According to the historical chronicles that have come down to us, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, made incredible conquests around the world. No one before or after him has been able to compare with this ruler in the grandeur of his conquests. The years of Genghis Khan's life - 1155/1162 to 1227. As you can see, there is no exact date of birth, but the day of death is very well known - August 18th.

The years of the reign of Genghis Khan: a general description

In a short time, he managed to create a huge Mongol empire, stretching from the shores of the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Wild nomads from Central Asia, who were armed with nothing more than bows and arrows, managed to conquer civilized and much better armed empires. The conquests of Genghis Khan were accompanied by unthinkable atrocities, massacres of civilians. Cities that came across in the path of the horde of the great Mongol emperor were often leveled to the ground in case of disobedience. It also happened that, at the behest of Genghis Khan, riverbeds had to be changed, flowering gardens turned into piles of ashes, and agricultural land into pastures for the horses of his soldiers.

What is the phenomenal success of the Mongolian army? This question continues to excite historians today. In the past, the personality of Genghis Khan was endowed with supernatural abilities, and it was believed that otherworldly forces helped him in everything, with which he made a deal. But, apparently, he had a very strong character, charisma, a remarkable mind, as well as incredible cruelty, which helped him subjugate the peoples. He was also an excellent strategist and tactician. He, like the Goth Attila, was called the "scourge of God."

What did Genghis Khan look like? Biography: childhood

Few people knew that the great Mongol ruler had green eyes and red hair. Such features of appearance have nothing to do with the Mongoloid race. This suggests that mixed blood flows in his veins. There is a version that he is 50% of the European race.

The year of birth of Genghis Khan, who was named Temujin when he was born, is approximate, since it is marked differently in different sources. It is preferable to assume that he was born in 1155, on the banks of the Onon River, which flows through the territory of Mongolia. Genghis Khan's great-grandfather was called Khabul Khan. He was a noble and rich leader and ruled over all the Mongol tribes and successfully fought with his neighbors. Temujin's father was Yesugei-bagatur. Unlike his grandfather, he was the leader of not all, but most of the Mongol tribes with a total population of 40 thousand yurts. His people were full masters of the fertile valleys between Kerulen and Onon. Yesugei-bagatur was a magnificent warrior, he fought, subjugating the tribes of the Tatars.

The story of the cruel inclinations of the Khan

There is a certain tale of cruelty, the main character of which is Genghis Khan. From childhood, his biography is a chain of inhuman deeds. So, at the age of 9, having returned from hunting with a lot of booty, he killed his brother, who wanted to snatch a piece from his share. He often flew into a rage when they wanted to deal with him unfairly. After this incident, the rest of the family began to be afraid of him. Probably, it was since then that he realized that he could keep people in fear, but for this he needed to show himself cruelly and show everyone his true essence.

Youth

When Temujin was 13 years old, he lost his father, who was poisoned by the Tatars. The leaders of the Mongol tribes did not want to obey the young son of Yesugei Khan and took their peoples under the protection of another ruler. As a result, their large family, headed by the future Genghis Khan, was left completely alone, wandering through the forests and fields, eating the gifts of nature. Their property consisted of 8 horses. In addition, Temujin sacredly kept the tribal "bunchuk" - a white banner with the tails of 9 yaks, which symbolized 4 large and 5 small yurts belonging to his family. A hawk was depicted on the banner. After some time, he learned that Targutai had become his father's successor and that he wanted to find and destroy the son of the deceased Yesugei-bagatur, as he saw him as a threat to his power. Temujin was forced to hide from the persecution of the new leader of the Mongol tribes, but he was captured and taken prisoner. Nevertheless, the brave young man managed to escape from captivity, find his family and hide with her for another 4 years in the forests from his pursuers.

Marriage

When Temujin was 9 years old, his father chose a bride for him - a girl from their tribe named Borte. And at the age of 17, he, taking with him one of his friends, Belgutai, left the hiding place and went to the camp of the father of his bride, reminded him of the word given to Yesugei Khan and took the beautiful Borte as his wife. It was she who accompanied him everywhere, bore him 9 children and adorned the years of Genghis Khan's life with her presence. According to the information that has come down to us, in the future he had a giant harem, which consisted of five hundred wives and concubines, whom he brought from various campaigns. Of these, five were the main wives, but only Borte Fujin bore the title of empress and remained his most respected and eldest wife all her life.

The story of Borte's kidnapping

The annals contain information that after Temujin married Bort, she was kidnapped by the Merkits, wanting to avenge the theft of the beautiful Hoelun, the mother of Genghis Khan, which his father committed 18 years ago. The Merkites kidnapped Borte and gave her to Hoelun's relatives. Temujin was furious, but he did not have any opportunity to attack the Merkit tribe alone and recapture his beloved. And then he turned to the Keraite Khan Toghrul - the named brother of his father - with a request to help him. To the joy of the young man, the khan decides to help him and attacks the tribe of kidnappers. Soon Borte returns to his beloved husband.

growing up

When did Genghis Khan manage to gather around him the first warriors? The biography includes information that his first adherents were from the steppe aristocracy. Christian Keraites and the Chinese government also joined him in order to fight against the Tatars who had strengthened their positions from the shores of Lake Buir-nor, and then against the former friend of Khan Chzhamukh, who became the head of the democratic movement. In 1201, the khan was defeated. However, after that, a quarrel broke out between Temujin and the Keraite Khan, since he began to support their common enemy and attracted some part of Temujin's adherents to his side. Of course, Genghis Khan (then he did not yet bear this title) could not leave the traitor unpunished and killed him. After that, he managed to master the whole of Eastern Mongolia. And when Chjamukha restored the Western Mongols, called Naimans, against Temujin, he defeated them too, and united the whole of Mongolia under his rule.

Rise to absolute power

In 1206, he proclaimed himself emperor of all Mongolia and assumed the title of Genghis Khan. From this date, his biography begins to tell about a series of great conquests, brutal and bloody reprisals against recalcitrant peoples, which led to the expansion of the country's borders to unprecedented proportions. Soon, more than 100 thousand warriors gathered under the banner of Temujin. The title of Genghis Kha-Khan meant that he was the greatest of the rulers, that is, the ruler of everyone and everything. Many years later, historians called the years of Genghis Khan's reign the bloodiest in the history of mankind, and he himself - the great "conqueror of the world" and "conqueror of the universe", "king of kings".

Taking over the whole world

Mongolia has become the most powerful military country in Central Asia. Since then, the word “Mongols” has come to mean “victorious”. The rest of the peoples who did not want to obey him were ruthlessly exterminated. They were like weeds to him. In addition, he believed that war and robbery were the best way to get rich, and he faithfully followed this principle. The conquests of Genghis Khan indeed increased the power of the country at times. His work was continued by his sons and grandsons, and as a result, the Great Mongol Empire began to include the countries of Central Asia, Northern and Southern parts of China, Afghanistan and Iran. The campaigns of Genghis Khan were directed towards Russia, Hungary, Poland, Moravia, Syria, Georgia and Armenia, the territory of Azerbaijan, which did not exist in those years as a state. The chroniclers of these countries talk about terrible barbaric plunders, beatings and rapes. Wherever the Mongol army went, the campaigns of Genghis Khan brought devastation with them.

Great Reformer

Genghis Khan, after he became the emperor of Mongolia, the first thing he carried out was a military reform. The commanders who participated in the campaigns began to receive awards, the amount of which corresponded to their merits, while before him the award was given by birthright. The soldiers in the army were divided into dozens, which united into hundreds, and those into thousands. Boys and men from fourteen to seventy years old were considered liable for military service.

A police guard was created to keep order, out of 100,000 soldiers. In addition to her, there was a guard of ten thousand personal bodyguards of the emperor "keshiktash" and his yurt. It consisted of noble warriors devoted to Genghis Khan. 1000 keshiktashevs were bagaturs - the warriors closest to the khan.

Some of the reforms of Genghis Khan, committed in the Mongol army in the 13th century, were later used by all the armies of the world even today. In addition, by order of Genghis Khan, a military charter was created, for the violation of which two types of punishments were supposed: execution and exile to the north of Mongolia. The punishment, by the way, was due to the warrior who did not provide assistance to a needy comrade.

The laws in the charter were called “Yasa”, and their keepers were the descendants of Genghis Khan. In the horde, the great kagan had two guards - day and night, and the soldiers included in them were completely devoted to him and submitted exclusively to him alone. They stood above the command staff of the Mongolian army.

Children and grandchildren of the great kagan

The clan of Genghis Khan is called Genghisides. They are direct descendants of Genghis Khan. From his first wife Borte, he had 9 children, of which four sons, that is, the successors of the family. Their names are Jochi, Ogedei, Chagatai and Tolui. Only these sons and their offspring (male) had the right to inherit the highest power in the Mongolian state and bear the clan title of Genghisides. In addition to Borte, Genghis Khan, as already noted, had about 500 wives and concubines, and each of them had children from their master. This meant that their number could exceed 1000. The most famous of the descendants of Genghis Khan was his great grandson - Khan Batu, or Batu. According to genetic studies, in the modern world, several million men are carriers of the genes of the great Mongolian Kagan. Some of the government dynasties of Asia descended from Genghis Khan, for example, the Chinese Yuan clan, Kazakh, North Caucasian, South Ukrainian, Persian and even Russian Genghisides.

• It is said that at birth, the great kagan had a blood clot in his palm, which, according to Mongolian belief, is a sign of greatness.
• Unlike many Mongols, he was tall, had green eyes and red hair, which indicated that European blood flowed in his veins.
• In the entire history of mankind, the Mongol Empire during the reign of Genghis Khan was the greatest state and had borders from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean.
• He had the biggest harem in the world.
• 8% of men of the Asian race are descendants of the great kagan.
• Genghis Khan was responsible for the death of more than forty million people.
• The grave of the great ruler of Mongolia is still unknown. There is a version that it was flooded by changing the course of the river.
• He was named after his father's enemy, Temujin-Uge, whom he defeated.
• It is believed that his eldest son was not conceived by him, but is a descendant of his wife's kidnapper.
• The Golden Horde consisted of warriors of the peoples they conquered.
• After the Persians executed his ambassador, Genghis Khan massacred 90% of the Iranian population.

• Genghis Khan (real name Temuchin or Temujin) was born on May 3, 1162 (according to other sources - around 1155) in the Delyun-Boldok tract on the banks of the Onon River (near Lake Baikal).
• Temuchin's father, Yesugei-bagatur, was a leader and was considered a hero in his tribe. He named his son in honor of the Tatar leader, defeated by him on the eve of his birth.
• Temujin's mother's name was Hoelun, she was one of the two wives of Yesugei-bagatur.
• The future Genghis Khan did not receive any education. His people were extremely undeveloped. Throughout his life, the conqueror of vast territories did not know a single language other than Mongolian. In the future, he forced his numerous descendants to learn many sciences.
• 1171 - father woo nine-year-old Temuchin to a girl from a neighboring family and, according to custom, leaves him in the bride's family until adulthood. On the way home, Yesugei was poisoned.
• After the death of his father, Temujin returns to the family. After a short time, Yesugei's wives and children were expelled and wandered the steppes for several years. Yesugei's lands are occupied by his relative.
• Temujin's relative sees him as a rival and pursues him. But the Yesugei-bagatur family still manages to migrate to a safe place.
• After some time, Temujin marries Borte, the girl to whom he was betrothed. He manages to find support from a friend of his late father, the powerful Khan Torgul. Gradually, warriors appear at Temujin. He raids neighboring lands, gradually conquering territories and cattle.
• Around 1200 - the first serious military campaign of Temujin. Together with Torgul, he wages a war against the Tatars and wins it, capturing rich trophies.
• 1202 - Temujin independently and successfully fights with the Tatars. Gradually, his ulus increases and strengthens.
• 1203 - Temujin breaks the coalition formed against him.
• 1206 - at kurultai, Temujin was proclaimed Genghis Khan (Great Khan over all tribes). The Mongolian tribes are united into a single state, headed by Temujin. He publishes a new set of laws - Yasa. Genghis Khan is actively pursuing a policy aimed at uniting previously warring tribes. He divides the population of the Mongolian state into tens, hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands (tumens), not paying attention to the belonging of his citizens to tribes. In this state, all strong healthy men are considered warriors who, in peacetime, take care of the household, and in case of war they take up arms. Thus, Temujin was able to get a 95,000-strong army under his command.
• 1207 - 1211 years - during this period, Genghis Khan with his army conquers the lands of the Uighurs, Kirghiz and Yakuts. In fact, the entire Eastern Siberia becomes the territory of the Mongolian state. All conquered peoples are obliged to pay tribute to Genghis Khan.
• 1209 - Temujin conquers Central Asia. Now he intends to conquer China.
• 1213 - Genghis Khan ("True Ruler", as he calls himself) invades the Chinese Empire, having spent the previous two years conquering the border territories. Genghis Khan's campaign in China can be considered triumphant - he purposefully moves towards the center of the country, sweeping away the slightest resistance in his path. Many Chinese commanders surrender to him without a fight, some go over to his side.
• 1215 - Genghis Khan finally establishes himself in China, conquers Beijing. The war of the Mongols with China will continue until 1235, and it will be completed by the successor of Genghis Khan Udegei.
• 1216 - devastated China is no longer able, as before, to trade with the Mongols. Genghis Khan is increasingly undertaking campaigns to the west. His plans include the conquest of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
• 1218 - the interests of trade force Genghis Khan to conduct diplomatic negotiations with Khorezkhshah Mohammed, who owned Iran and the Muslim territories of Central Asia. An agreement on good neighborly relations was reached between the two rulers, and Genghis Khan sent the first merchants to Khorezm. But the ruler of the city of Otrar accuses the merchants of espionage and kills them. Muhammad did not extradite the khan who violated the agreement, instead he executed one of the ambassadors of Genghis Khan, and cut off the beards of others, thereby inflicting a grave insult on the entire Mongolian state. War becomes inevitable. The army of Genghis Khan turns to the west.
• 1219 - Genghis Khan personally participates in the Central Asian campaign. The Mongolian army is divided into several parts, commanded by the sons of the leader. The city of Otrar, where the merchants were killed, was razed to the ground by the Mongols.
• At the same time, Genghis Khan sends a strong army under the command of his sons Jebe and Subedei to the "western lands".
• 1220 Muhammad is defeated. He flees, the detachments of Genghis Khan pursue him through Persia, the Caucasus and the southern lands of Russia.
• 1221 - Genghis Khan conquers Afghanistan.
• 1223 - The Mongols completely capture the territories that previously belonged to Muhammad. They stretch from the Indus River to the shores of the Caspian Sea.
• 1225 - Genghis Khan returns to Mongolia. In the same year, the army of Jebe and Subedei comes from the Russian lands. Russia was not captured by them only because its conquest was not the goal of a reconnaissance campaign. The weakness of fragmented Russia was fully shown by the battle on the Kalka River on May 31, 1223.
• After returning to Mongolia, Genghis Khan again undertakes a campaign in Western China.
• The beginning of 1226 is a new campaign against the country of the Tanguts.
• August 1227 - In the midst of a campaign against the Tangut, astrologers inform Genghis Khan that he is in danger. The conqueror decides to return to Mongolia.
• August 18, 1227 - Genghis Khan dies on his way to Mongolia. The exact place of his burial is unknown.

Temujin - that was the name of the founder of the Mongol Empire, one of the largest and bloodiest conquerors in world history. Better known by the name of Genghis Khan.

About this man, we can say that he was born with a weapon in his hands. A skilled warrior, a talented commander, a competent ruler who managed to assemble a powerful state from a handful of disunited tribes. His fate was so filled with important events not only for him, but for the whole part of the world, that it is rather problematic to compile a short biography of Genghis Khan. We can say that his whole life was one, almost continuous war.

The beginning of the path of the great warrior

Scientists have not been able to find out the exact date when Temujin was born, it is only known that this happened in the period from 1155 to 1162. But the place of birth is considered to be the tract Delyun-Baldok on the banks of the river. Onon (near Lake Baikal).

Temuchin's father - Yesugei Bugator, the leader of the Taichiuts (one of the numerous Mongol tribes) - from an early age raised his son as a warrior. As soon as the boy turned nine, ten-year-old Borte, a girl from the Urgenat clan, was married to him. Moreover, according to the Mongolian tradition, after the ritual, the groom had to live with the bride's family until he came of age. Which was done. The father, leaving his son, went back, but soon after arriving home he died unexpectedly. According to legend, he was poisoned, and his family, both wives and six children were expelled from the tribe, forcing them to wander around the steppe.

Upon learning of what had happened, Temujin decided to share the troubles of his relatives by joining her.

The first battles and the first ulus

After several years of wandering, the future ruler of Mongolia married Bort, having received a rich sable fur coat as a dowry, which he later presented as a gift to Tooril Khan, one of the most influential leaders of the steppe, thus endearing the latter to himself. As a result, Tooril became his patron.

Gradually, largely thanks to the "guardian", the influence of Temujin began to grow. Starting literally from scratch, he managed to create a good and strong army. With each new day, more and more warriors joined him. With his army, he constantly raided neighboring tribes, increasing his possessions and the number of livestock. Moreover, even then, by his actions, he differed from other steppe conquerors: attacking the uluses (hordes), he tried not to destroy the enemy, but to attract them to his army.

But his enemies did not doze off either: once, during the absence of Temujin, the Merkits attacked his camp, capturing his pregnant wife. But retribution was not long in coming. In 1184, Temujin, together with Tooril Khan and Jamukha (the leader of the Jadaran tribe), returned it, defeating the Merkits.

By 1186, the future ruler of all of Mongolia created his first full-fledged horde (ulus), numbering about 30 thousand soldiers. Now Genghis Khan decided to act on his own, leaving the custody of his patron.

The title of Genghis Khan and a single state - Mongolia

To oppose the Tatars, Temujin again teamed up with Tooril Khan. The decisive battle took place in 1196 and ended in a crushing defeat for the enemy. In addition to the fact that the Mongols received good booty, Temujin acquired the title of jautkhuri (corresponding to a military commissar), and Tooril Khan became a Mongol van (prince).

From 1200 to 1204, Temujin continued to fight the Tatars and the Mongols who had not yet conquered, but on his own, winning victories and following his tactics - increasing the number of troops at the expense of the enemy's forces.

In 1205, more and more warriors join the new ruler, and as a result, in the spring of 1206, he is proclaimed the Khan of all Mongols, giving him the appropriate title - Genghis Khan. Mongolia became a single state with a powerful, well-trained army and its own laws, according to which the subjugated tribes became part of the army, and the resisting enemies were to be destroyed.

Genghis Khan practically eradicated the tribal system, mixing the tribes, in return dividing the entire horde into tumens (1 tumen = 10 thousand people), and those, in turn, into thousands, hundreds and even tens. As a result, his army reached a strength of 10 tumens.

Subsequently, Mongolia was divided into two separate wings, at the head of which Genghis Khan placed his most faithful and experienced companions: Boorchu and Mukhali. In addition, military positions could now be inherited.

Death of Genghis Khan

In 1209, the Mongols conquered Central Asia, and until 1211, almost all of Siberia, whose peoples were subject to tribute.

In 1213 the Mongols invaded China. Having reached its central part, Genghis Khan stopped, and a year later he returned the troops back to Mongolia, concluding a peace treaty with the emperor of China and forcing them to leave Beijing. But as soon as the ruling court left the capital, Genghis Khan returned the army, continuing the war.

Having defeated the Chinese army, the Mongol conqueror decided to go to Semirechye, and in 1218 it was captured, and at the same time the entire eastern part of Turkestan.

In 1220, the Mongol Empire found its capital - Karakorum, and in the meantime, the troops of Genghis Khan, divided into two streams, continued their aggressive campaigns: the first part invaded the South Caucasus through Northern Iran, while the second rushed to the Amu Darya.

Having crossed the Derbent passage in the North Caucasus, the troops of Genghis Khan defeated first the Alans, and then the Polovtsians. The latter, having united with the squads of the Russian princes, attacked the Mongols on the Kalka, but they were defeated here too. But in the Volga Bulgaria, the Mongol army received a serious blow and retreated to Central Asia.

Returning to Mongolia, Genghis Khan made a campaign along the western side of China. At the end of 1226, having crossed the river. Huanhe, the Mongols moved east. The 100,000-strong army of the Tanguts (the people who in 982 created an entire state in China, called Xi Xia) was defeated, and by the summer of 1227 the Tangut kingdom had ceased to exist. Ironically, Genghis Khan died along with the state of Xi Xia.

The heirs of Genghis Khan must be told separately, since each of them deserves special attention.

The ruler of Mongolia had many wives, and even more offspring. Despite the fact that all the children of the emperor were considered legitimate, only four of them could become his true heirs, namely those who were born by the first and beloved wife of Genghis Khan - Borte. Their names were Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei and Tolui, and only one could take the place of his father. Although all of them were born from the same mother, they differed greatly from each other in character and inclinations.

firstborn

The eldest son of Genghis Khan, Jochi, was very different in character from his father. If the ruler was inherent in cruelty (without a drop of pity he destroyed all the defeated, who did not submit and did not want to enter his service), then the hallmark of Jochi was kindness and humanity. A misunderstanding constantly arose between father and son, which eventually grew into Genghis Khan's distrust of the firstborn.

The ruler decided that by his actions his son was trying to gain popularity among the conquered peoples, and then, having led them, oppose his father and secede from Mongolia. Most likely, such a scenario was far-fetched, and Jochi did not pose any threat. Nevertheless, in the winter of 1227, he was found dead in the steppe, with a broken spine.

Second son of Genghis Khan

As mentioned above, the sons of Genghis Khan were very different from each other. So, the second of them, Chagatai, was the opposite of his older brother. He was characterized by strictness, diligence and even cruelty. Thanks to these character traits, the son of Genghis Khan, Chagatai, took the position of “guardian of Yasa” (Yasi is the law of power), that is, in fact, he became both the prosecutor general and the supreme judge in one person. Moreover, he himself strictly observed the provisions of the law and demanded its observance from others, mercilessly punishing violators.

Another offspring of the great khan

The third son of Genghis Khan, Ogedei, was similar to his brother Jochi in that he was reputed to be kind and tolerant of people. In addition, he had the ability to persuade: it was not difficult for him to win over the doubter in any dispute in which he took part.

An extraordinary mind and good physical development - perhaps it was these features inherent in Ogedei that influenced Genghis Khan in choosing a successor, which he made long before his death.

But with all his virtues, Ogedei was known as a lover of entertainment, devoting a lot of time to steppe hunting and drinking with friends. In addition, he was strongly influenced by Chagatai, who often forced him to change seemingly final decisions to the opposite.

Tolui - the youngest of the emperor's sons

The youngest son of Genghis Khan, who at birth received the name Tolui, was born in 1193. There was gossip among the people that he was allegedly illegitimate. After all, as you know, Genghis Khan came from the Borjigin family, whose distinguishing feature was blond hair and green or blue eyes, but Tolui had a Mongolian, quite ordinary appearance - dark eyes and black hair. Nevertheless, the ruler, contrary to slander, considered him his own.

And it was the youngest son of Genghis Khan, Tolui, who possessed the greatest talents and moral dignity. Being an excellent commander and a good administrator, Tolui retained nobility and boundless love for his wife, the daughter of the head of the Keraites who served Wang Khan. He not only organized a “church” yurt for her, since she professed Christianity, but even allowed her to conduct rituals there, for which she was allowed to invite priests and monks. Tolui himself remained faithful to the gods of his ancestors.

Even the death that the youngest son of the ruler of the Mongols took says a lot about him: when Ogedei was overtaken by a serious illness, then, in order to take his illness upon himself, he voluntarily drank a strong potion prepared by the shaman and died, in fact, giving his life for the chance of his brother's recovery .

Transfer of power

As mentioned above, the sons of Genghis Khan had equal rights to inherit everything that their father left them. After the mysterious death of Jochi, there were fewer contenders for the throne, and when Genghis Khan died, and the new ruler had not yet been formally elected, Tolui replaced his father. But already in 1229, as Genghis himself wanted, Ogedei became the great khan.

However, as mentioned above, Ogedei had a rather kind and gentle character, that is, not the best and most necessary features for a sovereign. Under him, the management of the ulus was greatly weakened and kept “afloat” thanks to the other sons of Genghis Khan, more precisely, the administrative and diplomatic abilities of Tolui and the strict disposition of Chagatai. The emperor himself preferred to spend time wandering around Western Mongolia, which was certainly accompanied by hunting and feasting.

Grandchildren of Genghis

The children of Genghis Khan also had their sons, who were entitled to a share of the conquests of the great grandfather and fathers. Each of them received either a part of the ulus or a high position.

Despite the fact that Jochi was dead, his sons did not remain deprived. So, the eldest of them, Orda-Ichen, inherited the White Horde, which was located between the Irtysh and Tarbagatai. Another son, Sheibani, got the Blue Horde, which roamed from Tyumen to the Aral Sea. From Jochi, the son of Genghis Khan, Batu - perhaps the most famous khan in Russia - received the Golden, or Great Horde. In addition, 1-2 thousand fighters were allocated to each brother from among the Mongolian army.

The children of Chagatai received the same number of soldiers, but the offspring of Tului, being almost inseparable at the court, ruled the grandfather's ulus.

Guyuk, the son of Ogedei, did not remain deprived either. In 1246, he was elected Great Khan, and it is believed that from that moment the decline of the Mongol Empire began. There was a split between the descendants of the sons of Genghis Khan. It got to the point that Guyuk staged a military campaign against Batu. But the unexpected happened: Guyuk died in 1248. One version says that Batu himself had a hand in his death, sending his people to poison the great khan.

Descendant of Jochi, son of Genghis Khan - Batu (Batu)

It was this Mongol ruler who "inherited" more than others in the history of Russia. His name was Batu, but in Russian sources he is more often referred to as Batu Khan.

After the death of his father, who three years before his death received the Kipchatsky steppe, Russia with the Crimea, a share of the Caucasus and Khorezm in his possession, and by the time of his death he had lost most of them (his possessions had decreased to the Asian part of the steppe and Khorezm), the heirs especially divided there was nothing. But Batu was not embarrassed, and in 1236, under his leadership, a general Mongol campaign began in the West.

Judging by the nickname given to the commander-ruler - "Sain Khan", meaning "good-natured", - he had some character traits that his father was famous for, only Batu Khan did not interfere with his conquests: by 1243, Mongolia received the western side the Polovtsian steppe, the peoples of the Volga region and the North Caucasus, and in addition, the Volga Bulgaria. Several times Khan Byty made raids on Russia. And in the end, the Mongolian army reached Central Europe. Batu, approaching Rome, demanded obedience from its emperor, Frederick II. At first, he was going to resist the Mongols, but changed his mind, resigned to his fate. There were no clashes between the troops.

After some time, Batu Khan decided to settle on the banks of the Volga, and he no longer conducted military campaigns to the West.

Batu died in 1256 at the age of 48. The Golden Horde was headed by the son of Batu - Saratak.

Name: Genghis Khan (Temujin)

State: Mongol Empire

Field of activity: Politics, army

Greatest Achievement: United the nomadic tribes of the Mongols, created the largest empire in history in terms of territory

The Mongol warrior and ruler Genghis Khan created the Mongol Empire, the largest in the world in terms of area in the history of mankind, uniting scattered tribes in Northeast Asia.

“I am the punishment of the Lord. If you have not committed mortal sins, the Lord will not send you punishment in the face of me! Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan was born in Mongolia around 1162, at birth he was given the name Temujin. He married at the age of 16 and had many wives throughout his life. At the age of 20, he began to create a large army with the intention of conquering individual tribes in Northeast Asia and uniting them under his rule. He succeeded: the Mongol Empire became the largest in the world, much larger than the British, and existed after the death of Genghis Khan (1227).

Early years of Genghis Khan

Born in Mongolia around 1162, Genghis Khan received the name Temujin - that was the name of the Tatar leader who was captured by his father Yesugei. The young Temujin was a member of the Borjigin tribe and a descendant of Khabula Khan, who briefly united the Mongols against the Jin (Chin) dynasty in northern China in the early 1100s. According to The Secret History of the Mongols (a contemporary account of Mongolian history), Temujin was born with a blood clot in his hand, a sign in Mongolian folklore that he was destined to become the ruler of the world. His mother, Hoelun, taught him how to survive in the bleak, turbulent Mongol tribal society and inspired him to form alliances.

When Temujin was 9 years old, his father took him to live with the family of the future bride, Borte. Returning home, Yesugei encountered a Tatar tribe. He was invited to a feast, where he was poisoned for past crimes against the Tatars. Upon learning of his father's death, Temujin returned home to claim the title of head of the clan. However, the clan refused to recognize the child as ruler and expelled Temujin and his younger and half-brothers, dooming them to a beggarly existence. The family had a very hard time, and once, in a dispute about hunting prey, Temujin quarreled with his half-brother Bekhter and killed him, thereby establishing his position as the head of the family.

At 16, Temujin married Borte, cementing the alliance between her tribe, the Conkirat, and his own. Shortly thereafter, Borte was kidnapped by the Merkit tribe and taken by their leader. Temujin recaptured her and shortly thereafter she gave birth to her first son Jochi. Although Borte's capture casts doubt on Jochi's origins, Temujin accepted him as his own. With Borte, Temujin had four sons, as well as many other children with other wives, which was common in Mongolia at that time. However, only his sons by Borte were eligible to inherit.

Genghis Khan - "Universal Ruler"

When Temujin was about 20 years old, he was captured by former allies of the family, the Taijits. One of them helped him escape, and soon Temujin, along with his brothers and several other clans, gathered his first army. So he began his slow rise to power, building a large army of more than 20,000 men. He intended to eliminate the traditional enmity between the tribes and unite the Mongols under his rule.

Excellent in military tactics, merciless and cruel, Temujin avenged the murder of his father by destroying the Tatar army. He ordered to kill every Tatar man taller than a cart wheel. Then, using their cavalry, Temujin's Mongols defeated the Taichiuts, killing all their leaders. By 1206, Temujin had also defeated the powerful Naiman tribe, thereby gaining control of central and eastern Mongolia.

The rapid success of the Mongol army owes much to the brilliant military tactics of Genghis Khan, as well as understanding the motives of his enemies. He used an extensive spy network and quickly adopted new technologies from his enemies. The well-trained Mongol army of 80,000 fighters was controlled by a complex alarm system - smoke and burning torches. Large drums sounded commands for charging, and further orders were transmitted by flag signals. Each soldier was fully equipped: he was armed with a bow, arrows, shield, dagger and lasso. He had large saddlebags for food, tools and spare clothing. The bag was waterproof and could be inflated to avoid drowning while crossing deep and fast-moving rivers. Cavalrymen carried a small sword, spears, body armor, a battle ax or mace, and a hooked spear to push enemies away from their horses. The attacks of the Mongols were very destructive. Since they could only control a galloping horse with their feet, their hands were free for archery. A well-organized supply system followed the entire army: food for soldiers and horses, military equipment, shamans for spiritual and medical assistance, and bookkeepers for accounting for trophies.

After victories over the warring Mongol tribes, their leaders agreed to peace and gave Temujin the title "Genghis Khan", which means "universal ruler". The title had not only political, but also spiritual significance. The supreme shaman declared Genghis Khan to be the representative of Monkke Koko Tengri ("Eternal Blue Sky"), the supreme god of the Mongols. The divine status gave the right to claim that his destiny was to rule the world. Although, but ignoring the Great Khan was tantamount to ignoring the will of God. That is why, without any hesitation, Genghis Khan will say to one of his enemies: “I am the punishment of the Lord. If you have not committed mortal sins, the Lord will not send you punishment in the face of me!

The main conquests of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan wasted no time capitalizing on his newly acquired divinity. While his army was spiritually inspired, the Mongols found themselves face to face with serious difficulties. Food and resources decreased as the population grew. In 1207, Genghis Khan marched his armies against the Xi Xia kingdom and forced it to surrender two years later. In 1211, the armies of Genghis Khan conquered the Jin Dynasty in northern China, lured not by the artistic and scientific wonders of the great cities, but rather by endless rice fields and easy enrichment.

Although the campaign against the Jin Dynasty continued for almost 20 years, Genghis Khan's armies were also actively fighting in the west against the frontier empires and the Muslim world. Initially, Genghis Khan used diplomacy to establish trade relations with the Khorezm dynasty, an empire with a head in Turkey that included Turkestan, Persia, and Afghanistan. But the Mongolian diplomatic caravan was attacked by the governor of Otrar, who, apparently, considered that this was just a cover for a spy mission. When Genghis Khan heard about this insult, he demanded that he be given a governor, and for this he seconded an ambassador. Shah Muhammad, the head of the Khorezm dynasty, not only refused the demand, but also, in protest, refused to receive the Mongol ambassador.

This event could have provoked a wave of resistance that would have swept through central Asia and eastern Europe. In 1219, Genghis Khan personally took over the planning and execution of a three-stage attack by 200,000 Mongol soldiers against the Khorezm dynasty. The Mongols passed through all the fortified cities without hindrance. Those who survived the assault were put up as a human shield in front of the Mongol army when the Mongols took the next city. No one was left alive, including small domestic animals and livestock. The skulls of men, women and children were stacked in high pyramids. Cities were conquered one by one, and finally Shah Muhammad and then his son were captured and killed, as a result of which in 1221 the dynasty of Khorezm ceased to exist.

Scholars call the period after the Khorezm campaign Mongol. Over time, the conquests of Genghis Khan connected the major trading centers of China and Europe. The empire was governed by a legal code known as the Yasa. This code was developed by Genghis Khan, was based on common Mongolian law, but contained decrees prohibiting blood feud, adultery, theft and perjury. The Yasa also contained laws that reflected Mongol respect for the environment: a ban on swimming in rivers and streams, an order for any soldier following another to pick up everything that the first soldier dropped. Violation of any of these laws was usually punishable by death. Promotion through the military and government ranks was based not on traditional lines of heredity or ethnicity, but on merit. There were tax incentives for high-ranking priests and some craftsmen, and religious tolerance was enshrined, which reflected the long Mongolian tradition of treating religion as a personal belief, not subject to condemnation or interference. This tradition had a practical application, since there were so many different religious groups in the empire that it would be quite cumbersome to impose one religion on them.

With the destruction of the Khorezm dynasty, Genghis Khan again turned his attention to the east - to China. The Xi Xia Tanguts disobeyed his orders to send troops to the Khorezm campaign and openly protested. Capturing the Tangut cities, Genghis Khan eventually took the capital of Ning Khia. Soon the Tangut dignitaries surrendered one by one, and the resistance ended. However, Genghis Khan has not yet fully avenged the betrayal - he ordered the execution of the imperial family, thereby destroying the Tangut state.

Genghis Khan died in 1227, shortly after the conquest of Xi Xia. The exact cause of his death is unknown. Some historians claim that he fell off his horse while hunting and died from fatigue and injuries. Others claim he died of a respiratory illness. Genghis Khan was buried in a secret place in accordance with the customs of his tribe, somewhere in his homeland, near the Onon River and the Khentii Mountains in northern Mongolia. According to legend, the funeral escort killed everyone they encountered to hide the location of the burial, and a river was laid over Genghis Khan's tomb, completely blocking access to it.

Before his death, Genghis Khan handed supreme leadership to his son Ögedei, who controlled most of East Asia, including China. The rest of the empire was divided among his other sons: he took central Asia and northern Iran; Tolui, being the youngest, received a small territory from the Mongol homeland; and Jochi (who was killed before the death of Genghis Khan) and his son Batu took control of modern Russia and. The expansion of the empire continued and reached its peak under the leadership of Ögedei. Mongol armies eventually invaded Persia, the Song Dynasty in southern China, and the Balkans. When the Mongol troops reached the gates of Vienna (Austria), the supreme commander Batu received the news of the death of the great Khan Ogedei and returned to Mongolia. Subsequently, the campaign faded, marking the furthest Mongol invasion of Europe.

Among the many descendants of Genghis Khan is Kubilai Khan, the son of the son of Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan. At a young age, Kubilai showed great interest in Chinese civilization and did much throughout his life to incorporate Chinese customs and culture into Mongol rule. Kubilai rose to prominence in 1251 when his elder brother Monkke became Khan of the Mongol Empire and appointed him governor of the southern territories. Kubilai is remembered for the growth of agricultural production and the expansion of Mongolian territory. After Monkke's death, Kubilai and his other brother, Arik Boke, fought for control of the empire. After three years of tribal warfare, Kubilai won and became the Great Khan and Emperor of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty.

Genghis Khan (known by his own name Temujin) is one of the greatest generals in history. The date of his birth is set approximately, usually they say about 1155.

Genghis Khan had a difficult childhood. The father died when the boy was very young, and the future conqueror had to live literally starving with his mother.

Temujin was captured by his relative, who was afraid of revenge, managed to escape from there, and then found a common language with the powerful steppe leader, Tooril, with whose support he began to gain power and authority. Even then, he proved himself a cruel ruler, even by medieval standards, who did not know pity for his rivals.

First, Genghis Khan won the internecine wars in Mongolia, and, starting from 1202, he led the conquest campaigns.

In 1202, the Tatar troops were crushed by Temuchin with particular cruelty. In 1204, in the struggle for power in Mongolia, Genghis Khan crushed the powerful Khan Jamukha - a man with whom they were friends in childhood and went into battle shoulder to shoulder in their first battles.

Officially, the nickname is "Genghis Khan", i.e. "Lord of water" Temujin received in 1206, when the Kurultai (large assembly) elected him khan. Genghis Khan carried out a number of administrative reforms in his native country, but he wanted power over most of the world.

In 1207-1211, Temujin's troops, led by himself and his sons, made an offensive campaign against Northern China. The Mongols conquered part of the Jin Empire in the area of ​​the Great Wall of China and almost reached Beijing.

Beijing was taken by the Mongol troops in 1215, fires blazed in the city, the whole area around was turned into a desert.

After the conquest of China, Genghis Khan began to gather troops to conquer prosperous and prosperous Central Asia. This campaign began in 1218 and was marked by a number of high-profile conquests. The Mongols took Bukhara, Samarkand, Urgench - the ancient Central Asian centers.

In 1220 Northern Iran fell, the Mongols came to the Crimea.

The first clash of terrible nomadic tribes with Europeans occurred in 1223. It was the infamous battle on the Kalka River in Russian history. In this battle, the Mongols inflicted a heavy defeat on the Russian-Polovtsian troops, famous Russian princes died in it. The battle on the Kalka became a harbinger of the future conquest of the Mongols against Russia.

The last campaign of Genghis Khan took place in 1226-1227 against the Tibetan empire Xi-Xia. The Mongols crushed the ancient empire, but Genghis Khan did not have time to enjoy the fruits of this victory. Under the walls of the capital of the empire, he fell from his horse, fell seriously ill and died. The location of the grave of the great leader of the Mongols was classified, but popular rumor says that great treasures were hidden in it.

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Biography of Genghis Khan about the main thing

The exact year of Genghis Khan's birth is not known for certain, 3 dates are mainly called: 1155, 1162 and 1167. Temujin was born in the Delyun-Boldok valley near the Onon River. His father was Yesugei-bagatura from the ancient Mongolian family Borjigin. The name of Genghis Khan's mother was Hoelun, she came from the ancient family of Olkhonut. The name Temujin belonged to one Tatar leader, who, shortly before the birth of his son, was defeated by the father of Genghis Khan.

9 years after birth, the matchmaking of young Temujin and Borte, a little girl from the Ungirat clan, took place, she was only a year older than Genghis Khan. According to tradition, the father left the children so that they met and began to recognize each other. Shortly after leaving, Yesugei-bagatur dies. According to one of the literary sources, he was poisoned.

The death of the head of the family hit the widows and children of Yesugei hard, they were driven from their homes, left without livestock, hungry and harsh years awaited them. However, this was not enough for the Taichiut leader, and, fearing for his life, he decides to overtake Temujin. The parking lot is attacked and Genghis Khan is taken prisoner. He spends some time in captivity, being tortured, but later escapes. Thanks to Sorgan-Shir, who did not betray the fugitive, Temujin is restored, receives a weapon, a horse and returns to his family.

Later, Temujin marries Borta and begins enlisting the support of the steppe leaders. Gradually, more and more people gather around him, and raids on neighbors begin in order to expand their lands. Even then, Genghis Khan tried to increase his army at the expense of the surviving opponents. In 1201, many Mongols began to realize the magnitude of the threat posed to them by Temujin and decided to unite against him. After 5 years, Genghis Khan is proclaimed the Great Khan.

Along with the title, Temujin comes with great responsibility, and he carries out large-scale reforms. Not stopping there, Genghis Khan decides to conquer northern China and in 1211 the Mongol-Jin war begins. The war continued until 1235 and ended very disappointingly for China. This was followed by a campaign in Central Asia, which also turns into a victory and new conquests. After Central Asia, the troops of Genghis Khan follow to the West, where they smash the Alans and pay tribute to Russia.

The remnants of the troops returned to Genghis Khan in 1224, together with them he undertakes a second campaign against Western China, during which he falls from his horse and receives a severe bruise. By nightfall, it becomes clear that the commander is very ill, the disease continues to torment Temujin for a whole year. However, he is nursed and again leads the army. 1227, during the siege of the capital of the Tangut state, Genghis Khan dies, the exact cause of death is unknown.

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