Brief information about Genghis Khan. Tolui is the youngest of the emperor's sons. Genghis Khan created the largest uninterrupted empire in history

Commander, conqueror and ruler of the great Mongol Empire.

According to legend, the clan of Genghis goes back to the Mongol tribe, descending from a woman named Alan-Goa, who, after the death of her husband, Dobun-Bayan, became pregnant from a ray of light. Three sons came from her: those who belong to the family of these sons are called nirun. The meaning of this word is loins, that is, the indication of the purity of the loins confirms the origin of these sons from supernatural light. In the sixth generation from Alan-Goa, Kabul Khan was a direct descendant. From the grandson of the last Yesugei-bahadur came those who received the name Kiyat-burjigin. The word kiyan in Mongolian means "a large stream flowing from the mountains to the lowlands, stormy, fast and strong."

Kiyat is the plural of Kiyan: they also named those who are closer to the beginning of the genus. The children of Yesugei-Bahadur were nicknamed Kiyat-Burjigins because they were both Kiyat and Burjigins. Burjigin in Turkic means a person with blue eyes. The color of his skin falls into yellow. The courage of the Burjigins has become proverbial.

The son of Yesugei-bahadur Genghis Khan was born in 1162 (according to other, more doubtful data, in 1155). But already from his youth, he learned to understand people and find the right people. Bogorchin-noyon and Boragul-noyon, who were next to him even during the years of defeat, when he thought about looking for food, were so much appreciated by him that he once said: “Let there be no grief and there is no need for Bogorchi to die! there will be grief and it is not good for Boragul to die!" Sorkan-Shira from the Taijiut tribe, who captured Genghis Khan, who contributed to the escape from captivity, subsequently received full honor and respect for his person, for children and supporters. Genghis Khan dedicated almost poetic lines to his son Sorkin - Shire Jiladkan-bahadur, referring to his courage:

"I did not see a footman who would fight and get the head of the recalcitrant in his hands! I did not see (a person) like this hero!"

There was a certain Sorkak, the named father of Genghis. At a time when Genghis was not yet a sovereign, he said: many people strive for power, but in the end Temujin will become the head and the kingdom will be established behind him, by the unanimity of the tribes, for he has the abilities and dignity for this, and on his forehead there are obvious . The signs of heavenly omnipotence and royal prowess are obvious. The words turned out to be prophetic. Extreme delicacy characterizes Chingiz's attitude towards his first and beloved wife Borte. He did not allow anyone to doubt her chastity after a year of her captivity. From the relationship of personal allegiance, a model of vassalage was formed, which he subsequently elevated to a system. The personal qualities of Genghis Khan, with all their originality, fit into the age-old characters and age-old motives that politicians have lived and still live to this day: the desire to inspire the indisputability of their leadership, the path (sometimes difficult) of advancing to the top of power through treachery and devotion, through hatred and love, through betrayal and friendship, the ability to assess situations and make decisions that bring success.

The succession line from Genghis Khan was carried over the centuries by his direct and indirect descendants - Genghisides in the vast Asian region. There is a certain identity of family traits in the activities of Genghisides in general, and those who came forward as leaders of the consolidation and formation of a single Kazakh statehood. From the first-born Genghis Khan Jochi in the sixteenth generation, we have the famous Ablai, his grandson Kenesary. The grandson of the latter Azimkhan (1867-1937) was highly respected by the people. He participated in the government of Alash-Orda as a hydro-reclamation specialist and contributed to the familiarization of the Kazakhs with agriculture, was repressed as an "enemy of the people."

In the life of Genghis Khan, two main ones can be distinguished. stage: this is the period of unification of all Mongolian tribes into a single state and the period of conquests and the creation of a great empire. The border between them is marked symbolically. His original name was Tengrin Ogyugsen Temuchin. At the kurultai in 1206, he was proclaimed the Divine Genghis Khan, his full name in Mongolian became Delkyan ezen Sutu Bogda Genghis Khan, that is, the Lord of the World, sent down by God Genghis Khan.

For a long time, European historiography was dominated by the tradition of depicting Genghis Khan as a bloodthirsty despot and barbarian. Indeed, he was not educated and was illiterate. But the very fact that he and his heirs created an empire that united 4/5 of the Old World, from the mouths of the Danube, the borders of Hungary, Poland, Veliky Novgorod to the Pacific Ocean, and from the Arctic Ocean to the Adriatic Sea, the Arabian Desert, the Himalayas and the mountains of India, testifies at least about him as a brilliant commander and prudent administrator, and not just a conqueror-destroyer and terrorist.

As a conqueror, he has no equal in world history. As a commander, he was characterized by boldness in strategic plans, deep foresight in political and diplomatic calculations. Intelligence, including economic intelligence, the organization of courier communications on a large scale for military and administrative purposes - these are his personal discoveries. In the reassessment of the personality of Genghis Khan, a significant role was played by the movement called the Eurasian. In relation to Genghis Khan, the Eurasians abandoned the concept of the "Tatar-Mongol yoke", which is associated with the ideas of Russia-Eurasia as a special historical and cultural region, equally dissimilar to Western Europe, the Middle East or China, Russia as the heir to the Mongol empire of the XIII-XIV centuries . The second idea of ​​the Eurasianists is the explanation of the reasons for the sharp rise in the activity of the Mongol tribes in Transbaikalia under the leadership of Genghis Khan with a specific sign - passionarity. A person endowed with passionarity is obsessed with an irresistible desire for activity for the sake of an abstract ideal, a distant goal, for the achievement of which the passionary sacrifices not only the lives of those around him, but also his own. There are periods of a sharp increase in the number of passionaries in the ethnic group in comparison with the inhabitants. According to the terminology of Genghis Khan, there are "people of long will", for whom honor and dignity are more valuable than anything, well-being and even life itself. They are opposed by those who value security and well-being above their personal dignity and honor.

The network of communication lines he created, which opened unprecedented access for government and private needs, ensured trade and cultural exchange within the empire. Genghis Khan wanted to bring trade such conveniences that it would be possible throughout his empire to wear gold on his head like ordinary vessels, without fear of robbery and harassment.

His attention to personnel policy is evidenced by the facts of respect for the bearers of technology and culture, concern for the education of his children, and the involvement of a descendant of the Khitan house, Elyu Chucai, in the service. This philosopher and astrologer was in charge of administration, finance, and the office of the empire. Marco Polo, among the noble features of Genghis Khan, notes that he did not violate property rights in the conquered countries.

The most important component of the spiritual heritage of Genghis Khan is the code of laws compiled by him, perfect for his time, the so-called Yases. He elevated the written law to a cult, was supporters of a firm rule of law.

In addition to strict adherence to the law, Genghis Khan considered religiosity to be the most important basis of statehood.

Genghis Khan died in 1227 and was buried in the area Purkash-Kaldun (now this place is not identified). According to legend, once in this area, under the shade of a green tree, Genghis Khan, having experienced "some kind of inner joy," said to those close to him: "The place of our last home should be here."

V.I.Vernadsky came up with the idea that the legacy of Genghis Khan has "tremendous world-historical significance", thanks to which "peoples of different, often very high cultures, got the opportunity to influence each other."

Emphasizing the originality of Genghis Khan's personal qualities, one should not, in contrast to the tradition that depicted him as a cruel conqueror, embellish the political appearance of Temujin, but perceive him in all the multidimensionality of his features, both positive and negative. Like any conqueror, he fought, therefore, destroyed, destroyed, ruined, plundered, but at the same time attracted the defeated to his side, tried in a number of cases to show economic efficiency, prudence, concern for the future and the strength of his conquests.

Genghisism is a concept that Kazakhstani researcher V.P. Yudin considered necessary to introduce into historical science. It meant not only that certain practical traditions, including the traditions of the inheritance of military art, continued to operate for a long time on the large territory conquered by him and his descendants. What is meant is something else, namely, an ideology, and, moreover, so powerful that it could consolidate on a large scale and for a long time what can be called the geopolitical legacy of Genghis Khan.

V.P. Yudin calls this ideology a worldview, ideology, philosophy, the sanction of the social system and the structure of social institutions, a political and legal system, a cultural doctrine, the basis of education, a means of regulating behavior in society.

We all know that Genghis Khan was a great conqueror, but not all the facts of his biography are known to the general public. Here is some of them.

1. According to legend, Genghis Khan was born holding a blood clot in his fist, which foretold his fate as a great ruler. The year of Temujin's birth remains unclear, as sources indicate different dates: 1162, 1155, or 1167. In Mongolia, Genghis Khan's date of birth is November 4th.

2. According to the description, Genghis Khan was tall, red-haired, with green ("cat") eyes and wore a beard.

3. The unusual appearance of Genghis Khan is due to the unique mixture of Asian and European genes in Mongolia.

4. Genghis Khan created the Mongol Empire by uniting disparate tribes from China to Russia.

5. The Mongol Empire became the largest unified state in history. It stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe.

6. Genghis Khan left a huge legacy. He believed that the more offspring a person has, the more significant he is. There were several thousand women in his harem, and many of them bore children from him.

7. About 8 percent of Asian men are descendants of Genghis Khan. Genetic studies have shown that about 8 percent of Asian men have Genghis Khan genes on their Y chromosomes due to his sexual exploits.

8. Some of the military campaigns of Genghis Khan ended in the complete destruction of the entire population or tribe, even women and children.

9. According to the studies of individual scientists, Genghis Khan is responsible for the death of more than 40 million people.

10. No one knows where Genghis Khan is buried.

11. According to some reports, the grave of Genghis Khan was flooded by the river. Presumably, he demanded that his grave be flooded by the river so that no one could disturb it.

12. The real name of Genghis Khan is Temujin. This name was given to him at birth. That was the name of the commander who was defeated by his father.

13. At the age of 10, Genghis Khan killed one of his brothers while fighting for the booty they brought together from the hunt.

14. At the age of 15, Genghis Khan was captured and fled, which later brought him recognition.

15. Genghis Khan was nine when he met his future wife, Borte. The bride was chosen by his father.

16. Genghis Khan married Borte, who was two years older than him, at the age of 16 , thus cementing the unification of the two tribes.

17. Although Genghis Khan had many concubines, Borte was still the empress.

18. The Merkit tribe, as revenge on Genghis Khan's father, kidnapped the wife of the future Shaker of the Universe. Then Genghis Khan attacked and defeated the enemies, and Borte returned. Soon she gave birth to a son - Jochi. However, Genghis Khan did not recognize him as his own.

19. Many peoples swore allegiance to Temuchin, and he became their ruler, or khan. Then he changed his name to Chingiz, which means "right."

20. Genghis Khan replenished the ranks of his army with captives from the tribes he conquered, and thus his army grew.

21. In the war, Genghis Khan used numerous "dirty" methods, did not shy away from espionage and built cunning military tactics.

22. Genghis Khan really did not like traitors and guest killers . When the Persians beheaded the Mongol ambassador, Genghis flew into a rage and massacred 90 percent of their people.

23. According to some estimates, the population of Iran (former Persia) until the 1900s could not reach the pre-Mongolian level.

24. During the conquest of the Naimans, Genghis Khan got acquainted with the beginnings of written office work. Some of the Uighurs who were in the service of the Naimans went over to the service of Genghis Khan and were the first officials in the Mongolian state and the first teachers of the Mongols. The Uighur alphabet is still used in Mongolia.

25. The basis of the power of Genghis Khan is solidarity . In The Secret History of the Mongols, the only epic about the Mongols from the time of the Khan that has survived to this day, it is written: "Do not destroy your agreement, do not untie the knot of unanimity that you tied. Do not cut your own gate."

Yesugai carefully took the screaming baby in his arms, looked carefully at his beloved wife and said:

Ohelun, he will be a real warrior! Just look how he screams, how tightly he squeezes his fists! Let's call him Temujin, shall we?

Why Temujin? the brown-eyed beautiful wife asked calmly. In the short time since Yesugai stole her from the crown, she had taught herself not to be surprised at her husband's impulsive actions: after all, he was a warrior, the ruler of a small domain.

That was the name of the brave leader who fought with me to the last drop of blood, Yesugai answered thoughtfully. - I respect strong opponents. Our son will have the path of a warrior, may he be as brave as Temujin defeated by my hand?

Hoelun resignedly agreed. Her mother's heart told her that her firstborn would have a difficult path in life, and the talisman in the form of the name of a strong warrior would come in handy for the boy.

Temujin grew up as a strong and courageous boy. Together with his brothers, he organized competitions on the banks of the Onon River, where his father's possessions were located. Mother told them legends and tales about brave warriors, inspired them that the time would come when they would be able to conquer the whole world. Temujin listened to her every word. Then neither he nor his parents could have imagined that after several decades this clever boy would be proclaimed the ruler of all the lands from the Urals to China - the great khan over all the tribes that inhabited the lands he conquered. And his name will be Genghis Khan.

Years of Temujin's wanderings

The childhood of the future commander proceeded until the age of nine in a calm atmosphere of a loving and friendly family, until his father decided to marry him to the daughter of an eminent neighbor, the brave warrior Dai-sechen. The girl was only a year older than Temujin, and her name was Borte. According to Mongolian law, the groom had to live in the bride's yurt for several years before the wedding. However, the marriage did not take place on time, because on the way back Yesugai got to the Tatars, his sworn enemies. He mistook them for peacefully feasting nomads and shared a meal with them. Soon he returned home to his wife and died a few days later in terrible agony. Before his death, Yesugai blamed the Tatars for his death, saying that they had poisoned him.

The grief of Hoelun was immeasurable, the grief of Yesugai's sons was immeasurable. But no one could have imagined that his eldest son, who survived the death of his beloved father, his idol, the hardest of all, began to hatch a plan of revenge on the poisoners. Thirty years later, he, with his invincible warriors, will fall on the Tatars and defeat them, capturing territories.

Having learned about the death of his father, Temujin urgently left the yurt of his future wife, to whom he had become very attached during this time, and went to his native village. What was his grief when he found out that the cunning neighbors, having slandered Hoelun and falsely accused her of non-compliance with rituals (the widows of the khans had to go to the worship of their ancestors on a spring holiday and offer sacrifice to the gods), provoked an exodus of Yesugai's subjects. They themselves quickly took possession of the cattle and lands that rightfully belonged to Olwen and her family.

They had to endure many hardships during this time - constant assassination attempts from treacherous neighbors, destruction of pastures, theft of livestock, hunger, poverty, the murder of Yesugai's loyal subjects who decided to share the fate with the widow and her children. Fearing for the fate of the heirs, Hoelun decides to go to a very remote, even by the standards of Mongolia, province - at the foot of the mountain Burkhan-Khaldun. The family spent several years there. It was in those places that the character of her eldest son, Temujin, the future conqueror and khan of all the Mongol tribes, was tempered in adversity.

Temujin never gave up. In his youth, he was captured by his father's enemy Targutai. Fleeing from hunger, the Yesugaya family, now impoverished to an extreme degree, descended into the river valley. There they were tracked down and robbed by Targutai, capturing Temujin. In addition, he subjected the young man, and the future conqueror at that time was only 16-17 years old, to a shameful punishment - having chained him in stocks. The young man himself could not take food, water, and even move without outside help - for a week he walked around the village and asked each yurt for food and lodging for the night. But one day he hit a guard with a neck block and fled. In pursuit of him, the best warriors of Targutai set off, who did not manage to catch Temujin there - he spent the whole day in one of the creeks of the river, chained in stocks. The neck acted as a lifeline.

Soon he returned home, where another test awaited him - to return the horses stolen by horse thieves. And Temujin did an excellent job with this task, at the same time making friends with his peer Bogorchi from the seedy Arulat family. Having become Genghis Khan, he did not forget his comrade and made him his right hand - the head of the right flank of the army.

Marriage of Temujin

On the eve of his seventeenth birthday, Temujin reminded his mother of his matchmaking with Borte and expressed his desire to marry her. Hoelun was tormented by doubts - after all, despite their famous bloodline, they now barely make ends meet. How will the wealthy and influential Dai-sechen take them? Will he drive away her firstborn in disgrace? However, Hoelun's fears were not justified. Borte's father turned out to be a man of his word and agreed to give Temujin his daughter as a wife.

She became the first and most beloved wife of the future Genghis Khan. Together they lived for almost fifty years. She was her husband's adviser, support, keeper of the hearth. Borte gave her husband four sons, future uluses of the Great Mongol State, as well as five daughters. When, due to her age, she could no longer bear children, she humbly accepted her husband's desire to have children from other wives, whom Genghis Khan had, according to some sources, eight.

The family life of the future Genghis Khan with Borte has long been overgrown with legends. According to one of them, the girl's mother gave her daughter a sable fur coat as a dowry, which later played an important role in the release of Borte from captivity. Long before the birth of Temujin, Yesugei stole Hoelun from a noble Merkit warrior from under the crown. With this in mind, the Merkits stole Borte from Yesugei's son and kept her captive. Temujin donated this fur coat to the Kereit Khan as a reminder of the warm and friendly relations between Yesukei and the Kereites. It was they who helped Temujin attack the Merkits, defeat their army and free Borte.

When Borte was released after several months of captivity, it turned out that she was expecting a child. The noble Temujin stubbornly insisted that his wife had been stolen from him in position. The subjects, however, did not really believe in it. It is possible that Genghis Khan was not completely sure of his paternity, but he never reproached his beloved. And he treated the child (and this was his first-born, Jochi, the father of Batu Khan) with the same love as for the rest of his children.

Military campaigns of Temujin - Genghis Khan

How many aggressive campaigns the emperor of the Mongol Empire undertook is not known for certain. However, in the annals of history, information about the largest military enterprises in his biography has been preserved. It is known that Genghis Khan was very ambitious. His main goal was to create a powerful state out of scattered Mongol tribes.

He owes his first military successes not only to his tactical plans, but also to the help of his allies. So, for example, with the help of Togrul, his father's comrade-in-arms, he participated in a campaign against the Tatars, whom he had long intended to avenge his father's death. They succeeded. The leaders of the Tatars were defeated, the soldiers were taken prisoner, and the lands were divided between the Jin emperor, Temujin and Togrul.

The second time, being the head of a small army, he undertook a campaign against his childhood friend Jamukha. Despite the fact that they considered themselves to be named brothers, their views on the form of government in Mongolia differed in many ways. Jamukha sympathized with the common people, while Temujin placed his hopes on the aristocracy.

The future Genghis Khan believed that only among the Mongols a new leader and commander could appear, who would be able to bring together all the disparate Mongolian tribes. Remembering the numerous legends told to him by his mother in childhood, Temujin was convinced that such a mission was ahead of him.

Genghis Khan was supported by the numerous Mongolian aristocracy, and the common people took the side of Jamukha. Temujin's former comrade now turned out to be his sworn enemy, who plotted against him with forces hostile to the future ruler of Mongolia. However, Temujin, with the help of troops and cunning military tactics, won. He betrayed the leaders to immediate execution to intimidate the enemies.

In the future, many leaders and ordinary warriors went over to the side of the future emperor - this is how the army of Genghis Khan gradually increased, as well as the lands he conquered. There are several reasons for this: thanks to many military victories, the ideal of a hero, who is patronized by Heaven itself, was entrenched in him. In addition, Temuzhdin possessed a remarkable oratorical gift that inflamed the hearts of people, a rare mind, military talents and a strong will.

After numerous military victories in 1206, Temujin was proclaimed Genghis Khan, i.e. the greatest ruler of all the Mongol tribes. Among his many victories are the Mongol-Jin, Tangut wars, the conquest of all of Central Asia, Siberia, several provinces of China, the Crimea, as well as the famous battle on the Kalka River, when the army of Genghis Khan easily defeated the army of Russian princes.

Military tactics of Genghis Khan

The army of Genghis Khan did not know defeat, because the main principle of the leader was an attack and good intelligence. Genghis Khan always attacked from several positions. He demanded a detailed plan of action from the military leaders, approved it or rejected it, was present at the beginning of the battle, and then left, completely relying on his subordinates.

Most often, the Mongols attacked suddenly, acted by deception - they pretended to run away, and then, scattering, surrounded one of the enemy's flanks and smashed it. They attacked under the cover of light cavalry in parallel columns, chasing the enemies until they were destroyed. The right ear of the dead was cut off, folded separately, and then specially trained people counted the number of dead from such unusual trophies. In addition, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, the Mongol warriors began to use a smoke screen and signal black and white flags.

Death of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan participated in military campaigns until his very old age. In 1227, returning with a victory from the Tangut state, he died. Several causes of death are named at once - from illness, from a wound, from a fall from a horse, from the hand of a young concubine, and even from exposure to an unhealthy climate, i.e. from fever. Until now, this is an unresolved issue.

It is only known that Genghis Khan was a little over seventy. He had a presentiment of his death, he was very upset by the death of his eldest son Jochi. Shortly before the campaign against the Tanguts, the emperor left a spiritual testament to his sons, in which he spoke of the need for the brothers to stick together both in managing the great empire and in military campaigns. This was necessary, according to Genghis Khan, in order for his children to enjoy power.

Before his death, the great commander bequeathed to bury himself in his homeland, in a tomb, at the bottom of the river, the location of which no one should know. Two historical monuments - "Golden Chronicle" and "Secret Tale" say that the body of Genghis Khan was buried in a tomb of gold, at the very bottom of the river. For these purposes, the noble Mongols brought with them many slaves who built a dam after the burial, and then returned the river to its former course.

On the way to the Onon River (according to one of the versions), the soldiers killed all living things that they met on the way - people, birds, animals. It was ordered that all the slaves involved in the construction of the dam be beheaded. All these measures were necessary so that no one could discover the graves of Genghis Khan. She has not been discovered so far.

After the death of Genghis Khan, the glory of the Mongol Empire only increased, thanks to the exploits of his sons and grandsons. The empire continued to be a great power until the end of the 15th century, when internecine wars weakened and destroyed it. The Mongols still believe in the imminent coming of a great hero who will be able to return the former glory to the country, as Genghis Khan once did.

The exact time of birth of Temujin, one of the greatest commanders and conquerors, is unknown. Calculations by Rashid ad-Din, based on documents and archives of the khans of Mongolia, indicate the year 1155, and it is this date that modern historians have accepted as a reference. The place of his birth was Delyun-Boldok, a tract on the banks of the Onon.

At the age of two, Temujin was put on a horse by his father, Yesugei-bagatur, the leader of one of the Mongol tribes - the Taichiuts. The boy was brought up in the traditions of the warlike Mongols, and at a very young age he was proficient in weapons and participated in almost all inter-tribal competitions. As soon as Temuchin was nine years old, his father, in order to strengthen friendship with the Urgenat family, betrothed his son a ten-year-old girl named Borte. Leaving the boy until the age of majority in the family of his future wife, Yesugei set off on his way back, and on the way he spent the night at the campsite of one of the Tatar tribes. After arriving in his ulus, he fell ill and died three days later. One of the legends says that the Tatars poisoned Temujin's father. After the death of Yesugei, his two wives and six children were expelled from the ulus, and they had to wander around the steppe, eating only fish, game and roots.

Having learned about the problems of the family, Temujin joined her and wandered with his relatives for several years. However, Targutai-Kiriltukh, who seized the lands of Yesugei, realized that the growing Temuchin could take cruel revenge, and sent an armed detachment after him. Temujin was captured, and he was put on stocks that made it impossible not only to eat on his own, but even to drive away flies. He managed to escape and hide in a small lake, plunging into the water in stocks. According to legend, one of the pursuers, Sorgan-Shira, noticed Temuchin, pulled him out of the water, and then hid him in a cart under wool. When the detachment left, the savior gave Temuchin a horse and weapons. Later, the son of Sorgan-Shir, Chilaun, took a very close position at the throne of Genghis Khan.

Temujin found his relatives and took them to a safe place. A few years later, he married Borta, who was intended for him by his father, and received a luxurious sable fur coat as a dowry. It was this fur coat that became an offering to Tooril Khan, one of the most powerful leaders of the steppe, and helped enlist his support. Under the patronage of Tooril Khan, the strength and influence of Temujin began to grow, and nukers flocked to his camp from all over Mongolia. He began to raid, increasing his herds and possessions. Temuchin differed from other similar conquerors in that he did not completely cut out the uluses, but tried to save the lives of even the soldiers who opposed him, and later attracted them to his army.

However, Temujin also had opponents. In his absence, the Merkits attacked the camp, and Temuchin's pregnant wife, Borte, was captured. With the support of Tooril Khan and Jamukha, the leader of the Jadaran tribe, in 1184 Temujin defeated the Merkits and returned his wife. After the victory, he began to live in the same horde with Jamukha, his childhood friend and brother, but a year later Jamukha left Temujin, and many of his soldiers remained in the horde. During the formation of the administration apparatus in the horde, Djalme and Boorchu occupied the leading posts in Temuchin's headquarters, and Subedei-bagatur received a post equivalent to the chief of staff. By that time, Temuchin already had three sons, and in 1186 he created his first ulus. Temujin's army at that time consisted of three tumens - about thirty thousand soldiers.

Jamukha could not just break the laws of the steppe and oppose his brother. But one day his younger brother Taychar tried to steal horses from Temujin and was killed. Jamukha declared revenge on his brother and marched against him with a huge army. In a battle that took place near the Gulegu Mountains, Temujin was defeated. After this unpleasant event, Temujin accumulated strength and, together with Tooril Khan, began a war against the Tatars. The main battle was in 1196, and as a result, the combined forces of the Mongols got rich booty, and Temujin gained the title of jauthuri - military commissar. Tooril Khan became a Mongol van - that is, a prince.

The joint military operations of 1197-1198 served to cool relations between Temuchin and Tooril Van Khan, since the latter decided that it makes no sense to give his vassal part of the booty. And since in 1198 the Chinese Jin dynasty ruined many Mongolian tribes, Temujin managed to extend his influence to the eastern regions of Mongolia. Perhaps Temujin was too trusting, because literally a year later he again teamed up with Jamukha and Van Khan, and they struck a blow at the Naiman ruler Buyruk Khan. Upon the return of the troops home, the Naiman detachment blocked their path, and as a result of the betrayal of his associates, Temuchin was left face to face with a strong army. He decided to retreat, and the Naiman warriors rushed to pursue Wang Khan and inflicted a crushing defeat on him. Fleeing from the persecution, Wang Khan sent a messenger to Temuchin with a request to rescue him and received help. In fact, Temuchin saved Wang Khan, and he bequeathed his ulus to the savior.

From 1200 to 1204, Temujin was constantly at war with the Tatars and the recalcitrant Mongols. But he opposes them already alone, without the support of Wang Khan, wins one victory after another, and his army is growing. However, Temujin acted not only by military force, but also by diplomatic means, as well as by a method that none of the Mongol leaders had yet applied before him. Temujin ordered not to kill the enemy soldiers, but first to conduct an interrogation and try to attract them to his army. At the same time, he distributed the newly arrived soldiers into proven units. In some ways, this policy is similar to the actions of Alexander the Great.

After Temujin's victory over the Kereites, Jamukha, with part of his army, joined the army of the Naiman Tayan Khan, expecting that either Temujin would destroy the opponents or fall in battle with them. Having learned about the plans of the Naimans, Temujin in 1204, at the head of forty-five thousand horsemen, opposed them. Despite the cunning of the enemy, Temujin's troops overtook and defeated Tayan Khan's army. Tayan Khan himself died, and Jamukha, as usual, left with a part of the soldiers even before the start of the battle. In 1205, Temujin's army continued to seize more and more new lands, and most of Jamukha's warriors left him and came under the control of Temujin. Jamukha was betrayed by his own nukers, who wanted to curry favor with Temuchin. True, Temuchin destroyed the traitors, and offered his former friend to become his ally. But Jamukha refused and asked for a death worthy of the ruler of the Mongols - without the shedding of blood. By order of Temujin, the soldiers broke Jamukha's spine.

In the spring of the following year, an important event took place in Temujin's life - he was proclaimed the Great Khan of the Mongols, and he also received a special title - Genghis Khan. Mongolia united into one state with a powerful army. Temujin began the transformation of Mongolia, and one of his most important acts was the introduction of a new law - the Yasa of Genghis Khan.

One of the main places in Yasa was occupied by articles on the importance of mutual assistance between warriors on campaigns and on deceit punishable by death. The subjugated tribes along the Yasa were accepted into the army, and the enemies were mercilessly destroyed. Courage and fidelity were declared good, and betrayal and cowardice - evil. Genghis Khan actually mixed the tribes and destroyed the tribal system, dividing the entire population into tumens, thousands, hundreds and tens. All healthy men who had reached a certain age were declared warriors, but in peacetime they were obliged to manage their household, and if necessary, come to their khan with weapons. The army of Genghis Khan at that time was about one hundred thousand soldiers. The Great Khan granted lands to his noyons, and they regularly served him, performing not only the mobilization of soldiers, but also management in peacetime.

One hundred and fifty bodyguards-keshikten guarded Genghis Khan and received exclusive privileges for this. Later, the Keshikten detachment expanded and turned into practically the personal guard of Genghis Khan. The khan also took care of the development of courier communications, serving both for administrative and military purposes. In modern terms, he also organized strategic intelligence. Dividing Mongolia into two parts, he placed Boorcha at the head of one wing, and Mukhali, his most experienced and faithful companions, at the head of the other. Genghis Khan also legalized the transfer of positions of senior military leaders by inheritance.

In 1209, Central Asia was conquered, and until 1211, the troops of Genghis Khan conquered almost all of Siberia and imposed tribute on its peoples. Now the interests of Genghis Khan have shifted to the south. Having defeated the army of Tatars supporting the Chinese, Genghis Khan captured the fortress and secured a passage through the Great Wall of China. In 1213, the Mongols invaded China. Using the power of his army and the fact that many fortresses surrendered to him without a fight, Genghis Khan reached the central provinces of China. The following year, in the spring, Genghis Khan withdrew his troops to Mongolia, and made peace with the Chinese emperor. However, immediately after the imperial court left Beijing, allocated under the treaty as the capital of China, Genghis Khan again brought his troops behind the Great Wall and continued the war.

After the defeat of the Chinese troops, Genghis Khan began to prepare for a campaign in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The cities of Semirechie attracted Genghis Khan also because while he was fighting in the Chinese Empire, the khan of the Naiman tribe Kuchluk, defeated at the Irtysh, gathered an army and made an alliance with Muhammad, the Shah of Khorezm, and later became the sole ruler of Semirechye. In 1218, the Mongols captured Semirechye, as well as the entire eastern Turkestan. In order to attract the population to their side, the Mongols allowed Muslims to send their own faith, which Kuchluk had previously banned. Now Genghis Khan could invade the lands of rich Khorezm.

In 1220, the capital of the Mongol Empire, Karakorum, was founded, and the tumens of Genghis Khan continued their campaigns in two streams. The first stream of invaders passed through the northern part of Iran and invaded the South Caucasus, and the second rushed to the Amu Darya after Shah Mohammed, who had fled from Khorezm. Having passed the Derbent pass, Genghis Khan in the North Caucasus defeated the Alans and defeated the Polovtsy. In 1223, the Polovtsians united with the squads of Russian princes, but this army was defeated on the Kalka River. However, the withdrawal of the Mongol army became unpleasant - in the Volga Bulgaria, the Mongols received a rather serious blow and fled to Central Asia.

Returning from Central Asia to Mongolia, Genghis Khan undertook a campaign in the western part of China. According to the records of Rashid ad-Din, during the autumn hunt in 1225, Genghis Khan flew out of the saddle and hit the ground hard. That evening, he developed a fever. He was ill all winter, but in the spring he found the strength to lead an army on a campaign across China. The resistance of the Tanguts led to the fact that they lost tens of thousands of dead, and Genghis Khan ordered the settlements to be plundered. At the end of 1226, the Mongol troops crossed the Yellow River, and a path to the east opened before them.

The hundred thousandth army of the Tangut kingdom was defeated by the army of Genghis Khan, which opened the way to the capital. Already in winter, the siege of Zhongxing began, and by the summer of 1227, the Tangut kingdom ceased to exist. But even before the end of the siege, Genghis Khan died. It is generally accepted that the date of his death was August 25, 1227, but according to other sources, this happened in early autumn. According to the will of Genghis Khan, Ogedei, the third son, became his successor.

There are many legends about the location of the tomb of Genghis Khan. According to some data, he rests in the depths of the sacred mountain of the Mongols Burkhan-Khaldun, according to others - in his homeland in the upper reaches of the Onon, in the tract Delyun-Boldok.

His life is covered with legends. As Zeus the Thunderer, he manifested himself in roar and destruction. The waves of his activity shook the continents for a long time, and the wild hordes of his nomads became a horror for entire countries. But he would not have been so powerful if he had not armed himself with the knowledge of ancient civilizations. Genghis Khan and his empire happily accepted the military achievements of great cultures. Wherever the Mongols came, they very quickly dissolved in the local population, adopting the language and religion of the people they conquered. They were the locusts that forced the civilized countries to unite. Genghis Khan arose against the backdrop of relaxed states, creating from them the largest continental empire in the history of mankind. When these states strengthened, the Mongolian State also disappeared, becoming a symbol of unrestrained aggression.

divine origin

At all times, the appearance of great people was overgrown with divine ancestors and heavenly signs. The chronicles of the conquered countries give different dates of Temujin's birth: 1155 and 1162, mentioning a blood clot that the baby squeezed in his palm.

The Mongolian literary monument "The Secret History", compiled in 1240, gives a detailed description of the ancestors of Genghis Khan, their families and matrimonial circumstances. For example, the name Temujin was given to the future khan of the universe in honor of the defeated Tatar leader Temujin-Uge. The boy was born from Yesugei-Bagatur from the Borjigin clan and the girl Oelun from the Olkhonut clan. Yesugei himself, according to the Tale, was poisoned by the Tatars when Temujin was 9 years old. His father managed to woo him to Borte, an 11-year-old girl from the Ungirat family.

The death of his father set off a chain of events that influenced the formation of Temujin. Neighboring clans drive the family from their homes, pursue Yesugei's heir and try to kill him. Captured, he runs, splitting the wooden blocks, hiding in the lake, then escapes in a cart with wool, which was provided to him by the sons of some farm laborer. Subsequently, the people who helped him will be generously treated. The cruelty towards young Temujin was not unfounded. The expanded Mongol tribes lacked pastures and waited for a leader who would unite them to conquer new lands.

The boy finds his relatives and marries Bortu. Trials hardened him and gave life meaning. Clever beyond his years, Temujin watches as his nation's human resources are expended on mutual extermination. He is already beginning to form his circle and befriend some tribal leaders against others.

Mongols against Tatars

The glory of a successful commander attracts the best warriors to him. His mercy towards the vanquished and strictness towards violators of military discipline makes him the most famous commander in Mongolia. Temujin knows how to select shots. In his ulus, a hierarchy of power is being built, which will then spread to his entire empire. He won the intraspecific struggle of the steppes. According to the Chinese chronicles, the Tatars were a strong tribal association, whose raids disturbed not only the Mongol uluses, but also the Chinese civilization. The Jin dynasty finds in Temujin a true ally, who acquires not only high titles, but also the ability to intrigue.

In 1202, Temujin was so strong that he was able to stand alone against the Tatars, his old offenders and enemies. Contrary to the usual rule not to kill opponents who admitted defeat, he massacres almost all Tatars, leaving alive only children shorter than a cart wheel. With daring and unexpected attacks, he defeats the former allies of Van Khan and Jamukha, and then betrays the latter to a bloodless death - his back was broken. The backbone of the intra-Mongolian opposition was broken.

Formation of the Great Empire

In the spring of 1206, the kurultai of all Mongol leaders proclaims Temujin Genghis Khan, that is, the lord of the endless steppe, like the sea. First of all, the new ruler destroys tribal differences, dividing his subjects into hundreds, thousands and tumens. It was a militarized power, in which every man was obliged, at the first call, to stand in a horse lava with a weapon in his hands. Heads of departments were chosen not for their generosity, but for their abilities. Loyalty became the highest virtue, so having a Mongol friend was a great asset. Deception, cowardice and betrayal were punishable by death, and the enemy, devoted to his master to the end, was accepted into the army without any problems.

Building the socio-political pyramid of his power, Genghis Khan, of course, took an example from the state model of the Celestial Empire, where he probably managed to visit. He managed to impose a feudal hierarchy on his nomadic people, to secure simple nomadic peasants (arats) for certain lands and pastures, placing noyons over them. The noyons exploited the peasants, but they themselves were responsible to a higher boss for the mobilization of a certain number of soldiers. The transition from one chief to another was forbidden under pain of death.

China itself is to blame for allowing the unification of the Mongols. Playing on contradictions and secretly supporting Temujin's opponents, the rulers could keep the steppes in disunity for a long time. But the Chinese themselves were fragmented, and the Mongol Khan got good advisers who helped him build a state machine and pointed the way to China. Having conquered the Siberian tribes, Genghis Khan concentrated his forces along the Great Wall of China. His sons - Jochi, Chagatai and Ogedei - lead the hordes that bite into the body of the Jin empire, the lord of the steppes himself with his youngest son Tolui became the head of the army that moved to the sea. The empire collapses like a house of cards, weakened by the weight of internal contradictions, leaving Beijing to the emperor, but the next year the war continued with the remnants of the doomed empire.

Movement to the west

The flourishing cities of Semirechye, which lay to the west of China, tried to unite before the formidable conqueror, headed by the Naiman Khan Kuchluk. Using religious and ethnic contradictions, the Mongols conquer Semirechye and East Turkestan in 1218, and approach the borders of Muslim Khorezm.

By the time of the Mongol conquest, the power of the Khorezmshahs had turned into a huge Central Asian power, subjugating southern Afghanistan, eastern Iraq and Iran, Samarkand and Bukhara. The ruler of the Khorezmshah empire, Ala ad-Din Muhammad II, behaved extremely presumptuously, underestimating the strength and treachery of the Khan of Mongolia. He ordered to cut off the heads of the ambassadors of Genghis Khan, who arrived for peaceful trade and friendship. The fate of Khorezm was sealed. He cracked the well-fortified cities of the Asian power like nuts, since Chinese engineers who knew a lot about siege were in his army.

The commanders of Genghis Khan, Jebe and Subedey, pursue the remnants of the army of Khorezmshah through Northern Iran, the South Caucasus, then through the North Caucasus, sweeping away the Alans, Polovtsians and Russians on their way. In the spring of 1223, the first clash between the princes of northeastern Russia and the hordes of nomads took place on the Kalka River. The Mongols used their usual fake flight tactic and, after luring the combined Slavic and Polovtian forces deep into their position, flanked and utterly routed the enemy. Unfortunately, our ancestors did not draw any conclusions from this defeat and did not unite in front of a formidable enemy. The days of civil strife and princely freemen were numbered. The yoke of the Golden Horde will crush the Slavic tribes for two hundred years in order to become cement for the future great Russia.

The world after Genghis Khan

The leader of the Mongols still continues to fight with the remnants of the unconquered tribes of China, Siberia and Central Asia. While hunting, Genghis Khan falls from his horse and is injured, which causes intense heat and weakening of the whole body. In the spring of 1226, he led a campaign against the Tangut in the Chinese province of Ningxia, defeated the Tangut army and died under the walls of the city of Zhusin.

The grave of the Great Mogul has not been precisely established, which gives food for numerous conjectures and fantasies. The successors of Genghis Khan failed to keep a huge empire under a single command. Very soon it breaks up into uluses, which are only formally subordinate to the ruler in Karakorum (the capital of the empire). Our ancestors encountered the ulus of Jochi, whose son was the famous commander Batu. In 1266, this ulus was separated into a separate state, which received the name "Golden Horde" in historiography.

Having conquered many lands from Hungary to Vietnam, the Mongols were not at all going to impose their culture, customs and religion on the unfortunate peoples. Having made terrible material destruction, this "locust" subsided or disappeared into the local population. Among the Russian nobles there are many descendants of the Mongolian "bagaturs" and even Chingizids. The famous revolutionary Georgy Valentinovich Plekhanov was a descendant of the "lord of the endless steppes." In China, the Mongol dynasty ruled under the name Yuan from 1271 to 1368.