Who is Genghis Khan? How Did Temuçin, the Founder of the Mongol Empire, Become "Genghis Khan"?

Genghis Khan was one of the greatest warriors of the 13th century and founded the largest land empire in history. So much so that the Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan, covered most of Asia and part of Europe in 1206.

Despite these achievements, our knowledge about Genghis Khan is quite limited. Professor Jean-Paul Roux from the Ecole de Louvre stated in his book Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire that there is no definitive information about Genghis Khan's appearance.[1] The reason for this situation is that no drawing or portrait of Genghis Khan has survived to the present day. In addition, the works depicting Genghis Khan were either made long after Genghis's death or were drawn by painters who did not know Genghis Khan at all, although they lived in the same period. The writing system of the Mongols came after the conquest of the Uyghurs. For this reason, there are very few written documents about the Mongol Empire. Most of the documents that have survived to the present day were written by foreign states. One of the most important works about the Mongols, The Secret History of the Mongols, was written anonymously well after Genghis's death.

Between Which Dates Did Genghis Khan Live?
Although it is not known exactly when Genghis Khan was born, historians point to around 1160 AD. His death occurred during an expedition against the Tangut people in August 1227, reflecting his warrior personality. The cause of death was probably bubonic plague.
Early Life and Marriage
When Temujin (Genghis Khan) was born, Mongolia was ruled by separate tribes and was not united. Syed Anwarul Haque Haqqi, Professor of Aligarh Muslim University in India, said the following about Temujin's father Yesüge:[3]

He was the lord and leader of the tent with 40,000 families. Even his older siblings saw him as their leader and accepted him as the leader of the Borjigin clan.
As a result of a common practice in Mongolia at that time, Temuçin's mother Hoelun was forced to marry Yesüge after her father's clan was captured. To celebrate this victory, the couple named their child Temüjin. Giving such names to a newborn child for good luck was a common tradition in Mongolia at the time.

Temuçin took the name "Genghis Khan" when he founded the Mongol Empire in 1206. The Grand Council gave Temujin the title of "Genghis Khan" or "Universal Ruler" and declared him the ruler of the United Mongol State.

We do not have much information about the first years of Temujin's life, but Haqqi says that he turned into a harsh personality as he grew up. Moreover, over time, he became someone who fought with other lords, drank constantly, fought in duels, slept with his weapons, and adapted to the difficult nomadic life of the steppe.

According to sources, when Temuçin was only 9 years old, he became engaged to 10-year-old Börte, the head of the Jungirat tribe named Dai Sechen. After a while, Temujin lost the support of other tribal followers with the death of his father; He started to live in the pastures in a limited area with his remaining followers. When Temuçin was 14, he killed his brother Bekter due to a dispute and later married Börte.

Army and Empire
Temuçin and his friend Tuğrul organized an expedition against the Tatars living in today's Mongolia, but formerly in China, around 1200, and defeated the Tatars in 1202. Later, Temuçin and Tuğrul had a disagreement and fought among themselves, and at the end of the war, Tuğrul was killed.

By 1206, most of Mongolia came under Temuçin's command. Pressure is being applied to the tribes that have not yet sworn allegiance to Temujin. Temuçin now took the name "Genghis Khan".

Genghis organized his next campaign against the Jin dynasty and captured the north of China with this expedition. Jinping Wang, a lecturer in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, wrote that in 1234, the population of Northern China fell by one-third due to wars.

After this expedition, Genghis turned westward and advanced into Central Asia. Genghis Khan organized a conquest against Khwarazmshah in 1219. According to an article published by David Morgan, this war caused so much death and destruction in the Kingdom of Khwarezmah, which was struggling with internal strife, that there was a small decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions.[6], [7]

As stated by Timothy May, Professor of Central Eurasian History at the University of North Georgia, the advantage of the Mongols in battles was the maneuverability provided by the cavalry units and composite bows they used.[8] According to research, the fact that Mongolia's geography is more humid than normal has enabled more pastures to be found and thus more horses to be raised.

As Genghis Khan expanded his empire, he made innovations in state administration and organizations. Morris Rossabi, Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Department of East Asian Languages ​​and Cultures, states the following on this subject:[10]

After conquering the lands beyond Mongolia, Genghis established a more sophisticated state structure and a regular tax system. The captured Turks, together with the Chinese and others, began to develop a stable system. This contributed to the creation of a more organized state structure and official positions specializing in specific tasks.
Genghis Khan also developed a system of laws and regulations. The writer Ata-Malik Cüveyni, who lived in the 13th century, explained this issue as follows:[11]

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He introduced a rule for every situation and a regulation for every condition; He imposed a punishment for every crime.
Genghis Khan also ordered that the spoils obtained from the conquests be shared among the army and ensured that the soldiers received training focusing on hunting. Juwayni commented on this situation as follows:

These trainings were not just training; They were made to help soldiers get used to hunting, improve their use of bows and cope with difficulties.
Genghis Khan ordered his soldiers not to harm any craftsmen and not to touch the clergy during the campaigns. He respected people with beliefs different from his own. According to historical records, Genghis Khan believed in a form of Mongolian Shamanism.

His Death and Grave
Genghis Khan died in 1227 during a campaign against the Tanguts. His grave has never been found. As a matter of fact, the records of that date do not say anything about the location of the grave.[12]

After the death of Genghis Khan, his son Ögedei became the head of the Mongol Empire and ruled until his death in 1241. However, the Mongols could not remain united and fell apart, surrendering to civil war in 1259 after the death of Möngke Khan, one of the grandchildren of Genghis.