Genghis Khan: were there warning signs for Gwok Jing?
Jin Yong's depiction of Genghis Khan in LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES differs from most historical treatments of the 13th Century Mongol leader because JY portrays Genghis as a three-dimensional human being rather than the savage, murderous barbarian that many works of both historical discussion and fiction portray Genghis as. As he grew up in Mongolia, the young Gwok Jing admired Genghis Khan as a courageous, selfless man who had given himself entirely to the cause of uplifting his Mongol brethren...doing all he could to give his Mongol brothers and sisters the powerful, wealthy nation he believed they deserved. To Gwok Jing, Genghis Khan was everything that the leaders of the Sung Dynasty were not. Unlike the Sung emperor and his sycophants, who knew only to exploit the people of the Sung Kingdom, Genghis cared passionately about his nation and his people.
Gwok Jing later learned, of course, that this was merely one aspect of the Khan' s personality...the best part. There was another part to the Khan that Gwok Jing had been blind to: the pitiless, ambitious conqueror who would not rest until all who opposed or resisted him were crushed under his heel.
Did Gwok Jing discover this too late? Were there warning signs, even when Gwok Jing was growing up in Mongolia, of Genghis Khan's dark side that Gwok Jing might have noticed had he been sensible to these things? Or was Genghis' positive side so thoroughly captivating that everyone (including the reading audience) errantly believed in him?