About Genghis Khan
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan (1158–August 18, 1227), the first Great Khan (Emperor), who is thought to have amassed a fortune of $100 trillion. The biggest empire in history was left in Genghis Khan’s wake after his reign as the Mongol Empire’s monarch. Temüjin, the original name of Genghis Khan, was born in modern-day Mongolia’s northeastern region.
When he was nine years old, the rival Tatars—at the time the dominant tribe in eastern Mongolia—killed his father, a nephew of the last ruler of the Mongols. When Temüjin was an adult, a competing clan called the Taichi’uts kidnapped him and held him captive. He was able to get away and joined the Kereits tribe in central Mongolia as Toghril’s protege. Temüjin was given the name Genghis Khan by the Mongol rulers who proclaimed him to be their emperor.
Genghis Khan Uniting Mongolia
Genghis Khan was responsible for Toghril’s banishment and eventual return in 1198. The two kings joined forces with the North Chinese Chin kings to fight the Tatars. Toghril’s name changed to Ong-Khan as a result of this campaign. By this time, open hostilities had broken out between Genghis Khan and Ong-Khan. After losing, Genghis was forced to flee to northeastern Mongolia, but the following year he rose again and defeated Ong-Khan, who fled to the west and was slain by the Naimans.
Genghis Khan Became the First Universal Monarch
After that, Genghis Khan focused on western Mongolia and was successful in driving out the remaining tribes. Jamuka was eventually apprehended and executed as a result, and Jamuka effectively took over as the unchallenged king of all of Mongolia. At a gathering of Mongol princes in 1206, Genghis was formally crowned as the nation’s supreme ruler. Genghis Khan could concentrate on conquering other countries because the entire country was on his side.
The Empire that Genghis Khan Built
Genghis Khan continued to subjugate nearly everything in his path for the next 21 years. He began by breaking through China’s Great Wall and taking control of a substantial chunk of the north of the country. He frequently visited his native Mongolia, where he built an empire spanning every conceivable border. He finally took control of the majority of Central Asia and China, and his successors would see the borders continue to grow. He lost his life in a combat in the highlands on August 25, 1227. The biggest empire in recorded history is what he left behind.
