What were some of Genghis Khan's significant accomplishments?
1 Answer
Genghis Khan (1162? - 1227) forged an empire of Steppe nomads in Mongolia and took it out conquering; his heirs caused even more disruption.
Explanation:
Genghis Khan was born to one of the fragmented Mongol clans in what is now Mongolia -- steppe nomads given to feuding and quarrelling. His father was poisoned by enemies, Ghengis (then known as Temujin) murdered his older half-brother at 14, was enslaved by enemies at 15 and escaped, and had to rescue his kidnapped wife Borte at 16. In a society riven with raids, rustling and warfare, Temujin stood out and slowly accumulated loyal followers.
His life in his 20s and early 30s is not well catalogued, but Temujin emerged as a capable Khan to the Mongols and a general in his mid-30s. Still beset with rivals in a treacherous environment, He stood out in a other way; defeated rival tribes were offered the choice of joining him, and being rewarded on merit, not on kinship ties. This increased the loyalty of his lieutenants, but Genghis was also absolutely ruthless when confronted with betrayal.
His tactics worked; he had a pan-Mongol army that knew to expect reward for loyalty, and extinction for disloyalty; and had eliminated every threat and challenge with the Mongol peoples. By 1207 it was time for the united Mongols to confront the world. By 1227, the Mongols had conquered everything from the Yalu River to the Caspian Sea -- an area of some 12 million square kilometers. Genghis' sons would go even further.
Those who surrendered to the Mongols were mostly well treated (Genghis was tolerant to all religions he encountered -- although Muslims and Jews faced some restrictions). His pride was that a young woman clad in jewelry could ride alone across his lands and be untroubled by all she met, and that there was peace within his vast realm.
On the other hand, Genghis' conquests killed at least 15 million people in his own lifetime; and entire cities had been eradicated (except for artisans, children and young women -- all enslaved). Borte, his wife, was the mother of his heirs, but he also had 500 secondary wives and concubines. His descendants are very numerous.
