Chingiz Khan (Mong. Chinggis Khaan), proper name - Temujin, Temuchin, Temujin (Mong. Temujin) (c. 1155 or 1162 - August 25, 1227). The founder and the first great khan of the Mongol Empire, who united the scattered Mongol tribes, the commander who organized the Mongol conquest campaigns in China, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Founder of the largest continental empire in human history. After his death in 1227, the heirs of the empire were his direct descendants from his first wife Borte in the male line, the so-called Chingizids.
According to the Secret Legend, the ancestor of Genghis Khan was Borte-Chino, who intermarried with Goa-Maral and settled in Khentei (central-eastern Mongolia) near Mount Burkhan Khaldun. According to the assumption of Rashid ad-Din, this event took place in the middle of the VIII century. Bata-Tsagaan, Tamachi, Horichar, Uudzhim Buural, Sali-Khadzhau, Eke Nyuden, Sim-Sochi, Kharchu were born from Borte-Chino in 2-9 generations.
Borzhigidai-Mergen was born in the 10th tribe, married to Mongolzhin-goa. From them, in the 11th generation, the family tree was continued by Torokoldzhin-bagatur, who married Borochin-goa, from them Dobun-Mergen and Duva-Sokhor were born. Dobun-Mergen's wife was Alan-goa - the daughter of Horilardai-Mergen from his one of the three wives Barguzhin-Goa. Thus, the foremother of Chinggis Khan is from the Khori-tumats, one of the Buryat branches.
The three youngest sons of Alan-goa, who were born after the death of her husband, were considered the ancestors of the Nirun Mongols ("the Mongols proper"). The Borjigins originated from the fifth, youngest son of Alan-goa, Bodonchar.
Temujin was born in the Delyun-Boldok tract on the banks of the Onon River in the Yesugei-bagatura family from the Borjigin clan and his wife Hoelun from the Olkhonut clan, whom Yesugei recaptured from the Merkit Eke-Chiledu. The boy was named after the Tatar leader Temujin-Uge captured by Yesugei, whom Yesugei defeated on the eve of his son's birth.
Temujin's year of birth remains unclear, since the main sources point to different dates. According to the only source of Genghis Khan's lifetime, Men-da bey-lu (1221) and according to the calculations of Rashid ad-Din, made by him on the basis of original documents from the archives of the Mongol khans, Temujin was born in 1155.
The "History of the Yuan Dynasty" does not give an exact date of birth, but only calls the duration of Genghis Khan's life as "66 years" (taking into account the conditional year of intrauterine life, taken into account in the Chinese and Mongolian traditions of calculating of the next year of life occurred simultaneously for all Mongols with the celebration of the Eastern New Year, that is, in reality, rather, about 69 years), which, when counted from the known date of his death, gives 1162 as the date of birth.
However, this date is not supported by earlier authentic documents from the Mongol-Chinese chancellery of the 13th century. A number of scientists (for example, P. Pelliot or G.V. Vernadsky) indicate the year 1167, but this date remains the most vulnerable hypothesis for criticism. The newborn, it is said, was clutching a clot of blood in his palm, which foreshadowed him a glorious future as the ruler of the world.
When his son was 9 years old, Yesugei-Bagatur married him to Borte, an 11-year-old girl from the Ungirat clan. Leaving his son in the bride's family until he comes of age, in order to get to know each other better, he went home. According to the Secret Legend, on the way back, Yesugei stayed at the Tatars' camp, where he was poisoned. Upon returning to his native ulus, he fell ill and died three days later.
After the death of Temujin's father, his adherents left the widows (Yesugei had 2 wives) and Yesugei's children (Temujin and his brothers Hasar, Khachiun, Temuge and from his second wife, Bekter and Belgutai): the head of the Taichiut clan drove the family out of their homes, driving the whole her cattle. For several years the widows with their children lived in complete poverty, wandered in the steppes, feeding on roots, game and fish. Even in the summer, the family lived from hand to mouth, making provisions for the winter.
The leader of the Taichiuts, Targutai-Kiriltukh (a distant relative of Temujin), who declared himself the ruler of the lands once occupied by Yesugei, fearing revenge from a growing rival, began to persecute Temujin. Once an armed detachment attacked the camp of the Yesugei family. Temujin managed to escape, but he was overtaken and taken prisoner... A block was put on it - two wooden boards with a hole for the neck, which were pulled together. The block was a painful punishment: a person himself did not have the opportunity to either eat or drink, or even drive away a fly that had landed on his face.
One night, he found a way to escape and hide in a small lake, plunging into the water with the block and sticking only his nostrils out of the water. The Taichiuts searched for him in this place, but could not find him. He was noticed by a farm laborer from the Suldus tribe of Sorgan-Shira, who was among them, but who did not betray Temujin. He several times passed by the escaped prisoner, calming him down and for others pretending that he was looking for him. When the night search was over, Temujin got out of the water and went to Sorgan-Shira's dwelling, hoping that he, saving one time, would help again.
However, Sorgan-Shira did not want to hide him and was about to drive Temujin away, when suddenly the sons of Sorgan stood up for the fugitive, who was then hidden in a cart with wool. When the opportunity arose to send Temujin home, Sorgan-Shira put him on a mare, supplied him with weapons and took him on the road (later Chilown, the son of Sorgan-Shira, became one of the four nukers of Genghis Khan).
After a while, Temujin found his family. The Borjigins immediately migrated to another place, and the Taichiuts could not find them. At the age of 11, Temujin made friends with his peer of noble birth from the Jadaran (Jajirat) tribe - Jamuhoy, who later became the leader of this tribe. With him in his childhood, Temujin became a twin brother (anda) twice.
A few years later, Temujin married his betrothed Borte(by this time, Boorchu appears in Temujin's service, who is also one of the four close nukers). Borte's dowry was a luxurious sable fur coat. Temujin soon went to the most powerful of the then steppe leaders - Tooril, the Khan of the Kereite tribe.
Tooril was a twin brother (anda) of Temujin's father, and he managed to enlist the support of the Kereite leader, recalling this friendship and offering Borte's fur coat with a sable. Upon Temujin's return from Togoril Khan, one old Mongol man gave him his son Dzhelme, who became one of his generals, to serve him.
With the support of Tooril Khan, Temujin's forces began to gradually grow. Nukers began to flock to him. He raided neighbors, multiplying his holdings and herds. He differed from the rest of the conquerors in that during the battles he tried to keep as many people from the enemy ulus alive as possible in order to further attract them to his service.
The first serious opponents of Temujin were the Merkits, who acted in alliance with the Taichiuts. In the absence of Temujin, they attacked the Borjigin camp and hijacked Borte(presumably she was already pregnant and was expecting her first son Jochi) and Yesugei's second wife, Sochihel, Belgutai's mother.
In 1184 (according to rough estimates, based on the date of birth of Ogedei), Temujin, with the help of Tooril Khan and his Kereites, as well as Jamukha from the Jajirat clan (invited by Temujin at the insistence of Tooril Khan) defeated the Merkits in the first battle in his life in the interfluve the confluence of the Chikoy and Khilok rivers with the Selenga on the territory of present-day Buryatia and returned to Borte. Belgutai's mother, Sochihel, refused to go back.
After the victory, Tooril Khan went to his horde, and Temujin and Jamuqa remained to live together in the same horde, where they again entered into an alliance of twinning, exchanging gold belts and horses. After some time (from six months to one and a half), they dispersed, while many noyons and nukers of Jamuqa joined Temujin (which was one of the reasons for Jamuqa's dislike for Temujin).
Having separated, Temujin proceeded to set up his ulus, creating an apparatus for managing the horde. The first two nukers, Boorchu and Dzhelme, were appointed senior in the khan's headquarters, the command post was given to Subadei-bagatur, in the future the famous commander of Genghis Khan. In the same period, Temujin has a second son, Chagatai (the exact date of his birth is not known) and a third son, Ogedei (October 1186). Temujin created his first small ulus in 1186(1189/90 is also likely) and had 3 tumen (30,000 people) troops.
Jamuqa was looking for an open quarrel with his anda. The reason was the death of Jamuha Taichar's younger brother during his attempt to steal a herd of horses from Temujin's possessions. Under the pretext of revenge, Jamukha with his army in 3 darkness moved to Temujin. The battle took place near the Gulegu mountains, between the headwaters of the Sengur River and the upper course of the Onon. In this first big battle (according to the main source "The Secret Legend of the Mongols"), Temujin was defeated.
The first major military enterprise of Temujin after the defeat from Jamukha was the war against the Tatars together with Tooril Khan. The Tatars at that time with difficulty repulsed the attacks of the Jin troops that had entered their possession. The combined troops of Tooril Khan and Temujin, joining the troops of Jin, moved on the Tatars. The battle took place in 1196. They dealt a series of strong blows to the Tatars and captured rich booty.
The government of the Jurchen Jin, as a reward for the defeat of the Tatars, conferred high titles on the steppe leaders. Temujin received the title of "Jauthuri"(military commissar), and Tooril - "Van" (prince), from that time he became known as Wang Khan. Temujin became a vassal of Wang Khan, whom Jin saw as the most powerful of the rulers of Eastern Mongolia.
In 1197-1198. Wang Khan, without Temujin, made a campaign against the Merkits, plundered and paid nothing to his named "son" and vassal Temujin. This marked the beginning of a new cooling.
After 1198, when the Jin ruined the Kungirats and other tribes, the Jin's influence in eastern Mongolia began to weaken, which allowed Temujin to take possession of the eastern regions of Mongolia.
At this time, Inanch-khan dies and the Naiman state breaks up into two ulus, at the head of Buyruk-khan in Altai and Tayan-khan on the Black Irtysh.
In 1199, Temujin, together with Wang Khan and Jamukha, attacked Buiruk Khan with joint forces and he was defeated. Upon returning home, the Naiman detachment blocked the way. It was decided to fight in the morning, but at night Wang Khan and Jamuqa disappeared, leaving Temujin alone in the hope that the Naimans would end him. But by the morning, Temujin found out about this and retreated without engaging in battle. The Naimans began to persecute not Temujin, but Wang Khan. The Kereits entered into a difficult battle with the Naimans, and, in the evidence of death, Wan Khan sent messengers to Temujin with a request for help. Temujin sent his nukers, among whom Boorchu, Mukhali, Borokhul and Chilown distinguished themselves in battle.
For his salvation, Wang Khan bequeathed his ulus to Temujin after his death.
In 1200, Wang Khan and Timuchin performed in a joint campaign against taiichiuts... Merkits came to the aid of the taiichiuts. In this battle, Temujin was wounded by an arrow, after which Jelme was courting him for the next night. By morning, the Taichiuts disappeared, leaving many people behind. Among them was Sorgan-Shira, who once saved Timuchin, and the well-aimed shooter Jirgoadai, who confessed that it was he who shot Timuchin. He was accepted into the Timuchin army and received the nickname Jebe (arrowhead). A pursuit was organized for the taiichiuts. Many were killed, some surrendered to the service. This was the first major victory won by Temujin.
In 1201, some Mongol forces (including Tatars, Taichiuts, Merkits, Oirats and other tribes) decided to unite in the fight against Timuchin. They took an oath of allegiance to Jamukha and elevated him to the throne with the title of gurkhan. Upon learning of this, Timuchin contacted Wang Khan, who immediately raised an army and arrived at him.
In 1202, Temujin independently opposed the Tatars. Before this campaign, he gave an order, according to which, under the threat of the death penalty, it was strictly forbidden to seize prey during a battle and pursue the enemy without an order: the commanders were to divide the seized property between the soldiers only at the end of the battle. The fierce battle was won, and on the advice gathered by Temujin after the battle, it was decided to destroy all Tatars, except for the children below the cart wheel, as revenge for the Mongol ancestors they had killed (in particular, for Temujin's father).
In the spring of 1203, at Khalakhaljin-Elat, the battle of Temujin's troops with the combined forces of Jamukha and Wan Khan took place (although Wan Khan did not want war with Temujin, but he was persuaded by his son Nilha-Sangum, who hated Temujin for what Wan Khan gave to him preference over his son and thought to transfer the Kereite throne to him, and Jamuqa, who claimed that Temujin was uniting with the Naiman Taiyan Khan).
In this battle, Temujin's ulus suffered heavy losses. But the son of Wang Khan was wounded, because of which the Kereites left the battlefield. To gain time, Temujin began to send diplomatic messages, the purpose of which was to separate both Jamukha and Wang Khan, and Wang Khan from his son. At the same time, a number of tribes that did not join either side formed a coalition against both Wang Khan and Temujin. Upon learning of this, Wang Khan attacked first and defeated them, after which he began to feast. When it was reported to Temujin, it was decided to attack with lightning speed and take the enemy by surprise. Without even making a night stop, Temujin's army overtook the Kereites and utterly defeated them in the fall of 1203... The Kereit ulus ceased to exist. Wang Khan and his son managed to escape, but ran into a guard of Naimans, and Wang Khan died. Nilha-Sangum was able to escape, but was later killed by the Uighurs.
With the fall of the Kereites in 1204, Jamukha with the remaining army joined the Naimans in the hope of Temujin's death at the hands of Tayan Khan, or vice versa. Tayan Khan saw Temujin as the only rival in the struggle for power in the Mongol steppes. Learning that the Naimans think about the attack, Temujin decided to march against Tayan Khan. But before the campaign, he began to reorganize the management of the army and the ulus. In the early summer of 1204, Temujin's army - about 45,000 horsemen - set out on a campaign against the Naimans. Tayan Khan's army at first retreated in order to lure Temujin's army into a trap, but then, at the insistence of Tayan Khan's son, Kuchluk, entered the battle. The Naimans were defeated, only Kuchluk with a small detachment managed to go to Altai to his uncle Buyuruk. Tayan Khan died, and Jamukha disappeared even before the start of the fierce battle, realizing that the Naimans could not win. In the battles with the Naimans, Khubilai, Jebe, Jelme and Subadei especially distinguished themselves.
Temujin, building on his success, spoke out against the Merkits, and the Merkit people fell. Tohtoa-beki, the ruler of the Merkits, fled to Altai, where he united with Kuchluk. In the spring of 1205, Temujin's army attacked Tokhtoa-beki and Kuchluk in the area of the Bukhtarma river. Tokhtoa-beks died, and his army and most of the Naimans of Kuchluk, pursued by the Mongols, drowned while crossing the Irtysh. Kuchluk with his people fled to the Kara-Kitays (southwest of Lake Balkhash). There Kuchluk managed to gather scattered detachments of Naimans and Kerait, enter into a disposition to the gurkhan and become a fairly significant political figure. The sons of Tokhtoa-beki fled to the Kypchaks, taking with them the severed head of their father. Subedei was sent to chase them.
After the defeat of the Naimans, most of the Mongols of Jamukha went over to the side of Temujin. At the end of 1205, Jamukha himself was handed over to Temujin alive by his own nukers, hoping by this to save their lives and curry favor, for which they were executed by Temujin as traitors.
Temujin offered his friend complete forgiveness and renewal of the old friendship, but Jamuqa refused, saying: "as in the sky there is only room for one sun, so in Mongolia there should be only one ruler."
He asked only for a dignified death (without bloodshed). His wish was granted - Temujin's warriors broke Jamukha's back... Rashid ad-Din attributed the execution of Jamukh to Elchidai-noyon, who cut Jamukha into pieces.
In the spring of 1206, at the source of the Onon River at the kurultai, Temujin was proclaimed a great khan over all the tribes and received the title "kagan", taking the name Chingiz (Chingiz - literally "lord of water" or, more precisely, "lord of the endless as the sea"). Mongolia was transformed: the scattered and warring Mongol nomadic tribes united into a single state.
Mongol Empire in 1207
A new law came into force - Yasa Genghis Khan... In Yasa, the main place was occupied by articles about mutual assistance in the campaign and the prohibition of deceiving the person who confided in him. Those who violated these regulations were executed, and the enemy of the Mongols, who remained loyal to their ruler, was spared and accepted into their army. Faithfulness and courage were considered good, and cowardice and betrayal were considered evil.
Genghis Khan divided the entire population into tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (ten thousand), thereby mixing tribes and clans and appointing commanders over them specially selected people from close associates and nukers. All adult and healthy men were considered warriors who ran their household in peacetime, and took up arms in wartime.
The armed forces of Genghis Khan, formed in this way, numbered about 95 thousand soldiers.
Individual hundreds, thousands and tumens, together with the territory for nomadism, were given into the possession of this or that noyon. The Great Khan, the owner of all the land in the state, distributed the land and arats in the possession of the noyons, on the condition that they would regularly fulfill certain duties for this.
The most important duty was military service. Each noyon was obliged, at the first request of the overlord, to put the required number of soldiers in the field. Noyon, in his lot, could exploit the labor of the arats, distributing his livestock to them for pasture or engaging them directly to work on his farm. Small noyons served large ones.
Under Genghis Khan, the enslavement of the arats was legalized, and the unauthorized transition from one dozen, hundreds, thousands or tumen to others was prohibited. This prohibition meant the formal attachment of the arat to the land of the noyons - for disobeying the arat, the death penalty was threatened.
An armed detachment of personal bodyguards, called keshik, enjoyed exclusive privileges and was intended to fight against the khan's internal enemies. The Keshikten were selected from the Noyon youth and were under the personal command of the khan himself, being essentially the khan's guard. At first, the detachment consisted of 150 keshikten. In addition, a special detachment was created, which was to always be in the vanguard and be the first to engage in battle with the enemy. It was named a squad of heroes.
Genghis Khan created a network of communication lines, courier communications on a large scale for military and administrative purposes, organized intelligence, including economic.
Genghis Khan divided the country into two "wings". At the head of the right wing, he put Boorcha, at the head of the left - Mukhali, two of his most faithful and tested companions. The position and titles of senior and higher military leaders - centurions, thousand and temniks - he made hereditary in the family of those who, with their faithful service, helped him to seize the khan throne.
In 1207-1211, the Mongols conquered the land of the forest tribes, that is, they subjugated almost all the main tribes and peoples of Siberia, imposing tribute on them.
Before the conquest of China, Genghis Khan decided to secure the border by capturing the Xi-Xia Tangut state in 1207, which was located between his possessions and the Jin state. Having captured several fortified cities, in the summer of 1208, Genghis Khan withdrew to Longjin, waiting out the intolerable heat that fell that year.
He captured the fortress and passage in the Great Wall of China and in 1213 directly invaded the Chinese state of Jin passing to Nianxi in Hanshu province. Genghis Khan led his troops inland and established his rule over the province of Liaodong, central to the empire. Several Chinese generals went over to his side. The garrisons surrendered without a fight.
Having established his position along the entire Great Wall of China, in the fall of 1213, Genghis Khan sent three armies to different parts of the Jin Empire. One of them, under the command of the three sons of Genghis Khan - Jochi, Chagatai and Ogedei, headed south. Another, led by the brothers and generals of Genghis Khan, moved east to the sea.
Genghis Khan himself and his younger son Tolui headed the main forces in a southeast direction. The first army advanced as far as Honan and, capturing twenty-eight cities, joined Genghis Khan on the Great Western Road. The army under the command of the brothers and generals of Genghis Khan captured the province of Liao-si, and Genghis Khan himself ended his triumphant campaign only after he reached the sea rocky promontory in Shandong province.
In the spring of 1214, he returned to Mongolia and made peace with the Chinese emperor, leaving him Beijing. However, the leader of the Mongols did not have time to leave behind the Great Wall of China, as the Chinese emperor moved his court farther, to Kaifeng. This step was perceived by Genghis Khan as a manifestation of hostility, and he again brought troops into the empire, now doomed to death. The war continued.
The Jurchen troops in China, replenished at the expense of the aborigines, fought the Mongols until 1235 on their own initiative, but were defeated and exterminated by Genghis Khan's successor Ugedei.
Following China, Genghis Khan was preparing for a campaign in Central Asia. He was especially attracted by the flourishing cities of Semirechye. He decided to carry out his plan through the valley of the Ili River, where the rich cities were located and ruled by the old enemy of Genghis Khan, the Naiman Khan Kuchluk.
While Genghis Khan was conquering all the new cities and provinces of China, the fugitive Naiman Khan Kuchluk asked the gurkhan who gave him refuge to help collect the remnants of the army defeated at the Irtysh. Having obtained a rather strong army under his arm, Kuchluk concluded an alliance against his overlord with the Shah of Khorezm Muhammad, who had previously paid tribute to the Karakitai. After a short but decisive military campaign, the allies were left in a big win, and the gurkhan was forced to relinquish power in favor of an intruder.
In 1213, the gurkhan Chzhilugu died, and the Naiman khan became the sovereign ruler of Semirechye. Sairam, Tashkent, and the northern part of Fergana came under his rule. Having become an implacable enemy of Khorezm, Kuchluk began persecuting Muslims in his possessions, which aroused the hatred of the sedentary population of Zhetysu. The ruler of Koilyk (in the valley of the Ili river) Arslan khan, and then the ruler of Almalyk (north-west of modern Kulja) Bu-zar departed from the Naimans and declared themselves subjects of Genghis Khan.
In 1218, Jebe's detachments, together with the troops of the rulers of Koilyk and Almalyk, invaded the lands of the Karakitai. Mongols conquered Semirechye and East Turkestan owned by Kuchluk. In the first battle, Jebe defeated the Naimans. The Mongols allowed Muslims to worship in public, which was previously prohibited by the Naimans, which contributed to the transition of the entire sedentary population to the side of the Mongols. Kuchluk, unable to organize resistance, fled to Afghanistan, where he was caught and killed. The inhabitants of Balasagun opened the gates to the Mongols, for which the city was named Gobalyk - "a good city".
The road to Khorezm was opened before Genghis Khan.
After the capture of Samarkand (spring of 1220), Genghis Khan sent troops to capture the Khorezmshah Muhammad, who fled beyond the Amu Darya. The Tumens of Jebe and Subedei passed through northern Iran and invaded the South Caucasus, bringing the cities into submission by negotiation or force and collecting tribute. Having learned about the death of the Khorezmshah, the noyons continued their march to the west. Through the Derbent passage, they penetrated the North Caucasus, defeated the Alans, and then the Polovtsians.
In the spring of 1223, the Mongols defeated the combined forces of the Russians and Polovtsy on Kalka, but when retreating to the east, they were defeated in the Volga Bulgaria. The remnants of the Mongol troops in 1224 returned to Genghis Khan, who was in Central Asia.
Upon his return from Central Asia, Genghis Khan once again led his army through Western China. According to Rashid ad-din, in the fall of 1225, having migrated to the borders of Xi Xia, while hunting, Genghis Khan fell from his horse and was badly hurt. By evening, Genghis Khan began to have a strong fever. As a result, the next morning a council was assembled, on which the question was "whether or not to postpone the war with the Tanguts."
The council was not attended by the eldest son of Genghis Khan, Jochi, to whom there was already a strong distrust, due to his constant evasion of his father's orders. Genghis Khan ordered the army to march against Jochi and put an end to him, but the campaign did not take place, as news of his death came. Genghis Khan fell ill throughout the winter of 1225-1226.
In the spring of 1226, Genghis Khan again led the army, and the Mongols crossed the Xi-Xia border in the lower reaches of the Edzin-Gol River. The Tanguts and some allied tribes were defeated and lost several tens of thousands killed. Genghis Khan gave the civilian population to the stream and plundered the army. This was the beginning of Genghis Khan's last war. In December, the Mongols crossed the Yellow River and entered the eastern regions of Xi-Xia. Near Lingzhou, there was a clash of a hundred thousand army of the Tanguts with the Mongols. The Tangut army was completely defeated. The way to the capital of the Tangut kingdom was now open.
In the winter of 1226-1227. the last siege of Zhongxing began. In the spring and summer of 1227, the Tangut state was destroyed and the capital was doomed. The fall of the capital of the Tangut kingdom is directly related to the death of Genghis Khan, who died under its walls. According to Rashid ad-din, he died before the fall of the Tangut capital. According to Yuan-shi, Genghis Khan died when the capital's residents began to surrender. The Secret Legend tells that Genghis Khan accepted the Tangut ruler with gifts, but feeling bad, ordered to kill him. And then he ordered to take the capital and put an end to the Tangut state, after which he died. Sources name different causes of death - a sudden illness, illness from the unhealthy climate of the Tangut state, a consequence of a fall from a horse. It is established with certainty that he died in early autumn (or late summer) of 1227 on the territory of the Tangut state immediately after the fall of the capital Zhongxing (the modern city of Yinchuan) and the destruction of the Tangust state.
There is a version that Genghis Khan was stabbed to death by a young wife at night, whom he forcibly took away from her husband. Fearing for what she had done, she drowned herself in the river that very night.
According to the will, Genghis Khan was succeeded by his third son Ogedei.
Where Genghis Khan was buried, it has not yet been precisely established, sources cite different places and methods of burial. According to the 17th century chronicler Sagan Setsen, “his real corpse, as some say, was buried on Burkhan Khaldun. called Yehe-Utek.
The main sources by which we can judge the life and personality of Genghis Khan were compiled after his death (especially important among them "Secret Legend"). From these sources we get information about both the appearance of Chinggis (tall, strong build, wide forehead, long beard), and about his character traits. Coming from a people who apparently did not have a written language and developed state institutions before him, Genghis Khan was deprived of book education. With the talents of a commander, he combined organizational skills, unyielding will and self-control. He was generous and affable enough to maintain the affection of his companions. Without denying himself the joys of life, he remained a stranger to excesses incompatible with the activities of the ruler and commander, and lived to old age, retaining his mental abilities in full force.
Descendants of Genghis Khan - Genghisids:
Temujin and his first wife Borte had four sons: Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, Tolui. Only they and their descendants inherited the supreme power in the state.
Temujin and Borte also had daughters: Khojin-bags, the wife of Butu-gurgen from the ikirez clan; Tsetseikhen (Chichigan), wife of Inalchi, the youngest son of the head of the Oirats, Khuduha-beki; Alangaa (Alagai, Alakha), who married the Noyon of the Onguts Buyanbald (in 1219, when Genghis Khan went to war with Khorezm, he entrusted her with state affairs in his absence, therefore she is also called Tooru dzasagchi gunji (princess-ruler); Temulen, wife Shiku-gurgena, the son of Alchi-noyon from the Ungirats, the tribe of her mother Borte; Alduun (Altalun), who married Zavtar-setsen, noyon of the Khongirads.
Temujin and his second wife, the Merkitka Khulan-Khatun, the daughter of Dair-usun, had sons Kulkhan (Khulugen, Kulkan) and Kharachar; and from the Tatar woman Yesugen (Esukat), the daughter of Charu-noyon, the sons of Chakhur (Jaur) and Kharhad.
The sons of Genghis Khan continued the work of their father and ruled the Mongols, as well as the conquered lands, based on the Great Yasa of Genghis Khan until the 20s of the XX century. The Manchu emperors, who ruled Mongolia and China from the 16th to the 19th century, were descendants of Genghis Khan in the female line, since they married Mongol princesses from the clan of Genghis Khan. The first Prime Minister of Mongolia of the 20th century, Sain Noyon Khan Namnansuren (1911-1919), as well as the rulers of Inner Mongolia (until 1954) were the direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
The combined genealogy of Genghis Khan was kept up to the XX century. In 1918, the religious head of Mongolia, Bogdo-gegen, issued an order to preserve the Urgiin bichig (family list) of the Mongol princes. This monument is kept in the museum and is called "Shastra of the State of Mongolia"(Mongol Ulsyn Shastir). Today, many direct descendants of Genghis Khan live in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia (PRC), as well as in other countries.
Death of Genghis Khan. Major versions
Genghis Khan died in 1227 during a campaign against... At the dying wish of Genghis Khan, his body was transported to his homeland and interred in the region of Mount Burkan-Kaldun.
According to the official version of the "Secret Legend", on the way to the Tangut state, he fell from his horse and was badly hurt while hunting wild horses-kulans and fell ill:
“Having decided to go to Tangutov at the end of the winter period of the same year, Genghis Khan conducted a new inventory of the troops and in the fall of the Year of the Dog (1226) set out on a campaign against Tangutov. Yesui-ha followed the sovereign from the khansh
tun. On the way, during a round-up on the Arbukhai wild kulan horses, which are found there in abundance, Genghis Khan sat astride a brown-gray horse. During the raid of kulans, his brown-gray rose to the top, and the sovereign fell and was badly hurt. Therefore, we made a stop at the Tsoorkhat tract. The night passed, and the next morning Yesui-Khatun said to the princes and noyons: “The sovereign had a strong fever at night. We need to discuss the situation. "
Further in the text of the "Secret Legend" it is said that "Genghis Khan, after the final defeat of the Tanguts, returned and ascended to heaven in the year of the Pig" (1227) From the Tangut booty, he especially generously rewarded Yesuy-Khatun at his very departure. "
In the "Collection of Chronicles" of Rashid ad-Din about the death of Genghis Khan, it is said the following:
“Genghis Khan died within the country of Tangut from an illness that happened to him. Even earlier, during the testament to his sons and sending them back, he commanded that when this event happened to him, they would hide him, not weep or cry, so that his death would not be revealed, and that the emirs and troops would wait there while the emperor and the inhabitants of Tangut would not leave the city walls at the appointed time, then they would have killed everyone and would not have allowed the rumor of his death to quickly reach the regions until the ulus gathered together. According to his will, the death was hidden. "
At Marco Polo, Genghis Khan heroically dies in battle from a wound in the knee with an arrow, at and in the annals «
from an incurable disease caused by an unhealthy climate " or from the fever he contracted in the Tangut city, infrom a lightning strike. The version of the death of Genghis Khan from a lightning strike is found only in the works of Plano Carpini and brother C. de Bridia. In Central Asia, death from lightning was considered unfortunate to the extreme.
In the Tatar chronicleGenghis Khan was stabbed to death with sharp scissors in a dream by a young Tangut princess during their wedding night. According to another uncommon legend, he died during the wedding night from a fatal wound inflicted by the teeth of a Tangut princess, who then threw herself into the Huang-he River. This river began to be called by the Mongols Khatun-Muren, which means “ queen's river».
In retellingthis legend goes like this:
“According to the widespread Mongolian legend, which the author also had to hear, Genghis Khan seemed to have died from a wound inflicted by the Tangut khansha, the beauty Kyurbeldishin Khatun, who spent the only wedding night with Genghis Khan, who took her as a wife by right of the conqueror after taking the Tangut kingdom. The Tangut king Shidurkho-Hagan, who left his capital and his harem, who was distinguished by cunning and cunning, seemed to persuade his wife, who remained there, to inflict a mortal wound with the teeth of Genghis Khan during the wedding night, and his deceit was so great that he sent advice to Genghis Khan to searched "to the nails" in order to avoid an attempt on the life of the khan. After being bitten, Kyurbeldishin-Khatun rushed as if into the Yellow River, on the banks of which Genghis Khan stood as his headquarters. After that, the Mongols began to call this river Khatun-muren, which means “the river of the queen”.
A similar version of the legend is given by N.M. Karamzin in "History of the Russian State" (1811):
"Karpini writes that Genghis Khan was killed by thunder, and the Siberian Mungals say that he, having taken the young wife from the Tangut Khan by force, was stabbed to death by her at night, and that she, fearing execution, drowned in the river, which was therefore named Khatun-Gol."
N.M. Karamzin probably borrowed this testimony from the classic work "History of Siberia", written by the German historian Academician G. Miller in 1761:
“It is known how Abulgazi tells about the death of Chinggis: according to him, she followed on the way back from Tangut, after he defeated a ruler named Shidurku, who had been appointed by himself, but rebelled against him. The Mongolian chronicles give completely different information about this. Gaudurga, as they write, was then a khan in Tangut, he was attacked by Genghis in order to kidnap one of his wives, about whose beauty he had heard a lot. Genghis was fortunate enough to obtain the desired loot. On the way back, during an overnight stay on the banks of a large river, which is the border between Tangut, China and Mongolian land and which flows through China into the ocean, he was killed while sleeping by his new wife, who stabbed him to death with sharp scissors. The killer knew that for her deed she would receive retribution from the people. She warned the punishment that threatened her by the fact that immediately after the murder she threw herself into the above-named river and there she committed suicide. In memory of her, this river, which is called Gyuan-go in Chinese, received the Mongolian name Khatun-gol, that is, a female river. The steppe at Khatun-gol, in which this great Tatar sovereign and the founder of one of the largest kingdoms was buried, bears the Mongol name of Nulun-talla. But it is not known whether other Tatar or Mongol sovereigns from the Chingis clan were also buried there, as Abulgazi tells about the Burkhan-kaldin tract. "
G. Miller calls the Tatar manuscript chronicle of Khan Abulagazi the source of this information and “... However, information that Genghis Khan was stabbed to death with sharp scissors is given only in the chronicle of Abulagazi; there is no such detail in the Golden Chronicle, although the rest of the plot is the same.
The Mongolian Shastra Orunga says: "Genghis Khan in the summer of the year ge-cow in the sixty-sixth year of his life in the city
simultaneously with his wife Goa Khulan, having changed his body, he showed eternity. "
All of the above versions of the same memorable event for the Mongols are surprisingly very different from each other. The latter version contradicts the "Secret Legend", which says that at the end of his life Genghis Khan was ill, and next to him was his devoted khansha Yesui-Khatun.
Thus, today there are five different versions of the death of Genghis Khan, each of which has an authoritative basis in historical sources.
Compared to him, Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin seem like inexperienced newcomers.
Genghis Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire and one of the most brutal people in human history. Compared to him, Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin seem like inexperienced novices.
Today we rarely hear anything about Mongolia - except that Russia is conducting nuclear tests in the steppes there. If Genghis Khan had been alive, he would never have allowed it!
And in general, he would not have given anyone peace, because most of all he loved to fight.
Here are 15 startling facts about a Mongol general who could have conquered the world:
1.40 million corpses
Historians estimate that Genghis Khan is responsible for 40 million deaths. So that you understand, this is 11% of the total population of the planet at that time.
For comparison: the Second World War sent to the next world "only" 3% of the world's population (60-80 million).
The adventures of Genghis Khan, thus, contributed to the cooling of the climate in the XIII century, since they removed more than 700 million tons of carbon dioxide from the Earth.
2. At the age of 10, Genghis Khan killed his half-brother
Genghis Khan had a difficult childhood. His father was killed by the warriors of a warring tribe when Genghis Khan was only 9.
Then his mother was expelled from the tribe, so she had to raise seven children alone - it was not easy in 13th century Mongolia!
When Genghis Khan was 10 years old, he killed his half-brother Bekter for not wanting to share food with him!
3. Genghis Khan is not his real name
The real name of the person we know as Genghis Khan is Temujin, which means "iron" or "blacksmith".
The name is not bad, but clearly not worthy of a great warrior and emperor. Therefore, in 1206, Temujin named himself Genghis Khan.
"Khan"- this, of course, "ruler", but about the meaning of the word "Chingis" scientists still argue. The most common version says that this is a distorted Chinese "Zheng" - "equitable"... So - this, oddly enough, "Just ruler".
4. Genghis Khan used brutal torture
Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols were famous for terrible torture. One of the most popular was pouring molten silver down the victim's throat and ears.
Genghis Khan himself loved this method of execution: the enemy was bent back until his spine broke.
And Genghis Khan and his squad celebrated the victory over the Russians in the following way: they threw all the surviving Russian soldiers on the ground, and on top of them they put a huge wooden gate. Then a feast was held at the gate, flattening the suffocating prisoners.
5. Genghis Khan held beauty contests
Having seized a new land, Genghis Khan ordered to kill or enslave all men, and gave women to his soldiers. He even arranged beauty contests among the captives in order to choose the most beautiful one for himself.
The winner became one of his numerous harem, and the rest of the participants were sent to mock the soldiers.
6. Genghis Khan defeated superior armies
The size of the Mongol Empire testifies to the fact that Genghis Khan was truly a great commander.
At the same time, he more than once won victories over the superior forces of the enemy. For example, he defeated a million soldiers of the Jin Dynasty with an army of 90,000 Mongols.
During the conquest of China, Genghis Khan killed 500,000 Chinese soldiers before the rest surrendered to the victor's mercy!
7. Genghis Khan turned enemies into companions
In 1201, Genghis Khan was wounded in battle by an enemy archer. The Mongol army won the battle, after which Genghis Khan ordered to find the very archer who shot at him.
He said that the arrow hit his horse, and not himself, so that the archer would not be afraid to confess. And when the archer was found, Genghis Khan acted unexpectedly: instead of killing the enemy on the spot, he invited him to join the Mongol army.
Such military cunning and sagacity is one of the reasons for the unprecedented military successes of Genghis Khan.
8. Nobody knows what Genghis Khan looked like
There are tons of pictures of Genghis Khan on the internet and history books, but we really have no idea what he looked like.
How is this possible? The fact is that Genghis Khan forbade himself to be portrayed. Therefore, there are no paintings, statues, or even written descriptions of his appearance.
But after his death, people immediately rushed to portray the late tyrant from memory, so we have a rough idea of what he might look like. However, some historians say he had red hair!
9. Genghis Khan had a lot of children
Every time Genghis Khan conquered a new country, he took one of the local women as his wife. All of them eventually became pregnant and gave birth to his offspring.
Genghis Khan believed that by populating all of Asia with his offspring, he guaranteed the stability of the empire.
How many children did he have?
It is impossible to say for sure, but, according to historians, about 8% of all Asians are his descendants!
10. In Mongolia, Genghis Khan is revered as a folk hero
The portrait of Genghis Khan is adorned with tugriks - the Mongolian currency. In Mongolia, he is considered a hero for the creation of the great Mongol Empire.
It is not customary to talk about the cruelty of Genghis Khan - he is a hero.
When Mongolia was socialist, that is, it was ruled from Moscow, any mention of Genghis Khan was prohibited. But since 1990, the cult of the ancient ruler has blossomed with renewed vigor.
11. Genghis Khan committed genocide of Iranians
The Iranians hate Genghis Khan as much as the Mongols adore him. And there is a reason for that.
The Khorezm empire, located on the territory of modern Iran, was a powerful power until the Mongols attacked it. For several years, the Mongol army completely destroyed Khorezm.
According to historians, Genghis Khan's troops massacred ¾ of the entire population of Khorezm. It took the Iranians 700 years to restore the population!
12. Genghis Khan was religiously tolerant
Despite his cruelty, Genghis Khan was quite tolerant in matters of religion. He studied Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity and dreamed of the Mongol Empire as a place where there would be no religious strife.
At one point, Genghis Khan even arranged a debate between Christians, Muslims and Buddhists to determine which religion is the best. However, the participants got very drunk, so the winner was never determined.
13. Genghis Khan did not forgive the offenders
Genghis Khan allowed the inhabitants of the Mongol Empire to live for their own pleasure, if they did not violate the rules established by him. But any violation of these rules was punished in the most severe way.
For example, when the ruler of one Khorezm city attacked a Mongolian trade caravan and killed all the merchants, Genghis Khan was furious. He sent 100,000 soldiers to Khorezm, who killed thousands of people.
The unlucky ruler himself paid dearly: his mouth and eyes were poured with molten silver. It was a clear sign that any attack against the Mongol Empire would be punished disproportionately harshly.
14. The death of Genghis Khan is shrouded in mystery
Genghis Khan died in 1227 at the age of 65. To this day, his death is surrounded by an aura of mystery.
It is not known from what he died, nor where his grave is. Of course, this gave rise to many legends.
The most popular version says that he was killed by a captive Chinese princess. There are also versions that he fell from his horse - either just like that, or because he was hit by an enemy arrow.
It is unlikely that we will ever know the truth about what happened 800 years ago. After all, even the burial place of the Mongol emperor was never found!
15. Genghis Khan created the largest uninterrupted empire in history
The Mongol Empire created by Genghis Khan will forever remain the largest uninterrupted empire in the history of mankind.
It occupied 16.11% of all land, and its area was 24 million square kilometers!
The male name Genghis Khan has Mongolian roots and means “strong khan”, that is, “strong ruler”. As a matter of fact, this is not so much a name as a title, because Genghis Khan himself, as a historical person, at birth was called in a completely different way - Temujin. He was rarely used as a name. Currently, in our country, there is hardly at least one owner of this name.
Characteristics of the name Genghis Khan
Nevertheless, it can be assumed that Genghis Khan's character will be rather complex. This personality is quiet, deep in itself, and therefore inattentive to the world around him. In childhood, the owner of this name will be inconspicuous and calm, loving to listen to the conversations of adults. Parents will not have problems with his upbringing, since Genghis Khan is a very independent boy, loving to learn, non-conflict and obedient. It is almost impossible to imagine that he will fall into bad company - he is too smart to succumb to other people's influence, and stubborn to know what he needs in life. The adult Genghis Khan always acts imperceptibly, in the shadows, but manages to overtake all his competitors. In business, he shows a strong will and great caution, prefers to work slowly, but efficiently. As for communication, among colleagues, the owner of this name shows restraint and diplomacy, does not let anyone into his inner world. He has very few friends, since Genghis Khan is demanding and dry, which few like.
Compatibility with zodiac signs
This name is suitable for a boy born under the zodiac sign of Scorpio, that is, from October 24 to November 22. Scorpio is one of the most secretive signs of the zodiac, and in this way he looks like Genghis Khan. At the same time, he is able to positively influence the owner of this name, making him more open, feeling the taste of life, struggle and risk, decisive in business and loyal in friendship.
Pros and cons of the name Genghis Khan
What are the pros and cons of the name of Genghis Khan? It should be said that there are few positive aspects of this name - unless parents want their child to be identified with the historical Genghis Khan. Otherwise, it is rather negative, for example, it is very poorly combined with Russian surnames and patronymics (imagine, for example, the name Zykin Genghis Khan Antonovich), does not have beautiful abbreviations and reductions, besides, the character of the owners of this name is naturally complex and hardly amenable correction.
Health
But Genghis Khan's health is good. He rarely gets sick, tolerates poor health, has a strong stomach and cardiovascular system, but a slightly weakened nervous system.
Love and family relationships
In family relations, Genghis Khan will also show himself well. He will choose a calm, gentle woman who can support him in his work. Next to such, Genghis Khan himself is able to become softer and more open, he will see another landmark in his life and will pay a lot of attention to his wife and children.
Professional sphere
In the professional field, the owner of this name can be called a real workaholic. He is much more dedicated to his work than his friends, and he is also an organized, careful and resilient employee. He will make an excellent head of an enterprise, politician, manager, police officer, prosecutor's office, security service, military man, diplomat, translator, surgeon.
Birthday
Genghis Khan does not celebrate his birthday, since this name is not in church calendars.
The name of Genghis Khan has long become a household name. It is a symbol of devastation and colossal wars. The ruler of the Mongols created an empire of a size that boggled the imagination of his contemporaries.
Childhood
The future Genghis Khan, whose biography has many blank spots, was born somewhere on the border of modern Russia and Mongolia. They called him Temuchin. He took the name Genghis Khan as a designation of the title of the ruler of the huge Mongol empire.
Historians have never been able to accurately calculate the date of birth of the famous commander. Various estimates put it in the interval between 1155 and 1162. This inaccuracy is due to the lack of reliable sources dating back to that era.
Genghis Khan was born into the family of one of the Mongol leaders. His father was poisoned by the Tatars, after which other contenders for power in his native uluses began to persecute the child. In the end, Temuchin was captured and forced to live with pads on his neck. This symbolized the slave position of the young man. Temuchin managed to escape from captivity, hiding in the lake. He remained under water until his pursuers began to look for him elsewhere.
Unification of Mongolia
Many Mongols sympathized with the escaped prisoner, who was Genghis Khan. The biography of this man is a vivid example of how the commander created a huge army from scratch. Once free, he was able to enlist the support of one of the khans named Tooril. This elderly ruler gave his daughter to Temuchin as a wife, thereby securing an alliance with a talented young commander.
Very soon, the young man was able to meet the expectations of his patron. Together with his army, ulus after ulus. He was distinguished by uncompromising and cruelty towards his enemies, which terrified the enemies. His main enemies were the Tatars, who dealt with his father. Genghis Khan ordered his subjects to destroy all this people, except for children, whose height did not exceed the height of a cart wheel. The final victory over the Tatars took place in 1202, when they became harmless for the Mongols, united under the rule of Temuchin.
Temuchin's new name
In order to officially consolidate his leading position among his fellow tribesmen, the leader of the Mongols convened a kurultai in 1206. This council proclaimed him Genghis Khan (or Great Khan). It was under this name that the commander went down in history. He managed to unite the warring and disparate uluses of the Mongols. The new ruler gave them a single goal - to extend their power to neighboring peoples. Thus began the Mongol campaigns of conquest, which continued after the death of Temuchin.
Genghis Khan's reforms
Reforms soon began, initiated by Genghis Khan. The biography of this leader is very informative. Temuchin divided the Mongols into thousands and tumens. These administrative units together constituted the Horde.
The main problem that could interfere with Genghis Khan was the internal enmity among the Mongols. Therefore, the ruler mixed numerous clans among themselves, depriving them of their former organization, which had existed for tens of generations. It paid off. The Horde became manageable and obedient. At the head of the tumens (one tumen consisted of ten thousand soldiers) were people loyal to the khan who obeyed his orders unquestioningly. Also, the Mongols were attached to their new troops. For moving to another tumen, the disobedient faced the death penalty. So Genghis Khan, whose biography shows a far-sighted reformer in him, was able to overcome the destructive tendencies within Mongolian society. Now he could tackle external conquests.
Chinese campaign
By 1211, the Mongols managed to subjugate all the neighboring Siberian tribes. They were distinguished by poor self-organization and could not resist the invaders. The first real test for Genghis Khan on the distant borders was the war with China. This civilization has been at war with northern nomads for many centuries and has had colossal military experience. Once the guards on the Great Wall of China saw foreign troops led by Genghis Khan (a brief biography of the leader cannot do without this episode). This system of fortifications was impregnable to previous intruders. However, it was Temuchin who was the first to take possession of the wall.
Was divided into three parts. Each of them went to conquer hostile cities in their direction (in the south, southeast and east). Genghis Khan himself reached the sea with his army. He made peace. The loser ruler agreed to recognize himself as a tributary of the Mongols. For this he received Beijing. However, as soon as the Mongols withdrew back to the steppes, the Chinese emperor moved his capital to another city. This was seen as treason. The nomads returned to China and drenched it in blood again. In the end, this country was subdued.
Conquest of Central Asia
The next region, which came under attack from Temujin, turned out to be Local Muslim rulers who did not resist the Mongol hordes for long. Because of this, the biography of Genghis Khan is being studied in detail in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan today. A summary of his life story is taught in any school.
In 1220, the khan captured Samarkand, the oldest and richest city in the region.
The next victims of the aggression of the nomads were the Polovtsians. These steppe dwellers asked for help from some Slavic princes. So in 1223 Russian soldiers first met the Mongols in the Battle of Kalka. The battle was lost by the Polovtsy and the Slavs. Temuchin himself was at that time in his homeland, but he closely followed the success of the weapons of his subordinates. Genghis Khan, whose interesting biography facts are collected in various monographs, accepted the remnants of this army, which returned to Mongolia in 1224.
The death of Genghis Khan
In 1227, during the siege of the capital of the Tanguts, the Brief Biography of the Leader, set out in any textbook, necessarily tells about this episode.
The Tanguts lived in northern China and, despite the fact that the Mongols had long subdued them, they raised an uprising. Then Genghis Khan himself led the army, which was to punish the disobedient.
According to the chronicles of that time, the leader of the Mongols received a delegation of the Tanguts who wanted to discuss the terms of the surrender of their capital. However, Genghis Khan felt bad and refused to give the ambassadors an audience. He died soon after. It is not known exactly what caused the death of the leader. Perhaps it was age, since the khan was already seventy years old, and he could hardly endure long campaigns. There is also a version that one of the wives stabbed him. The mysterious circumstances of the death are also complemented by the fact that researchers still cannot find Temuchin's grave.
Heritage
There is little reliable evidence of the empire that Genghis Khan founded. Biography, campaigns and victories of the leader - all this is known only from fragmentary sources. But the significance of the deeds of the khan is difficult to overestimate. He created the largest state in the history of mankind, spread over the vast expanse of Eurasia.
Temuchin's descendants developed his success. So, his grandson Batu led an unprecedented campaign against the Russian principalities. He became the ruler of the Golden Horde and imposed tribute on the Slavs. But the empire founded by Genghis Khan turned out to be short-lived. At first it split into several uluses. These states were eventually captured by neighbors. Therefore, it was Khan Genghis Khan, whose biography is known to any educated person, who became a symbol of Mongol power.