What did the great conqueror Genghis Khan miscalculate, and Why did the Mongol Empire fall
In 1995, The Washington Post called Genghis Khan the “man of the millennium.” Of course, this was a controversial choice because his conquests led to the death of millions of people and the devastation of many cities. Still, they united vast territories, allowing trade to flourish on the Silk Road, thus connecting East and West.
at Genghis Khan was the man who changed this world. What were the great conqueror’s miscalculations that led to the fall of th
the life of Temujin’s father when the boy turned 10 years old, and his mother, brothers, and sisters were expelled from their tribe and had to survive on their own in the steppe.
rs of several Mongolian tribes, gather their warriors around him, and make them loyal followers. At the same time, he became known as Genghis Khan, the “universal ruler” of the unified Mongol Empire, which had about one million people.
n.
d to secure the eastern border by capturing the Tangut kingdom of Xi Xia, which was located between his possessions and China.
then moved with his army to China. After the capture of the Jin dynasty, Khanate of Khiva in Turkestan followed.
cripts from those times claim that Genghis Khan was sincerely convinced that he was a follower of tengrism and destined to rule the world. Driven by a divin
e as two separate entities – the Jin Dynasty and the Song Empire, the Mongols were able to win over some Jin warriors to their side.
ishing the ranks of the Mongolian army. Genghis Khan’s well-organized warriors extensively used cavalry, which could move rapidly and devastatingly affect the enemy in open terrain.
lian troops. But often, after the Mongol attacks, the vast conquered territories were left without a population due to the brutal massacre and expulsion of crowds of people fleeing from the advancing Mongol troops.
of tons of carbon from the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.
ngers, they provided relatively fast communication. It also contributed to the development of trade, which was the driving force behind the Mongol conquests.
lation by 11% and destroyed entire cultures.
ifferent territories of the Mongol Empire over time.
Mongol representatives collected tribute, recruited soldiers for service, and controlled the work of artisans. T
Genghis Khan’s death.
ge the empire, Guyuk also died.
ished territory in the Mediterranean, and removed all his competitors from the family.
s victory. However, he was never elected by the council of nobles, which made his position suspicious among the Mongols even after he became the great Khan.
ntrol over the united China, and he began to be regarded primarily as the Chinese emperor and the father of the Yuan Dynasty despite attempts to maintain the superiority of the Mongols. He proved he could reconcile the Chinese to foreign rule, but his extravagance was resented. He continued his attempts at conquest, which did not bring new territories to the Mon
capture Japan on the orders of Kublai. Both times, typhoons saved Japan, destroying almost half of the Mongol army. This became one of the greatest naval dis
he strongest base, the native Chinese culture began to influence the resistance of the Mongols. The Mongol nobility and Chinese farmers became increasingly hostile to each other. The danger of rebellion grew, and by 1368, the Yuan Dynasty supplanted the Ming Dynasty.
expanded these possessions.
ai Khan and his descendants were influenced by Chinese culture, the descendants of Batu were influenced by the Turkic and Islamic peoples they ruled.
k death,” and suffered military defeats from Russia, breaking into several smaller states during the 1400s.