The World of the Khans
start
Overview
- Around CE 1162, in a yurt on the windswept steppes of Mongolia, a child was born.
- Young Temujin grew up regarding savage violence as a way of life.
- As an adult, he was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. By then, Temujin was known as Genghis Khan.
- His name would inspire terror, but he would establish an empire larger than any the world had ever known.
- Kublai Khan kept the Silk Road secure, which meant that trade continued freely. He also welcomed the Italian adventurer Marco Polo.
from temujin to genghis khan
Temujin’s warlord father Yesugei was a khan, or leader. When Temujin was nine, his father was assassinated by an enemy clan, and his own clan abandoned him and his family to avoid having to care for them. But by the time he was 20, Temujin was respected as a fierce warrior. He gathered followers and convinced the bickering tribesmen to cast aside their differences and unite for their common benefit.
In 1206, a tribal council declared him the Great Khan of the Mongols. Temujin became Genghis Khan. Soon the Great Khan’s mounted hordes, up to 80,000 strong, raged across Asia.
Ruling by Blood, Fire, and Fear
Genghis Khan’s tactics in warfare were fearsome. He targeted a kingdom, then he offered its people the chance to surrender peaceably and submit to his rule. If they refused him, he was merciless. His mounted raiders would sweep down upon the town with slashing swords and put the entire city to the torch.
Ruling by Blood, Fire, and Fear (continued)
The Mongols killed as many as 40 million people, although exact figures are elusive, given the shortage of primary sources from that time. The Mongols may have killed 10 percent of the world’s inhabitants and reduced the population of Persia by 75 percent.
However, Genghis Khan was also a highly effective ruler. His accomplishments included:
- religious tolerance in the empire
- establishment of the first international postal system
- adoption of a writing system
- institution of a system of laws to maintain order and regulate behavior in occupied territories
- expansion of the Silk Road to connect Europe and China
The Mongol Empire Expands
Under his rule, Mongolia underwent a cultural, scientific, and economic transformation. Historians speculate that ancient Greek and Roman thought mixed with classical Chinese wisdom, and Buddhist mixed with Hinduism, Islam, and animism. In fact, Kublai Khan was fascinated by Christianity and requested priests from the Vatican to come to his court.
The descendants of Genghis extended the borders to the Middle East and Central Europe, until Mongol territory covered nearly 12 million square miles, making it the largest empire in the world. But because of infighting and power grabs, the massive empire held together for only a century after Genghis’s death. By 1368, it collapsed and split into three large empires—Chinese, Persian, and Russian—and several smaller Central Asian states.
On the death of Genghis Khan, his Mongol Empire stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Yellow Sea. Kublai ascended to Great Khan in 1260. He finally conquered the entire Chinese Empire in 1279, expanding the Yuan Dynasty and reigning as the first Mongol emperor of China. Kublai ruled China in the Confucian tradition.
Kublai kept the Silk Road secure, which meant that trade continued unabated. He also welcomed the Italian adventurer Marco Polo. Polo, with his father and uncle, paved the way for increased trade between the East and West. Goods from Asia, especially silk and spices, flowed westward through the Khan’s Empire. Likewise, ideas and innovations flowed east. Kublai welcomed outside ideas.
The World of the Khans
Mountain Heights Academy
Created on February 4, 2026
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Transcript
The World of the Khans
start
Overview
from temujin to genghis khan
Temujin’s warlord father Yesugei was a khan, or leader. When Temujin was nine, his father was assassinated by an enemy clan, and his own clan abandoned him and his family to avoid having to care for them. But by the time he was 20, Temujin was respected as a fierce warrior. He gathered followers and convinced the bickering tribesmen to cast aside their differences and unite for their common benefit. In 1206, a tribal council declared him the Great Khan of the Mongols. Temujin became Genghis Khan. Soon the Great Khan’s mounted hordes, up to 80,000 strong, raged across Asia.
Ruling by Blood, Fire, and Fear
Genghis Khan’s tactics in warfare were fearsome. He targeted a kingdom, then he offered its people the chance to surrender peaceably and submit to his rule. If they refused him, he was merciless. His mounted raiders would sweep down upon the town with slashing swords and put the entire city to the torch.
Ruling by Blood, Fire, and Fear (continued)
The Mongols killed as many as 40 million people, although exact figures are elusive, given the shortage of primary sources from that time. The Mongols may have killed 10 percent of the world’s inhabitants and reduced the population of Persia by 75 percent.
However, Genghis Khan was also a highly effective ruler. His accomplishments included:
The Mongol Empire Expands
Under his rule, Mongolia underwent a cultural, scientific, and economic transformation. Historians speculate that ancient Greek and Roman thought mixed with classical Chinese wisdom, and Buddhist mixed with Hinduism, Islam, and animism. In fact, Kublai Khan was fascinated by Christianity and requested priests from the Vatican to come to his court. The descendants of Genghis extended the borders to the Middle East and Central Europe, until Mongol territory covered nearly 12 million square miles, making it the largest empire in the world. But because of infighting and power grabs, the massive empire held together for only a century after Genghis’s death. By 1368, it collapsed and split into three large empires—Chinese, Persian, and Russian—and several smaller Central Asian states.
On the death of Genghis Khan, his Mongol Empire stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Yellow Sea. Kublai ascended to Great Khan in 1260. He finally conquered the entire Chinese Empire in 1279, expanding the Yuan Dynasty and reigning as the first Mongol emperor of China. Kublai ruled China in the Confucian tradition. Kublai kept the Silk Road secure, which meant that trade continued unabated. He also welcomed the Italian adventurer Marco Polo. Polo, with his father and uncle, paved the way for increased trade between the East and West. Goods from Asia, especially silk and spices, flowed westward through the Khan’s Empire. Likewise, ideas and innovations flowed east. Kublai welcomed outside ideas.