or Chinggis Khan orig. Temüjin
born 1162, near Lake Baikal, Mongolia
died Aug. 18, 1227
Mongolian
warrior-ruler who consolidated nomadic tribes into a unified Mongolia
and whose troops fought from China's Pacific coast to Europe's Adriatic
Sea, creating the basis for one of the greatest continental empires of
all time.
The leader of a destitute clan,
Temüjin fought various rival clans and formed a Mongol confederacy,
which in 1206 acknowledged him as Genghis Khan (“Universal Ruler”). By
that year the united Mongols were ready to move out beyond the steppe.
He adapted his method of warfare, moving from depending solely on
cavalry to using sieges, catapults, ladders, and other equipment and
techniques suitable for the capture and destruction of cities. In less
than 10 years he took over most of Juchen-controlled China; he then
destroyed the Muslim Khwarezm-Shah Dynasty. while his generals raided Iran and Russia. He is infamous for
slaughtering the entire populations of cities and destroying fields and
irrigation systems but admired for his military brilliance and ability
to learn. He died on a military campaign, and the empire was divided
among his sons and grandsons.
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