Study materials
In a single human lifetime — about 50 years — a small tribe of nomads from the steppe between Lake Baikal and the Gobi Desert built the largest contiguous land empire in human history. At its peak, in 1260, its domains stretched from the Korean Peninsula to the Carpathians, from the Siberian taiga to the Persian Gulf — some 24 million square kilometers and a quarter of the world's population. It all began in 1206, when a kurultai on the Onon River proclaimed a 44-year-old chief named Temüjin Genghis Khan — "universal ruler." Over the next 21 years he conquered the Jin in northern China, the Tangut state of Western Xia, and the Khwarezmian Empire — and died on campaign in 1227. Over the following 30 years his sons and grandsons took Kyiv, Baghdad, and Damascus, reached Hungary, and halted only in 1260 in Palestine, where the Mamluks crushed the Mongol vanguard at Ain Jalut.
Who was Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history. Born under the name Temüjin, he united the warring tribes of the steppe and in a single lifetime forged a realm reaching from the Pacific Ocean almost to Europe. To this day his name remains a symbol of relentless conquest.
A hard childhood
Temüjin grew up in poverty: his father, a steppe chieftain, was poisoned by enemies when the boy was about 9 years old. The family's own tribe abandoned them, and they barely survived on the steppe. Yet from this outcast grew a ruler who would conquer half the world.
1206: the birth of the "universal ruler"
For decades Temüjin fought, made peace, and subdued the tribes of the steppe, until at last he had united them all. In 1206 an assembly of chiefs (a kurultai) proclaimed him Genghis Khan — "universal ruler." Thus, out of scattered tribes, a single Mongol people was born.
An unstoppable army
The strength of the Mongols lay in their cavalry: every warrior was a horseman and an archer from childhood. Discipline, endurance, long-range bows, and cunning tactics made them almost invincible. Their favorite trick was the feigned retreat, which lured the enemy into a trap.
The conquests
Having united the steppe, Genghis Khan turned on his neighbors: he subdued the states of northern China and then crushed the mighty Khwarezmian Empire in Central Asia. Cities that resisted were often razed to the ground — fear of the Mongols ran ahead of their armies.
The death of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan died in 1227 during yet another campaign. He was buried in secret, and his grave has never been found. Yet the founder's death did not halt the empire: his sons and grandsons led the Mongol armies farther still — to the west.
The grandsons march west
Genghis Khan's grandson Batu Khan led a vast army into Europe. In 1240 the Mongols took and destroyed Kyiv and pushed on to Hungary and the Adriatic. Over the lands of Rus a long "Mongol-Tatar yoke" set in — 200 years of subjection.
The largest empire in history
At its peak the Mongol Empire stretched from the Korean Peninsula to the Carpathians — some 24 million square kilometers, a quarter of humanity. It remains to this day the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen.
The legacy
The conquests cost millions of lives. Yet in time the "Mongol peace" (Pax Mongolica) made the Silk Road safe: trade, ideas, and people traveled freely from China to Europe. The Mongols were also famed for a religious tolerance rare for the age.