User:AirshipJungleman29/Genghis Khan
First Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (c. 1162–1227) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; c. 1162 — 25 August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan,[lower-alpha 1] was the founder and first khagan of the Mongol Empire, which later became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Having spent the majority of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns which conquered large parts of China and Central Asia.
Genghis Khan | |||||
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Great Khan of the Mongol Empire | |||||
Reign | Spring 1206 – 25 August 1227 | ||||
Successor | Ögedei Khan | ||||
Born | Temüjin c. 1162 Onon River | ||||
Died | (1227-08-25)25 August 1227 (aged 64–65) Xingqing, Western Xia | ||||
Burial | |||||
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House | Borjigin | ||||
Father | Yesügei | ||||
Mother | Hoelun |
Born between 1155 and 1167 and given the name of Temüjin, he was the oldest child of Yesugei, a Mongol chieftain of the Borjigin clan, and his wife Hoelun of the Olkhonuds. Yesugei died when Temüjin was eight, and his family was abandoned by their tribe in the Mongol steppe. Temüjin gradually built up a small following, and allied with Jamukha and Toghrul, two other Mongol chieftains, in campaigns against other tribes. Due to the erratic nature of the sources, this period of Temüjin's life is uncertain; he may have spent time as a servant of the Chinese Jin dynasty. The alliances with Jamukha and Toghrul failed completely in the early 13th century, but Temüjin was able to defeat both and claim sole rulership of the Mongol tribes. He formally adopted the name Genghis Khan at a kurultai in 1206.
With the tribes fully united under his command, Genghis Khan expanded eastwards. He vassalised the smaller Western Xia state by 1211 and then invaded the Jin state in northern China; the Mongols pillaged the North China Plain so thoroughly that the Jin emperor was forced to abandon the northern half of his kingdom in 1214. Mongol forces annexed the Qara Khitai khanate in 1218, allowing Genghis Khan to lead a massive invasion of the neighbouring Khwarazmian Empire the following year. The invading Mongols toppled the Khwarazmian state and devastated the regions of Transoxania and Khorasan, killing and enslaving millions of people. Genghis Khan died in 1227 while besieging the rebellious Western Xia; his third son and heir Ögedei succeeded to the throne two years later.
The Mongol campaigns started by Genghis Khan saw widespread destruction and millions of deaths in the areas they conquered. The Mongol army he built was renowned for its flexibility, discipline, and organisation, while his empire established upon meritocratic principles. Genghis Khan also codified the Mongol legal system, promoted religious tolerance, and encouraged pan-Eurasian trade through the Pax Mongolica. He is revered and honored in modern Mongolia as a symbol of national identity and a central figure of Mongolian culture.