Genghis Khan
- A Mongolian Hero -
Presentation by Paige Lantz
Mongolia and Mongols
Seen by Americans as relatively
insignificant

 Thought of as barbarians
 Mostly pictured on horseback
wielding bows and arrows
Mongolia
◦
Between Russia
and China
◦
3 x size France
◦Sparsely
populated
Interesting Population Facts
~ Roughly 3 million people
~ Population density 1.36/ square kilometer
~ More animals than people (ratio 12:1)
~ 50% Rural: 50% Urban
~ 90% of population ethnic Mongolian
~ Other 10% made up of Kazakh, Russian, Chinese
and other
Ulan Bator
 Capital city
 Largest city
 ¼ of the total population of Mongolia lives there
Rural Population
- Nomadic herders
- Animal husbandry
- Felt tent homes
called Yurts
Urban Population
- Huge metropolis
- Like any other city
- All kinds of workers
Mystery of the East
Household Name
Around the World
~Genghis Khan~
1162-1227
~to the country~
~and to the people~
The Stone Age
Archaeological evidence of
humans in the area
100,000-200,000 yrs ago
Early humans found to be
living in the area south
of the Gobi desert
The Bronze Age
1st millennium
Early humans move into
Mongolia’s heartland
Iron Weapons
3rd century B.C.
Invention of weapons leads to
raids into China
Early Mongols
 Small nomadic tribes
 Very aggressive to their enemies
 Invaded early China
 Very decentralized
-Constant battle over land
between the two countries
-Lasted thousands
of years
Chinese
Turkic
Original Leader
Kabul Khan
Unification of Mongol tribes
11th and 12th centuries
1162 -Temujin is born
 Grandson of Khan (or ruler) of
leading clan
 Later to be known as Genghis Khan
 Father killed by Tatars when twelve
 Rejected by clan as leader
 Family sent into exile
 Family taken in by Keriet clan
 Gained rank and leadership in adopted clan
 By age of 20 had returned to birth clan and seized control
Tribal Alliances Leading to Rule
 Had control over adopted clan
 Regained control of birth tribe
 Strength of leadership led to admiration of other
clan leaders
 Backing of other clans leads to leadership of entire
Bonjigin tribe
Genghis’ contributions to the Mongols
Military
Empire
Military

Unification of Mongol tribes
 Organization of previously random attacks
 Continuously successful invasions
 Gained and held control of lands
Expansion of an empire
 By 1213 empire had
extended as far south as the
Great Wall of China
 By 1215 empire had reached
the area of what is now Beijing
 By 1218 empire extended as
far west as Lake Balkhash
 Empire also reached Caspian
Sea to the west and the Persian
Gulf to the south
Strategies to create an empire
 Harnessed the tribe’s tendency for war
 Organized the tribes
 Used tactics never before used in battle
 Used strategy (not just force) to win
Total Accomplishments
~ United over 80 Mongolian tribes
~ Mongol Empire during his reign was most powerful nation
on earth at that time
~ Era of his reign known as the “Golden Era” in Mongolian
History
~ Created military strategies more successful than had ever
been seen before
Genghis Khan
A national hero?
1911-1991 Mongolian independent, but tied to
soviet Union
1991-Today Mongolian nationalism a replacement
for Soviet-style Communism
What do the people think?
The Urban Population
Chinggis (Genghis)
Hotel
~ Located in Ulaanbaatar
~ Sees Genghis as military genius,
and overlook his atrocities
~ Want to study more in depth
~ Are proud that he is known by
the rest of the world
The Rural Population
~ More concerned with raising
their children and animals
~ Are proud of Khan’s world
recognition
World View
Washington Post
~ Named Khan best leader
of the last millennium
~ And called him an elite
person of the millennium
World Academy of Chinggis Khan
~ Researching his life and achievements more thoroughly
~ Globally educate everyone as to khan’s philosophies
Bibliography
1) Akiner, Shirin. “Mongolia Today”. Kegan Paul International.
London, England. 1991.
2) Bawden, C.R. “The Modern History of Mongolia”. Frederick
A. Praeger, Inc. New York, N.Y. 1968.
3) Goldstein, Melvyn C. “The Changing World of Mongolia’s
Nomads”. University of California Press. Berkley, C.A. 1994.
4) Hedin, Sven. “Across the Gobi Desert”. Greenwood Press.
New York, N.Y. 1968
5) Lattimore, Owen. “Nationalism and Revolution in Mongolia”.
J. Brill. Leiden. Netherlands. 1955.
6) Lattimore, Owen, “Nomads and Commissars”. Oxford
University Press. New York, N.Y. 1962.
7) Lattimore, Owen. “The Mongols of Manchuria”. Howard
Fertig, Inc. New York, N.Y. 1969.
8) Murphy, George. “Soviet Mongolia”. University of California
Press. Berkely, C.A. 1966.
9) Rupen, Robert. “Mongols of the Twentieth Century”. Indiana
University Publications. Vol. 37 Bloomington, I.N. 1964.
10) Worden, Robert. “Mongolia, A Country Study”. Library
of Congress. <http:///cweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd
/cstdy:@field(DOCID+mnoooo)>. 2003.