Yassa

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For the West African dish, see Yassa (food).

Yassa, alternatively Yasa or Yasaq, Zasag or Jasag in Mongolian was a secret written code of law created by Genghis Khan. It was the principal law under the Mongol Empire even though no copies were made available. Genghis Khan appointed his harshest son Chagatai (later Chagatai Khan) to oversee the execution of it.

The document is thought to be extremely comprehensive and very specific although no copies of it survive, even in part. For example, it is thought to have outlined laws for various members of the community like soldiers, officers, doctors, etc. Death was the most common punishment including for minor offenses: a soldier not picking up something that fell from the person in front of him would be put to death.

The main purpose of the document was probably to eliminate social and economic issues and disputes that existed among the Mongols and future allied people. Some of the rules for instance was that there would be no stealing of livestock from other people, sharing foods with travellers, not stealing women from other families, no defecting among soldiers, etc. It was like a day-to-day set of rules for people under Mongol control that was enforced strictly with very stiff punishments for violators.

The word Yassa translates into "order" or "decree". The Yasa was written on scrolls and bound into volumes that could only be seen by the Khan or his closest advisors, but the rules in the content were widely known and were followed.

[edit] External links

• The Yasa of Chingis Khan. A code of honor, dignity and excellence: http://www.coldsiberia.org/webdoc9.htm
• Yasa: The law of the People: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/3055/yasa.htm