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).

Personality

It is not entirely clear what Genghis was truly like, but his personality and character were doubtless molded by the many hardships he faced when he was young, and during the time that it took to unify the Mongol nation. Genghis appeared to fully embrace the Mongol people's nomadic way of life, and he did not act to change their customs or beliefs. As he aged, he seemed to become increasingly aware of the consequences of numerous victories and expansion of the Mongol Empire, including the possibility that succeeding generations might choose to live a sedentary lifestyle. According to quotations attributed to him in his later years, he urged future leaders to follow the Yasa teachings, and to refrain from surrounding themselves with wealth and pleasure.

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He apparently valued honesty and loyalty highly: even an enemy soldier's loyalty to his leader, although not a civilian populations' loyalty to their own government. His military strategies showed a deep interest in gathering good intelligence and understanding the motivations of his rivals. He seemed to be a quick study, adopting new technologies and ideas that he encountered, although he never learned a foreign language or showed much interest in the cultures of other people. He was physically timid and even the Secret History makes fun of his cowardice, though many stories and legends still claim that Genghis always was in the front in battles. He consistently displayed a sense that people were about to betray him. This is reflected in the fate of many of his closest allies and relatives: Genghis murdered his own brother by shooting him in the back.

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In all ways Temujin was a very capable leader. He was ruthless to enemies, yet very generous and loyal to friends, and to some defeated foes who had surrendered according to his understanding of the rules of war in his culture.

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The chronicler Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani left a description of Genghis, written when the subject was about 60 years of age:

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: a man of tall stature, of vigorous build, robust in body, the hair on his face scanty and turned white, with cat's eyes, possessed of dedicated energy, discernment, genius, and understanding, awe-striking, a butcher, just, resolute, an overthrower of enemies, intrepid, sanguinary, and cruel.

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