Genghis Khan is the founder and first great khan of the Mongol Empire. The conqueror was incredibly cruel and merciless, so that even Hitler seems like an amateur in comparison with him. At the beginning of the XIII century. The Mongol Empire subjugated all of Asia, and no enemy could resist Genghis Khan and his bloodthirsty army.
15.40 million people killed
According to historians, Genghis Khan is responsible for the death of 40 million people, at that time he exterminated 11% of the world's population! The khan's reign even influenced the climate in the 13th century: it cooled the planet, preventing the release of 700 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
14.10-year-old Genghis Khan killed his half-brother
The future conqueror had a difficult childhood: his father was poisoned by the enemy time, when the boy was only 9 years old, so his mother raised seven children alone. The family was starving. Once, half-brother Bekter did not share food with Genghis Khan, for which he was killed by him.
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13. Genghis Khan is not the real name of the khan
Genghis Khan's real name is Temujin. Yesugei, the boy's father, named his son after his captive Tatar leader Temujin-Uge. And "Genghis Khan" is not a name, but a title. “Khan” is the ruler, and “Chingiz” once meant “ocean”, but in today's context it is translated as “supreme”.
12. Brutal methods of torture
The Great Khan poured molten silver into the eyes and ears of his enemies. He also liked to bend a person like a bow until the spine broke. And he celebrated his victories literally on the bodies of opponents. So, the Mongols put boards on the Russian nobility, put a table and chairs and began to feast until their victims were crushed to death.
11. Beauty contests among captives
Genghis Khan loved women and after each conquest he selected the most beautiful captives for himself and his army. The ruler even arranged beauty contests among concubines. There were several thousand women in his harem, many of whom bore him children.
10. The Great Khan won victories over the strongest armies
The Khan's army numbered 90 thousand Mongols, and the Jin dynasty - 1 million. Nevertheless, Genghis Khan won. The conqueror defeated 500,000 Chinese warriors before gaining control of North China and Beijing.
9. Turned enemies into followers
In 1201, during the battle, the archer Zurgadai killed Genghis Khan's favorite horse. The ruler was surprised a lot and instead of execution he appointed the archer as a military leader. And Zurgadai became his most loyal general.
8. There is no exact data on the appearance of the khan
Despite the variety of images of Genghis Khan in school textbooks and other literature, no one knows exactly how he really looked. Some historians believe that the conqueror had red hair.
7. Father of many children
Genghis Khan believed that the more offspring a person has, the more significant he is, so he did not sit idle. According to experts, today his descendants are approximately 8% of Asians.
6. National Hero of Mongolia
The highest state award of Mongolia is the Order of Genghis Khan. His portrait is placed on Mongolian paper money, replicated on souvenir products, hotels, restaurants, and airliners are named after him.
5. Genocide of Iranians
In the XIII century, the Khorezm Empire fell from the Mongols of Genghis Khan, almost disappearing from the onslaught of the enemy. Then the Khan's soldiers killed 3/4 of the Iranians. Only after 700 years, the population was able to reach the pre-Mongol level.
4. Genghis Khan was tolerant of various religions
The ruler studied Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity in his spare time. He wanted people with various religious knowledge to be able to live peacefully in the Mongol Empire.
3. Punished offenders
The Great Khan allowed people to live happily as long as they followed his laws. A sad fate awaited any troublemaker. For example, when the ruler of one of the cities of the Khorezm Empire seized Genghis Khan's trade caravan and killed all the merchants, the khan sent 100 thousand soldiers to the city. Thousands of residents were killed, and molten silver was poured into their ruler's eyes and mouth.
2. Mysterious death
Genghis Khan died in 1227, he was 65 years old. The burial place of the great conqueror remains a secret, and rumors about the causes of death are still underway. Sources name different causes of death - a sudden illness, a consequence of a fall from a horse. There is a version that the ruler was stabbed to death by a young Tangut princess.
1. The largest continental empire in the history of mankind
Genghis Khan founded the largest continental empire in human history. The Mongol Empire covered 16.11% of the Earth's total land area, which is 9.266 million square miles. The state included territories from the Danube to the Sea of Japan and from Novgorod to Cambodia.
Author: Katarina