Final answer:
Officers in Genghis Khan's army were selected based on their abilities rather than their family ties, leading to the creation of a highly skilled military force. Genghis Khan's meritocratic approach significantly contributed to the Mongol Empire's military success and distinguished his leadership from other rulers of his time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Officers in Genghis Khan's army were chosen for their abilities, which made his army the most skilled in the world. Genghis Khan implemented a system that emphasized merit and individual meritocracy over family ties or aristocratic background. His approach to leadership was revolutionary, particularly for its time, as it sought to dismantle traditional societal divisions and to promote individuals based on proven competence and achievements.
Genghis Khan's reforms included the abolition of inherited aristocratic titles and the promotion of people based on merit, regardless of their tribal affiliations. This meritocracy extended to Mongol military organization, where the army was systematically divided into units of ten, or arban, with each grouping mandated to live and fight together loyally. This organizational style promoted unity and merit over familial connections and formed the foundation of what became an exceptionally skilled and disciplined military force.
The Mongol Empire's military might was not exclusively dependent on the strength and strategy of its soldiers; it also owed much to the merit-based system that recognized and rewarded individual excellence. This system of meritocracy was markedly different from other contemporaneous societies that relied more heavily on family lineage or aristocratic connections for positions of power and influence.