We think of the modern-day society and those who inspired and shaped the world. Genghis Khan, however, is an interesting character. His greatness was actually his ability to unify the nomads of his nation in a violent way.
Although his life was not well documented, it is known that Genghis Khan (his birthname being Temujin), was actually born in 1162 somewhere between Siberia’s borders.
Temujin saw the world through his eyes, surrounded by political and social turmoil. He saw the kind of violence that modern people rarely see. He was a youngster who understood early that in order to be successful in the nomadic, uneducated tribal societies he was raised in, one had to be powerful. Khan was 10 years old when his father was poisoned in a tribal dispute. History has shown that social destruction follows the death of a father in any backward or uneducated society. Temujin’s family belonged to one the most primitive societies known to mankind. It was therefore extremely difficult for them to survive without their father.
Temujin considered them a burden and decided to get rid of his family. His mother and six siblings were his parents. His brothers and he had to make their lives easier. It was these difficult circumstances that Temujin evolved into the fierce Genghis Khan we know today.
Temujin experienced first-hand the power of real life. This led him to seek out new opportunities to build his character and gain more power. To make this the best move forward, he killed the elder brother of his family to take the role of figurehead. He was finally able to taste real power, but only after he had killed his brother.
Temujin became a fearless fighter because of this fearlessness. He became an adaptable person to the harsh nomadic lifestyle. His energy attracted the young nomadic men. These fighters joined him and declared him their leader. Temujin leveraged his past to gain power.
Temujin was also abducted by many of his enemies, due to the nomadic Mongolian tribes. Temujin managed to free his wife and himself from all charges. Slowly, all Mongolian tribals joined forces under Temujin. These warriors of fierce fighting who used to fight against one another, now stand side-by side. Unified, the Mongolian army conquered all steppe tribes to establish their government that included over 1,000,000 people. They created their own nation, modern-day Mongolia. Temujin was the head state. He was named “Chinggis Khan” (“The Universal Ruler”)
Genghis Kan’s ability and skill to manage his people is what truly sets him apart. He brought many reforms to the state that decreased violence once he was in power. Some rights were granted to women, and strong laws against theft were enacted. He eliminated all titles and allowed religious freedom to his people.
People who used to hate each other just a few short years ago wanted harmony. Despite being outnumbered, Genghis Kan’s army defeated the Jin Dynasty, Xi Xia and Khwarezm empire forces. His army quickly seized more land than any other human group, stretching from Japan to the Caspian Sea.
Khan, who was on his horse at the time of Khan’s death in 1227, fell from it. But Khan had already united the people and built one of history’s most powerful empires.
