Genghis Khan lived between 1162 and 1227, and was a leader of the Mongols. He rose from humble beginnings to establish the largest land empire in history, which reached as far as Poland, Vietnam, Syria and Korea. At their peak, the Mongols controlled an area about the size of Africa.
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Though many people were slaughtered in the course of Genghis Khan’s invasions, he also granted religious freedom to his subjects, abolished torture, encouraged trade and created the first international postal system.
His Military Conquests
1. Unification of Mongolian Tribes
Temujin put competent allies rather than relatives in key positions and executed the leaders of enemy tribes, and added the remaining members into his clan. Though, he was an animist, his followers included Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.
In 1206, he called a meeting of representatives from every part of the territory and established a nation similar in size to modern Mongolia. He was also proclaimed Chinggis Khan, which roughly translates to “Universal Ruler,” a name that became known in the West as Genghis Khan.
2. The First Foreign Casualties
Genghis Khan’s first campaign outside of Mongolia took place against the Xi Xia kingdom of northwestern China. Unlike other armies, the Mongols traveled with no supply train other than a large numbers of horses. The army consisted almost entirely of expert horse riders and deadly archers.
The Jin Dynasty of Northern China was next. From 1211 to 1214, the outnumbered Mongols ravaged the countryside and sent refugees pouring into the cities. Food shortages became a problem, and the Jin army ended up killing tens of thousands of its own people.
In 1214, the Mongols besieged their capital, Zhongdu (now Beijing), and the Jin ruler agreed to hand over large amounts of silk, silver, gold and horses. But when the Jin ruler moved his court from Zhongdu to the southern city of Kaifeng, Genghis Khan took this as a breach of their agreement, and sacked Zhongdu to the ground.
3. Persia Falls Next
In 1219, Genghis Khan went to war against the Khwarezm Empire in present-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
Despite once again being outnumbered, the Mongolian horde swept through one Khwarezm city after another. Skilled workers such as carpenters and jewelers were usually saved, while aristocrats and resisting soldiers were killed. Unskilled workers, meanwhile, were often used as human shields at subsequent battles!
His Last Days
In early 1227, a horse threw Genghis Khan to the ground, causing internal injuries. He pressed on with his military campaign though, but his health never recovered, and he died on August 18, 1227. His final resting place remains unknown.
Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much land as any other person in history, bringing Eastern and Western civilizations into contact in the process. His descendants, including Ogodei and Khubilai expanded his empire to include Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the rest of China, among other places.
Their empire finally broke apart in the 14th century, and Genghis Khan’s last ruling descendant was finally overthrown in 1920.
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