Temujin

Temujin, known in the West as Genghis Khan, was born in the 1160s into the Borjigin clan of the Mongol steppe. The son of Yesügei and Hoelun, he grew up amid tribal warfare and family hardship after his father’s murder. Through personal charisma, strategic alliances, and ruthless early battles, Temujin gradually united many Mongol tribes and factions. He defeated his rival Jamukha in a series of conflicts, forged a large confederation, and established a centralized military and administrative framework.

In 1206, Temujin was proclaimed Genghis Khan, meaning universal ruler, at a kurultai that recognized his leadership and the unity of the Mongol peoples. He implemented a merit-based system that promoted skilled leaders regardless of noble birth and began the expansion of the Mongol realm. His military tactics emphasized rapid horseman warfare, highly mobile cavalry, the use of the composite bow, and coordinated feints and encirclements. The campaigns extended Mongol influence across the Eurasian steppe, displacing rivals and integrating conquered peoples.

Genghis Khan initiated major campaigns beyond the steppes, including the invasion of the Western Xia and the Khwarezmian Empire, and he laid the groundwork for later conquests in northern China and Central Asia. He also encouraged trade and religious tolerance within a vast, multi-ethnic empire, and he collected a body of laws known as the Yassa to govern Mongol governance and warfare.

He died in 1227 during a campaign in northern China. His death ended his campaigns, but his successors continued to expand the empire, which became the largest contiguous land empire in history. His legacy endures in the structure, reach, and historical memory of the Mongol Empire.