Most historians concur that Genghis Khan was born c.1162 in the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia. He founded the Mongol Empire which has been described as the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world—a larger area of land than even that of Alexander the Great. Genghis Khan’s army united or conquered the tribes of Mongolia as well as parts of Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Persia, and much of China. Genghis Khan’s offspring would eventually conquer and unite all the lands of China under their rule known as the Yuan Dynasty.
Temujin faced many hardships before growing up to become the founder of the Mongol Empire. His father, Yesukhei, was reportedly poisoned by a band of Tartars while Temujin was still a child. Although Temujin was a descendant of the royal house of Borijgin and had a right to be Khan after his father, his tribe refused to follow a child and abandoned him along with his mother, Ho’elun and his siblings. Notably, Temujin was betrothed at the age of nine to Borte Ujin. He married her a few years later. They would have several sons, but the paternity of their first son was called into question as Borte was captured by the Merkits, an enemy of Temujin’s clan. While Temujin would have other children by other women as was the custom, he considered Borte his only empress and his sons his only successors. One of his earliest conquests was the recapture of his wife.
Temujin began to rise in stature by offering himself as an ally to other clans. As he gained power, he broke with tradition by offering powerful positions in his army based on merit instead of family. His Yassa code, a law code, was absolute, but essentially fair. Instead of wiping out many of his enemies he absorbed them into his army which generated loyalty. His positive treatment of his generals and sharing of spoils was considered greatly innovative for the time. Once Temujin united the various tribes of Mongolia, he was given the title of Genghis Khan.
Genghis Khan swept into western China and destroyed the Tanguts’ Western Xia Dynasty. He also conquered much of the Jin Dynasty of Northern China and took over their capital—present-day Beijing. After long campaigns in China he returned to Mongolia and conquered the Kara-Khitan Khanate as well as the powerful Khwarezmian Empire. After these victories, Genghis Khan’s Mongols swept through and conquered many lands of present-day Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Persia, Iraq, Russia and more. Genghis Khan brought a unified system of laws to these lands. By 1225 he had conquered all lands that lay between Beijing and the Caspian Sea.
Genghis Khan’s four sons with Borte included Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, and Tolui. Jochi died several months before Genghis Khan; scholars suspect he may have been poisoned under Genghis’ orders for making traitorous threats. Chagatai had previously stated that he would not support Jochi if named successor as his paternal bloodline was questionable. In the end, Genghis Khan named Ogedei his successor. Genghis Khan died in 1227 at the age of sixty-five. His son and grandson, Kublai Khan, would return to China to finish conquer the remaining Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty of the south. They established the Yuan Dynasty which lasted until 1368. Even today, Genghis Khan is considered the father of Mongolia because he unified its people and brought them prosperity and fame.