Good Sunday night, my peeps.  Between cleaning house, attending 50th birthday parties, opening my house to potential buyers, I have started and re-started this Pegman Post.  I’d leave a few lines, come back…  Nope, have no idea where I was going with this.  Start over, leave again…  This is what you get.  A quickie history lesson!  Thanks, always, to Karen and Josh for hosting this lovely prompt!

This week Pegman goes to the Great Wall of China. Feel free to choose from photospheres you find anywhere along it’s length. This link will get you started, or you can venture off on your own. No need to stay with your tour group on Pegman tours 😉

Your mission is to write up to 150 words inspired by your tour of the location. You’re welcome to write fiction, essay, poetry, or anything you choose. Once your 150 words is polished, you can share it with other Pegman contributors at the Linkup below. Reading and commenting on others’ work is part of the fun!

Temujin

Born to poverty, Temujin survived kidnappings, abandonment by his tribe, murder. and yet became the fiercest of warriors and a natural-born leader.

He put strong allies in positions of power instead of family, ignoring tradition. He granted religious freedom, abolished torture, encouraged trade, created an international postal system, abolished inherited aristocratic titles, forbade the selling and kidnapping of women yet caused terror wherever he went.

Temujin grew his army – up to one million soldiers – by killing the leaders of the enemy tribes and incorporating the remaining members. He used those not expert enough with horse and bow as human shields. The Mongolian empire expanded to over 11 million square miles, including parts of China, breaching the Great Wall as none other had ever succeeded in doing, not once but many times.

And yet, Genghis Khan, proclaimed Universal Leader, was no Superman. Thrown from his horse, he died of internal injuries.