The Mongols

The Mongol empire under his great leader Genghis Khan covered an area extending from the Sea of Japan to the gates of Europe.  The Mongols were ruthless horsemen with great skills at war; however, they also accomplished great feats in city building and transportation.  The Mongols were the pioneers in the field of warfare, transportation and communication over long distances but a lot of their achievements were overshadowed by their fame as ruthless warriors.  The fact of the matter is that they were ruthless against their enemies, but they also run a successful government that tried to be fair for all citizens.

Genghis himself established the code of laws which was equally applicable to the high class as well as the low.  Women enjoyed equal rights as the men, which was unheard of in the rest of the world during that era.  Mongols were actually very tolerant of other religions and they leveraged the knowledge of the people they conquered to improve their own empire.  The Mongols created a sophisticated mail system which expanded the length of the empire.  Ultimately, their waring ways contributed to the break up of the empire.  Factions competed for power and the empire disintegrated.  A lot of their citizens converted to Islam and later formed the core of what came to be known as the Ottoman empire.

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara vs. The Virgin Mary

There are many similarities between Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and The Virgin Mary.  They both represent hope and forgiveness for wrong doings.  The Lotus Sutra actually says that those that have acted in hatred can be forgiven will be freed after "adoring the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara", just like the Catholic faith believes that the Virgin Mary intercedes on our behalf before God to forget our sins.  Both figures are represented as females, and the impression is that of a comforting mother.  It is interesting to note that Avalokitesvara is known as "the one who hears the cries of the world" (1), and the Virgin Mary's representation is known to have cried for the world, physical representation of the Virgin have literally cried (with tears), although this is a highly controversial topic.

Overall, the concept is the same: we have two mother figures who represent forgiveness, comfort and help for us to obtain spiritual peace.  These figures represent sacrifice.  The Virgin Mary sacrificed herself to take on the role of the mother of the Christ.  She gave everything up in order to help her son and the rest of humanity; just like Bodhisattvas postpone their own "final liberation" to help the rest of humanity.  Avalokitesvara's representation with the many arms and heads represents her capability to hear the cries of her many subjects; this is similar to the Mater Misericordiae representation of the Virgin Mary, who is covering her many subjects with her mantle (2).

Sources Cited
(1) Strayer, Robert W.  Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources 2nd Edition.
(2) Wikipedia.  Tittles of Mary.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titles_of_Mary