World Leaders: Genghis Khan

Top: Genghis Khan. Below: Map showing the boundary of 13th century Mongol Empire compared to today's Mongolia,

Russia, the Central Asian States and China. http://craighillnet.files.wordpress.com

Synopsis: Genghis Khan was born in Mongolia around 1162. At 20, he began building a

large army to destroy tribes in northeast Asia and unite them under his rule. The Mongol

Empire was the largest empire in the world before the British Empire and lasted well after

his death in 1227.

Early Life

Born in north central Mongolia around 1162, Genghis Khan was originally named Temujin.

He was a member of the Borjigin tribe and a descendant of Khabul Khan, who briefly

united Mongols against the Jin (Chin) dynasty of northern China in the early 1100s.

When Temujin was 9, his father, Yesukhei, took him to live with the family of his future bride,

Borte. On the trip home, Yesukhei encountered members of the rival Tatar tribe, who

invited him to a conciliatory meal, where he was poisoned for past transgressions against

the Tatars. Temujin returned home to claim his position as clan chief. However, the clan

refused to recognize the young boy's leadership and forced his family into near-refugee

status. In a dispute over the spoils of a hunting expedition, Temujin quarreled with and

killed his half-brother, Bekhter, confirming his position as head of the family.

By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.03.16

Word Count 916

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At 16, Temujin married Borte, cementing the alliance between the Konkirat tribe and his

own. Temujin had four sons with Borte and many other children with other wives, as was

Mongolian custom, though only his male children with Borte qualified for succession in the

family.

The "Universal Ruler"

When Temujin was about 20, he was captured in a raid by former family allies, the

Taichi'uts. He escaped with the help of a sympathetic captor and joined his brothers and

others to form a fighting unit. Temujin built a large army of more than 20,000 men. He set

out to unite the Mongols under his rule.

Through a combination of outstanding military tactics and merciless brutality, Temujin

avenged his father's murder by decimating the Tatar army. He ordered the killing of every

Tatar male who was more than approximately 3 feet tall. Temujin's Mongols then defeated

the Taichi'ut and had all of the Taichi'ut chiefs boiled alive. By 1206, Temujin had also

defeated the powerful Naiman tribe, thus giving him control of central and eastern

Mongolia.

The early success of the Mongol army owed much to the brilliant military tactics of

Genghis Khan, as well as his understanding of his enemies' motivations. He employed an

extensive spy network and was quick to adopt new technologies from his enemies. The

well-trained Mongol army of 80,000 fighters coordinated their advance with a sophisticated

signaling system of smoke and burning torches. Large drums sounded commands to

charge, and further orders were conveyed with flag signals. Because the Mongols could

maneuver a galloping horse using only their legs, their hands were free to shoot arrows.

Following the victories over the rival Mongol tribes, other tribal leaders agreed to peace

and bestowed on Temujin the title of Genghis Khan, which means "universal ruler." The title

carried not only political importance but also spiritual significance.

Major Conquests

Genghis Khan wasted no time in capitalizing on his divine stature. In 1207, he led his

armies against the kingdom of Xi Xia and, after two years, forced it to surrender. In 1211,

Genghis Khan's armies struck the Jin dynasty in northern China, lured by the seemingly

endless rice fields and easy pickings of wealth.

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The campaign against the Jin dynasty lasted nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, Genghis Khan's

armies were also active in the west against the Muslim world. Initially, Genghis Khan tried

to establish trade relations with the Khwarizm dynasty, a Turkish-dominated empire. But the

Mongol diplomatic mission was attacked by the governor of Otrar. When Genghis Khan

heard of this insult, he demanded the governor be given to him and sent a diplomat to get

him. Shah Muhammad, the leader of the Khwarizm dynasty, refused and sent back the

head of the Mongol diplomat.

This act released a fury that would sweep through central Asia and into eastern Europe. In

1219, Genghis Khan took control of planning and executing an attack against the

Khwarizm dynasty. The Mongols swept through every city. No living thing was spared.

Skulls of men, women, and children were piled in large mounds. Cities were brought to

their knees, and eventually, the Shah Muhammad and later his son were captured and

killed.

Scholars describe the somewhat peaceful period that followed as the Pax Mongolica, Latin

for "Mongol peace." In time, the conquests of Genghis Khan connected the major trade

centers of China and Europe. The empire was governed by a legal code known as Yassa.

People in government and the military were promoted based on merit, not heredity.

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With the annihilation of the Khwarizm dynasty, Genghis Khan again turned his attention

east to China, where the Tanguts of Xi Xia were in open revolt. In a string of victories

against Tangut cities, Genghis Khan defeated enemy armies and sacked the capital of

Ning Hia. Soon Tangut officials surrendered and the resistance ended. Genghis Khan

ordered the execution of the royal family.

Genghis Khan's Death

Genghis Khan died in 1227. The exact cause of his death is unknown.

Before his death, Genghis Khan made his son Ogedei leader. Ogedei controlled most of

eastern Asia, including China. The rest of the empire was divided among his other sons.

The empire's expansion reached its peak under Ogedei's leadership. Mongol armies

eventually invaded Persia, southern China, and the Balkans and reached the gates of

Vienna, Austria.

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Quiz

1 Which of the following sentences from the biography would be MOST important to include in

an objective summary?

(A) At 20, he began building a large army to destroy tribes in northeast Asia and

unite them under his rule.

(B) He ordered the killing of every Tatar male who was more than approximately

3 feet tall.

(C) He was a member of the Borjigin tribe and a descendant of Khabul Khan.

(D) He escaped with the help of a sympathetic captor and joined his brothers

and others to form a fighting unit.

2 The central idea of the biography is MAINLY developed by:

(A) describing Genghis Khan's many conquests and their results

(B) describing the widespread suffering caused by Genghis Khan's cruelty

(C) comparing and contrasting Genghis Khan's failures in his early life to his

later successes

(D) comparing and contrasting Genghis Khan's hopes with the reality of what he

achieved

3 Which two of the following MOST influenced Genghis Khan's desire to unite many tribes under

his rule?

1. his father's murder by an enemy clan2. his clan's failure to accept him as clan chief3. his capture by the Taichi'ut people4. his sense of being insulted by the Khwarizm dynasty

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 3 and 4

(C) 1 and 3

(D) 2 and 4

4 According to the biography, each of the following contributed to Genghis Khan's military

successes EXCEPT:

(A) the use of effective communications systems

(B) the proficiency of Genghis Khan's warriors in horsemanship

(C) Genghis Khan's openness to new military technologies

(D) the unsophistication of his enemies' militaries

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