Genghis Khan

{{Audio|Genghis Khan.ogg|Genghis Khan}} (c. 1162{{fn|1}}–August 18, 1227) (Cyrillic: Чингис Хаан), (also spelled as Chingis Khan, Jenghis Khan, etc.), (pronounced {{IPA|/ʧiŋɡis xaːn/}}), born as Temüjin (Тэмүүжин), was a Great Khan and hugely successful military leader who united the Mongol tribes and founded the Mongol Empire (1206–1368).

Outward campaigns

China

Genghis already was about 40 years old when he became Khan and began his campaign outward. At the time of the Khuriltai in 1206, when Genghis obtained his title, the Mongols were involved in a dispute with the Tangut Empire of Western Xia, which demanded tribute from them. Genghis led the Mongols against Xi Xia, and conquered the empire despite initial difficulties in defeating its well-defended cities. By 1209, the Tangut emperor acknowledged Genghis as overlord. In 1211, Genghis set about bringing the Nuzhen (the founders of the Jin Dynasty) completely under his dominion, in order to prevent them from challenging the Mongols for territory and resources. The Mongol army crossed the Great Wall of China in 1213, and in 1215 Genghis besieged, captured, and sacked the Jin capital of Yanjing (later known as Beijing). This forced the Jin Emperor Xuan Zong to move his capital south to Kaifeng.

Related Topics:
Khan - Khuriltai - 1206 - Mongols - Tangut - Western Xia - Tribute - 1209 - 1211 - Nuzhen - Jin Dynasty - Great Wall of China - 1213 - 1215 - Beijing - Xuan Zong - Kaifeng

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Mongol Empire campaigned six times against the Tanguts (1202, 1207, 1209-1210, 1211-1213, 1214-1219 and 1225-1226). The vassal emperor of the Tanguts (Western Xia) had refused to take part in the war against the Khwarizmid Empire (see below). While Genghis was busy with the campaign in Persia, Tangut and Jin formed an alliance against the Mongols. In retaliation, Genghis prepared for war against their alliance.

Related Topics:
Mongol Empire - 1202 - 1207 - 1209 - 1210 - 1211 - 1213 - 1214 - 1219 - 1225 - 1226 - Vassal - Khwarizmid Empire

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1226, Genghis attacked the Tanguts on the pretext that the Tanguts had deceived the Mongols. In February, he took Heisui, Ganzhou and Suzhou, and in the autumn he took Xiliang-fu. One of the Tangut generals challenged the Mongols to a battle near Helanshan (Helan means "great horse" in the northern dialect, shan means "mountain"). The Tangut armies were soundly defeated. In November, Genghis laid siege to the Tangut city of Lingzhou and then crossed the Yellow River and defeated the Tangut relief army. Genghis reportedly saw five stars arranged in a line in the sky, which he took to be an omen of his victory.

Related Topics:
1226 - Tangut - February - Heisui - Ganzhou - Suzhou - Xiliang - Helanshan - November - Lingzhou - Yellow River

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1227, Genghis attacked the Tanguts' capital, and he continued to advance, seizing Lintiao-fu in February, Xining province and Xindu-fu in March, and Deshun province in April. At Deshun, the Tangut general Ma Jianlong put up a fierce resistance for several days and personally led charges against the invaders outside of the city gate. Ma Jianlong later died from wounds received from arrows in battle. Genghis, after conquering Deshun, went to Liupanshan (Qingshui County, Gansu Province) for shelter from the severe summer.

Related Topics:
1227 - Lintiao - Xining - Xindu - Deshun - Liupanshan - Qingshui - Gansu

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The new Tangut emperor quickly surrendered to the Mongols. The Tanguts officially surrendered in 1227, after having ruled for 189 years, beginning in 1038. In the end, Genghis had the Tangut emperor and his family executed.

Related Topics:
1227 - 1038

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By this time, his advancing age had led Genghis to make preparations for his death and to assure an orderly succession among his descendants. He selected his third son Ögedei as his successor and established the method of selection of subsequent Khans, specifying that they should come from his direct descendants.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Central Asia

Meanwhile, Kuchlug, the deposed Khan of the Naiman tribe, had fled west and usurped the Khanate of Kara-Khitan (also known as Kara Kitay), the western allies who had decided to side with Genghis. By this time the Mongol army was exhausted from ten years of continuous campaigning in China against the Tangut and the Rurzhen. Therefore, Genghis sent only two tumen (roughly 20,000 soldiers) under a brilliant young general, Jebe (known as "The Arrow"), against Kuchlug. An internal revolt against Kuchlug was incited by Mongol agents, leaving the Naiman forces open for Jebe to overrun the country. Kuchlug's forces were defeated west of Kashgar. He was captured and executed and Kara-Khitan was annexed by Genghis. By 1218, the Mongol Empire extended as far west as Lake Balkhash and it adjoined Khwarizm, a Muslim state that reached to the Caspian Sea in the west and to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea in the south.

Related Topics:
Kuchlug - Naiman - Khanate - Kara-Khitan - Tumen - Jebe - Kashgar - 1218 - Lake Balkhash - Khwarizm - Muslim - Caspian Sea - Persian Gulf - Arabian Sea

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Talented military generals and strategists of Genghis, such as Subutai and Jebe, played considerable roles in the practicalities of the war, using hands-on approaches. These generals were purely choosen as part of a meritocracy, as none of them were from the direct family line of Genghis. Genghis did not as a general rule trust his relatives, and so he did not allow them to command significant numbers of soldiers.

Related Topics:
Generals - Strategists - Subutai - Jebe - Meritocracy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Middle East

In 1218, Genghis sent emissaries to an eastern province of Khwarizm with the intention of discussing possible trade with the Khwarizmian Empire. The governor of the province had the emissaries executed, and Genghis retaliated with an invasion force of 20 tumen (200,000 troops). The Mongol army quickly seized the town, relying on superior strategy and tactics. Once he had conquered the city he killed many of the inhabitants, and he executed the governor by pouring molten silver into his ears and eyes, as retribution for the insult.

Related Topics:
1218 - Emissaries - Khwarizm - Khwarizmian Empire - Silver

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At this point (1219), Genghis decided to extend Mongol control into the Muslim world. The Mongol army methodically marched through and sacked Khwarizm's main cities (Bukhara, Samarkand, and Balkh). The leader of Khwarizm, Shah Muhammad II, prepared to battle with them. However he was outmaneuvered by the much swifter Mongol army and driven into extended retreat. In the end, the Shah killed himself rather than surrender, when he was cornered, and by 1220 the Khwarizmian Empire was eradicated.

Related Topics:
1219 - Muslim - Bukhara - Samarkand - Balkh - Shah Muhammad II - 1220

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Mongol armies then split into two component forces. Genghis led a division on a raid through Afghanistan and northern India, while another contingent, led by his general Subedei, marched through the Caucasus and Russia. Neither campaign added territory to the empire, but they pillaged settlements and defeated any armies they met that did not acknowledge Genghis as the rightful leader of the world. In 1225 both divisions returned to Mongolia.

Related Topics:
Afghanistan - India - Subedei - Caucasus - Russia - 1225

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These invasions ultimately added Transoxiana and Persia to an already formidable empire.

Related Topics:
Transoxiana - Persia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Europe and Caucasus

While he was gathering his forces in Persia and Armenia, a detached force of 40,000 troops of Batu Khan commanded by Subutai pushed deep into Armenia and Azerbaijan. Batu destroyed Georgian crusaders, sacked the Genoese trade-fortress of Kaffa in Crimea, and stayed the winter near the Black Sea. While he was heading home, Batu assaulted the Kipchaks and was intercepted by the allied troops of Mstislav the Bold of Halych and Mstislav III of Kiev, along with a force of Kievan Rus' numbering around 80,000. Batu sent emmisaries to the Slavic princes calling for separate peace, but the emmisaries were executed. At the Battle of Kalka River in 1223, the Mongols defeated the larger Russian force, capturing and killing six princes, Mstislav of Kiev among them.

Related Topics:
Persia - Armenia - Batu Khan - Subutai - Azerbaijan - Georgian - Crusade - Genoese - Kaffa - Crimea - Black Sea - Kipchak - Mstislav the Bold - Halych - Mstislav III of Kiev - Kievan Rus' - Slavic - Prince - Peace - Battle of Kalka River - 1223

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Characteristic of war

Genghis preferred to offer opponents the chance to submit to his rule without a fight, but was merciless if he encountered any resistance: in such cases he would totally exterminate the entire population of the resisting cities. There also were mass slaughters even where there was no resistance, especially in Northern China, and the vast majority of the populations had long histories of accepting nomadic rulers. Genghis' conquests were characterized by wholesale destruction on an unprecedented scale and radically changes in the demographics of Asia. Over much of Central Asia Indo-European Persian-speakers were replaced by Turkic speakers. According to the works of Iranian historian Rashid al-Din, the Mongols killed over 70,000 people in Merv and more than a million in Nishapur. China suffered a drastic decline in population. Before the Mongol invasion, China had at least 100 million inhabitants; after the complete conquest in 1279, the census in 1300 showed it to have roughly 60 million people. How many of these deaths were attributable directly to Genghis and his forces is unclear, as are the numbers.

Related Topics:
Rashid al-Din - Merv - Nishapur

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~