Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire

Most people have heard about the great Genghis Khan, brutal leader of the Mongols, but many people do not know much about the history of his empire. The Mongol Empire was the largest land empire in the history of the world- larger than the ancient Roman and Chinese empires. At its peak, Mongolian territory covered nearly all of Asia, stretching from the Yellow Sea in eastern Asia to the eastern Europe border. The Mongols are known as ruthless and savage conquerors but they also helped increase contact between the east and west and helped promote trade and the diffusion of ideas and goods.













The story of the Mongols all starts with Genghis Khan, or "Temujin," his given name at birth. As a child Temujin endured many hardships and slavery but when he was still a young man he rose to power as Chief of a small tribe. By 1206 he united all the tribes in Mongolia into one large, powerful empire- much like how Qin Shihuangdi unified the warring states of China. After taking control of the entire empire Temujin was given the title Genghis Khan, roughly translated to universal ruler. Motivated by power, greed and revenge for being held captive, Genghis immediately began to conquer and expand his empire. His first goal: conquer China. Genghis led the Mongols to victory over Xi-Xia, which composed of most of Northwestern China. Eventually the Xi-Xia submitted to the Mongols and became vital administrators to Genghis Khan. The Mongols turned their attention to the west in 1219 when a caravan under the protection of Genghis Khan had been massacred in Otrar, a city of the Khwarazm Empire, which consisted of all or parts of modern Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Genghis Khan was humiliated by this attack. He put one of his trusted generals in charge of the battles in China while he led an army to central Asia to get revenge on the Khwarazm Empire. Over a three year period the Mongols completely destroyed the Khwarazm Empire and conquered almost all of Asia, coming close to Constantinople. After the destruction of central Asian empires Genghis Khan returned to get revenge on the rule of Xi-Xia, who did not provide troops to assist with the Mongols attack on central Asia. The Mongol leader returned to Xi-Xia and destroyed its capital and slaughtered many of its people.





Genghis Khan died in 1227 but his son Ogotai and later his grandson Kublai Khan continued to lead and expand the Mongol Empire. Kublai Khan completed the conquest of China in 1279 and his dynasty maintained control until 1368.





The Mongol Dynasty did not last long because it lacked administration, was too big, and had no cultural unity. Corrupt government and revolts eventually led to the demise of the dynasty. The Mongol legacy, however, still lives on today. Led by Genghis Khan they were the most savage conquerors in history. They ruled all of Asia with terror and massacred entire cities who resisted them. Genghis Khan murdered the leaders and the most noble people of all cities he conquered in order to prevent revolt and maintain order. He incorporated all captured men into his huge and powerful army.


The greatest lasting impact of Genghis Khan and the Mongols is the modern day of Mongolia, which would not exist without the great leadership of the great Khan.





Info was taken from the following websites:
http://franklaughter.tripod.com/cgi-bin/histprof/misc/mongol.html
http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/mongols/empsub1.html