RAC: Lesson - The Mongols: Background and the Rise of Genghis Khan

Background and the Rise of Genghis Khan

Who are the Mongols?

The largest land empire to ever exist began out of land too cold to grow much food. The Mongols of the Asian steppes were nomadic (moved around). They rode horses, lived in collapsible yurts, and survived winter temperatures as low as -30°F! These harsh conditions affected the people who survived them.

Genghis Khan

Young Genghis Khan lost his father to a neighboring tribe, so when he became an adult, he slaughtered that tribe. Thus began his takeover of Central Asia. He was successful for a few important reasons:

• Revenge: Genghis Khan was strongly motivated by revenge – against the neighboring tribe that killed his father, against members of his own tribe that betrayed him, and against outsiders who disrespected him. As his enemies grew, so did the geography of his empire.
• Religion: Genghis Khan practiced Tengriism, a monotheistic religion with an unknowable sky god (Tengri). Genghis believed that he was destined to rule Earth like Tengri ruled the sky. He attributed his success, and any success of his descendants, to a close following of Tengri. However, Tengriism did not require religious conversion, so the Mongol Empire was religiously tolerant.
• Strategy: Genghis Khan employed military strategies that were ahead of his time. He faked retreats and practiced “scorched earth” policies – cities and empires that did not surrender were destroyed and burned. He even once had a river routed over a defeated city. His archers and cavalry were also unmatched.

In 1206, Genghis Khan declared himself the ruler of a united Mongol Empire. Over the next 20 years, he expanded across Asia and into Europe. He adopted a new written script and crafted his own law code. When he died, he was buried in an unmarked grave – to this day, his burial site is still unknown.

The Expansion of the Mongol Empire

This map shows the expansion of the Mongol empire under Genghis Khan (red), and then how the empire was divided under his children. His grandson Batu controlled the Gold area, his second son Changatai controlled the Dark Green area, another grandson (his name is not included in this reading) ruled the Light Green area, and yet another grandson, Kublai (Khan), ruled the purple area.

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