shall be slaughtered like a sheep.
From Vartang
30. The Yassa of Jenghiz Khan forbids lies, theft and adultery and prescribes love of one’s neighbour as one’s self; it orders men not to hurt each other and to forget offences completely, to spare countries and cities which submit voluntarily, to free from taxes temples consecrated to God, and to respect the temples of God and their servants.
From Mahakia
31. (The Yassa prescribes these rules:) to love one another, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to give false witness, not to be a traitor, and to respect old people and beggars. Whoever violates these commands is put to death.
The Maxims of Jenghiz Khan
1. From the goodness of severity the stability of the government.
2. If the Grandees, Knights and Beks of the children of the many sovereigns to come will not strictly observe the Yassa, the state will be shaken and collapse. People will again eagerly look for a Jenghiz Khan but will not find him.
3. He also said: “The Beks of a tümen (10,000 kibitkas), of a thousand and of a hundred who come to hear our thoughts at the beginning and at the end of the year and then return may command the troops; the state of those who sit in their yurts and do not hear these thoughts is like that of a stone that falls into deep water or an arrow shot into the reeds—they disappear. It is not fit for such men to command.”
4. He also said: “Whoever can manage his own house well can also manage an estate, whoever can keep ten men in order in accordance with conditions may be given a thousand and a tümen and he will also keep them in order.”
5. He also said: “Whoever can clean his own house can rid the country of thieves.”
6. He also said: “Any Bek who cannot keep his ten men in order will, with his wife and children, be considered by us as guilty, and another man from his ten will be chosen and appointed Bek. In the same manner Beks of a hundred, a thousand and a tümen shall be dealt with.”
7. He also said: “Any word on which three well-informed men are agreed may be spoken anywhere, otherwise it cannot be relied upon. Compare your words and the words of others with those of well-informed men, and if they agree you may speak them, otherwise you should by no means say them.”
8. He also said: “Whoever goes to a senior must not say a word until the senior has addressed him; then let him answer according to the question. If he speaks first and is listened to it is well; otherwise he is like a man forging cold iron.”
9. He also said: “Any horse that runs well when it is fat will also run well when it is fairly stout or fairly thin. Such a horse can be said to be a good one. But no horse can be said to be good that runs well in only one of these conditions.”
10. He also said: “The senior Beks who will command, and also all warriors, must, in the same way as they distinguish themselves when they occupy themselves with hunting, each distinguish his name and glory in war; and let each one always, praying fervently to Almighty God and keeping a meek heart, wish for the decoration of eight sides so that, by the power of the Lord ancient in days, it will be possible to take four limits in one place.”
11. He also said: “Amongst people one must be like a calf, small and silent; but in the time of war one must be as a hungry falcon when it is hunting; he must go into battle shouting.”
12. He also said: “As word that is said is considered to have been said seriously; if it is said jokingly it must not be carried out.”
13. He also said: “As a man knows himself so should he know others.”
14. He also said: “A man is not like the sun and therefore cannot appear everywhere before people; when the master is away hunting, or at war, the wife must keep the household in good condition and order so that if a messenger or a guest should happen to enter the house he may see that everything is in order; and she must prepare a good meal so that the guest may not want for anything. Thus she will win a good reputation for her husband and exalt his name in the assemblies like a mountain that rears its peak. Good husbands are known by their good wives. If a wife be stupid and dull, wanting in reason and orderliness, she makes obvious the badness of her husband. There is an adage-verse: ‘In a house everything resembles its master.’”
15. In affairs caution is necessary.
16. He also said: “We go hunting and kill many mountain bulls. We go to war and kill many enemies. When Almighty God makes the ways smooth and work easy, men forget themselves and change.”
17. He also said: “There is no hero equal to Yesun-Bey, and no man as skilful as he is. But not knowing fatigue and hardships in the campaign he thinks that everyone can have his endurance. Yet others cannot stand so much. Therefore Yesun-Bey is not fit to be chief over his troops. Only a man who feels hunger and thirst and by this estimates the feelings of others is fit to be a commander of troops, as he will see that the warriors do not suffer from hunger and thirst and that the four-legged beasts do not starve. The meaning of this is that the campaign and its hardships must be in proportion with the strength of the weakest of the warriors.”
18. He also said: “As our merchants who import brocade garments and other good wares, expecting to make a profit, become very experienced in these goods and garments, so the Beks must teach boys to shoot arrows well and to ride well and must train the boys in warlike deeds in order to make them as fearless and daring as the merchants are cunning in their trade.”
19. He also said: “After us the descendants of our clan will wear gold embroidered garments, eat rich and sweet food, ride fine horses, and embrace beautiful women but they will not say that they owe all this to their fathers and elder brothers, and they will forget us and those great times.”
20. He also said: “If unable to abstain from drinking, a man may get drunk three times a month; if he does it more than three times he is culpable; if he gets drunk twice a month it is better; if once a month, this is still more laudable; and if one does not drink at all what can be better? But where can such a man be found? If such a man were found he would be worthy of the highest esteem.”
21. He also said: “… Lord ancient in days! You know and are aware that formerly Altan Khan raised a rebellion and that he began the enmity. He slew the innocent Ukin-Barchach and Ambagai-Kaan whom the tribe of Tatars seized and sent to him and who were the elder brothers of my sire and grandsire. I am athirst for their blood in retribution and vengeance. If you know that my intention is just, send me power and victory from above and order that your angels, men, peris and spirits above give me their aid.…”
22. He also said: “My bowmen and warriors loom like thick forests: their wives, sweethearts and maidens shine like red flames. My task and intention is to sweeten their mouths with gifts of sweet sugar, to decorate their breasts, backs and shoulders with garments of brocade, to seat them on good geldings, give them to drink from pure and sweet rivers, provide their beasts with good and abundant pastures, and to order that the great roads and highways that serve as ways for the people be cleared of garbage, tree-stumps and all bad things; and not to allow dirt and thorns in the tents.”
23. He also said: “If anyone of our clan act in violation of the approved Yassa let him be admonished verbally; if he do it again, let him be persuaded by eloquence; if he does it a third time, let him be sent to the remote place Baljuin-Khuljur. When he returns thence, he will be attentive. But if he be not brought to his senses, let him be put in irons and imprisoned. If he come out of imprisonment good-tempered and reasonable, well and good. If not, let his relations assemble and deliberate as to what is to be done with him.”
24. He also said: “The commanders of a tümen, of a thousand and of a hundred must each keep their troops in readiness and in order; so that whenever a decree or order reaches them, they may mount their horses without delay, even at night.”
25. He also said: “Every boy born in Bargudjin Tukum, on the Onon and Kerulen, will be wise, manly and heroic without guidance, instruction or experience: he will be knowing and comely; and every maiden born there will, without combing or adornment, be handsome and beautiful.”
26. He also said: “After the return of the messenger (he had sent) Muhuli-Govan asked: ‘When you came to pay your respects to Jenghiz Khan and reported my speech to him what did he do?’ The other replied: ‘He bent his thumb.’ He asked: ‘Did he also put out a finger for me.’—He answered: ‘He did.’ Then Muhuli said: ‘For this reason it is not in vain that I serve to the very death and demonstrate the greatest energy and eagerness.’ He asked also: ‘For whom else did he put out a finger?’ The putting out of a finger is on the road to exaltation. He said: ‘He put out a finger for Burji, Burgul, Kublai, Jilogen, Harajar, Jadai, Badai and Kyshlyk, to them all, and said: ‘They all served, before and behind me, skilfully with aid and reinforcement, they shot arrows well and kept pedigreed horses on the lead, hunting birds on their hands, and hunting dogs on the leash.’”
27. He also said: “Once Bala-Halaja, who was one of the honoured Beks, asked him: ‘You are called the master of power and a hero: what signs of conquest and victory are there to be seen on your hand?’ Jenghiz Khan condescended to answer: ‘Before I assumed the throne of the kingdom I was once riding along one of the roads. Six men who had laid an ambush at the bridge-passage made an attempt upon me. When I heard them I drew my sabre and rushed to the attack. They rained arrows upon me, but none of the arrows reached their target and not a single one touched me. I put them to death with my sabre and rode on unharmed. On my return it was necessary for me to pass by these slain. Their six geldings wandered masterless. I led away all six geldings.’”
28. He also said: “Once I was riding with Burji. Twelve men sat in ambush on a peak of the mountain range. Burji rode behind. I did not await him and, relying on my own power and strength, rushed to attack them. Suddenly all twelve of them shot off arrows and their arrows flew by me on all sides, but I proceeded to the attack when suddenly one arrow struck me in the mouth. I fell and was rendered senseless by this severe wound. At this moment Burji sped up and saw me and the fact that the wound had rendered me like a man in agony, jerking my legs and rolling over like a ball. He immediately warmed some water and brought it. I washed my throat and spat out the clotted blood. My soul, which had left my body, once more returned to it and I recovered feeling and motion. I rose and rushed to the attack. They were frightened by my hardiness, threw themselves down from that mountain, and gave up the ghost. The reason for the status of Tarkhan awarded to Burji-Noyon is that at such a time he made a laudable effort.”
29. He also said: “During his youth Jenghiz Khan rose one morning extremely early. Several of the dark hairs in his locks became white. Those near him asked: ‘O King! Your age is youthfully happy and you have not yet reached the beginning of old age. How is it that a trace of greyness has appeared in your locks?’ He said in reply: ‘Since the Almighty God has willed to make me the elder and chief of tümens and thousands and to raise through me the banner of well-doing, he has also put on me the sign of old age (greyness) which is also the sign of seniority.’”
30. He also said: “It is delightful and felicitous for a man to subdue rebels and conquer and extirpate his enemies, to take all they possess, to cause their servants to cry out, to make tears run down their faces and noses, to ride their pleasant-paced geldings, to make the bellies and navels of their wives his bed and bedding, to admire their rosy cheeks, to kiss them and to suck their red lips.”