Genghis Khan

views updated

Genghis Khan

Circa 1167-1227

Founder of the mongol empire

Tribal Leader. The origins of the great Mongol leader Genghis Khan are obscure. Originally called Temujin, he was the son of a Mongolian tribal chieftain poisoned by the Tatars. Forced into exile, he spent several years wandering, and during this time he developed a following and claimed the leadership of his tribe. Many who knew Temujin found him to be quite charismatic and ruthless, a young man with strong leadership skills, great determination, and courage. He steadily defeated rival clans and tribes, and, at a great meeting of the Mongo tribes held in 1206, he became Genghis Khan, meanin “Universal Ruler.” He claimed to be Heaven’s chosen instrument and declared that those against him were in defiance of Heaven’s will. As the supreme ruler he organized the Mongols into a keen fighting force and began military campaigns to conquer other territories to enlarge his empire.

Army. Clans and tribes represented the basic units of Mongol social organization, but at a higher level Mongols were bound together by loyalty to the Great Khan and by a law code first issued in 1206 and later enlarged. The Great Khan organized his army on a decimal system in units of tens, hundreds, and thousands. An elite corps of 10,000 men formed its core, and during campaigns the army had nearly 130,000 men in addition to an almost equal number of non-Mongol soldiers. Superb horsemen, the Mongols had a reputation for ferociousness and destructiveness, and the use of terror greatly aided them in their conquests.

Campaigns. In 1210 Genghis Khan invaded the Xi Xia kingdom, making it a tribute state and cutting China’s trade routes to the Northwest. Five years later he captured Yanjing, the capital of the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), and sacked ninety other towns before turning westward to occupy Bokhara and Samarkand. For the moment he began to employ Chinese and Qidan officials and sent Mukhali, one of his most loyal generals, to govern the Chinese territory he had conquered. In 1226 he launched another campaign against the Xi Xia kingdom but died the next year. By the time of his death, he set up a great Mongol empire in Central Asia and dispatched military expeditions as far east as Russia. His headquarters remained in Mongolia, where Karakorum served as the capital, although it did not have any city walls or permanent buildings until 1235.

Aftermath.. The death of Genghis Khan did not stop Mongol conquests. His sons divided the kingdom into four khanates: Persia, South Russia, Central Asia, and China. In 1231 the Mongols crossed the Yalu River to invade Korea and continued their advance in North China, taking the capital city, Luoyang, in 1234. In the same year they completely destroyed the Jin dynasty. However, it was not until 1279 that Kublai Khan, the Great Khan’s grandson, completed the Mongol con-quest of China and established the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).