5 facts about Genghis Khan, history's most fearsome conqueror

5/8/2020

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History Story: 5 facts about Genghis Khan, history's most fearsome conqueror

An excellent warrior and military leader, this man used the strength of his personality to create a powerful army and forge the largest contiguous empire in history. Read on to find 5 of the most brutal Genghis Khan facts.

How did everything begin?

in the 12th century, Mongols were nomadic people who lived on the open plains of East Asia;
they regularly moved from one place to another and were led by Khans;
they were excellent horsemen and archers, lived in separate groups and constantly fought each other.

Genghis Khan, born in 1162, became a powerful leader who managed to form strategic alliances and make all Mongols unite. Even his enemies had to join his side, and by 1206 he had been declared the Universal Ruler. Genghis Khan established the Mongol Empire and started to conquer foreign lands.

In his lifetime, Genghis Khan led his army to conquer eastern Islamic countries and Northern China. After his death in 1227, his sons and daughters continued the conquest, as well as his grandchildren. Within half a century of Genghis Khan's death, the Mongol Empire had stretched from the Korean peninsula to the Black Sea.

Here are 5 Genghis Khan facts you may find interesting:

#1 His real name was Temüjin Borjigin

His birth name Temüjin meant "blacksmith". Temüjin was proclaimed Genghis Khan, which means "universal ruler", only after he had united all the Mongol tribes under his rule.

#2 He fathered hundreds of children

His marriage with his primary wife, Börte, was arranged when she was 10 and Temüjin was 9 years old. As any powerful Mongol man, Genghis Khan had many minor wives – according to some sources, there were more than 500 of them. Almost all their children remained undocumented, as the Mongol line of succession was reserved for Börte's children only.

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#3 He had a very rough childhood

Temüjin's father was an influential man, but he was killed when the boy was 9 years old. Temüjin and his siblings grew up in poverty. As an adolescent, he possibly even killed his half-brother who didn't share food with the rest of the starving family.

If you are enjoying this article, you must be interested in these wonderful facts about the life in Mongolia.

#4 He declared religious freedom across the empire

The Mongols were shamanists, but Genghis Khan didn't seek to spread his faith over the world. He would often meet with religious leaders of different confessions to discuss the matters of spirituality and learn something new for himself. He even exempted places of worship from taxation.

#5 Almost nothing is known about the way he looked, the cause of his death or the location of his grave

His contemporary portraits didn't survive, and a lot of information regarding his personal life is unreliable or contradictory. According to many sources, he died of injuries sustained from falling off his horse, but there are many other versions, including parasitic diseases and arrow wounds.

Which of these facts about Genghis Khan surprised you the most? What do you think of his influence on the history of humanity? Do you know any other interesting facts about him?

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

21 Comments

Nancy Mueller

Are there surviving descendants proven from DNA? If he had over 500 kids, his DNA must still exist, right?

Lourdes Ayala

I read an article stating that because he had so very many descendants, there is mongol DNA in all of us!

Richard Hoff

I'm always amazed at how we glorify the way that he and others like him are treated like heroes but in fact were murderous killing machines.

M Renz

I know I am a descendant through DNA. Both of my parents .

Mother of Dogs

Why do so many people insist on repeating what was said in the articles or answers?

Julie Domaille

I read he was born holding a blood clot in his little fist which was seen as a sign he would become a great leader. In Europe, if you aren't related to Charlemaine you are Ghengis khan's offspring so they both must be so glad the child support agency didn't catch them 😉

Bill Haddacks

Lourdes Ayala, A DNA study of central Asia turned up a group of 25% of the population who could only be explained by Gengis Khan

Mark Dukhi

Lourdes Ayala, MONGOL DNA IN 1 IN EVERY 200,000 PERSON ALIVE TODAY

Leticia Olsen

😮He looks like my great great grandfather!🎎

alaexys

Nancy Mueller, yes. One of his descendents, Ali Khan married actress Rita Hayworth. They had a girl Jazmine Khan

Joyce Greenlees

Nancy Mueller, if no-one knows where his body , how can DNA be extracted to prove any descendants. Yes, there will be descendants of Ghengis Khan but his actual DNA is needed to prove who his descendants are. That’s how it works.

Margaret Thomas

Lourdes Ayala, I would think if you did a DNA test and have any Asian roots, it's likely.

Barry Crews

Nancy Mueller, Need his body to be the basis of DNA analysis. I have read that his body was to be placed in a grave that no one knew the location of. One would think that is somewhere on the steppes of Mongolia.