Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan (about 1162-1227), founder of the Mongol Empire.

Genghis Khan's father was the chief of a tribe of Mongols living in the grasslands of Central Asia and he called his son Temujin.

Temujin's father died when he was thirteen and afterwards the boy had a hard life. He grew up to be a warrior and became leader of a tribe in eastern Mongolia.

His followers called him Khan (ruler) and he took the title Genghis (or Jenghis) meaning 'very mighty'.

Soon he had made himself master of all Mongolia. The Mongols were herdsmen. They were splendid horsemen and Genghis Khan raised armies of them and set out to build up an empire.

The Mongol horsemen could ride hundreds of miles in a few days. They appeared suddenly and attacked fearlessly.

After capturing a city, they burned it. People who could be sold as slaves were taken prisoner. The rest were put to death.

Genghis Khan's armies pushed westwards to the Black Sea and into Russia and eastwards to the Pacific Ocean.

It has been estimated that in his lifetime, he was responsible for the deaths of more than fifteen million people.

When he died he was the ruler of a vast empire and had made himself one of the greatest conquerors in history.

See Jack Weatherford Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World