Homosexual acts punishable by death under Genghis Khan

Experts in Mongolian studies who have spent the last year compiling Genghis Khan's code of laws, which is believed to be the world's first constitution say the legendary Mongolian conqueror banned homosexual acts. Under article 48 of the code, the experts say, men who "committed sodomy shall be put to death". Other acts punishable by death under Khan included "damaging grassland with unauthorized excavations or starting fires".

Diving deeper into the interpretation of the law, experts at the Research Institute of Ancient Mongolian Laws and Sociology said:

...the ban was put into place because Genghis Khan wanted to expand the Mongolian population, which was about 1.5 million at the time. The rival Song Dynasty, which dominated today's central China, was 100 million strong, Xinhua said. Khan's 13th century empire stretched across Asia all the way to central Europe.

Geneticists say that Genghis Khan was probably the most virile man ever, and that as many as 16 million men today carry his Y-chromosome. This was in no small part due to his "40-year policy of systematic rape of female prisoners" while he pillaged across Asia.

Meanwhile, it appears the ancient Chinese were much more accepting of same-sex behaviour than their Mongolian counterparts. Of the 25 emperors of the Han dynasty, for instance, 10 of them were known to have male lovers. For more on the subject, refer to Fridae.com's excellent treatise on Same-sex Love in Ancient and Modern Chinese History [Part Two]. The author, Dr Tan Chong Kee, asserts that it was not until China began to allow the entry of European Christian missionaries in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, did it open up to European influences and power, and start to imbibe modern Judeo-Christian attitudes towards homosexuality.

Related links
Shanghai Daily: Genghis Khan banned gay sex
Forbes: Report: Khan Banned Homosexual Acts
The Times of India: Genghis sired army of 16 million
Fridae.com: Same-sex Love in the The Warring States and Han Dynasty
Fridae.com: Same-sex Love from the Jing Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty

Photo from tomterry.