Genghis Khan Essay, Research Paper

The old world had many great leaders. Alexander the Great,

Hannibal and even Julius Caesar met with struggle on their rise to

power. Perhaps Genghis Khan was the most significant of all these

rulers. To prove that Genghis Khan was the greatest ruler, we must go

back to the very beginning of his existence. We must examine such

issues as; Genghis?s struggle for power/how his life as a child would

affect his rule, his personal and military achievements and his

conquests.

Genghis Khan was originally born as Temujin in 1167. He showed

early promise as a leader and a fighter. By 1206, an assembly of

Mongolian chieftains proclaimed him Genghis Khan. Which meant

Universal or invincible prince. This was a bold move for the assembly.

They obviously saw some leadership qualities in Genghis that others

didn?t. When Genghis Khan was little, his chieftain father poisoned.

With no leader left, the tribe abandoned Genghis and his mother. They

were left alone for many years to care for themselves. Throughout

these years, his family met many hardships such as shortage of food

and shortage of money. Though unable to read, Genghis was a very wise

man. His mother told him at a very early age the importance of trust

and independence. “Remember, you have no companions but your shadow”

Grolier Encyclopedia. (1995) CD ROM

This quote was to mean to Genghis, don?t put to much trust in

anyone, trust no one but yourself and if you must go your own way then

do so. In 1206, Genghis Khan proclaimed the ruler of Mongolia. Genghis

was a very respected leader. Like other leaders he knew what his

people wanted. They want everything that is good and nothing that is

bad. Genghis knew he could not promise this so instead he pledged to

share both the sweet and the bitter of life. Genghis did not want to

end up being poisoned like his father so instead he made alliances,

and attacked anyone who posed a serious threat. Through this method

of leadership, Genghis?s army grew to the point where they were

unbeatable.

Genghis contributed alot of items to the chinese and even

western civilizations. Perhaps his greatest contribution was a code of

laws that he declared. Since Genghis couldn?t read or write, these law

were documented by one of his followers. His laws were carried on by

people though the many generations to the point of still being in use

today. Either as a modification of Genghis?s laws or as Genghis had

declared them. Genghis Khan promoted the growth of trade between China

and Europe. This allowed him to gain essential supplies such as food,

weapons and other essential survival materials. Genghis also invented

a system similar to the pony express. It was a system in which the

horse and rider could silently communicate, a system that is still in

use today. Perhaps the greatest gift ever given by Genghis Khan was

the gift of language. Genghis was the first ruler to develop a

Mongolian language. Genghis Khan was also a military and strategic

genius. He structured his army in a unique and interesting fashion. He

integrated soldiers from different tribes into one powerful fighting

force. This was a brilliant idea. Not only could he have diversity and

people who specialize in certain aspects of warfare, but it also

inspired loyalty to the mongolian army as a whole rather than to a

specific group of people. Genghis used harsh training and strict

discipline to create a superior fighting force, he also insured that

everyone of his soldiers was well equipped and could easily adopted

new warfare tactics. His soldiers were always learning. Whether it be

a new tactic Genghis had invented or a new weapon He decided the army

would use, his soldiers were constantly learning. Genghis inspired

loyalty by a unique way of promotion. Genghis felt that the best way

to gain a loyal following was to promote people on the basis of

achievement and not within the family. This did not only inspire a

great deal of loyalty but it also made his army better and actually

raised the morale of his soldiers. Every soldier gave their life to

Genghis and one hundred percent of their effort because no one knew

who would be the next Genghis would promote.

Finally, once Genghis’s army was trained and ready for battle,

Genghis felt it was time to flex the muscles of the Mongolian empire.

Genghis took on the great task of conquering all of china and uniting

it under a single ruler. Genghis began his assault on China by

attacking a northwest kingdom called Xi Xia. He defeated Xi Xia with

little effort and then in 1215 he moved northeast, attacking and

conquering Bejing, the capital city of the Jin empire. In 1218, for

reasons unknown, he decided to cease his assault on China and sweep

into central Asia. He crushed the kingdom of Krorezm which was

located in what is now present-day Uzebekistan and Turkmenistan. In

1220, he destroyed the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, which are

located in present-day Uzebekistan and Neyshabar in modern Iran. By

1223, Genghis Khan and his troops had conquered the Kipchaks, and they

had defeated the Russians at the Kalka River. It had taken Genghis

Khan 17 years to create an empire superior in strength and achievement

to Alexander the great, Julius Caesar and even Hannibal. From 1225

until Genghis?s death in 1227, His army was at war with Yi Yia

kingdom.

Genghis Khan died on August 18, 1227, and was buried in a secret

location in Mongolia. By rewarding skill and allegiance, and punishing

those who opposed him, Genghis Khan established a vast empire and the

most powerful empire to ever exist. Upon his death, Genghis?s son

Kublai Khan took over the empire, founding the chinese-style Yuan

dynasty. Mongol rule brought relative peace to Asia, leaving China

accessible to foreign visitors, such as Marco Polo.

Bibliography

Grolier Encyclopedia. (1995). CD ROM

The New World Book. (1995). CD ROM

Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan.

www.pinc.com/khan/empires.html

Online. Internet. 1 May 1996

Heroes (Genghis Khan 1167-1227).

http://spruce.evansville.edu/~al22/genghis.html

Online. Internet. 2 May 1996