Now Just Why Is The Mongel Horde Muslem?

[Tuidjy]

The original poster is correct on all counts. These particular Mongols would
not have been Muslims, they have no business riding elephants, and elephants
in Total War are ridiculously unrealistic.

Elephants should be smaller, less scary and much more vulnerable. My
instincts also tell me 'slower because of all the armour', but I may be wrong.

On a side note. The above is not necessarily always true. Examples: the only King of Lithuania Mindaugas converted to Catholicism while majority of this subjects were still pagan (and remained pagan for good 150 or so years after their King's conversion). Similarily, Khazar's religion became Jewish due to ruling elite's decision, not due to majority of the state's subjects being Jewish and the State adopting majority's religion. One can argue, that similar was the "top-down" conversion to Christianity of Kievan Rus.

Bulgaria is another example. In 864 Boris the First adopted Christianity as
a state religion, and slaughtered, in the time honored fashion for resolving
regilious differences, more than half of the rulling Bulgar families.