There are a large number of unique people in the history of the world. They were simple children, often brought up in poverty and did not know good manners. It was these people who changed the course of history dramatically, leaving behind only ashes. They were building a new world, a new ideology and a new outlook on life. To all these hundreds of people, humanity owes its present life, because it is the mosaic of past events that has led to what we have today. Everyone knows the names of such people, because they are constantly on the lips. Every year, scientists can provide an increasing number of interesting facts from the lives of great people. In addition, many secrets and mysteries are gradually being revealed, the disclosure of which a little earlier could have led to horrific consequences.
Introduction
Genghis Khan is the founder of the Mongol Empire, of which he was the first great khan. He rallied various disparate tribes that were on the territory of Mongolia. In addition, he carried out a large number of campaigns against neighboring states. Most military campaigns ended in complete victory. The empire of Genghis Khan is considered the largest ofcontinental throughout world history.
Birth
Temujin was born in the tract Delyun-Boldok. The father named his son Genghis Khan in honor of the captured Tatar leader Temujin-Uge, who was defeated just before the birth of the boy. The date of birth of the great leader is still not known exactly, since different sources indicate different periods. According to the documents that existed during the life of the leader and his biographer witnesses, Genghis Khan was born in 1155. Another option is 1162, but there is no exact confirmation. The boy's father, Yesugei-bagatur, left him in the family of the future bride at the age of 11. Genghis Khan had to stay there until he came of age, so that the children would get to know each other better. The little girl, the bride-to-be named Borta, was from the Ungirat family.
Father's death
According to the scriptures, on the way home, the boy's father was poisoned by the Tatars. Yesugei had a fever at home and died three days later. He had two wives. Both of them and the children of the head of the family were expelled from the tribe. Women with children were forced to live in the forest for several years. They managed to escape by a miracle: they ate plants, the boys tried to fish. Even in the warm season, they were doomed to starvation, as they had to stock up on food for the winter.
Fearing the revenge of the heirs of the great khan, the new head of the Targutai tribe - Kiriltukh pursued Temujin. Several times the boy managed to escape, but he was eventually caught. They put a wooden block on him, which absolutely limited the martyr in his actions. It was impossible to eat, drink, or even drive the pesky beetle off your face. Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, Temujin decided to run away. At night, he reached the lake, in which he hid. The boy completely sank into the water, leaving only his nostrils on the surface. The bloodhounds of the head of the tribe carefully looked for at least some traces of the escapee. One person noticed Temujin, but did not betray him. In the future, it was he who helped Genghis Khan escape. Soon the boy found his relatives in the forest. Then he married Bort.
Becoming a commander
The Empire of Genghis Khan was created gradually. At first, nukers began to flock to him, with whom he carried out attacks on neighboring territories. Thus, the young man began to have his own land, army and people. Genghis Khan began to form a special system that would allow him to effectively manage the rapidly growing horde. Around 1184, the first son of Genghis Khan, Jochi, was born. In 1206, at the congress, Temujin was proclaimed a great khan from God. From that moment on, he was considered the complete and absolute ruler of Mongolia.
Asia
The conquest of Central Asia took place in several stages. The war with the Kara-Kai Khanate ended with the Mongols getting Semirechye and East Turkestan. In order to gain the support of the population, the Mongols allowed Muslims to worship publicly, which was forbidden by the Naimans. This contributed to the fact that the permanent settled population completely took the side of the conquerors. The population considered the arrival of the Mongols "the grace of Allah", in comparison with the harshness of Khan Kuchluk. Residents themselvesopened the gates to the Mongols. It was for this that the city of Balasagun was called the "meek city." Khan Kuchluk could not organize a strong enough resistance, so he fled the city. Soon he was found and killed. Thus, the way to Khorezm was opened for Genghis Khan.
The Empire of Genghis Khan swallowed Khorezm - a large state in Central Asia. His weak point was that the nobility had full power in the city, so the situation was very tense. Muhammad's mother independently appointed all relatives to important government posts, without asking her son. Thus creating a powerful circle of support, she led the opposition against Muhammad. Internal relations became very aggravated when the heavy threat of a Mongol invasion hung. The war against Khorezm ended with neither side gaining a significant advantage. At night, the Mongols left the battlefield. In 1215, Genghis Khan agreed with Khorezm on mutual trade relations. However, the first merchants who went to Khorezm were captured and killed. For the Mongols, this was an excellent pretext for starting a war. Already in 1219, Genghis Khan, together with the main military forces, opposed Khorezm. Despite the fact that many territories were taken by siege, the Mongols plundered cities, killed and destroyed everything around. Mohammed lost the war even without a fight, and, realizing this, he fled to an island in the Caspian Sea, having previously given power into the hands of his son Jalal-ad-Din. After long battles, the khan overtook Jalal-ad-Din in 1221 near the Indus River. The enemy army consisted of about50 thousand people. To cope with them, the Mongols used a trick: by making a detour maneuver through the rocky terrain, they struck the enemy from the flank. In addition, Genghis Khan deployed a powerful guard unit of the Bagaturs. In the end, the army of Jalal-ad-Din was almost completely defeated. He, with several thousand soldiers, fled from the battlefield by swimming.
After a 7-month siege, the capital of Khorezm, Urgench, fell, the city was taken. Jalal-ad-Din fought against the troops of Genghis Khan for a long 10 years, but this did not bring significant benefits to his state. He died defending his territory in 1231 in Anatolia.
In just three short years (1219-1221), Muhammad's kingdom bowed to Genghis Khan. The entire eastern part of the kingdom, which occupied the territory from the Indus to the Caspian Sea, was under the rule of the great Khan of Mongolia.
The Mongols conquered the West by the campaign of Jebe and Subedei. Having captured Samarkand, Genghis Khan sent his troops to conquer Muhammad. Jebe and Subedei passed through the entire Northern Iran, and then captured the South Caucasus. Cities were captured by certain treaties or simply by force. The troops regularly collected tribute from the population. Soon, in 1223, the Mongols defeated the Russian-Polovtsian military forces on the Kalka River. However, retreating to the East, they lost in the Volga Bulgaria. Small remnants of a huge army returned to the great khan in 1224, and he was in Asia at that time.
Hiking
The first victory of the Khan, which occurred outside of Mongolia, happened during the campaign of 1209-1210years on the Tanguts. Khan began to prepare for war with the most dangerous enemy in the East - the state of Jin. In the spring of 1211, a great war began, which claimed many lives. Very quickly, by the end of the year, Genghis Khan's troops owned the territory from the north to the Chinese wall. Already by 1214, the entire territory covering the north and the Yellow River was in the hands of the Mongol army. In the same year, the siege of Beijing took place. The world was obtained through an exchange - Genghis Khan married a Chinese princess who had a huge dowry, land and we alth. But this step of the emperor was only a trick, and as soon as the Khan's troops began to retreat, after waiting for a good moment, the Chinese resumed the war. For them, this was a big mistake, because in a short time the Mongols defeated the capital to the last stone.
In 1221, when Samarkand fell, the eldest son of Genghis Khan was sent to Khorezm in order to begin the siege of Urgench, the capital of Muhammad. At the same time, the youngest son was sent by his father to Persia to plunder and seize territory.
Separately worth noting is the battle on Kalka, which took place between the Russian-Polovtsian and Mongolian troops. The modern territory of the battle is the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Battle of the Kalka (year 1223) led to a complete victory for the Mongols. First, they defeated the forces of the Polovtsy, and a little later the main forces of the Russian army were defeated. On May 31, the battle ended with the death of about 9 Russian princes, many boyars and warriors.
The campaign of Subedei and Jebe allowed the army to pass through a significant part of the steppes occupied by the Polovtsians. This allowed the military leaders to assess the merits of the future theater of operations, study it and think over a reasonable strategy. The Mongols also learned a lot about the internal structure of Russia, they received a lot of useful information from the prisoners. The campaigns of Genghis Khan have always been distinguished by careful tactical preparation, which was carried out before the offensive.
Rus
The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Russia took place in 1237-1240 under the rule of Chingizid Batu. The Mongols were actively advancing on Russia, inflicting strong blows, waiting for good moments. The main goal of the Mongol-Tatars was the disorganization of the soldiers of Russia, the sowing of fear and panic. They avoided battles with a large number of warriors. The tactic was to disunite a large army and break the enemy in parts, exhausting him with sharp attacks and constant aggression. The Mongols began their battles by throwing arrows in order to intimidate and distract opponents. One of the significant advantages of the Mongolian army was that the management of the battle was better organized. The controllers did not fight next to ordinary warriors, they were at a certain distance, so as to maximize the viewing angle of military operations. Instructions to the soldiers were given with the help of various signs: flags, lights, smoke, drums and trumpets. The attack of the Mongols was carefully thought out. For this, powerful reconnaissance and diplomatic preparations for battle were carried out. Much attention was paid to isolating the enemy, as well as fanning internal conflicts. After this stage, the Mongol army concentrated near the borders. Offensivehappened around the perimeter. Starting from different sides, the army sought to get to the very center. Penetrating deeper and deeper, the military destroyed cities, stole cattle, killed warriors and raped women. In order to better prepare for the attack, the Mongols sent out special observation detachments that prepared the territory and also destroyed the enemy’s weapons. The exact number of troops on both sides is not known for certain, as the information varies.
For Russia, the invasion of the Mongols was a severe blow. A huge part of the population was killed, the cities fell into decay, as they were thoroughly destroyed. Stone construction stopped for several years. Many crafts have simply disappeared. The settled population was almost completely eliminated. The empire of Genghis Khan and the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars into Russia were closely connected, since for the Mongols it was a very tasty morsel.
Khan's Empire
The Empire of Genghis Khan included a vast territory from the Danube to the Sea of Japan, from Novgorod to Southeast Asia. In its heyday, it combined the lands of Southern Siberia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China, Tibet and Central Asia. The 13th century marked the creation and flourishing of the great state of Genghis Khan. But already in the second half of the century, the vast empire began to split into separate uluses, which were ruled by the Genghisides. The most significant fragments of the huge state were: the Golden Horde, the Yuan empire, the Chagatai ulus and the Hulaguid state. And yet the borders of the empire were soimpressive that no commander or conqueror could do better.
Empire Capital
Karakoram city was the capital of the entire empire. Literally, the word translates as "black stones of the volcano." It is believed that the Karakorum was founded in 1220. The city was the place where the khan left his family during campaigns and military affairs. The city was also the residence of the khan, in which he received important ambassadors. Russian princes also came here to resolve various political issues. The XIII century gave the world many travelers who left records about the city (Marco Polo, de Rubruk, Plano Carpini). The population of the city was very diverse, since each quarter was isolated from the other. The city was inhabited by artisans, merchants who arrived from all over the world. The city was unique in terms of the diversity of its inhabitants, because among them there were people of different races, religions and mindsets. The city was also built up with many Muslim mosques and Buddhist temples.
Ogedei built a palace, which he called the "Palace of Ten Thousand Years of Prosperity". Each Chingizid also had to build his own palace here, which, of course, was inferior to the building of the son of the great leader.
Descendants
Genghis Khan had many wives and concubines until the end of his days. However, it was the first wife, Borta, who gave birth to the most powerful and famous boys to the commander. The heir of the first son of Jochi, Batu, was the creator of the Golden Horde, Jagatai-Chagatai gave the name to the dynasty that ruled over the central regions for a long time, Ogadai-Ugedei was the successor of the Khan himself, Toluiruled the Mongol Empire from 1251 to 1259. Only these four boys had a certain power in the state. In addition, Borta gave birth to her husband and daughters: Hodzhin-begi, Chichigan, Alagay, Temulen and Altalun.
The second wife of Merkit Khan Khulan Khatun gave birth to a daughter Dayrusunu and sons Kulkan and Kharachar. The third wife of Genghis Khan, Yesukat, gave him a daughter, Chara-noinona, and sons, Chakhur and Kharkhad.
Genghis Khan, whose life story is impressive, left behind descendants who ruled the Mongols in accordance with the Great Yasa Khan until the 20s of the last century. The emperors of Manchuria, who ruled over Mongolia and China from the 16th to the 19th centuries, were also the direct heirs of the khan through the female line.
The decline of the great empire
The fall of the empire lasted 9 long years, from 1260 to 1269. The situation was very tense, as there was an urgent question of who would receive all power. In addition, the serious administrative problems faced by the administration staff should be noted.
The fall of the empire happened because the sons of Genghis Khan did not want to live according to the laws established by their father. They could not live according to the main postulate "On the good quality, the severity of the state." Genghis Khan was shaped by a cruel reality that constantly demanded decisive action from him. The life of a constant tested Temujin, starting from the early years of his life. His sons lived in a completely different environment, they were protected and confident in the future. In addition, we should not forget that they valued possessionsfather is much smaller than himself.
Another reason for the collapse of the state was the struggle for power between the sons of Genghis Khan. She distracted them from the pressing affairs of the state. When it was necessary to solve important issues, the brothers were engaged in clarifying the relationship. This could not but affect the situation in the country, the world status, the mood of the people. All this led to a general deterioration in the state in many aspects. Dividing the father's empire among themselves, the brothers did not understand that they were destroying it by dismantling it into stones.
Death of a great leader
Genghis Khan, whose history is impressive to this day, having returned from Central Asia, passed with his army through Western China. In 1225, near the borders of Xi Xia, Genghis Khan was on a hunt, during which he fell and was badly hurt. By the evening of the same day, he developed a severe fever. As a consequence of this, a meeting of managers was convened in the morning, at which the question of whether or not to start a war with the Tanguts was considered. Jochi was also on the council, who did not enjoy special trust at the top of the government, since he regularly deviated from his father's instructions. Noticing such constant behavior, Genghis Khan ordered his army to go against Jochi and kill him. But because of the death of his son, the campaign was never completed.
Having improved his he alth, in the spring of 1226, Genghis Khan and his army crossed the border of Xi Xia. Having defeated the defenders, and given the city for plunder, the khan began his last war. The Tanguts were completely defeated on the outskirts of the Tangut kingdom, the path to which becameopen. The fall of the Tangut kingdom and the death of the khan are very connected, because the great leader died here.
Cause of death
The scriptures say that Genghis Khan's death came after he accepted gifts from the Tangut king. However, there are several versions that have equal rights to exist. Among the main and most likely causes are the following: death from illness, poor adaptation to the climate of the area, the consequences of falling from a horse. There is also a separate version that the khan was killed by his young wife, whom he took by force. The girl, fearing the consequences, committed suicide that same night.
Tomb of Genghis Khan
No one can name the exact burial place of the Great Khan. Various sources disagree on the hypotheses for a number of reasons. Moreover, each of them indicates different places and methods of burial. The tomb of Genghis Khan can be located in any of three places: on Burkhan-Khaldun, on the northern side of Altai Khan, or in Yehe-Utek.
Monument to Genghis Khan is located in Mongolia. The equestrian statue is considered the largest monument and statue in the world. The opening of the monument took place on September 26, 2008. Its height is 40 m without a pedestal, the height of which is 10 m. The whole statue is covered with stainless steel, the total weight is 250 tons. Also, the monument to Genghis Khan is surrounded by 36 columns. Each of them symbolizes the Khan of the Mongol Empire, starting with Genghis and ending with Ligden. In addition, the monument is two-story, and it houses a museum, an art gallery, billiards, restaurants, a conference room and a souvenir shop. Headhorse serves as an observation deck for visitors. The statue is surrounded by a large park. The city authorities plan to equip a golf course, an open theater and an artificial lake.
