Genghis Khan

By maddyreed18
  • Sep 24, 1165

    Birth

    Birth
    Genghis Kahn was born in Mongolia in 1165. He was named "Temujin" after a Tatar chieftain that his father had captured.
  • Period: Sep 25, 1165 to Oct 22, 1175

    Early Life

    Before he turned 10, his father was poisoned to death by an enemy clan. Shortly thereafter, Temujin killed his older half-brother and took over as head of the poverty-stricken household. Most of what we know about Genghis Khan’s childhood comes from “The Secret History of the Mongols,” the oldest known work of Mongolian history and literature, which was written soon after his death.
  • Oct 31, 1178

    Married to Borte

    Married to Borte
    In 1178 Temujin married Borte, with whom he would have four sons and an unknown number of daughters.
  • Oct 22, 1205

    Uniting Against the Mongols

    By 1205 he had vanquished all rivals, including his former best friend Jamuka. The following year, he called a meeting of representatives from every part of the territory and established a nation similar in size to modern Mongolia. He was also proclaimed Chinggis Khan, which roughly translates to “Universal Ruler,” a name that became known in the West as Genghis Khan.
  • Oct 22, 1208

    Orders Under Power

    Genghis Khan ordered the adoption of a writing system, conducted a regular census, granted diplomatic immunity to foreign ambassadors and allowed freedom of religion well before that idea caught on elsewhere.
  • Period: Oct 22, 1211 to Oct 22, 1214

    Mongols Besieging the Capital

    From 1211 to 1214, the outnumbered Mongols ravaged the countryside and sent refugees pouring into the cities. Food shortages became a problem, and the Jin army ended up killing tens of thousands of its own peasants. In 1214 the Mongols besieged the capital of Zhongdu (now Beijing), and the Jin ruler agreed to hand over large amounts of silk, silver, gold and horses.
  • Oct 22, 1219

    War Against Khwarezm

    In 1219 Genghis Khan went to war against the Khwarezm Empire in present-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The sultan there had agreed to a trade treaty, but when the first caravan arrived its goods were stolen and its merchants were killed. The sultan then murdered some of Genghis Khan’s ambassadors.
  • Aug 18, 1227

    Death

    Death
    When Genghis Khan returned to Mongolia in 1225, he controlled a huge swath of territory from the Sea of Japan to the Caspian Sea. In early 1227 a horse threw Genghis Khan to the ground, causing internal injuries. He pressed on with the campaign, but his health never recovered. He died on August 18, 1227, just before the Xi Xia were crushed.