He's Changed the History of Eurasia, but his Name is not Well-known.
In the history of Middle East, there was one Mongolian Khan who was believed to be a Buddhist, however, later recognized as a Saint Knight in Christianity and also a Sacred Guardian by Tibetan Buddhists.
Hulegu Khan, the grandson of the famous Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, who was also described as “the Whip of the Almighty God” for his ruthless conquest of the world, also the leader of the Mongolian Army and the Ilkhanate Empire in the Middle East as well as the Central Asia. He had crushed the capital of the sacred Islamic Khalifeh. Consequently, the center of the Islamic world had shifted to the Mamluk Empire in Egypt after the total destruction of both the capital Baghdad and Damascus. During his conquest of Aleppo and Damascus, several Crusader’s kingdoms had aligned their armies with him.
For his contribution to fighting Muslim territories back to Egypt while Christians and Crusaders got to retain the Greek Syria including cities such as Aleppo and Damascus, he was even recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Christians for being “another star, another Constantine and Saint Helena”, even “the Guardian of Christian Faith”, although he himself was a Buddhist. In fact, his mother was famous for being a Christian of Nestorian Church, a sect of the Eastern Orthodox. Because of this, he made significant anti-Islam but Christianity and Buddhism friendly policies in regions that he had conquered previously in the Middle East.
Due to his Christian/Buddhist friendly policies, many Tibetan and Uyghur monks were present at those territories that are now mostly Islamic. At the same time, the Indo-subcontinent was already being occupied by the Muslims while thousands of Buddhist monks fled to China, Tibet, Central Asia as well as other territories controlled by the Mongol Empire. Thus, they did give the highest honor they were able to offer to their glorious Khan, the Hulegu Khan along with praises to him for being a sacred guardian of their religion for fighting back the prosecution of Muslims. In fact, during his conquest on the Middle East, because he did aligned his army with several kingdoms established by the Crusaders, they were able to defend themselves from those enormous threat by neighboring Islamic regimes.
One of the most famous stories of him was written in Islamic history, which is also one of the most painful chapter of the Abbasid Caliphate, was famous for the dialogue between the Khalifa Musta’asim and the Khan. According to the fantasized Islamic history, it was divided into three parts: before the conquest of Baghdad, after the conquest and right before the death of the Khalifa.
Before the conquest, the Khalifa told the Khan, “We are the people of Allah, the Muslims, you are the filthy infidels, if you attack us, the Almighty Allah is going to punish your army by throwing fires from the sky to you.” The Khan replied: “Okay great, let us see.” The Khan sieged the Baghdad City for days before breaking into it, and then the unhalting massacre and assault lasting for more than forty days. The river turned red and the libraries collecting ancient Greek philosophy and early Chemistry were burned to ashes with millions of other books. Then the Khalifa musta’asim surrendered and was captured to prison filled with gold, jewelries and diamonds that had been collected for more than five hundred years since the establishment of Abbasid Caliphate, but no food. The Khan starved the Khalifa for days until his last breath, and came to ask him why he did not share those fortunes to his soldiers so they could fight for him with loyalty and prowess. The Khalifa replied, "that is 'Qadir Allah', which literally means the 'the order of God', for me to keep those fortune."
Then, the Hulegu Khan replied, “Okay, now I will show you my version of “Qadir Allah”. He folded the last Khalifa into a mattress, and used his seemingly immortal Calvary to stampeded him to death. At last, this spiritual leader, the God appointed man of the Muslims around the world ended up getting stepped to death by horses, and this fact did carve a scar for the Muslims around the world for thousands of years.
When the Baghdad swallowed the painful defeat and ended up aligning with the Hulegu Khan, it caused long time terror and trauma to the whole Islamic world. This went especially true when the daughters of Khalifa was believed to be turned into sex slaves and his sons were kept hostages. In fact, this ultimate punishment was indeed in a very much Islamic way.
Whether the Khan eventually chose to be a Buddhist or a Nestorian Christian was remained unclear, various historical sources have revealed that his spiritual life was greatly influenced by the Eastern Christianity and his son was raised as a Christian.
编者案：为了让读者们更了解英文版所说的那段历史，小编为大家选了一篇中文文章，介绍当时的中国对地缘局势的影响。相信在大家读了之后，就不会对英文版中那些专业术语感到畏惧了。中英文文章并非同文翻译。
2017-01-25 海外观察第一站 世界华人周刊
在某意义上来说他对当时亚欧历史产生了深远的影响，但是这个名字却很少被后人知晓。他的名字应该和钓鱼城一样牢牢铭刻在历史丰碑之上。
世界华人周刊独家撰稿：朗博
王坚是谁？一提起这个名字，十有八九的人都不知道，但是要说他所取得成就，恐怕就没有人不知道了。因为他，蒙古人征服欧洲的脚步停了下来。 
1252年，蒙哥汗遣其弟旭烈兀发动了第三次西征，先后攻占今伊朗、伊拉克及叙利亚等阿拉伯半岛大片土地。面对蒙古铁骑，欧洲人准备臣服了，拜占庭帝国与西欧众国均派使者与旭烈兀会面，有意“联盟”。正当旭烈兀准备向埃及进军时，彻底征服整个伊斯兰世界时候。正当形势一片大好，旭烈兀突然率领大军主力撤退了，只留下少量军队继续征战，结果蒙军因寡不敌众而被埃及打败，蒙古的大规模扩张行动从此走向低潮。
旭烈兀为什么要突然撤退，因为他的哥哥蒙古大汗蒙哥在钓鱼城战死了，诸兄弟陷入了汗位的争夺，所以只能东归。钓鱼城由此在世界中古史上，赫然竖立了"延续宋祚、缓解欧亚战祸、阻止蒙古向非洲扩张"的不朽丰碑！当时，钓鱼城就以"东方的麦迦城""上帝折鞭处"的威名震惊了中外。而王坚就是折鞭之人。王坚为南阳邓州彭桥人，生于南宋宁宗赵扩庆元四年(1198年)。嘉定十二年(1219年)，王坚加入宋荆鄂统孟宗政的忠顺军，忠顺军常常给入侵的蒙古军队以沉重打击。王坚在忠顺军内，作战勇敢且有谋略，成为忠顺军的得力将领，升为劲军统制。嘉熙四年(1240年)，蒙古军驻顺阳丹江沿岸，准备造船南侵江汉。坚潜兵烧毁其船材，自此崭露头角，成为南宋名将孟珙部下得力将领。宝佑二年(1254年)，王坚升兴元府都统兼知合州，主持钓鱼城防务，他深知此城的战略位置的重要，此城坐落于钓鱼山上，位于嘉陵江、渠江、涪江交会之冲，正面控扼三江展开的扇形地区，是元军南下重庆的必经之路，一旦拿下重庆，蒙古大军就可以顺江而下，直攻南宋，想当初西晋灭东吴的就是采用这样的战术。所以钓鱼岛直接关系了北宋的存亡。为了南下的蒙古军长驱直入，王坚加固钓鱼城池。他首先加固城墙，准备军械器材。他甚至做好了长期被围困的准备。正好可以利用钓鱼城的有利地理优势，可以做到被长期外围的时候不会缺水断粮。钓鱼城依山而建，说是一座城，倒不如说是一个被城墙围起来的山。城分为外城和内城，城墙往往建在悬崖峭壁上，易守难攻。王坚调用数万军民，在城内开挖水塘，并在水里养鱼，而且开凿了92处水井。又让士兵在训练以后，把城里的山地开辟成农田种粮种菜，这样就解决了饮水吃饭的问题。
这就是王坚带领士兵在钓鱼城上挖的“大天池”，不但解决了饮水的问题，还可以提供鲜鱼水产，一举两得。1257年，蒙哥汗发动大规模的灭宋战争。蒙哥则自率蒙军主力攻四川。准备以主力夺取四川，然后顺江东下，与诸路会师，直捣宋都临安。蒙哥亲率大军，在以天险著称的四川，居然势如破竹，一路畅通地就来到了钓鱼城下。因为蒙古军队有一个规定，一旦遇到敌方城中的军民的反抗防御，便会在破城之日屠城，鸡犬不留！所以，蒙哥经过的城防要塞，里面的军民往往不战而降，即使不想投降的，也都弃城而逃。1258年3月，蒙哥很顺利地占领了成都。到了年底，蒙哥率大军浩浩荡荡开往重庆，途经钓鱼城。蒙哥派但汉人晋国宝到劝降。摆在王坚面前是一个艰难的选择：要么投降，不仅可以保住自己的官位，还能保住城中数万军民的性命；要么坚守抵抗，一定会付出血的代价，而且一城破，城中军民将全部被屠杀。最后王坚和钓鱼城军民选择了民族大义，舍弃自己生死，把劝降的汉人晋国宝斩首示众祭旗，王坚涕泣誓师，军心振奋，誓与钓鱼城共生死。
可以想到一帆风顺的蒙哥知道钓鱼城军民的举动时愤怒心情，1259年2月，蒙哥指挥大军开始攻城。悬崖上的城墙成为了蒙军难以逾越的防线。蒙军死伤累累，除了城下留下众多的尸体，一无所获。十余万大军被死死拖在城下，长达半年之久。
蒙军在连续5个月进攻以后，还是一点办法没有。部将劝蒙哥可以绕城而过，少数部队继续围城，大军直奔重庆。但是不服输的蒙哥和王坚较上劲了，非要拿下来不可。他一方面封锁嘉陵江，不让南宋的援军给城内军民任何支持，企图困死王坚。另一方面，他开始找城防的漏洞。
蒙古骁将汪德臣多次查看，后山外城的一处有个排水口。一天夜里，汪德臣带领数百士兵，从排水口攻了进去，一直杀到了马家寨。城里宋兵发现了，王坚带兵亲自上阵，展开了一场残酷的厮杀，双方此时全都红了眼，钓鱼城老百姓最后也参加了战斗，鲜血染红了钓鱼城的土地。最后，王坚又把蒙军赶到了城外，堵住了排水口。这也是钓鱼城军民牺牲最多的一次战斗了。离胜利就在咫尺，汪德臣被激怒，败了以后大怒，一日，他单骑至城下搦战，正当他大呼："王坚，我来活汝一城性命，宜早降！"没想到城中飞石射出，正好砸到他的头部，伤重不起，遂死于军中，一代蒙古骁将仅有37岁的汪德臣就这样陨落在了钓鱼城下。
蒙哥闻知死讯，心痛不已，精神遭受巨大的打击。而且这一年"自春至秋，半年无雨"，加上蜀中六月赤日似火，蒙军大多来至于北方，本来就畏暑恶湿，水土不服，不耐酷热潮湿，所以疾病盛行。而城里粮水充足，王坚用石炮射出鲜鱼两条，书信一封，信上写道："尔此兵可烹鲜食饼，再守十年，亦不可得也。"蒙哥于悲愤之中，做了一生最愚蠢的决定。
蒙哥决定亲自攻城，他让士兵在钓鱼城东门对面的脑顶坪上建一个瞭望台，以便他亲自观察城内情况，指挥攻城。但是他万万没想到这个距离正好是在城中石炮范围之内。当城台建好之后，蒙哥登了上去，开始观察城内的部署情况。这也是命中注定了，城内就只打了一炮，圆石正好向他砸来，幸好他躲得快，"为炮风所震"，只是被刮伤，但水土不服，加上又急又气，再又受了一伤，蒙哥病倒了，只能撤退，"遂班师至愁军山"，病情加重，在他病倒的第六天后，终于伤重而亡。在临死，他还念念不忘留下遗嘱: “不讳之后，若克此城，当尽屠之。”
蒙哥一死，南宋灭亡的时间又延缓20年了，进攻欧洲的蒙军也迫不得已东归。王坚改变了历史的进程。
朝廷封王坚宁远军节度使、依前左领军卫上将军，进封清水县开国伯。
1264年，王坚去世，获谥"忠壮"。合州军民闻坚卒，立庙祀之，并建碑记其功。南宋著名诗人刘克庄《蜀捷》赞曰："吠南初谓予堪晦，折北俄闻彼不支。挞览果歼强弩下，男章有入槛车时。钟捷捷表前无古，班固铭诗继者谁。"
四年以后，忽必烈第三次发起了对宋战争。钓鱼城又成了元军的喉中之梗了。元军再不像过去一样，而是绕城而过，终于在1276年攻克南宋都成临安。1279年，崖山海战，南宋丞相陆秀夫背着9岁的少帝赵昺投海，南宋军民一共十万人跳海以身殉国，南宋灭亡。而此时，华夏江山尽在胡尘中，唯独钓鱼城上的“宋”字旗仍高高飘扬，钓鱼城成了名副其实的孤城，真是“独钓中原”。
忽必烈为也知道如果硬攻此城，必然损失惨重。而且也为钓鱼城军民的民族气节和坚韧意志感动，于是派人招降。这时候守将王立为了钓鱼城十万军民的生命，提出投降条件：不杀一人，不收兵器，不降宋旗，不改县志。忽必烈虽为对手，但是也敬重这样有民族气节的人，违背蒙哥屠城的遗嘱，答应条件。全体钓鱼城军民在向临安的方向拜了三拜，开城投降。
**在蒙古骑兵横扫欧亚大陆的时候，唯有钓鱼城抵抗了36年，也唯有钓鱼城的军民全身而退，赢得自己的尊严，也赢得了对手的尊重。**王坚和钓鱼城军民所表现的中华民族的不屈气节，也让蒙古人感到了汉人内心反抗的精神，客观上忽必烈继续推行其汉化政策，逐步改变蒙军滥杀的政策，使中国南方的经济和文化免遭更大的破坏。
后来，抗日战争期间，也是在中华民族存亡最紧要的关头，蒋介石把国民党中央陆军军官学校特别训练班搬迁到了钓鱼城上。蒋中正亲笔题词，并委派何应卿、白崇禧和张治中等要员前来钓鱼城参观，从而留下了这一片摩崖题刻。这其中的意义不言而喻。
如今，当你去四川旅游，登上钓鱼山顶，看着眼前这片锦绣山河，便听这江水的涛声似乎讲述一段历史，也在颂扬一个英雄的名字，更在弘扬一种民族精神……