Genghis Khan - biography, information, personal life. Genghis Khan - “Mongol” with Slavic appearance

(Temujin, Temujin)

(1155 -1227 )

Great conqueror. Founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.

The fate of Temujin, or Temujin, was very difficult. He came from a noble Mongolian family, which wandered with its herds along the banks of the Onon River in the territory of modern Mongolia. When he was nine years old, during the steppe civil strife, his father Yesugei-bahadur was killed. The family, which lost its protector and almost all its livestock, had to flee from the nomads. With great difficulty she managed to endure the harsh winter in a wooded area. Troubles continued to haunt the little Mongol - new enemies from the Taijiut tribe attacked the orphaned family and captured Temujin, putting a wooden slave collar on him.

However, he showed the strength of his character, tempered by the adversities of childhood. Having broken the collar, he escaped and returned to his native tribe, which could not protect his family several years ago. The teenager became a zealous warrior: few of his relatives could so deftly control a steppe horse and shoot accurately with a bow, throw a lasso at full gallop and cut with a saber.

But the warriors of his tribe were struck by something else about Temujin - his power, the desire to subjugate others. From those who came under his banner, the young Mongol military leader demanded complete and unquestioning obedience to his will. Disobedience was punishable only by death. He was as merciless towards disobedient people as he was towards his blood enemies among the Mongols. Temujin soon managed to take revenge on all those who had wronged his family. He had not yet turned 20 years old when he began to unite the Mongol clans around himself, gathering a small detachment of warriors under his command. This was very difficult - after all, the Mongol tribes constantly waged armed struggle among themselves, raiding neighboring nomads in order to take possession of their herds and seize people into slavery.

He united the steppe clans, and then entire tribes of the Mongols, around himself, sometimes by force, and sometimes with the help of diplomacy. Temujin married the daughter of one of his most powerful neighbors, hoping for support from his father-in-law’s warriors in difficult times. However, while the young military leader had few allies and his own warriors, he had to endure failures.
The steppe tribe of the Merkits, hostile to him, once made a successful raid on his camp and kidnapped his wife. This was a great insult to the dignity of the Mongol military leader. He redoubled his efforts to gather the nomadic clans under his authority, and just a year later he commanded an entire cavalry army. With him, he inflicted complete defeat on a large tribe of Merkits, destroying most of them and capturing their herds, and freed his wife, who had suffered the fate of a captive.

Temujin's military successes in the war against the Merkits attracted other Mongol tribes to his side, and now they resignedly surrendered their warriors to the military leader. His army constantly grew, and the territories of the vast Mongol steppe, which were now subject to his authority, expanded.
Temujin tirelessly waged war against all Mongol tribes who refused to recognize his supreme power. At the same time, he was distinguished by his persistence and cruelty. Thus, he almost completely exterminated the Tatar tribe, which refused to subjugate him (the Mongol was already called by this name in Europe, although the Tatars as such were destroyed by Genghis Khan in an internecine war). Temujin had an excellent command of war tactics in the steppe. He suddenly attacked neighboring nomadic tribes and invariably won. He offered the survivors the right to choose: either become his ally or die.

Leader Temujin fought his first big battle in 1193 near Germani in the Mongolian steppes. At the head of 6 thousand soldiers, he defeated the 10 thousand army of his father-in-law Ung Khan, who began to contradict his son-in-law. The Khan's army was commanded by the military commander Sanguk, who, apparently, was very confident in the superiority of the tribal army entrusted to him and did not bother with either reconnaissance or combat security. Temujin took the enemy by surprise in a mountain gorge and inflicted heavy damage on him.

By 1206, Temujin had emerged as the strongest ruler in the steppes north of the Great Wall of China. That year is notable in his life because at the kurultai (congress) of the Mongolian feudal lords he was proclaimed “Great Khan” over all the Mongolian tribes with the title of “Genghis Khan” (from the Turkic “tengiz” - ocean, sea). Under the name of Genghis Khan, Temujin entered world history. For the steppe Mongols, the title sounded like “universal ruler,” “real ruler,” “precious ruler.”
The first thing the Great Khan took care of was the Mongol army. Genghis Khan demanded that the leaders of the tribes, who recognized his supremacy, maintain permanent military detachments to protect the lands of the Mongols with their nomads and for aggressive campaigns against their neighbors. The former slave no longer had open enemies among the Mongol nomads, and he began to prepare for wars of conquest.

To assert personal power and suppress any discontent in the country, Genghis Khan created a horse guard of 10 thousand people. The best warriors were recruited from the Mongolian tribes, and it enjoyed great privileges in the army of Genghis Khan. The guards were his bodyguards. From among them, the ruler of the Mongol state appointed military leaders to the troops.
Genghis Khan's army was built according to the decimal system: tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (they consisted of 10 thousand soldiers). These military units were not only accounting units. A hundred and a thousand could perform an independent combat mission. Tumen acted in the war already at the tactical level.

The command of the Mongolian army was also structured according to the decimal system: foreman, centurion, thousander, temnik. To the highest positions, temniks, Genghis Khan appointed his sons and representatives of the tribal nobility from among those military leaders who had proven to him their loyalty and experience in military affairs. The Mongol army maintained the strictest discipline throughout the command hierarchical ladder; any violation was severely punished.
The main branch of troops in Genghis Khan's army was the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves. Its main weapons were a sword or saber, a pike and a bow with arrows. Initially, the Mongols protected their chest and head in battle with strong leather breastplates and helmets. Subsequently, they acquired good protective equipment in the form of various metal armor. Each Mongol warrior had at least two well-trained horses and a large supply of arrows and arrowheads for them.

The light cavalry, and these were mainly horse archers, were made up of warriors of the conquered steppe tribes.

It was they who began the battles, bombarding the enemy with clouds of arrows and causing confusion in his ranks, and then the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves went on the attack in a dense mass. Their attack looked more like a ramming attack than a dashing raid by horse nomads.

Genghis Khan went down in military history as a great strategist and tactician of his era. For his Temnik commanders and other military leaders, he developed rules for waging war and organizing all military service. These rules, in conditions of brutal centralization of military and government administration, were strictly followed.

The strategy and tactics of the great conqueror of the Ancient World were characterized by careful long- and short-range reconnaissance, a surprise attack on any enemy, even one noticeably inferior to him in strength, and the desire to dismember enemy forces in order to destroy them piece by piece. Ambushes and luring the enemy into them were widely and skillfully used. Genghis Khan and his generals skillfully maneuvered large masses of cavalry on the battlefield. The pursuit of the fleeing enemy was carried out not with the goal of capturing more military booty, but with the goal of destroying him.

At the very beginning of his conquests, Genghis Khan did not always assemble an all-Mongol cavalry army. Scouts and spies brought him information about the new enemy, the number, location and routes of movement of his troops. This allowed Genghis Khan to determine the number of troops needed to defeat the enemy and quickly respond to all his offensive actions.

However, the greatness of Genghis Khan’s military leadership lay in something else: he knew how to react quickly, changing his tactics depending on the circumstances. Thus, encountering strong fortifications in China for the first time, Genghis Khan began to use all kinds of throwing and siege engines in war. They were transported to the army disassembled and quickly assembled during the siege of a new city. When he needed mechanics or doctors who were not among the Mongols, the khan ordered them from other countries or captured them. In this case, military specialists became the khan’s slaves, but were kept in fairly good conditions.
Until the last day of his life, Genghis Khan sought to expand his truly enormous possessions as much as possible. Therefore, each time the Mongol army went further and further from Mongolia.

First, the Great Khan decided to annex other nomadic peoples to his power. In 1207 he conquered vast areas north of the Selenga River and in the upper reaches of the Yenisei. The military forces (cavalry) of the conquered tribes were included in the all-Mongol army.

Then came the turn of the Uyghur state, which was large at that time in East Turkestan. In 1209, Genghis Khan's huge army invaded their territory and, capturing their cities and flourishing oases one after another, won complete victory. After this invasion, only heaps of ruins remained of many trading cities and villages.

The destruction of settlements in the occupied territory, the total extermination of rebellious tribes and fortified cities that decided to defend themselves with weapons in their hands were a characteristic feature of the conquests of the great Mongol Khan. The strategy of intimidation allowed him to successfully solve military problems and keep conquered peoples in obedience.

In 1211, Genghis Khan's cavalry army attacked Northern China. The Great Wall of China - this is the most ambitious defensive structure in the history of mankind - did not become an obstacle to the conquerors. The Mongol cavalry defeated the troops that stood in its way. In 1215, the city of Beijing (Yanjing) was captured by cunning, which the Mongols subjected to a long siege.

In Northern China, the Mongols destroyed about 90 cities, the population of which offered resistance to the Mongol army. In this campaign, Genghis Khan adopted Chinese engineering military equipment for his cavalry troops - various throwing machines and battering rams. Chinese engineers trained the Mongols to use them and deliver them to besieged cities and fortresses.

In 1218, the Mongols conquered the Korean Peninsula. After campaigns in Northern China and Korea, Genghis Khan turned his gaze further to the West - towards the sunset. In 1218, the Mongol army invaded Central Asia and captured Khorezm. This time, the great conqueror found a plausible excuse - several Mongol merchants were killed in the border city of Khorezm and therefore it was necessary to punish the country where the Mongols were treated badly.

With the appearance of the enemy on the borders of Khorezm, Shah Mohammed, at the head of a large army (figures of up to 200 thousand people are mentioned), set out on a campaign. A big battle took place near Karaku, which was so stubborn that by evening there was no winner on the battlefield. As darkness fell, the generals withdrew their armies to camps. The next day, Muhammad refused to continue the battle due to heavy losses, which amounted to almost half of the army he had collected. Genghis Khan, for his part, also suffered heavy losses and retreated, but this was his military stratagem.

The conquest of the huge Central Asian state of Khorezm continued. In 1219, a Mongol army of 200 thousand people under the command of the sons of Genghis Khan, Oktay and Zagatai, besieged the city of Otrar, located on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. The city was defended by a 60,000-strong garrison under the command of the brave Khorezm military leader Gazer Khan.

The siege of Otrar lasted four months with frequent attacks. During this time, the number of defenders was reduced by three times. Hunger and disease began in the city, since the supply of drinking water was especially bad. In the end, the Mongol army broke into the city, but was unable to capture the fortress citadel. Gazer Khan with the remnants of the defenders of Otrar held out there for another month. By order of the Great Khan, the city was destroyed, most of the inhabitants were killed, and some - artisans and young people - were taken into slavery.

In March 1220, the Mongol army, led by Genghis Khan himself, besieged one of the largest Central Asian cities, Bukhara. It contained the 20,000-strong army of the Khorezmshah, which, together with its commander, fled when the Mongols approached. The townspeople, not having the strength to fight, opened the city gates to the conquerors. Only the local ruler decided to defend himself by taking refuge in a fortress, which was set on fire and destroyed by the Mongols.

In June of the same 1220, the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, besieged another large city of Khorezm - Samarkand. The city was defended by a garrison of 110,000 (the figures are greatly exaggerated) under the command of the governor Alub Khan. Khorezmian warriors made frequent forays beyond the city walls, preventing the Mongols from conducting siege operations. However, there were townspeople who, wanting to save their property and lives, opened the gates of Samarkand to the enemy.

The Mongols burst into the city, and hot battles with its defenders began in the streets and squares. However, the forces turned out to be unequal, and besides, Genghis Khan brought more and more new forces into the battle to replace the tired warriors. Seeing that Samarkand could not be defended, the heroically fighting Alub Khan, at the head of a thousand Khorezm horsemen, managed to escape from the city and break through the enemy’s blockade ring. The surviving 30 thousand defenders of Samarkand were killed by the Mongols.

The conquerors also met staunch resistance during the siege of the city of Khojent (modern Tajikistan). The city was defended by a garrison led by one of the best Khorezm military leaders, the fearless Timur-Melik. When he realized that the garrison was no longer able to withstand the assault, he and part of his soldiers boarded ships and sailed down the Jaxartes River, pursued along the shore by Mongol cavalry. However, after a fierce battle, Timur-Melik managed to break away from his pursuers. After his departure, the city of Khojent surrendered to the mercy of the victors the next day.

The Mongols continued to capture Khorezm cities one after another: Merv, Urgench... In 1221
After the fall of Khorezm and the conquest of Central Asia, Genghis Khan made a campaign in Northwestern India, capturing this large territory. However, Genghis Khan did not go further to the south of Hindustan: he was constantly attracted by unknown countries at sunset.
He, as usual, thoroughly worked out the route of the new campaign and sent his best commanders Jebe and Subedei far to the west at the head of their tumens and auxiliary troops of the conquered peoples. Their path lay through Iran, Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. So the Mongols found themselves on the southern approaches to Rus', in the Don steppes.

At that time, the Polovtsian Vezhi, who had long lost their military strength, were wandering in the Wild Field. The Mongols defeated the Polovtsians without much difficulty, and they fled to the borderlands of the Russian lands. In 1223, the commanders Jebe and Subedei defeated the united army of several Russian princes and Polovtsian khans in the battle on the Kalka River. After the victory, the vanguard of the Mongol army turned back.

In 1226-1227, Genghis Khan made a campaign in the country of the Tanguts Xi-Xia. He entrusted one of his sons with continuing the conquest of China. The anti-Mongol uprisings that began in Northern China, which he conquered, caused Genghis Khan great concern.

The great commander died during his last campaign against the Tanguts. The Mongols gave him a magnificent funeral and, having destroyed all the participants in these sad celebrations, managed to keep the location of Genghis Khan’s grave completely secret to this day.

The Arab chronicler Rashid ad-Din in his work “Chronicles” outlined in detail the history of the formation of the Mongol state and the conquests of the Mongols. This is what he wrote about Genghis Khan, who became for world history a symbol of the desire for world domination and military power: “After his victorious performance, the inhabitants of the world saw with their own eyes that he was marked by all kinds of heavenly support. Thanks to the extreme limit of (his) power and might, he conquered all the Turkic and Mongolian tribes and other categories (of the human race), introducing them into the ranks of his slaves...

Thanks to the nobility of his personality and the subtlety of his inner qualities, he stood out from all those peoples, like a rare pearl from among precious stones, and drew them into the circle of possession and into the hand of supreme rule...

Despite the plight and the abundance of difficulties, troubles and all kinds of misfortunes, he was an extremely brave and courageous man, very intelligent and gifted, sensible and knowledgeable...”

They besieged the city of Bamiyan and, after many months of defense, took it by storm. Genghis Khan, whose beloved grandson was killed during the siege, ordered that neither women nor children should be spared. Therefore, the city with its entire population was completely destroyed.

Name: Genghis Khan (Temujin Borjigin)

Date of Birth: 1162

Age: 65 years old

Activity: founder and first great khan of the Mongol Empire

Family status: was married

Genghis Khan: biography

The commander we know as Genghis Khan was born in Mongolia in 1155 or 1162 (according to various sources). This man's real name is Temujin. He was born in the Delyun-Boldok tract, his father was Yesugei-bagatura, and his mother was Hoelun. It is noteworthy that Hoelun was engaged to another man, but Yesugei-Bagatura recaptured his beloved from his rival.

Temujin got his name in honor of the Tatar Temujin-Uge. Yesugei defeated this leader shortly before his son uttered his first cry.

Temujin lost his father quite early. At the age of nine, he was betrothed to eleven-year-old Borte from another family. Yesugei decided to leave his son in the bride’s house until they both reached adulthood, so that the future spouses would get to know each other better. On the way back, Genghis Khan's father stopped at a Tatar camp, where he was poisoned. Three days later Yesugei died.

After this, dark times came for Temujin, his mother, Yesugei’s second wife, as well as the brothers of the future great commander. The head of the clan drove the family from their usual place and took away all the livestock that belonged to them. For several years, widows and their sons had to live in absolute poverty and wander the steppes.

After some time, the Taichiut leader, who drove out Temujin’s family and proclaimed himself the owner of all the lands conquered by Yesugei, began to fear revenge from Yesugei’s grown-up son. He sent an armed detachment against the family's camp. The guy escaped, but soon they caught up with him, captured him and placed him in a wooden block, in which he could neither drink nor eat.

Genghis Khan was saved by his own ingenuity and the intercession of several representatives of another tribe. One night he managed to escape and hide in the lake, almost completely going under water. Then several local residents hid Temujin in a cart with wool, and then gave him a mare and weapons so that he could get home. Some time after the successful liberation, the young warrior married Bort.

Rise to power

Temujin, as the son of a leader, aspired to power. At first he needed support, and he turned to the Kereit khan Tooril. He was Yesugei's brother-in-arms and agreed to unite with him. Thus began the story that led Temujin to the title of Genghis Khan. He raided neighboring settlements, increasing his possessions and, oddly enough, his army. Other Mongols during the battles sought to kill as many opponents as possible. Temujin, on the contrary, sought to leave as many warriors alive as possible in order to lure them to himself.

The young commander’s first serious battle took place against the Merkit tribe, who were allied with the same Taichiuts. They even kidnapped Temujin’s wife, but he, along with Tooril and another ally, Jamukhi from another tribe, defeated their opponents and regained his wife. After the glorious victory, Tooril decided to return to his own horde, and Temujin and Jamukha, having concluded a twinning alliance, remained in the same horde. At the same time, Temujin was more popular, and Jamukha began to dislike him over time.

He was looking for a reason for an open quarrel with his brother-in-law and found it: Jamukha’s younger brother died when he tried to steal horses that belonged to Temujin. Ostensibly for the purpose of revenge, Jamukha attacked the enemy with his army, and in the first battle he won. But the fate of Genghis Khan would not attract so much attention if he could be broken so easily. He quickly recovered from the defeat, and new wars began to occupy his mind: together with Tooril he defeated the Tatars and received not only excellent booty, but also the honorary title of military commissar (“Jauthuri”).

This was followed by other successful and not so successful campaigns and regular competitions with Jamukha, as well as with the leader of another tribe, Van Khan. Wang Khan was not categorically opposed to Temujin, but he was an ally of Jamukha and was forced to act accordingly.

On the eve of the decisive battle with the joint troops of Jamukha and Van Khan in 1202, the commander independently carried out another raid on the Tatars. At the same time, he again decided to act differently from the way it was customary to carry out conquests in those days. Temujin stated that during the battle his Mongols should not capture booty, since all of it would be divided between them only after the battle was over. In this battle, the future great ruler won, after which he ordered the execution of all the Tatars as retribution for the Mongols whom they killed. Only small children were left alive.

In 1203, Temujin and Jamukha and Wang Khan met face to face again. At first, the ulus of the future Genghis Khan suffered losses, but due to the injury of Wang Khan’s son, the opponents retreated. In order to divide his enemies, during this forced pause Temujin sent them diplomatic messages. At the same time, several tribes united to fight both Temujin and Wang Khan. The latter defeated them first and began to celebrate the glorious victory: it was then that Temujin’s troops overtook him, taking the soldiers by surprise.

Jamukha remained with only part of the army and decided to cooperate with another leader - Tayan Khan. The latter wanted to fight Temujin, since at that time only he seemed to him a dangerous rival in the desperate struggle for absolute power in the steppes of Mongolia. The victory in the battle, which took place in 1204, was again won by the army of Temujin, who demonstrated himself as a gifted commander.

Great Khan

In 1206, Temujin received the title of Great Khan over all the Mongol tribes and adopted the well-known name Genghis, which translates as “lord of the endless in the sea.” It was obvious that his role in the history of the Mongolian steppes was enormous, as was his army, and no one else dared to challenge him. This benefited Mongolia: if previously local tribes were constantly at war with each other and raided neighboring settlements, now they have become like a full-fledged state. If before this Mongolian nationality was invariably associated with strife and blood loss, now it is with unity and power.

Genghis Khan wanted to leave behind a worthy legacy not only as a conqueror, but also as a wise ruler. He introduced his own law, which, among other things, spoke of mutual assistance on a campaign and forbade deceiving someone who trusted. These moral principles were required to be strictly observed, otherwise the violator could face execution. The commander mixed various tribes and peoples, and no matter what tribe the family belonged to before, its adult men were considered warriors of Genghis Khan’s detachment.

Conquests of Genghis Khan

Numerous films and books have been written about Genghis Khan, not only because he brought order to the lands of his people. He is also widely known for his successful conquests of neighboring lands. Thus, in the period from 1207 to 1211, his army subjugated almost all the peoples of Siberia to the great ruler and forced them to pay tribute to Genghis Khan. But the commander was not going to stop there: he wanted to conquer China.

In 1213, he invaded the Chinese state of Jin, establishing rule over the local province of Liaodong. All along the route of Genghis Khan and his army, Chinese troops surrendered to him without a fight, and some even went over to his side. By the fall of 1213, the Mongol ruler had strengthened his position along the entire Great Wall of China. Then he sent three powerful armies, led by his sons and brothers, to different regions of the Jin Empire. Some settlements surrendered to him almost immediately, others fought until 1235. However, as a result, the Tatar-Mongol yoke spread throughout China at that time.

Even China could not force Genghis Khan to stop his invasion. Having achieved success in battles with his closest neighbors, he became interested in Central Asia and, especially, the fertile Semirechye. In 1213, the ruler of this region became the fugitive Naiman Khan Kuchluk, who made a political miscalculation by starting persecution of followers of Islam. As a result, the rulers of several settled tribes in Semirechye voluntarily announced that they agreed to be subjects of Genghis Khan. Subsequently, Mongol troops conquered other regions of Semirechye, allowing Muslims to perform their religious services and, thereby, arousing sympathy among the local population.

Death

The commander died shortly before the capitulation of Zhongxing, the capital of one of those very Chinese settlements that until the last tried to resist the Mongol army. The cause of Genghis Khan's death is called differently: he fell from a horse, suddenly fell ill, and was unable to adapt to the difficult climate of another country. It is still unknown exactly where the grave of the great conqueror is located.

Numerous descendants of Genghis Khan, his brothers, children and grandchildren tried to preserve and increase his conquests and were major statesmen of Mongolia. Thus, his grandson became the eldest among the second generation Chingizids after the death of his grandfather. There were three women in Genghis Khan’s life: the previously mentioned Borte, as well as his second wife Khulan-Khatun and his third Tatar wife Yesugen. In total they bore him sixteen children.

Genghis Khan founded the largest empire in human history. According to the behests of the Great Khan, the Mongols lived until the middle of the 20th century, and many of them tend to honor his laws even today. His victories were glorified by hundreds of thousands of warriors, and his death was mourned by millions of subjects. But his state collapsed, and even his grave is unknown.

The only surviving historical portrait of Genghis Khan from a series of official portraits of rulers was painted under Kublai Khan, museum.

On the banks of the Onon River, in the Deyun-Boldok tract, a boy was born into the Yesugeybagatur family from the Bordzhigin clan in the spring of 1155. He was named Temuchin in honor of the Tatar leader, captured the day before by Yesugei in a bloody battle. According to the Arab historian Rashid ad-Din, the newborn was clutching a blood clot in his fist, which, according to others, meant that the boy would become a great warrior.

LITTLE SLAVE

Temujin's father was a far-sighted leader - the boy was not even nine years old when he obtained consent for his marriage with the eldest daughter of the Ungirat leader. According to legend, this tribe was the first among all the Mongols to decide to leave the tracts and develop the steppe expanses, “trampling the hearths and camps of their neighbors.”

In the meantime, Yesugei left Temujin with his fiancee’s family so that the boy could meet his future relatives and went home.

According to the “Secret Legend” (a Chinese translation of the genealogical history of the Genghis Khan family), Yesugei was poisoned by the Tatars on the way.

The leader of the Taichiut tribe decided to expel the Yesugei clan from their native lands. Yesugei's relatives, who remained loyal to him, tried to resist, but were unable to gather enough warriors. Their camps were destroyed, their cattle were stolen. Temujin was also captured. They put a block on the future Great Khan.

The boy was destined to become a slave forever, but on the way he managed to escape. Temujin hid from the soldiers looking for him in a small dam, spending several hours under water. He kept only his nostrils above the water, and patience allowed him to avoid recapture. The little fugitive was discovered by a shepherd from an insignificant tribe subject to the Taichiuts, but decided not to hand him over, but helped him escape. The shepherd's son Chilaun also fled with Temujin. Subsequently, Genghis Khan appointed him commander of one of the four detachments of his personal guard and gave him and his descendants the right to keep for themselves everything gained in war and hunting.

FUR COAT OR LIFE

Temujin was only eleven years old, but he was able to find his relatives in the steppes. A year later he married his betrothed Borta. The position of his family was such that the bride’s dowry was only a sable fur coat, albeit a luxurious one. Fleeing from his pursuers, Temujin had to ask for help from his father’s brother-in-law. Tooril ruled the Kereit tribe, the most powerful in the steppes in those years. He promised Temuchin protection and patronage. True, he did not hesitate to take that very fur coat as a gift.

Nevertheless, nukers who had strayed from their clans and simple shepherds who dreamed of becoming warriors began to flock to Temujin’s camp. The young leader did not refuse anyone. At the same time, Temujin became sworn brothers with Jamukha, a young relative of the leader of the strong Jadaran tribe. One old Mongol gave Temuchin his son Jelme into his service. Subsequently, this young man became one of the most talented commanders of Genghis Khan.

Soon it was time for the first serious battle. The Merkit tribe attacked Temujin's camp, taking his wife and other close relatives captive. With the help of Tooril and Jamukha, the young leader completely defeated the enemy on the Selenga River in Buryatia. He returned Borte, who soon gave birth to Temuchin’s son. This victory strengthened the authority of the young leader, and his army began to grow rapidly. Contrary to custom, he tried to end the battle with as little bloodshed as possible, joining the warriors of the defeated tribe.

Soon Temujin and Jamukha parted ways. Too many warriors of twin brother Jamukha preferred the camp of the future khan of all Mongols. Jamukha had to migrate far away in disgrace so that his warriors would not run away completely. In 1186 Temujin created his first ulus. In his army there were three tumens (30,000), and under his hand were already famous military leaders: Subede, Jelme and Boorchu.

GREAT KHAN

Jamukha collected three tumens and moved towards Temujin. A battle took place in which the future great khan suffered a crushing defeat. According to legend, it was during an overnight stay after a lost battle that Temuchin dreamed of the borders of his future power.

In 1200, Temujin was able to take revenge on his longtime offenders, the Techiuts. In a short battle they were defeated, many surrendered. During the battle, the leader was wounded in the shoulder by an arrow. The warrior who shot him was captured. Temujin asked if he wanted to enter his service. Subsequently, this warrior became one of the best commanders of Temujin under the name Jebe (arrowhead).

The next three years were decisive. Temujin successively defeated the most powerful Mongol tribes that still challenged his rule over the steppe. Together with each of them, his brother Jamukha fought against Temujin, stung by his successes. Neither the Tatars, nor the Kereits, nor the Naiman could stop the rise of Temujin, although he almost died in the battle with the latter. Their leader Tayankhan was famous for his caution, if not cowardice. Having 45,000 horsemen at hand, he constantly improved his position and waited until his army was defeated piece by piece. During the defeat of the Naiman, Subedei, Jelme, Jebe and Kublai especially distinguished themselves - “ four iron dogs", as Temujin called them.

In 1205 his rivalry with Jamukha came to an end. He fled to the Kipchaks and again tried to attack Temujin. But the Kipchaks were defeated, and Jamukha was given his own nukers, who were counting on a reward.

However, Temujin ordered their execution, and offered freedom to his longtime brother-in-arms. A brother brother (anda) was considered more than a relative in the Mongolian tradition. A brother could raise a weapon against his brother, and a son against his father. This was par for the course. To be sworn to as brothers - no. Nevertheless, Temujin was ready to forgive Jamukha, but he refused, saying that there can only be one khan. He asked for a dignified death (without bloodshed). Temujin's warriors broke Jamukha's back. Temujin never had any more brothers-in-arms.

COMMANDER

Genghis Khan was not so much an outstanding military leader on the battlefield - in the Mongolian steppes almost any leader could be called such. The fighting techniques did not differ either. We can safely say that Genghis Khan did not offer anything radically new. He was, rather, a remarkable strategist: he knew how to distribute forces, which made it possible to wage war on several directions, and was not afraid to trust his military leaders, which made it possible to separate forces.

Using the mobility of the Mongol cavalry, Genghis Khan confused the enemy, attacked him from all directions, and, in the end, the enemy found himself facing a united army of the Mongols. Another trump card of Genghis Khan's army was reconnaissance - an activity despised by other steppe tribes.

At the same time, Genghis Khan never made mistakes when choosing his assistants. Each of them could act independently and achieve success (unlike, for example, Napoleonic marshals). The only thing Genghis Khan demanded from his subordinates was strict adherence to orders. Mongol warriors were forbidden to take booty during battle or pursue a fleeing enemy without the permission of their commanders.

REFORMER

The Universe Shaker turned his enemies into his friends.

In the spring of 1206, at the source of the Onon River, at the all-Mongol kurultai, Temujin was proclaimed great khan over all tribes and received the title “ Genghis Khan" A new law, Yasa, also came into force. It was mainly devoted to the military side of the life of nomads.

Loyalty and courage were considered good, and cowardice and betrayal were considered evil. The enemy of the Mongols, who remained loyal to their ruler, was spared and accepted into their army.

Genghis Khan divided the entire population into tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (ten thousand), thereby mixing tribes and clans and appointing specially selected people from among the close and distinguished nukers as commanders over them. All adult and healthy men were considered warriors, thus Genghis Khan's army approached 100,000 horsemen.

In addition, he introduced the beginnings of feudal relations. Every hundred, thousand, tumen, along with nomadic lands, was given into the possession of a noyon. In case of war, it was he who was responsible for providing troops to the khan. Small noyons served large ones.

EMPIRE FROM SEA TO SEA

Within the framework of the united Mongolia, Genghis Khan's power was enormous, but neither he nor his warriors could stop.

At first, all Siberian peoples were subjugated and subject to tribute. Then the Mongols turned their gaze to the south. In a year, the Tangut state was conquered, which it could not cope with for 300 years.

The Jin Empire didn't last much longer. The Mongols invaded China with four armies, destroying everything in their path. According to the calculations of Jin officials, at the beginning of the war the Chinese could field almost one and a half million soldiers, but these hordes could not only win a single major victory, but even stop the advance of the Mongols into the capital regions.

In 1214 it was all over - the emperor concluded a shameful peace. Genghis Khan agreed to leave Beijing to him, but only because he understood: the Mongols could not hold too large a territory with many cities. After the truce, the Jin decided to continue the fight and paid for it: as soon as the imperial court left Beijing, Genghis Khan decided to end China, which was done in two years. Yasa helped the Mongols defeat the huge empire: many Chinese generals ran over to them along with their troops. The laws of Genghis Khan described in detail what threatens those who try to resist the tumens " Shaker of the Universe».

Usually, when they saw an enemy city, the Mongols hung a pennant on a pole near the military leader’s yurt. White meant that the khan was merciful and ready to take the oath if no resistance was offered. Yellow was supposed to warn that the city would be plundered, even if it capitulated, but the inhabitants would remain alive. The red pennant warned the besieged that they would all be killed.

However, only Genghis Khan’s heir, Ogedei, was able to finally achieve submission from China.

The Great Khan himself turned his gaze to the west. The huge power of Khorezm Shah Muhammad fell under the blows of his armies. Here the Mongols no longer accepted military defectors, trying to leave behind scorched earth. Only skilled artisans were taken captive - in 1220 the new capital of the Mongol Empire, Karakorum, was founded. Genghis Khan understood well that a state that was too large could not survive for long. By the way, the uprisings of the conquered peoples began during his lifetime, and for the last three years of his reign he rushed around the outskirts of his power, forcing the tributaries to submit. And his commanders continued reconnaissance raids to the west right up to the borders of the Russian principalities.

Death overtook the Great Khan during the siege of the Tangut capital Zhongxing in the early autumn of 1227. " Secret story“narrates that the garrison had already begun to surrender, and the ruler of the Tagnuts arrived at Genghis Khan’s headquarters with gifts. But the Great Khan suddenly felt unwell. Then he ordered the hostages to be killed, and the city to be taken and razed to the ground. After the order was carried out, Genghis Khan died.

INHERITANCE

After the death of Genghis Khan, his empire was inherited by his third son, Ogedei, who was appointed successor by Genghis Khan himself.

His relationship with his eldest son Jochi went wrong: he declared that Genghis Khan was “mad in his attitude towards people and lands,” and in every possible way delayed the campaign against the Circassians and Russian principalities.

In addition, over Jochi and his descendants all his life hung “ Merkit curse“- he was born immediately after his mother’s release from captivity, and therefore there were many doubts about Temujin’s paternity, although the khan himself recognized Jochi.

In 1225, Genghis Khan ordered an army to be sent against his eldest son, since he did not follow his father’s orders and did not appear at the council when Genghis Khan fell ill. Khan was informed that Jochi, who said he was ill, was actually hunting. However, the punitive campaign did not take place - Jochi actually died of illness.

The second son of Genghis Khan, Chagatai, was considered a very learned man for the Mongols and was known as the best expert on Yasa in the steppe. But he didn’t really like leading troops. As a result, Chagatai never formally took the khan's throne, but enjoyed authority and power even greater than Ogedei.

GENGISH KHAN'S GRAVE

The burial place of Genghis Khan remains one of the most curious historical mysteries.

The mausoleum in Ejen Khoro is just a memorial. The khan's body was transported to Mongolia, presumably to the place where he was born. According to customs, he should have been buried there. What happens next is shrouded in mystery. According to one version, a river mouth was built over the khan’s grave, and according to another, trees were planted. According to the third, the funeral escort, in order to hide the position of the grave, killed all the travelers they met. Then the slaves who dug the grave were killed, then the soldiers who killed the slaves, and so on. Medieval historians noted that a generation after the death of Genghis Khan, no one in Mongolia knew the true place of his burial. So, quite possibly, there is no secret: the Mongols did not accept noisy veneration of the graves of their ancestors.

LINE OF DESTINY OF GENGIGI KHAN

Genghis Khan (Temujin) is the greatest conqueror in the history of mankind, founder and great khan of the Mongol Empire.

The fate of Temujin, or Temujin, was quite difficult. He came from a noble Mongolian family, which wandered with its herds along the banks of the Onon River (the territory of modern Mongolia). Born around 1155

When he was 9 years old, his father Yesugeybahadur was killed (poisoned) during a steppe civil strife. The family, having lost their protector and almost all their livestock, had to flee from their nomadic camps. They endured the harsh winter in the wooded area with great difficulty.

Troubles never ceased to haunt Temujin - new enemies from the Taijiut tribe attacked the orphaned family and took the little Mongol captive, putting a wooden slave collar on him.

The boy showed the strength of his character, tempered by the adversities of childhood. Having broken the collar, Temujin was able to escape and return to his native tribe, which could not protect his family several years ago. The teenager became a zealous warrior: few of his relatives could so deftly control a steppe horse and shoot accurately with a bow, throw a lasso at full gallop and cut with a saber.

But the warriors of his tribe were struck by something else about Temujin - his authority, the desire to subjugate others. From those who came under his banner, the young Mongol commander demanded complete and unquestioning submission to his will. Disobedience was punishable only by death. He was as merciless towards disobedient people as he was towards his blood enemies among the Mongols. Temujin was soon able to take revenge on all those who had wronged his family.

He was not yet 20 years old when he began to unite the Mongol clans around himself, gathering a small detachment of warriors under his command. This was a very difficult matter, because the Mongol tribes constantly waged armed struggle among themselves, raiding neighboring nomadic camps in order to take possession of their herds and capture people as slaves.

Temujin united the steppe clans, and then entire tribes of the Mongols, around himself by force, and sometimes with the help of diplomacy. He married the daughter of one of his powerful neighbors, hoping for support from his father-in-law's warriors in difficult times. But so far the young steppe leader had few allies and his own warriors, and he had to suffer failures.

The Merkit tribe, hostile to him, once made a successful raid on Temujin’s camp and was able to kidnap his wife. This was a great insult to the dignity of the Mongol military leader. He redoubled his efforts to gather the nomadic clans around him, and just a year later he already commanded a significant cavalry army. With him, the future Genghis Khan inflicted complete defeat on a large tribe of Merkits, exterminating most of them and capturing their herds, freeing his wife, who suffered the fate of a captive.

Temujin's military successes in the war against the Merkits attracted other Mongol tribes to his banner. Now they resignedly handed over their warriors to the military leader. His army was growing all the time, and the territories of the vast Mongolian steppe were expanding, where the nomads were now subject to his authority.

Temujin constantly waged wars with the Mongol tribes who refused to recognize his supreme power. At the same time, he was distinguished by his persistence and cruelty. Thus, he almost completely exterminated the Tatar tribe (the Mongols were already called by this name in Europe, although the Tatars as such were destroyed by Genghis Khan in an internecine war).

Temujin had a remarkable understanding of the tactics of war in the steppes. He unexpectedly attacked neighboring nomadic tribes and inevitably won. He offered the survivors the right to choose: either become his ally or die.

Leader Temujin fought his first big battle in 1193 in the Mongolian steppes near Germany. At the head of 6,000 warriors, he defeated the 10,000-strong army of his father-in-law Ung Khan, who began to contradict his son-in-law. The Khan's army was commanded by the military commander Sanguk, who, apparently, was very confident in the superiority of the tribal army entrusted to him. And therefore he did not worry about reconnaissance or military protection. Temujin took the enemy by surprise in a mountain gorge and inflicted heavy damage on him.

By 1206, Temujin had become the strongest ruler in the steppes north of the Great Wall of China. That year was notable in his life because at the kurultai (congress) of Mongolian feudal lords he was proclaimed “Great Khan” over all Mongolian tribes with the title “Genghis Khan” (from the Turkic “tengiz” - ocean, sea).

Under the name Genghis Khan, Temujin entered world history. For the steppe Mongols, his title sounded like “universal ruler,” “real ruler,” “precious ruler.”

The first thing the Great Khan took care of was the Mongol army. Genghis Khan demanded that the leaders of the tribes, who recognized his supremacy, maintain permanent military detachments to protect the lands of the Mongols with their nomads and for campaigns against their neighbors. The former slave no longer had open enemies among the Mongol tribes, and he began to prepare for wars of conquest.

To assert personal power and suppress any discontent in the country, Genghis Khan created a horse guard of 10,000 people. The best warriors were recruited from the Mongolian tribes, and they enjoyed great privileges in the army of Genghis Khan. The guards were his bodyguards. From among them, the ruler of the Mongol state appointed military leaders to the troops.

Genghis Khan's army was built according to the decimal system: tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (they consisted of 10,000 warriors). These military units were not only accounting units. Hundreds and thousands could perform independent combat missions. Tumen acted in the war already at the tactical level.

The command of the Mongolian army was built according to the decimal system: foreman, centurion, thousander, temnik. To the highest positions - temniks - Genghis Khan appointed his sons and representatives of the tribal nobility from among those military leaders who had proven to him their loyalty and experience in military affairs. The Mongol army maintained the strictest discipline throughout the command hierarchy. Any violation was severely punished.

The main branch of troops in Genghis Khan's army was the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves. Her main weapons were a sword or saber, a pike and a bow with arrows. Initially, the Mongols protected their chest and head in battle with strong leather breastplates and helmets. Over time, they acquired good protective equipment in the form of a variety of metal armor. Each Mongol warrior had at least two well-trained horses and a large supply of arrows and arrowheads for them.

Light cavalry, and these were usually horse archers, consisted of warriors of conquered steppe tribes. It was they who began the battles, bombarding the enemy with clouds of arrows and bringing confusion into his ranks. Then the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves went on the attack in a dense mass. Their attack looked more like a ramming attack than a dashing raid by Mongol cavalry.

Genghis Khan went down in military history as a great strategist and tactician of that time. For his Temnik commanders and other military leaders, he developed rules for waging war and organizing all military service. These rules, in conditions of strict centralization of military and government administration, were strictly followed.

Genghis Khan's strategy and tactics were characterized by: careful conduct of short- and long-range reconnaissance, a surprise attack on any enemy, even one noticeably inferior to him in strength, and the desire to dismember enemy forces in order to then destroy them piece by piece. They widely and skillfully used ambushes and luring the enemy into them. Genghis Khan and his generals skillfully maneuvered large masses of cavalry on the battlefield. The pursuit of the fleeing enemy was carried out not with the goal of capturing more military booty, but with the goal of destroying him.

At the very beginning of his conquests, Genghis Khan did not always assemble an all-Mongol cavalry army. Scouts and spies brought him information about the new enemy, the number, location and routes of movement of his troops. This made it possible for Genghis Khan to determine the number of troops needed to defeat the enemy and quickly respond to all his offensive actions.

But the greatness of Genghis Khan’s military leadership lay in another aspect: he knew how to quickly react to the actions of the opposing side, changing his tactics depending on the circumstances. Thus, having encountered strong fortresses in China for the first time, Genghis Khan began to crush various types of throwing and siege engines of the same Chinese in the war. They were transported to the army disassembled and quickly assembled during the siege of a new city. When he needed mechanics or doctors who were not among the Mongols, Genghis Khan ordered them from other countries or captured them. In the latter case, military specialists became the khan's slaves, who were kept in very good conditions.

Until the last days of his life, Genghis Khan sought to expand his truly enormous possessions as much as possible. Therefore, every time the Mongol army went further and further from the steppes of Mongolia.

First, the great conqueror of the Middle Ages decided to annex other nomadic peoples to his power. 1207 - he conquered vast areas north of the Selenga River and in the upper reaches of the Yenisei. The military forces (cavalry) of the conquered tribes were included in the all-Mongol army.

Then it was the turn of the large Uyghur state in East Turkestan. 1209 - a huge army of the Great Khan invaded his territory and, capturing cities and blooming oases one after another, won a complete victory over the Uyghurs. After this invasion, only piles of ruins remained from many trading cities and villages of farmers.

The destruction of settlements on occupied lands, the wholesale extermination of rebellious tribes and fortified cities that tried to defend themselves with weapons in their hands were characteristic features of Genghis Khan’s conquests. The strategy of intimidation enabled him to successfully solve military problems and keep conquered peoples in obedience.

1211 - Genghis Khan's cavalry army attacked Northern China. The Great Wall of China - the most ambitious defensive structure in the history of human civilization - did not become an obstacle to the conquerors. The Mongol cavalry defeated the troops of the new enemy who stood in its way. 1215 - the city of Beijing (Yanjing) was captured by cunning, which the Mongols subjected to a long siege.

In Northern China, the Mongols destroyed about 90 cities, the population of which offered resistance to the army of the Great Mongol Khan. In this campaign, Genghis Khan adopted Chinese engineering military equipment for his cavalry troops - various throwing machines and battering rams. Chinese engineers trained the Mongols to use them and deliver them to besieged cities and fortresses.

1218 - The Mongols, continuing their conquests, captured the Korean Peninsula.

After campaigns in Northern China and Korea, Genghis Khan turned his attention further to the west - towards sunset. 1218 - The Mongol army invaded Central Asia and captured Khorezm. This time, Genghis Khan found a plausible pretext for the invasion - several Mongol merchants were killed in the Khorezm border city. And therefore it was necessary to punish the country where the Mongols were treated “badly.”

With the appearance of the enemy on the borders of Khorezm, Khorezmshah Muhammad, at the head of a large army (figures up to 200,000 people are mentioned), set out on a campaign. A big battle took place near Karaku, which was so stubborn that by evening there was no winner on the battlefield. As darkness fell, the generals withdrew their armies to camps.

The next day, Khorezmshah Muhammad refused to continue the battle due to heavy losses, which amounted to almost half of the army he had assembled. Genghis Khan, for his part, also suffered heavy losses, retreated. But this was a military trick of the great commander.

The conquest of the huge Central Asian state of Khorezm continued. 1219 - a Mongol army of 200,000 men under the command of the sons of Genghis Khan, Oktay and Zagatai, besieged the city of Otrar (the territory of modern Uzbekistan). The city was defended by a 60,000-strong garrison under the command of the brave Khorezm military leader Gazer Khan.

The siege of Otrar lasted for four months with frequent attacks. During this time, the number of his defenders was reduced by three times. Hunger and disease began in the besieged camp, since the supply of drinking water was especially bad. In the end, the Mongols broke into the city, but were unable to capture the fortress citadel. Gazer Khan with the remnants of his warriors was able to hold out in it for another month. By order of the Great Khan, Otrar was destroyed, most of the inhabitants were killed, and some - artisans and young people - were taken into slavery.

1220, March - the Mongol army, led by the great Mongol Khan himself, besieged one of the largest Central Asian cities - Bukhara. It contained the 20,000-strong army of the Khorezmshah, which, together with its commander, fled when the Mongols approached. The townspeople, not having the strength to fight, opened the fortress gates to the conquerors. Only the local ruler decided to defend himself by taking refuge in a fortress, which was set on fire and destroyed by the Mongols.

1220, June - the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, besieged another large Khorezm city - Samarkand. The city was defended by a garrison of 110,000 (the figure is greatly exaggerated) under the command of the governor Alub Khan. His warriors made frequent forays beyond the city walls, preventing the enemy from conducting siege operations. However, there were townspeople who, wanting to save their property and lives, opened the gates of Samarkand to the Mongols.

The army of the Great Khan burst into the city, and hot battles with the defenders of Samarkand began in its streets and squares. But the forces were unequal, and besides, Genghis Khan brought more and more new troops into battle to replace those who were tired of fighting. Seeing that he could not hold Samarkand, Alub Khan, at the head of 1000 horsemen, was able to escape from the city and break through the blockade ring of the invaders. The surviving 30,000 Khorezm warriors were killed by the Mongols.

The conquerors also met staunch resistance during the siege of the city of Khojent (modern Tajikistan). It was defended by a garrison led by one of the best Khorezm military leaders - the fearless Timur-Melik. When he realized that the garrison was no longer able to repel the attacks, he and some of the soldiers boarded ships and sailed down the Jaxartes River, pursued along the shore by Mongol cavalry. However, after a fierce battle, Timur-Melik was able to break away from his pursuers. After his departure, the city of Khojent surrendered to the mercy of the winner the next day.

Genghis Khan's army continued to capture Khorezmian cities one after another: Merv, Urgench... 1221 - they besieged the city of Bamiyan and, after months of fighting, took it by storm. Genghis Khan, whose beloved grandson was killed during the siege, ordered that neither women nor children should be spared. Therefore, the city and its entire population were completely destroyed.

After the fall of Khorezm and the conquest of Central Asia, Genghis Khan made a campaign in Northwestern India, capturing this large territory. But he did not go further to the south of Hindustan: he was constantly attracted by unknown countries at sunset.

The Great Khan, as usual, thoroughly worked out the route of the new campaign and sent his best commanders Jebe and Subedei far to the west at the head of their tumens and auxiliary troops of the conquered peoples. Their path passed through Iran, Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. So the Mongols found themselves on the southern approaches to Rus', in the Don steppes.

In those days, the Polovtsian Vezhi, who had long lost their military strength, roamed the Wild Field. The Mongols defeated the Polovtsians without much difficulty, and they fled to the borderlands of the Russian lands. 1223 - the commanders Jebe and Subedey defeated the united army of several Russian princes and Polovtsian khans in the battle on the Kalka River. After the victory, the vanguard of the Mongol army turned back.

In 1226–1227, Genghis Khan made a campaign in the country of the Tanguts Xi-Xia. He instructed one of his sons to continue the conquest of Chinese lands. The anti-Mongol uprising that began in conquered Northern China caused great concern to the Great Khan.

Genghis Khan died during his last campaign against the Tanguts, in 1227. The Mongols gave him a magnificent funeral and, having destroyed all the participants in these sad celebrations, were able to keep the location of Genghis Khan’s grave completely secret to this day...

Pedigree

Since ancient times, the Mongols kept family lists ( urgiin bichig) of their ancestors. The ancestry of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, was and remains connected with the history of the Mongols themselves.

Five children of Alan-goa gave rise to five Mongolian clans - from Belgunotai came the Belgunot clan, from Bugunotai - Bugunot, from Buhu-Khadaki - Khadakin, from Bukhatu-Salji - Saljiut. The fifth - Bodonchar, was a brave warrior and ruler, from him came the Borjigin family.

From the four children of Duva-Sokhor - Donoy, Dogshin, Emneg and Erkheh - four tribes of Oirats descended. Already at that time, the first Mongol state was formed, Khamag Mongol Ulus, whose existence dates back to the middle of the 12th century.

Biography

Birth and early years

Temujin was born in the Delyun-Boldok tract on the banks of the Onon River (in the area of ​​Lake Baikal) in the family of one of the leaders of the Mongolian Taichiut tribe, Yesugei-bagatura (“bagatur” - hero) from the Borjigin clan and his wife Hoelun from the Ungirat tribe, whom Yesugei recaptured from Merkita Eke-Chiledu. It was named after the captured Tatar leader Temuchin-Uge, whom Yesugei defeated on the eve of the birth of his son. The year of Temujin’s birth remains unclear, since the main sources indicate different dates. According to Rashid ad-Din, Temujin was born in 1155. The History of the Yuan Dynasty gives 1162 as the date of birth. A number of scientists (for example, G.V. Vernadsky), based on an analysis of sources, point to the year 1167.

At the age of 9, Yesugei-Bagatur betrothed the son of Borte, a 10-year-old girl from an Ungirat family. Leaving his son with the bride's family until he came of age, so that they could get to know each other better, he went home. According to the “Secret Legend,” on the way back, Yesugei stopped at a Tatar camp, where he was poisoned. Upon returning to his native ulus, he fell ill and fell ill, and died three days later.

After the death of Temuchin's father, his followers abandoned the widows (Yesugei had 2 wives) and the children of Yesugei (Temuchin and his younger brother Khasar, and from his second wife - Bekter and Belgutai): the head of the Taichiut clan drove the family from their homes, stealing everything that belonged to her livestock For several years, widows and children lived in complete poverty, wandering in the steppes, eating 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 (a distant relative of Temujin), who declared himself the ruler of the lands once occupied by Yesugei, fearing the revenge of his growing rival, began to pursue Temujin. One day, an armed detachment attacked the camp of the Yesugei family. Temujin managed to escape, but was overtaken and captured. They put a block on it - two wooden boards with a hole for the neck, which were pulled together. The block was a painful punishment: a person did not have the opportunity to eat, drink, or even drive away a fly that had landed on his face.

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 Selduz tribe of Sorgan-Shire, who was among them, and decided to save him. He pulled young Temujin out of the water, freed him from the block and took him to his home, where he hid him in a cart with wool. After the Taichiuts left, Sorgan-Shire put Temujin on a mare, provided him with weapons and sent him home. (Subsequently, Chilaun, the son of Sorgan-Shire, became one of the four close nukers of Genghis Khan).

After some time, Temujin found his family. The Borjigins immediately migrated to another place, and the Taichiuts could no longer detect them. At the age of 11, Temujin became friends with his peer of noble origin from the Jardaran tribe, Jamukha, who later became the leader of this tribe. With him in his childhood, Temujin twice became sworn brothers (Andoy).

A few years later, Temujin married his betrothed Borte (by this time Boorchu, also one of the four closest nukers, appeared in Temujin’s service). Borte's dowry was a luxurious sable fur coat. Temujin soon went to the most powerful of the then steppe leaders - Tooril, khan of the Kerait tribe. Tooril was the sworn brother (anda) of Temujin’s father, and he managed to enlist the support of the Kerait leader by recalling this friendship and presenting a sable fur coat to Borte. Upon returning from Tooril Khan, one old Mongol gave his son Jelme into service, who became one of Genghis Khan’s commanders.

Beginning of conquest

With the support of Tooril Khan, Temujin's forces began to gradually grow. Nukers began to flock to him; he raided his neighbors, increasing his possessions and herds (enriching his possessions). He differed from the other conquerors in that during the battles he tried to keep as many people from the enemy ulus alive as possible in order to later attract them to his service. Temujin's first serious opponents were the Merkits, who acted in alliance with the Taichiuts. In the absence of Temujin, they attacked the Borjigin camp and captured Borte (according to assumptions, she was already pregnant and was expecting Jochi’s first son) and Yesugei’s second wife, Sochikhel, Belgutai’s mother. In 1184 (approximately based on the date of birth of Ogedei), Temujin, with the help of Tooril Khan and the Keraits, as well as his anda (sworn brother) Jamukha (invited by Temuchin at the insistence of Tooril Khan) from the Jajirat family, defeated the Merkits and returned Borte, and Belgutai’s mother, Sochikhel, refused to go back.

After the victory, Tooril Khan went to his horde, and Temujin and his anda Jamukha remained to live together in the same horde, where they again entered into a twinning alliance, exchanging golden belts and horses. After some time (from six months to a year and a half), they went their separate ways, with many of Jamukha’s noyons and nukers joining Temuchin (which was one of the reasons for Jamukha’s hostility towards Temuchin). Having separated, Temujin began organizing his ulus, creating a horde control apparatus. The first two nukers, Boorchu and Jelme, were appointed senior in the Khan's headquarters; the command post was given to Subetai-Baghatur, the future famous commander of Genghis Khan. During the same period, Temujin had a second son, Chagatai (the exact date of his birth is unknown) and a third son, Ogedei (October 1186). Temuchin created his first small ulus in 1186 (1189/90 are also probable), and had 3 darkness (30 thousand people) troops.

In the ascension of Temujin as khan of the ulus, Jamukha did not see anything good and looked for an open quarrel with his anda. The reason was the murder of Jamukha's younger brother, Taichar, while trying to drive away a herd of horses from Temujin's possessions. Under the pretext of revenge, Jamukha and his army moved towards Temujin in 3 darkness. The battle took place near the Gulegu Mountains, between the sources of the Sengur River and the upper reaches of Onon. In this first big battle (according to the main source “The Hidden Legend of the Mongols”) Temujin was defeated. This defeat unsettled him for some time and he had to gather strength to continue the fight.

Temujin's first major military enterprise after the defeat from Jamukha was the war against the Tatars, together with Tooril Khan. The Tatars at that time had difficulty repelling the attacks of the Jin troops that entered their possessions. The combined troops of Tooril Khan and Temujin, joining the Jin troops, moved against the Tatars; the battle took place in 1196. They inflicted a number of strong blows on the Tatars and captured rich booty. The Jurchen government of Jin, as a reward for the defeat of the Tatars, awarded high titles to the steppe leaders. Temujin received the title "Jauthuri" (military commissar) and Tooril - "Van" (prince), from which time he became known as Van Khan. Temujin became a vassal of Wang Khan, whom Jin saw as the most powerful of the rulers of Eastern Mongolia.

In 1197-1198 Van Khan, without Temujin, made a campaign against the Merkits, plundered and gave nothing to his named “son” and vassal Temujin. This marked the beginning of a new cooling. After 1198, when the Jin ravaged the Kungirats and other tribes, Jin influence on 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 uluses, led by Buyruk Khan in Altai and Tayan Khan on the Black Irtysh. In 1199, Temujin, together with Van Khan and Jamukha, attacked Buiruk Khan with their joint forces and he was defeated. Upon returning home, the path was blocked by a Naiman detachment. It was decided to fight in the morning, but at night Van Khan and Jamukha disappeared, leaving Temujin alone in the hope that the Naimans would finish him off. But by morning, Temujin realizes their plan and retreats without engaging in battle. The Naimans began to pursue not Temujin, but Van Khan. The Kereits entered into a difficult battle with the Naimans, and with death evident, Van-Khan sent messengers to Temuchin asking for help. Temujin sent his nukers, among whom Boorchu, Mukhali, Borohul and Chilaun distinguished themselves in battle. For his salvation, Van Khan bequeathed his ulus to Temuchin after his death (but after recent events, he did not believe in it). In 1200, Wang Khan and Temujin set out on a joint campaign against the Taichiuts. The Merkits came to the aid of the Taichiuts. In this battle, Temujin was wounded by an arrow, after which Czhelme nursed him throughout the next night. By morning the Taichiuts disappeared, leaving many people behind. Among them was Sorgan-Shira, who once saved Temujin, and the sharpshooter Jebe, who confessed that it was he who shot Temujin, for which he was forgiven. A pursuit was organized for the Taichuts. Many were killed, some surrendered into service. This was the first defeat inflicted on the Taichiuts.

Genghis Khan elevated the written law to a cult and was a supporter of strong law and order. He created a network of communication lines in his empire, courier communications on a large scale for military and administrative purposes, and organized intelligence, including economic intelligence.

Genghis Khan divided the country into two “wings”. He placed Boorcha at the head of the right wing, and Mukhali, his two most faithful and experienced associates, at the head of the left. He made the positions and ranks of senior and highest military leaders - centurions, thousanders and temniks - hereditary in the family of those who, with their faithful service, helped him seize the khan's throne.

Conquest of Northern China

In 1207-1211, the Mongols conquered the land of the Kirghiz, Khankhas (Khalkha), Oirats and other forest peoples, that is, they subjugated almost all the main tribes and peoples of Siberia, imposing tribute on them. In 1209, Genghis Khan conquered Central Asia and turned his attention to the south.

Before the conquest of China, Genghis Khan decided to secure the eastern border by capturing in 1207 the state of the Tanguts Xi-Xia, who had previously conquered Northern China from the dynasty of the Chinese Song emperors and created their own state, which was located between his possessions and the state of Jin. Having captured several fortified cities, in the summer the “True Ruler” retreated to Longjin, waiting out the unbearable heat that fell that year.

Mongol Archers on Horses

Meanwhile, news reaches him that his old enemies Tokhta-beki and Kuchluk are preparing for a new war with him. Anticipating their invasion and having carefully prepared, Genghis Khan defeated them completely in a battle on the banks of the Irtysh. Tokhta-beki was among the dead, and Kuchluk escaped and found shelter with the Karakitai.

Satisfied with the victory, Temujin again sends his troops against Xi-Xia. After defeating an army of Chinese Tatars, he captured the fortress and passage in the Great Wall of China and in 1213 invaded the Chinese Empire itself, the state of Jin and marched as far as Nianxi in Hanshu Province. With increasing persistence, Genghis Khan led his troops into the interior of the continent and established his power over the province of Liaodong, central to the empire. Several Chinese commanders defected 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 Temujin sent three armies to different parts of the Chinese 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 youngest son Tolui, at the head of the main forces, set out in a southeastern direction. The First Army advanced as far as Honan and, after capturing twenty-eight cities, joined Genghis Khan on the Great Western Road. The army under the command of Temujin's brothers and generals captured the province of Liao-hsi, and Genghis Khan himself ended his triumphant campaign only after he reached the sea rocky cape in Shandong province. But either fearing civil strife, or due to other reasons, he decides to return to Mongolia in the spring of 1214 and makes peace with the Chinese emperor, leaving Beijing to him. However, before the leader of the Mongols had time to leave the Great Wall of China, the Chinese emperor moved his court further away, to Kaifeng. This step was perceived by Temujin as a manifestation of hostility, and he again sent troops into the empire, now doomed to destruction. The war continued.

The Jurchen troops in China, replenished by the aborigines, fought the Mongols until 1235 on their own initiative, but were defeated and exterminated by Genghis Khan's successor Ogedei.

Fight against the Kara-Khitan Khanate

Following China, Genghis Khan was preparing for a campaign in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. He was especially attracted to the flourishing cities of Southern Kazakhstan and Zhetysu. He decided to implement his plan through the valley of the Ili River, where rich cities were located and ruled by Genghis Khan’s longtime enemy, the Naiman Khan Kuchluk.

Campaigns of Genghis Khan and his commanders

While Genghis Khan was conquering more and more cities and provinces of China, the fugitive Naiman Khan Kuchluk asked the gurkhan who had given him refuge to help gather the remnants of the army defeated at the Irtysh. Having gained a fairly strong army under his hand, Kuchluk entered into an alliance against his overlord with the Shah of Khorezm Muhammad, who had previously paid tribute to the Karakitays. After a short but decisive military campaign, the allies were left with a big gain, and the gurkhan was forced to relinquish power in favor of the uninvited guest. In 1213, Gurkhan Zhilugu 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 irreconcilable opponent of Khorezm, Kuchluk began persecution of Muslims in his domains, which aroused the hatred of the settled population of Zhetysu. The ruler of Koylyk (in the valley of the Ili River) Arslan Khan, and then the ruler of Almalyk (northwest of modern Gulja) Bu-zar moved away from the Naimans and declared themselves subjects of Genghis Khan.

Death of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan's Empire at the time of his death

Upon returning from Central Asia, Genghis Khan once again led his army through Western China. According to Rashid ad-din, in the fall, having migrated to the borders of Xi Xia, while hunting, Genghis Khan fell from his horse and was badly injured. By evening, Genghis Khan began to develop a high fever. As a result, the next morning a council was assembled, at which the question was “whether or not to postpone the war with the Tanguts.” Genghis Khan's eldest son Jochi, who was already strongly distrusted, was not present at the council due to his constant evasion of his father's orders. Genghis Khan ordered the army to set out on a campaign to Jochi and put an end to him, but the campaign did not take place, as news of his death arrived. Genghis Khan was ill throughout the winter of 1225-1226.

Personality of Genghis Khan

The main sources by which we can judge the life and personality of Genghis Khan were compiled after his death (the “Secret Legend” is especially important among them). From these sources we receive fairly detailed information about both Chinggis’s appearance (tall, strong build, broad forehead, long beard) and his character traits. Coming from a people who apparently did not have written language or developed state institutions before him, Genghis Khan was deprived of a book education. With the talents of a commander, he combined organizational abilities, unyielding will and self-control. He possessed enough generosity and friendliness to retain the affection of his associates. Without denying himself the joys of life, he remained a stranger to excesses incompatible with the activities of a ruler and commander, and lived to an old age, retaining his mental abilities in full strength.

Results of the board

But unlike other conquerors for hundreds of years before the Mongols, who dominated Eurasia, only Genghis Khan was able to organize a stable state system and make Asia appear to Europe not just as an unexplored steppe and mountain space, but as a consolidated civilization. It was within its borders that the Turkic revival of the Islamic world then began, which with its second onslaught (after the Arabs) almost finished off Europe.

The Mongols revere Genghis Khan as their greatest hero and reformer, almost as an incarnation of a deity. In European (including Russian) memory, he remained something like a pre-storm crimson cloud that appears before a terrible, all-purifying storm.

Descendants of Genghis Khan

Temujin and his beloved wife Borte had four sons: Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, Tolui. Only they and their descendants could claim supreme power in the state. Temujin and Borte also had daughters:

• Khodzhin-begi, wife of Butu-gurgen from the Ikires clan;
• Tsetseihen (Chichigan), wife of Inalchi, the youngest son of the head of the Oirats, Khudukha-beki;
• Alangaa (Alagai, Alakha), who married the Ongut noyon 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 Tor zasagch gunj (ruler-princess);
• Temulen, wife of Shiku-gurgen, son of Alchi-noyon from the Khongirads, the tribe of her mother Borte;
• Alduun (Altalun), who married Zavtar-setsen, noyon of the Khongirads.

Temujin and his second wife, the Merkit Khulan-Khatun, daughter of Dair-usun, had sons Kulhan (Khulugen, Kulkan) and Kharachar; and from the Tatar woman Yesugen (Esukat), daughter of Charu-noyon, sons Chakhur (Jaur) and Kharkhad.

The sons of Genghis Khan continued the work of the Golden Dynasty and ruled the Mongols, as well as the conquered lands, based on the Great Yasa of Genghis Khan until the 20s of the 20th century. Even the Manchu emperors, who ruled Mongolia and China from the 16th to the 19th centuries, were descendants of Genghis Khan, as for their legitimacy they married Mongol princesses from the golden family dynasty of Genghis Khan. The first prime minister of Mongolia of the 20th century, Chin Van Handdorj (1911-1919), as well as the rulers of Inner Mongolia (until 1954) were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.

The family record of Genghis Khan dates back to the 20th century; in 1918, the religious head of Mongolia, Bogdo Gegen, issued an order to preserve Urgiin bichig(family list) of Mongol princes. This monument is kept in the museum and is called “Shastra of the State of Mongolia” ( Mongol Ulsyn Shastir). Many direct descendants of Genghis Khan from his Golden Family live in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia (PRC), as well as in other countries.

Genetic research

According to Y-chromosome studies, about 16 million men living in Central Asia are descended strictly in the male line from a single ancestor who lived 1000±300 years ago. Obviously, this man could only be Genghis Khan or one of his immediate ancestors.

Chronology of main events

• 1162- Birth of Temujin (also probable dates - 1155 and 1167).
• 1184(approximate date) - Captivity of Temujin's wife - Borte - by the Merkits.
• 1184/85(approximate date) - Liberation of Borte with the support of Jamukha and Togoril Khan. Birth of Genghis Khan's eldest son, Jochi.
• 1185/86(approximate date) - Birth of Genghis Khan's second son - Chagatai.
• October 1186- Birth of Genghis Khan's third son, Ogedei.
• 1186- His first ulus of Temujin (also probable dates - 1189/90), as well as defeat from Jamukha.
• 1190(approximate date) - Birth of Genghis Khan's fourth son - Tolui.
• 1196- The combined forces of Temujin, Togoril Khan and Jin troops advance on the Tatar tribe.
• 1199- Attack and victory of the combined forces of Temujin, Van Khan and Jamukha over the Naiman tribe led by Buiruk Khan.
• 1200- Attack and victory of the joint forces of Temujin and Wang Khan over the Taichiut tribe.
• 1202- Attack and destruction of the Tatar tribe by Temuchin.
• 1203- Attack of the Keraits, the tribe of Van Khan, with Jamukha at the head of the army on the Temuchin ulus.
• Autumn 1203- victory over the Kereits.
• Summer 1204- victory over the Naiman tribe led by Tayan Khan.
• Autumn 1204- victory over the Merkit tribe.
• Spring 1205- Attack and victory over the united forces of the remnants of the Merkit and Naiman tribes.
• 1205- Betrayal and surrender of Jamukha by his nukers to Temuchin and probable execution of Jamukha.
• 1206- At the kurultai, Temuchin is given the title “Genghis Khan”.
• 1207 - 1210- Genghis Khan's attacks on the Tangut state of Xi Xia.
• 1215- Fall of Beijing.
• 1219-1223- Genghis Khan's conquest of Central Asia.
• 1223- victory of the Mongols led by Subedei and Jebe on the Kalka River over the Russian-Polovtsian army.
• Spring 1226- Attack on the Tangut state of Xi Xia.
• Autumn 1227- Fall of the capital and state of Xi Xia. Death of Genghis Khan.