Genghis Khan is a second name. conquest of Central Asia. The title of Genghis Khan and a single state - Mongolia
Genghis Khan- Great Khan and founder of the Mongol Empire during the 13th century (from 1206 to 1227). This man was not just a khan, among his talents was a commander-commander, a state administrator, and a fair commander.
Genghis Khan owns the organization of the largest state (empire) at all times!
History of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan's own name Temujin (Temujin). This man with a difficult but great fate was born in the period from 1155 year on 1162 year - the exact date is unknown.
The fate of Temujin was very difficult. He came from a noble Mongolian family, who roamed with their herds along the banks of the Onon River in the territory of modern Mongolia. When he was 9 years old, during the steppe civil strife, his father was killed Yesugei Bahadur.
Genghis Khan - slave
The family, which lost its protector and almost all its livestock, had to flee from the nomads. She with great difficulty managed to endure a harsh winter in a wooded area. Troubles continued to haunt the little Mongol - new enemies from the tribe tayichiut attacked an orphaned family and took the boy into slavery.
However, he showed firmness of character hardened by the hardships of childhood. Having broken the collar, he escaped and returned to his native tribe, which could not protect his family several years ago.
The teenager became a zealous warrior: few of his relatives knew how to control the steppe horse so deftly and shoot accurately from a bow, throw a lasso at full gallop and cut with a saber.
Revenge for the family
Temujin pretty soon managed to take revenge on all the offenders of his family. He has not yet turned 20 years how he began to unite the Mongol clans around him, gathering a small detachment of warriors under his command.
It was very difficult - after all, the Mongol tribes constantly waged armed struggle among themselves, raiding neighboring pastures in order to take possession of their herds and seize people into slavery.
The steppe tribe hostile to him Merkits once made a successful raid on his camp and kidnapped his wife Borte. This was a great insult to the dignity of the Mongol commander. He redoubled his efforts to gather nomadic families under his rule, and just a year later he commanded a whole cavalry army.
With him, he inflicted a complete defeat on the large Merkit tribe, exterminating most of it and capturing their herds, and freed his wife, who knew the fate of a captive.
Genghis Khan - a novice commander
Genghis Khan mastered the tactics of war in the steppe. He suddenly attacked the neighboring nomadic tribes and invariably won. He offered to the survivors right to choose: or become his ally, or perish.
First big battle
The leader Temujin fought his first big battle in 1193 near Germany in the Mongolian steppes. In charge of 6 thousand warriors he broke 10 thousandth father-in-law's army Ung Khana who began to argue with his son-in-law.
The Khan's army was commanded by a commander Sanguk, who, apparently, was very confident in the superiority of the tribal army entrusted to him and did not worry about either reconnaissance or outposts. Genghis Khan caught the enemy by surprise in a mountain gorge and inflicted heavy damage on him.
Obtaining the title of "Genghis Khan"
To 1206 Temujin became the strongest ruler in the steppes north of the Great Wall of China. That year is remarkable in his life in that on kurultai(congress) of the Mongol feudal lords, he was proclaimed "great khan" over all the Mongol tribes with the title " Genghis Khan" (from the Turkic " Tengiz"- ocean, sea).
Genghis Khan demanded from the leaders of the tribes who recognized his supremacy, maintain permanent military detachments to protect the lands of the Mongols with their nomad camps and for aggressive campaigns against neighbors.
The former slave no longer had open enemies among the Mongol nomads, and he began to prepare for wars of conquest.
Army of Genghis Khan
The army of Genghis Khan was built according to decimal system: tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens(they consisted of 10 thousand soldiers). These military units were not only accounting units. A hundred and a thousand could perform an independent combat mission. Tumen acted in the war already at the tactical level.
According to the decimal system, and command of the Mongolian army: foreman, centurion, thousand's manager, temnik. Genghis Khan appointed his sons and representatives of the tribal nobility to the highest positions, temniks, from among those military leaders who, by deed, proved to him their devotion and experience in military affairs.
In the army of the Mongols, the strictest discipline was maintained along the entire command hierarchical ladder, any violation was severely punished.
The history of the conquests of Genghis Khan
First of all, the great khan decided to annex other nomadic peoples to his state. AT 1207 In the year he conquered vast areas north of the Selenga River and in the upper reaches of the Yenisei. The military forces (cavalry) of the conquered tribes were included in the general Mongol army.
Then came the turn of the big for those times Uyghur states in East Turkestan. AT 1209 In the same year, a huge army of Genghis Khan invaded their territory and, capturing one by one their cities and flowering oases, won a complete victory.
The destruction of settlements in the occupied territory, the total extermination of recalcitrant tribes and fortified cities that decided to defend themselves with weapons in their hands, were a characteristic feature of the conquests of the great Mongol Khan.
The strategy of intimidation allowed him to successfully solve military problems and keep the conquered peoples in obedience.
Conquest of Northern China
AT 1211 In 1994, Genghis Khan's cavalry attacked northern China. The Great Wall of China - this is the most grandiose defensive structure in the history of mankind - did not become an obstacle for the conquerors. AT 1215 the city was captured by cunning Beijing(Yanjing), which the Mongols subjected to a long siege.
In this campaign, Genghis Khan adopted the engineering military equipment of the Chinese into service with his cavalry troops - various throwing machines and battering rams. Chinese engineers trained the Mongols to use them and deliver them to the besieged cities and fortresses.
Hike to Central Asia
AT 1218 year the Mongolian army invaded Central Asia and captured Khorezm. This time, the great conqueror found a plausible pretext - several Mongol merchants were killed in the border city of Khorezm, and therefore this country should be punished.
Shah Muhammad at the head of a large army ( up to 200 thousand human) came out to meet Genghis Khan. At Karaku there was a great battle, distinguished by such persistence that by the evening there was no winner on the battlefield.
The next day, Muhammad refused to continue the battle due to heavy losses, which were calculated almost half the troops he had gathered. Genghis Khan, for his part, also suffered heavy losses, retreated, but this was his military trick.
The conquest of the huge Central Asian state of Khorezm continued until 1221. During this time were conquered by Genghis Khan the following cities: Otrar (the territory of modern Uzbekistan), Bukhara, Samarkand, Khujand (modern Tajikistan), Merv, Urgench and many others.
Conquest of Northwest India
AT 1221 year after the fall of Khorezm and the conquest of Central Asia, Genghis Khan made a campaign in northwest india, capturing this large territory. However, Genghis Khan did not go further to the south of Hindustan: he was constantly attracted by unknown countries at sunset.
He, as usual, thoroughly worked out the route of the new campaign and sent his best generals far to the west. Jebe and subedea at the head of their tumens and auxiliary troops of the conquered peoples. Their path lay through Iran, Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. So the Mongols ended up on the southern approaches to Russia, in the Don steppes.
Attack on Russia
At that time, Polovtsian towers roamed in the Wild Field, which had long lost their military strength. The Mongols defeated the Polovtsy without much difficulty, and they fled to the borderlands of Russian lands.
AT 1223 year, the generals Jebe and Subedei defeated in the battle on river Kalka united army of several Russian princes and Polovtsian khans. After the victory, the vanguard of the Mongol army turned back.
The last campaign and the death of Genghis Khan
AT 1226–1227 years, Genghis Khan made a trip to the country of the Tanguts Xi-Xia. He instructed one of his sons to continue the conquest of China. The anti-Mongol uprisings that began in the North China he had conquered caused Genghis Khan great anxiety.
The great commander died during his last campaign against the Tanguts August 25, 1227. The Mongols gave him a magnificent funeral and, having destroyed all the participants in these sad celebrations, managed to keep the location of Genghis Khan's grave a complete secret to this day.
Genghis Khan (Mong. Genghis Khan), own name - Temujin, Temuchin, Temujin (Mong. Temujin) (c. 1155 or 1162 - August 25, 1227). The founder and first great khan of the Mongol Empire, who united the scattered Mongol tribes, the commander who organized the Mongols' aggressive campaigns in China, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Founder of the largest continental empire in human history. After his death in 1227, the heirs of the empire were his direct descendants from the first wife of Borte in the male line, the so-called Genghisides.
According to the "Secret Tale", the ancestor of Genghis Khan was Borte-Chino, who became related to Goa-Maral and settled in Khentei (central-eastern Mongolia) near Mount Burkhan-Khaldun. According to Rashid ad-Din, this event took place in the middle of the VIII century. From Borte-Chino in 2-9 generations were born Bata-Tsagaan, Tamachi, Horichar, Uujim Buural, Sali-Khajau, Eke Nyuden, Sim-Sochi, Kharchu.
Borzhigidai-Mergen was born in the 10th generation, he married Mongolzhin-goa. From them, in the 11th generation, the family tree was continued by Torokoljin-bagatur, who married Borochin-goa, Dobun-Mergen and Duva-Sohor were born from them. Dobun-Mergen's wife was Alan-goa, the daughter of Khorilardai-Mergen from his one of the three wives Barguzhin-Goa. Thus, the foremother of Genghis Khan is from the Hori-Tumats, one of the Buryat branches.
The three younger sons of Alan-goa, who were born after the death of her husband, were considered the ancestors of the Mongols-niruns ("actually the Mongols"). From the fifth, youngest, son of Alan-goa, Bodonchar, the Borjigins originated.
Temujin was born in the Delyun-Boldok tract on the banks of the Onon River in the family of Yesugei-Bagatur from the Borjigin clan. and his wife Hoelun from the Olkhonut clan, whom Yesugei recaptured from the Merkit Eke-Chiledu. The boy was named after the Tatar leader Temujin-Uge, captured by Yesugei, whom Yesugei defeated on the eve of the birth of his son.
The year of Temujin's birth remains unclear, as the main sources indicate different dates. According to the only lifetime source of Genghis Khan, Men-da bei-lu (1221) and according to the calculations of Rashid ad-Din, made by him on the basis of original documents from the archives of the Mongol khans, Temujin was born in 1155.
The "History of the Yuan Dynasty" does not give an exact date of birth, but only calls the life span of Genghis Khan as "66 years" (taking into account the conditional year of intrauterine life, taken into account in the Chinese and Mongolian traditions of calculating life expectancy, and taking into account the fact that "accrual" the next year of life happened simultaneously for all Mongols with the celebration of the Eastern New Year, that is, in reality, more likely about 69 years), which, when counted from the known date of his death, gives 1162 as the date of birth.
However, this date is not supported by earlier authentic documents from the Mongol-Chinese office of the 13th century. A number of scientists (for example, P. Pelliot or G. V. Vernadsky) indicate the year 1167, but this date remains the hypothesis most vulnerable to criticism. The newborn, as they say, squeezed a blood clot in his palm, which foreshadowed him the glorious future of the ruler of the world.
When his son was 9 years old, Yesugei-bagatur betrothed him to Borte, an 11-year-old girl from the Ungirat clan. Leaving his son in the bride's family until the age of majority, in order to get to know each other better, he went home. According to the "Secret Tale", on the way back, Yesugei lingered at the Tatars' parking lot, where he was poisoned. Upon returning to his native ulus, he fell ill and died three days later.
After the death of Temujin's father, his adherents left the widows (Yesugei had 2 wives) and Yesugei's children (Temujin and his brothers Khasar, Khachiun, Temuge and from his second wife - Bekter and Belgutai): the head of the Taichiut clan drove the family out of their homes, stealing all her cattle. For several years, widows with children lived in complete poverty, wandered in the steppes, eating roots, game and fish. Even in summer, the family lived from hand to mouth, making provisions for the winter.
The leader of the Taichiuts, Targutai-Kiriltukh (a distant relative of Temujin), who declared himself the ruler of the lands once occupied by Yesugei, fearing the revenge of his growing rival, began to pursue Temujin. Once an armed detachment attacked the camp of Yesugei's family. Temujin managed to escape, but he was overtaken and captured. They put a block on him - two wooden boards with a hole for the neck, which were pulled together. The block was a painful punishment: the person himself did not have the opportunity to eat, drink, or even drive away the fly that sat on his face.
One night, he found a way to slip away and hide in a small lake, plunging into the water with the stock and sticking out of the water with one nostril. The Taichiuts searched for him in this place, but could not find him. He was noticed by a laborer from the Suldus Sorgan-Shira tribe, who was among them, but who did not betray Temujin. He several times passed by the escaped prisoner, calming him and for others pretending to be looking for him. When the night search was over, Temujin got out of the water and went to the dwelling of Sorgan-Shir, hoping that he, having saved once, would help again.
However, Sorgan-Shira did not want to shelter him and was about to drive Temujin away, when suddenly the sons of Sorgan interceded for the fugitive, who was then hidden in a cart with wool. When the opportunity arose to send Temujin home, Sorgan-Shira put him on a mare, provided him with weapons and escorted him on his way (later Chilaun, the son of Sorgan-Shira, became one of the four nukers of Genghis Khan).
After some time, Temujin found his family. The Borjigins immediately migrated to another place, and the Taichiuts could not find them. At the age of 11, Temujin made friends with his peer of noble origin from the Jadaran tribe (jajirat) - Jamukha who later became the leader of this tribe. With him in his childhood, Temujin twice became a sworn brother (anda).
A few years later, Temujin married his fiancee Borte(By this time, Boorchu appeared in the service of Temujin, who also entered the four close nukers). Borte's dowry was a luxurious sable coat. Temujin soon went to the most powerful of the then steppe leaders - Tooril, the khan of the Kereit tribe.
Tooril was the sworn brother (anda) of Temujin's father, and he managed to enlist the support of the leader of the Kereites, recalling this friendship and offering a sable fur coat to Borte. Upon Temujin's return from Togoril Khan, an old Mongol gave him his son Jelme, who became one of his generals, into his service.
With the support of Tooril Khan, Temujin's forces began to gradually grow. Nukers began to flock to him. He raided his neighbors, multiplying his possessions and herds. He differed from other conquerors in that during the battles he tried to keep alive as many people from the enemy’s ulus as possible in order to further attract them to his service.
The first serious opponents of Temujin were the Merkits, who acted in alliance with the Taichiuts. In the absence of Temujin, they attacked the camp of the Borjigins and taken prisoner Borte(according to the assumption, she was already pregnant and was expecting the first son of Jochi) and the second wife of Yesugei - Sochikhel, the mother of Belgutai.
In 1184 (according to rough estimates, based on the date of birth of Ogedei), Temujin, with the help of Tooril Khan and his Kereites, as well as Jamukha from the Jajirat clan (invited by Temujin at the insistence of Tooril Khan), defeated the Merkits in the first battle in his life in the interfluve the confluence of the Chikoi and Khilok rivers with the Selenga in what is now Buryatia and returned Borte. Belgutai's mother, Sochikhel, refused to go back.
After the victory, Tooril Khan went to his horde, and Temujin and Jamukha remained to live together in the same horde, where they again entered into an alliance of brotherhood, exchanging golden belts and horses. After some time (from half a year to a year and a half), they dispersed, while many noyons and nukers of Jamukha joined Temujin (which was one of the reasons for Jamukha's dislike for Temujin).
Having separated, Temujin set about organizing his ulus, creating a horde control apparatus. The first two nukers, Boorchu and Jelme, were appointed senior in the khan's headquarters, Subedei-bagatur, the future famous commander of Genghis Khan, received the command post. In the same period, Temujin had a second son, Chagatai (the exact date of his birth is not known) and a third son, Ogedei (October 1186). Temujin created his first small ulus in 1186(1189/90 are also likely) and had 3 tumens (30,000 men) troops.
Jamukha was looking for an open quarrel with his anda. The reason was the death of Jamukha's younger brother Taychar during his attempt to steal a herd of horses from Temujin's possessions. Under the pretext of revenge, Jamukha with his army moved to Temujin in 3 darkness. The battle took place near the Gulegu Mountains, between the sources of the Sengur River and the upper course of the Onon. In this first big battle (according to the main source "The Secret History of the Mongols") Temujin was defeated.
The first major military enterprise of Temujin after the defeat from Jamukha was the war against the Tatars together with Tooril Khan. The Tatars at that time hardly repulsed the attacks of the Jin troops who entered their possession. The combined troops of Tooril Khan and Temujin, having joined the Jin troops, moved against the Tatars. The battle took place in 1196. They inflicted a number of strong blows on the Tatars and captured rich booty.
The government of the Jurchen Jin, as a reward for the defeat of the Tatars, awarded high titles to the steppe leaders. Temujin received the title of "Jauthuri"(military commissar), and Tooril - "Van" (prince), from that time he became known as Van-khan. Temujin became a vassal of Wang Khan, in whom Jin saw the most powerful of the rulers of Eastern Mongolia.
In 1197-1198. Van Khan, without Temujin, made a campaign against the Merkits, plundered and gave nothing to his named "son" and vassal Temujin. This marked the beginning of a new cooling.
After 1198, when the Jin ruined the Kungirats and other tribes, the influence of the Jin in Eastern Mongolia began to weaken, which allowed Temujin to take possession of the eastern regions of Mongolia.
At this time, Inanch Khan dies and the Naiman state splits into two uluses, headed by Buyruk Khan in Altai and Taian Khan on the Black Irtysh.
In 1199, Temujin, together with Wang Khan and Jamukha, attacked Buyruk Khan with their combined forces and he was defeated. Upon returning home, the Naiman detachment blocked the way. It was decided to fight in the morning, but at night Wang Khan and Jamukha fled, leaving Temujin alone in the hope that the Naimans would finish him off. But by morning, Temujin found out about this and retreated without engaging in battle. The Naimans began to pursue not Temujin, but Wang Khan. The Kereites entered into a heavy battle with the Naimans, and, in the evidence of death, Wan Khan sends messengers to Temujin with a request for help. Temujin sent his nukers, among whom Boorchu, Mukhali, Borokhul and Chilaun distinguished themselves in battle.
For his salvation, Wang Khan bequeathed his ulus to Temujin after his death.
In 1200, Wang Khan and Timuchin made a joint campaign against the Taichiuts. The Merkits came to the aid of the Taichiuts. In this battle, Temujin was wounded by an arrow, after which Jelme nursed him all the following night. By morning, the Taichiuts had fled, leaving many people behind. Among them was Sorgan-Shira, who once saved Timuchin, and the well-aimed shooter Dzhirgoadai, who confessed that it was he who shot Timuchin. He was accepted into the army of Timuchin and received the nickname Jebe (arrowhead). A chase was organized for the Taichiuts. Many were killed, some surrendered to the service. This was the first major victory won by Temujin.
In 1201, some Mongol forces (including Tatars, Taichiuts, Merkits, Oirats and other tribes) decided to unite in the fight against the Timuchin. They took an oath of allegiance to Jamukha and elevated him to the throne with the title of gurkhan. Upon learning of this, Timuchin contacted Wang Khan, who immediately raised an army and came to him.
In 1202, Temujin independently opposed the Tatars. Before this campaign, he gave an order according to which, under the threat of the death penalty, it was strictly forbidden to seize booty during the battle and pursue the enemy without an order: the commanders had to divide the captured property among the soldiers only at the end of the battle. The fierce battle was won, and at the council gathered by Temujin after the battle, it was decided to destroy all the Tatars, except for children below the cart wheel, as revenge for the Mongols' ancestors they had killed (in particular, for Temujin's father).
In the spring of 1203, at Khalakhaldzhin-Elet, a battle took place between Temujin’s troops and the combined forces of Jamukha and Wang Khan (although Wang Khan did not want a war with Temujin, but he was persuaded by his son Nilha-Sangum, who hated Temujin because Wang Khan gave to him preference over his son and thought to transfer the Kereit throne to him, and Jamukha, who claimed that Temujin was uniting with the Naiman Tayan Khan).
In this battle, the ulus of Temujin suffered heavy losses. But the son of Van Khan was wounded, because of which the Kereites left the battlefield. To gain time, Temujin began to send diplomatic messages, the purpose of which was to separate both Jamukha and Wang Khan, and Wang Khan and his son. At the same time, a number of tribes that did not join either side formed a coalition against both Wang Khan and Temujin. Upon learning of this, Wang Khan attacked first and defeated them, after which he began to feast. When this was reported to Temujin, it was decided to attack with lightning speed and take the enemy by surprise. Not even making overnight stops Temujin's army overtook the Kereites and utterly defeated them in the fall of 1203. The Kereit ulus ceased to exist. Wang Khan and his son managed to escape, but ran into the guard of the Naimans, and Wang Khan died. Nilha-Sangum was able to escape but was later killed by the Uighurs.
With the fall of the Kereites in 1204, Jamukha with the remaining army joined the Naimans in the hope of Temujin's death at the hands of Tayan Khan, or vice versa. Tayan Khan saw in Temujin the only rival in the struggle for power in the Mongolian steppes. Learning about what the Naimans think about the attack, Temujin decided to go on a campaign against Tayan Khan. But before the campaign, he began the reorganization of the management of the army and the ulus. At the beginning of the summer of 1204, Temujin's army - about 45,000 horsemen - set out on a campaign against the Naimans. Tayan Khan's army initially retreated in order to lure Temujin's army into a trap, but then, at the insistence of Tayan Khan's son, Kuchluk, entered the battle. The Naimans were defeated, only Kuchluk with a small detachment managed to escape to the Altai to his uncle Buyuruk. Tayan Khan died, and Jamukha fled even before the start of a fierce battle, realizing that the Naimans could not win. In battles with the Naimans, Khubilai, Jebe, Jelme and Subedei especially distinguished themselves.
Temujin, building on his success, opposed the Merkits, and the Merkit people fell. Tokhtoa-beki, the ruler of the Merkits, fled to the Altai, where he united with Kuchluk. In the spring of 1205, Temujin's army attacked Tokhtoa-beki and Kuchluk in the area of the Bukhtarma River. Tokhtoa-beki died, and his army and most of the Naimans of Kuchluk, pursued by the Mongols, drowned while crossing the Irtysh. Kuchluk with his people fled to the Kara-Kitay (southwest of Lake Balkhash). There, Kuchluk managed to gather scattered detachments of Naiman and Kerait, enter the location of the gurkhan and become a rather significant political figure. The sons of Tokhtoa-beki fled to the Kypchaks, taking with them the severed head of their father. Subedei was sent to pursue them.
After the defeat of the Naimans, most of the Mongols of Jamukha went over to the side of Temujin. At the end of 1205, Jamuhu himself was handed over to Temujin alive by his own nukers, hoping by this to save their lives and curry favor, for which they were executed by Temujin as traitors.
Temujin offered his friend complete forgiveness and the renewal of the old friendship, but Jamukha refused, saying: "just as there is room in the sky for only one sun, so in Mongolia there should be only one ruler."
He asked only for a dignified death (no bloodshed). His wish was granted - Temujin's warriors broke Jamukha's backbone. Rashid al-Din attributed the execution of Jamukha to Elchidai Noyon, who cut Jamukha to pieces.
In the spring of 1206, at the head of the Onon River at kurultai, Temujin was proclaimed a great khan over all the tribes and received the title "Kagan", taking the name Genghis (Chingiz is literally "the lord of the water" or, more precisely, "the lord of the boundless like the sea"). Mongolia has changed: scattered and warring Mongolian nomadic tribes united into a single state.
Mongol Empire in 1207
The new law came into force Yasa Genghis Khan. In Yasa, the main place was occupied by articles on mutual assistance in a campaign and the prohibition of deceiving a trusted person. Those who violated these regulations were executed, and the enemy of the Mongols, who remained loyal to their ruler, was spared and accepted into their army. Loyalty and courage were considered good, while cowardice and betrayal were considered evil.
Genghis Khan divided the entire population into tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (ten thousand), thereby mixing tribes and clans and appointing specially selected people from his entourage and nukers as commanders over them. All adult and healthy men were considered warriors who ran their household in peacetime and took up arms in wartime.
The armed forces of Genghis Khan, formed in this way, amounted to approximately 95 thousand soldiers.
Separate hundreds, thousands and tumens, together with the territory for nomadism, were given into the possession of one or another noyon. The Great Khan, the owner of all the land in the state, distributed the land and arats into the possession of the noyons, on the condition that they would regularly perform certain duties for this.
Military service was the most important duty. Each noyon was obliged, at the first request of the overlord, to put the prescribed number of soldiers in the field. Noyon in his inheritance could exploit the labor of arats, distributing his cattle to them for grazing or involving them directly in work on his farm. Small noyons served as large ones.
Under Genghis Khan, the enslavement of arats was legalized, unauthorized transition from one dozen, hundreds, thousands or tumens to others was prohibited. This prohibition meant the formal attachment of the arats to the land of the noyons - for disobedience, the arat was threatened with the death penalty.
An armed detachment of personal bodyguards, called keshik, enjoyed exclusive privileges and was intended to fight against the internal enemies of the khan. Keshiktens were selected from the Noyon youth and were under the personal command of the khan himself, being essentially the khan's guard. At first, there were 150 keshiktens in the detachment. In addition, a special detachment was created, which was supposed to always be in the forefront and be the first to engage in battle with the enemy. He was called a detachment of heroes.
Genghis Khan created a network of communication lines, courier communications on a large scale for military and administrative purposes, organized intelligence, including economic intelligence.
Genghis Khan divided the country into two "wings". At the head of the right wing he placed Boorcha, at the head of the left - Mukhali, two of his most faithful and experienced companions. The position and titles of senior and senior military leaders - centurions, thousands and temniks - he made hereditary in the family of those who, with their faithful service, helped him seize the khan's throne.
In 1207-1211, the Mongols conquered the land of the forest tribes, that is, they subjugated almost all the main tribes and peoples of Siberia, imposing tribute on them.
Before the conquest of China, Genghis Khan decided to secure the border by capturing in 1207 the state of the Tangut Xi-Xia, which was located between his possessions and the state of Jin. Having captured several fortified cities, in the summer of 1208 Genghis Khan withdrew to Longjin, waiting out the unbearable heat that fell that year.
He captured the fortress and the passage in the Great Wall of China and in 1213 invaded directly the Chinese state of Jin passing as far as Nianxi in Hanshu province. Genghis Khan led his troops deep into the continent and established his power over the province of Liaodong, the center of the empire. Several Chinese commanders went over to his side. The garrisons surrendered without a fight.
Having established his position along the entire Great Wall of China, in the fall of 1213, Genghis Khan sent three armies to different parts of the Jin Empire. One of them, under the command of the three sons of Genghis Khan - Jochi, Chagatai and Ogedei, headed south. The other, led by the brothers and commanders of Genghis Khan, moved east to the sea.
Genghis Khan himself and his youngest son Tolui at the head of the main forces set out in a southeasterly direction. The first army advanced all the way to Honan and, after capturing twenty-eight cities, joined Genghis Khan on the Great Western Road. The army under the command of the brothers and generals of Genghis Khan captured the province of Liao-si, and Genghis Khan himself ended his triumphal campaign only after he reached the sea rocky cape in the province of Shandong.
In the spring of 1214, he returned to Mongolia and made peace with the Chinese emperor, leaving Beijing to him. However, the leader of the Mongols did not have time to leave the Great Wall of China, as the Chinese emperor moved his court further away, to Kaifeng. This move was perceived by Genghis Khan as a manifestation of hostility, and he again brought troops into the empire, now doomed to death. The war continued.
The Jurchen troops in China, having replenished at the expense of the natives, fought the Mongols until 1235 on their own initiative, but were defeated and exterminated by Genghis Khan's successor Ogedei.
Following China, Genghis Khan prepared for a campaign in Central Asia. He was especially attracted by the flourishing cities of Semirechye. He decided to carry out his plan through the valley of the Ili River, where rich cities were located and they were ruled by an old enemy of Genghis Khan - Khan of the Naimans Kuchluk.
While Genghis Khan was conquering more and more cities and provinces of China, the fugitive Naiman Khan Kuchluk asked the gurkhan who had given him shelter to help gather the remnants of the army defeated at the Irtysh. Having got a rather strong army under his hand, Kuchluk entered into an alliance against his overlord with the Shah of Khorezm Muhammad, who had previously paid tribute to the Kara-Kitays. After a short but decisive military campaign, the allies were left with a big win, and the gurkhan was forced to give up power in favor of an uninvited guest.
In 1213, the gurkhan Zhilugu died, and the Naiman khan became the sovereign ruler of Semirechye. Sairam, Tashkent, the northern part of Ferghana passed under his authority. Having become an implacable opponent of Khorezm, Kuchluk began to persecute Muslims in his possessions, which aroused the hatred of the settled population of Zhetysu. The ruler of Koilyk (in the valley of the Ili River) Arslan Khan, and then the ruler of Almalyk (to the north-west of modern Kulja) Buzar moved away from the Naimans and declared themselves subjects of Genghis Khan.
In 1218, Jebe detachments, together with the troops of the rulers of Koilyk and Almalyk, invaded the lands of the Karakitays. The Mongols conquered Semirechye and East Turkestan owned by Kuchluk. In the very first battle, Jebe defeated the Naimans. The Mongols allowed Muslims to public worship, which was previously prohibited by the Naimans, which contributed to the transition of the entire settled population to the side of the Mongols. Kuchluk, unable to organize resistance, fled to Afghanistan, where he was caught and killed. The inhabitants of Balasagun opened the gates to the Mongols, for which the city received the name Gobalyk - "good city".
The road to Khorezm was opened before Genghis Khan.
After the capture of Samarkand (spring of 1220), Genghis Khan sent troops to capture the Khorezmshah Muhammad, who fled after the Amu Darya. The tumens of Jebe and Subedei passed through Northern Iran and invaded the South Caucasus, bringing cities into submission by negotiations or force and collecting tribute. Having learned about the death of the Khorezmshah, the noyons continued their march to the west. Through the Derbent passage, they penetrated into the North Caucasus, defeated the Alans, and then the Polovtsians.
In the spring of 1223, the Mongols defeated the combined forces of the Russians and the Polovtsians on the Kalka., but when retreating to the east, they were defeated in the Volga Bulgaria. The remnants of the Mongol troops in 1224 returned to Genghis Khan, who was in Central Asia.
Upon his return from Central Asia, Genghis Khan again led his army through Western China. According to Rashid-ad-din, in the autumn of 1225, having migrated to the borders of Xi Xia, while hunting, Genghis Khan fell off his horse and was badly hurt. By evening, Genghis Khan developed a strong fever. As a result, in the morning a council was assembled, at which the question was "to postpone or not the war with the Tanguts."
The council was not attended by the eldest son of Genghis Khan Jochi, to whom there was already a strong distrust, due to his constant deviations from his father's orders. Genghis Khan ordered the army to march against Jochi and put an end to him, but the campaign did not take place, as the news of his death came. Genghis Khan fell ill throughout the winter of 1225-1226.
In the spring of 1226, Genghis Khan again led the army, and the Mongols crossed the Xi-Xia border in the lower reaches of the Edzin-Gol River. The Tanguts and some of the allied tribes were defeated and lost several tens of thousands of dead. Genghis Khan gave the civilian population to the flow and plunder to the army. This was the beginning of the last war of Genghis Khan. In December, the Mongols crossed the Huang He and reached the eastern regions of Xi-Xia. Near Lingzhou, a 100,000-strong Tangut army clashed with the Mongols. The Tangut army was completely defeated. The way to the capital of the Tangut kingdom was now open.
In the winter of 1226-1227. The final siege of Zhongxing began. In the spring and summer of 1227, the Tangut state was destroyed and the capital was doomed. The fall of the capital of the Tangut kingdom is directly related to the death of Genghis Khan, who died under its walls. According to Rashid ad-din, he died before the fall of the Tangut capital. According to Yuan-shih, Genghis Khan died when the inhabitants of the capital began to surrender. The "Secret Tale" tells that Genghis Khan received the Tangut ruler with gifts, but, feeling unwell, ordered to kill him. And then he ordered to take the capital and put an end to the Tangut state, after which he died. Sources name different causes of death - a sudden illness, a disease from the unhealthy climate of the Tangut state, a consequence of a fall from a horse. It is established with confidence that he died in the early autumn (or late summer) of 1227 on the territory of the Tangut state immediately after the fall of the capital Zhongxing (the modern city of Yinchuan) and the destruction of the Tangut state.
There is a version that Genghis Khan was stabbed to death by a young wife at night, whom he took by force from her husband. Fearing for what she had done, she drowned herself in the river that very night.
According to the will, Genghis Khan's successor was his third son Ogedei.
Where Genghis Khan was buried is still not exactly established, the sources give different places and methods of burial. According to the chronicler of the 17th century Sagan Setsen, "his true corpse, as some say, was buried on Burkhan-Khaldun. Others say that they buried him on the northern slope of Altai Khan, or on the southern slope of Kentei Khan, or in the area, called Yehe-Utek.
The main sources by which we can judge the life and personality of Genghis Khan were compiled after his death (especially important among them are "Secret Story"). From these sources we obtain information both about Genghis' appearance (tall stature, strong build, broad forehead, long beard) and about his character traits. Coming from a people who apparently did not have a written language and developed state institutions before him, Genghis Khan was deprived of a book education. With the talents of the commander, he combined organizational skills, inflexible will and self-control. Generosity and affability he possessed to a sufficient degree to retain the affection of his companions. Without denying himself the joys of life, he remained a stranger to excesses incompatible with the activities of a ruler and commander, and lived to an advanced age, retaining his mental abilities in full force.
Descendants of Genghis Khan - Genghisides:
Temujin and his first wife Borte had four sons: Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, Tolui. Only they and their descendants inherited the highest power in the state.
Temujin and Borte also had daughters: Khodzhin-begi, the wife of Butu-gurgen from the Ikires clan; Tsetseihen (Chichigan), wife of Inalchi, the youngest son of the head of the Oirats Khudukh-beki; Alangaa (Alagay, Alakha), who married the Ongut noyon Buyanbald (in 1219, when Genghis Khan went to war with Khorezm, he entrusted state affairs to her in his absence, therefore she is also called Toru zasagchi gunji (princess ruler); Temulen, wife Shiku-gurgen, son of Alchi-noyon from the Ungirats, the tribe of her mother Borte; Alduun (Altalun), who married Zavtar-setsen, noyon of the Khongirads.
Temujin and his second wife Khulan-khatun, daughter of Dair-usun, had sons Kulhan (Khulugen, Kulkan) and Kharachar; and from the Tatar Yesugen (Esukat), the daughter of Charu-noyon, the sons Chakhur (Dzhaur) and Harkhad.
The sons of Genghis Khan continued the work of their father and ruled the Mongols, as well as the conquered lands, based on the Great Yasa of Genghis Khan until the 20s of the XX century. The Manchurian emperors who ruled Mongolia and China from the 16th to the 19th century were descendants of Genghis Khan through the female line, as they married Mongolian princesses from Genghis Khan's family. The first prime minister of Mongolia of the 20th century, Sain-Noyon-khan Namnansuren (1911-1919), as well as the rulers of Inner Mongolia (until 1954) were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
The summary genealogy of Genghis Khan was conducted until the 20th century. In 1918, the religious head of Mongolia, Bogdo-gegen, issued an order to preserve the Urgiin bichig (family list) of Mongolian princes. This monument is kept in the museum and is called "Shastra of the State of Mongolia"(Mongol Ulsyn Shastir). Today, many direct descendants of Genghis Khan live in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia (PRC), as well as in other countries.
Strictly speaking, Genghis Khan is not a name, but a title. He was received by Temujin at a kurultai (meeting with the Mongols) at the end of the 12th century.
The name of Genghis Khan
A few years later, in 1206, now at a large kurultai of all Mongol tribes, the title of Genghis Khan, emphasizing primacy, was confirmed by all Mongol princes. The meaning of the title "Chinggis" is dark: "Chinggis" or "Tengis" the Mongols called the sea, it was a separate deity in the pantheon of shamanism. Perhaps it is associated with the name of Tengri - the god of all Mongols. The anonymous author of the "Secret History of the Mongols" translates Genghis Khan-Khan by the will of the Eternal Blue Sky. And the name given to Genghis Khan at birth is Temujin, which means "blacksmith". It is related to the Turkic-Mongolian root "temur" - "iron".
The brutality of Genghis Khan
The world of the steppe nomads was full of customs that seemed wild and barbaric to the representatives of urban, sedentary civilizations. However, many of these cruelties were undeservedly attributed by educated contemporaries to Genghis Khan. Such "legends" include the story that after one of the battles, he ordered the prisoners to be boiled in seventy cauldrons. This extreme cruelty, even by steppe standards, was committed after one of the victories by the opponent of Genghis - Khan Chzhamukha. Later, after the death of the latter, it was attributed to Genghis Khan. Moreover, enemies and fellow tribesmen noted the wisdom and justice of Genghis. So one day the soldiers of the hostile khan ran to him, bringing with them the head of their master. But Genghis Khan ordered the execution of the defectors - precisely because they betrayed their ruler.
"To reach the last sea"
This famous saying, in its full form, "I will reach the 'last' sea, and then the whole universe will be under my hand," is usually attributed to Genghis Khan. However, in fact, it does not belong to him, and was invented much later.
In the plans of the Conqueror, there was not even a thought to move to Europe, and almost all the wars that he waged began against his will. Genghis Khan conquered Khorezm in revenge for the murder of his ambassadors and the treacherous attack on his trade caravan. The murder of the Mongol ambassadors by the Russian princes led to the defeat of the latter at Kalka. Fulfilling the duty of blood revenge for the murdered grandfather, the Conqueror defeated the Chinese kingdom of Jin. What can we say, at the age of nine, he shot his own brother Belgutai with a bow because he took away the “brilliant fish” from him. The task of a military campaign in Europe was set only by his son - Ogedei in 1235.
The ruler of the largest state in the world?
The Mongol Empire is rightfully considered the largest state in the history of mankind - by 1279 its area was about 33 million square meters. km. The British Empire during the period of maximum domination in the 20-30s of the XX century, according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, occupied only 31.8 million square meters. km. populated territory. However, Genghis Khan died long before the maximum expansion of the borders of his state.
In 1227, his power was not only smaller than the Russian Empire and the USSR, but also inferior in area to the Spanish-Portuguese colonial empire of the late 17th century. The conquests of the Mongols were especially active after the death of Genghis Khan. His descendants subjugated part of Central Europe, the Crimea, the Polovtsian steppes, Russia, Volga Bulgaria, the Far East, Persia and South China.
What was in the will of Genghis Khan?
After the death of Genghis, power passed not to his eldest son Chochi, and not even to the second - Chagatai, but only to the third - Ogedei. The chronicle of the steppes - "The Secret History of the Mongols" contains a colorful story explaining the choice of the father in favor of the youngest son. Chochi and Chagatai argued over the right to inherit (the first was born when Borte, the wife of Genghis Khan, was in captivity and the paternity of Genghis was in doubt), and the dispute threatened to turn into a big quarrel. According to legend, Genghis Khan awarded the inheritance to his third son, obliging the first two to help him.
However, was it really so? The choice in favor of Ogedei was supported not only by the "doubtful" origin of the eldest son. Ogedei was more like his father than others, distinguished by his calmness, wisdom, and traits of a diplomat. Genghis considered them much more important for managing a huge state. The right of birthright in Mongolian society was not so strong - the power of the father was considered indisputable, and people were often promoted to leadership positions according to their skills and talent, and not by origin.
Where is Genghis Khan's tomb located?
The place where one of the greatest rulers in history is buried is unknown to us. Medieval historians Rashid ad-Din and Marco Polo wrote that the soldiers who buried the khan killed anyone who met them on the way, and after the burial they turned the bed of one of the rivers over the grave in order to save it from looting. The death of Genghis Khan was kept secret for a long time - for security reasons. Only after the funeral procession returned to the Khan's camp in the upper reaches of the Kerulen River, was it allowed to spread the news of his death.
Historians and archaeologists still do not know the burial place of the great commander, despite numerous excavations that are still ongoing. We only know about the grave that it was located in the Mongolian steppe, on the slope of one of the mountains where the great conqueror spent his childhood.
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 one day, 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 chain 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 nearly 20 years, Genghis Khan's armies were also active 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 governor of Otrar, who, apparently, considered that this was just a cover for a spy mission, attacked the Mongolian diplomatic caravan. 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.
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 actions 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 Semirechye 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 win over the population, 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 flow 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 through 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 sources, 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.
