Genghis Khan is a “Mongol” with a Slavic appearance. Falsification of history

Compared to him, Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin seem like inexperienced beginners

Genghis Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire and one of the most cruel people in the history of mankind. Compared to him, Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin seem like inexperienced novices.

Today we rarely hear anything about Mongolia, unless Russia is conducting nuclear tests on the steppes there. If Genghis Khan were alive, he would never have allowed this!

And in general, he would not give anyone peace, because most of all he loved to fight.

Here are 15 amazing facts about the Mongol commander who could have conquered the world:

1. 40 million corpses

Historians estimate that Genghis Khan was responsible for 40 million deaths. Just so you understand, this is 11% of the total population of the planet at that time.

For comparison: Second World War sent “only” 3% of the world’s population (60–80 million) to the next world.

The adventures of Genghis Khan thus contributed to the cooling of the climate in the 13th century, as they removed more than 700 million tons of carbon dioxide from the Earth.

2. At the age of 10, Genghis Khan killed his half-brother

Genghis Khan had a difficult childhood. His father was killed by warriors from a rival tribe when Genghis Khan was only 9.

Then his mother was kicked out of the tribe, so she had to raise seven children alone - not easy in 13th century Mongolia!

When Genghis Khan was 10 years old, he killed his half-brother Bekter because he did not want to share food with him!

3. Genghis Khan is not his real name

The real name of the man we know as Genghis Khan is Temujin, which means "iron" or "blacksmith".

The name is not bad, but clearly not worthy of a great warrior and emperor. Therefore, in 1206, Temujin named himself Genghis Khan.

"Khan"- this, of course, "ruler", but about the meaning of the word "Genghis" Scientists are still arguing. The most common version is that it is a corruption of Chinese "zheng" - "fair". So - this, oddly enough, "just ruler".

4. Genghis Khan used brutal torture

Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols were famous terrible torture. One of the most popular was to pour molten silver into the throat and ears of the victim.

Genghis Khan himself loved this method of execution: the enemy was bent backward until his spine was broken.

And Genghis Khan and his squad celebrated the victory over the Russians in the following way: they threw all the surviving Russian soldiers onto the ground, and placed huge wooden gates. Then they held a feast at the gate, crushing the suffocating prisoners.

5. Genghis Khan held beauty contests

Having captured the new land, Genghis Khan ordered to kill or enslave all the men, and gave the women to his warriors. He even organized beauty contests among his captives to choose the most beautiful one.

The winner became one of his large harem, and the rest of the participants were sent to be desecrated by the soldiers.

6. Genghis Khan defeated superior armies

The size of the Mongol Empire indicates that Genghis Khan was a truly great commander.

At the same time, he repeatedly won victories over superior enemy forces. For example, he defeated a million Jin dynasty soldiers with an army of 90,000 Mongols.

During his conquest of China, Genghis Khan destroyed 500,000 Chinese soldiers before the rest surrendered to the mercy of the victor!

7. Genghis Khan turned enemies into comrades

In 1201, Genghis Khan was wounded in battle by an enemy archer. The Mongol army won the battle, after which Genghis Khan ordered to find the same archer who shot him.

He said that the arrow hit his horse, and not himself, so that the archer would not be afraid to confess. And when the archer was found, Genghis Khan acted unexpectedly: instead of killing the enemy on the spot, he invited him to join the Mongol army.

Such military cunning and foresight is one of the reasons for Genghis Khan’s unprecedented military successes.

8. Nobody knows what Genghis Khan looked like

There are tons of pictures of Genghis Khan on the internet and in history books, but we actually have no idea what he looked like.

How is this possible? The fact is that Genghis Khan forbade depicting himself. Therefore, there are no paintings, no statues, or even written descriptions of his appearance.

But after his death, people immediately rushed to impersonate the late tyrant from memory, so we have a rough idea of ​​what he might have looked like. However, some historians say that he had red hair!

9. Genghis Khan had a lot of children

Every time Genghis Khan conquered a new country, he took one of the local women as his wife. They all eventually became pregnant and gave birth to his offspring.

Genghis Khan believed that by populating all of Asia with his descendants, he would guarantee the stability of the empire.

How many children did he have?

It’s impossible to say for sure, but historians estimate that about 8% of all Asians are his descendants!

10. In Mongolia, Genghis Khan is revered as a folk hero

A portrait of Genghis Khan adorns the tugrik, the Mongolian currency. In Mongolia, he is considered a hero for creating the great Mongol Empire.

It is not customary to talk about the cruelty of Genghis Khan there - he is a hero.

When Mongolia was socialist, that is, ruled from Moscow, any mention of Genghis Khan was prohibited. But since 1990, the cult of the ancient ruler has flourished with renewed vigor.

11. Genghis Khan committed genocide against Iranians

The Iranians hate Genghis Khan with the same intensity that the Mongols adore him. And there's a reason for that.

The Khorezm Empire, located on the territory of modern Iran, was a powerful power until it was attacked by the Mongols. Within a few years, the Mongol army completely destroyed Khorezm.

According to historians, Genghis Khan’s troops slaughtered ¾ of the entire population of Khorezm. It took the Iranians 700 years to restore their population!

12. Genghis Khan was religiously tolerant

Despite his cruelty, Genghis Khan was quite tolerant in matters of religion. He studied Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity and dreamed of the Mongol Empire as a place where there would be no religious strife.

Genghis Khan once even arranged a debate between Christians, Muslims and Buddhists to determine which religion was the best. However, the participants got very drunk, so the winner was never determined.

13. Genghis Khan did not forgive his offenders

Genghis Khan allowed the inhabitants of the Mongol Empire to live for their own pleasure, as long as they did not violate the rules he set. But any violations of these rules were punished in the most severe manner.

For example, when the ruler of one Khorezm city attacked a Mongol trade caravan and killed all the traders, Genghis Khan became furious. He sent 100,000 warriors to Khorezm, who killed thousands of people.

The unlucky ruler himself paid cruelly: his mouth and eyes were poured with molten silver. This was a clear sign: any attack against the Mongol Empire would be punished disproportionately harshly.

14. The death of Genghis Khan is shrouded in mystery

Genghis Khan died in 1227 at the age of 65. To this day, his death is surrounded by an aura of mystery.

It is unknown what he died from, nor where his grave is located. Of course, this gave rise to many legends.

The most popular version says that he was killed by a captive Chinese princess. There are also versions that he fell from his horse - either just like that, or because he was hit by an enemy arrow.

It is unlikely that we will ever know the truth about what happened 800 years ago. After all, even the burial place of the Mongol emperor was never found!

15. Genghis Khan created the largest continuous empire in history

The Mongol Empire created by Genghis Khan will forever remain the largest uninterrupted empire in human history.

It occupied 16.11% of all land, and its area was 24 million square kilometers!

The exact time of birth of Temujin, one of the greatest commanders and conquerors, is unknown. Calculations by Rashid ad-Din, carried out on the basis of documents and archives of the khans of Mongolia, indicate the year 1155, and it was this date that modern historians accepted as a reference. His birthplace was Delyun-Boldok, a tract on the banks of the Onon.

At the age of two, Temujin was mounted on a horse by his father, Yesugei-Baghatur, the leader of one of the Mongol tribes - the Taichiuts. The boy was brought up in the traditions of the warlike Mongols and, at a very young age, had excellent command of weapons and participated in almost all inter-tribal competitions. Temuchin was barely nine years old when his father, in order to strengthen friendship with the Urgenat family, betrothed his son a ten-year-old girl named Borte. Leaving the boy until he came of age in the family of his future wife, Yesugei set off on the way back, and on the way he spent the night at the site of one of the Tatar tribes. After arriving in his ulus, he fell ill and died three days later. One of the legends says that the Tatars poisoned Temujin's father. After Yesugei's death, his two wives and six children were expelled from the ulus, and they had to wander the steppe, eating only fish, game and roots.

Having learned about the family's problems, Temujin joined her and wandered with his relatives for several years. However, Targutai-Kiriltukh, who seized the lands of Yesugei, realized that the growing Temujin could take cruel revenge, and sent an armed detachment after him. Temujin was captured, and he was put in stocks, which made it impossible not only to eat on his own, but even to ward off flies. He managed to escape and hide in a small lake, plunging into the water in stocks. According to legend, one of the pursuers, Sorgan-Shira, noticed Temujin, pulled him out of the water, and then hid him under wool in a cart. When the detachment left, the savior gave Temuchin a horse and weapons. Later, Sorgan-Shir's son, Chilaun, took a very close position to the throne of Genghis Khan.

Temujin found his relatives and took them to safe place. A few years later, he married Borta, destined for him by his father, and received a luxurious sable fur coat as a dowry. It was this fur coat that became an offering to Khan Tooril, one of the most powerful leaders of the steppe, and helped to gain his support. Under the patronage of Tooril Khan, Temujin's power and influence began to grow, and nukers flocked to his camp from all over Mongolia. He began to carry out raids, increasing his herds and possessions. Temujin differed from other similar conquerors in that he did not completely cut out the uluses, but tried to save the lives of even the soldiers who opposed him, and later recruited them into his army.

However, Temujin also had opponents. In his absence, the Merkits attacked the camp, and Temujin’s pregnant wife, Borte, was captured. With the support of Tooril Khan and Jamukha, the leader of the Jadaran tribe, Temujin defeated the Merkits in 1184 and returned his wife. After the victory, he began to live in the same horde with Jamukha, his childhood friend and brother-in-arms, but a year later Jamukha left Temujin, and many of his warriors remained in the horde. During the formation of the management apparatus in the horde, Jalme and Boorchu occupied the leading positions at Temujin’s headquarters, and Subedei-Baghatur received a post equivalent to the chief of staff. By that time, Temujin already had three sons, and in 1186 he created his first ulus. Temujin’s army at that time numbered three tumens - about thirty thousand warriors.

Jamukha could not just break the laws of the steppe and oppose his brother-in-law. But one day he younger brother Taichar tried to steal Temujin's horses and was killed. Jamukha declared revenge on his brother-in-law and marched against him with a huge army. In the battle that took place near the Gulegu Mountains, Temujin was defeated. After this unpleasant event, Temujin accumulated strength and, together with Tooril Khan, began a war against the Tatars. The main battle took place in 1196, and as a result, the combined forces of the Mongols received rich booty, and Temujin acquired the title of dzhauthuri - military commissar. Tooril Khan became a Mongolian van - that is, a prince.

The joint military actions of 1197 - 1198 served to cool relations between Temujin and Tooril Van Khan, since the latter decided that giving his vassal part of the spoils did not make any sense. And since in 1198 the Chinese Jin dynasty ruined many Mongolian tribes, Temujin was able to spread his influence to the eastern regions of Mongolia. Perhaps Temujin was too trusting, because literally a year later he again united with Jamukha and Van Khan, and they struck a blow at the Naiman ruler Buyruk Khan. Upon the troops’ return home, the Naiman detachment blocked their path, and as a result of the betrayal of his comrades, Temujin was left alone with a strong army. He decided to retreat, and the Naiman warriors rushed to pursue Wang Khan and inflicted a crushing defeat on him. Van Khan, escaping persecution, sent a messenger to Temujin with a request to help him out and received help. In fact, Temujin saved Van Khan, and he bequeathed his ulus to the savior.

From 1200 to 1204 Temujin constantly fought with the Tatars and rebellious Mongol tribes. But he stands against them alone, without the support of Wang Khan, wins one victory after another, and his army grows. However, Temujin acted not only by military force, but also by diplomatic means, as well as by a method that none of the Mongol leaders had ever used before him. Temujin ordered not to kill enemy soldiers, but first to interrogate them and try to recruit them into his army. At the same time, he distributed the newly arrived soldiers into proven units. In some ways, this policy is similar to the actions of Alexander the Great.

After Temujin’s victory over the Kereits, Jamukha and part of his army joined the army of the Naiman Tayan Khan, expecting that either Temujin would destroy his opponents or fall in battle with them. Having learned about the plans of the Naiman, Temujin in 1204, at the head of forty-five thousand horsemen, came out against them. Despite the enemy's cunning, Temujin's troops overtook and defeated the army of Tayan Khan. Tayan Khan himself died, and Jamukha, as was his custom, left with part of the soldiers even before the battle began. In 1205, Temujin's army continued to capture more and more lands, and most of Jamukha's warriors left him and became subordinate to Temujin. Jamukha was betrayed by his own nukers who wanted to curry favor with Temujin. True, Temujin destroyed the traitors, and former friend offered to become his colleague. But Jamukha refused and asked for a death worthy of the ruler of the Mongols - without shedding blood. By order of Temujin, the warriors broke Jamukha's spine.

In the spring of next year it took place an important event in the life of Temujin - he was proclaimed the great khan of the Mongols, and he also received a special title - Genghis Khan. Mongolia united into one state with a powerful army. Temujin began the transformation of Mongolia, and one of his most important acts was the introduction of a new law - the Yasa of Genghis Khan.

One of the main places in Yas was occupied by articles about the importance of mutual assistance between warriors on campaigns and about deception punishable by death. The conquered tribes according to Yasa were accepted into the army, and the enemies were mercilessly destroyed. Bravery and loyalty were declared good, and betrayal and cowardice were declared evil. Genghis Khan actually mixed up the tribes and destroyed the clan system, dividing the entire population into tumens, thousands, hundreds and tens. All healthy men who had reached a certain age were declared warriors, but in times of peace they were obliged to manage their own households and, if necessary, come to their khan with weapons. Genghis Khan's army at that time amounted to about one hundred thousand warriors. The Great Khan granted lands to his noyons, and they served him dutifully, carrying out not only the mobilization of soldiers, but also administration in times of peace.

One hundred and fifty Keshikten bodyguards guarded Genghis Khan and received exceptional privileges for this. Later, the Keshikten detachment expanded and turned practically into the personal guard of Chinhis Khan. The khan also took care of the development of courier communications, serving both administrative and military purposes. Speaking modern language, he also organized strategic reconnaissance. Having divided Mongolia into two parts, he placed Boorchu at the head of one wing, and Mukhali, his most tried and true companions, at the head of the other. Genghis Khan also legalized the transfer of positions of senior military commanders by inheritance.

In 1209, Central Asia was conquered, and before 1211, Genghis Khan’s troops conquered almost all of Siberia and imposed tribute on its peoples. Now Genghis Khan's interests moved south. Having defeated the army of Tatars supporting the Chinese, Genghis Khan captured the fortress and secured passage through the Great Wall of China. In 1213, the Mongol invasion of China began. Taking advantage of the power of his army and the fact that many fortresses surrendered to him without a fight, Genghis Khan reached the central provinces of China. The following year, in the spring, Genghis Khan withdrew his troops to Mongolia and made peace with the Chinese emperor. However, immediately after the imperial court left Beijing, allocated under the treaty as the capital of China, Genghis Khan again sent his troops beyond Great Wall and continued the war.

After the defeat of the Chinese troops, Genghis Khan began to prepare for a campaign in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The cities of Semirechye attracted Genghis Khan also because while he was fighting in Chinese Empire, Khan of the Naiman tribe Kuchluk, defeated at the Irtysh, gathered an army and entered into an alliance with Muhammad, Shah of Khorezm, and subsequently became the sole ruler of Semirechye. In 1218, the Mongols captured Semirechye, as well as all of eastern Turkestan. In order to win over the population, the Mongols allowed Muslims to practice their own faith, which Kuchluk had previously banned. Now Genghis Khan could invade the lands of rich Khorezm.

In 1220, the capital of the Mongol Empire, Karakorum, was founded, and Genghis Khan's tumens continued their campaigns in two streams. The first stream of invaders passed through the northern part of Iran and invaded the South Caucasus, and the second rushed to the Amu Darya after Shah Mohammed, who had fled from Khorezm. Having passed the Derbent Passage, Genghis Khan defeated the Alans in the North Caucasus and defeated the Polovtsians. In 1223, the Polovtsians united with the squads of Russian princes, but this army was defeated on the Kalka River. However, the retreat of the Mongol army became unpleasant - in Volga Bulgaria the Mongols received a rather serious blow and fled to Central Asia.

Returning from Central Asia to Mongolia, Genghis Khan embarked on a campaign through the western part of China. According to the records of Rashid ad-Din, during an autumn hunt in 1225, Genghis Khan flew out of the saddle and hit the ground hard. That evening he developed a fever. He was ill all winter, but in the spring he found the strength to lead the army on a campaign across China. The resistance of the Tanguts led to the fact that they lost tens of thousands killed, and Genghis Khan ordered the settlements to be plundered. At the end of 1226, Mongol troops crossed the Yellow River, and the path to the east opened before them.

The hundred-thousand-strong army of the Tangut kingdom was defeated by the army of Genghis Khan, which opened the way to the capital. Already in winter the siege of Zhongxing began, and by the summer of 1227 the Tangut kingdom ceased to exist. But before the end of the siege, Genghis Khan died. It is generally accepted that the date of his death was August 25, 1227, but according to other sources it happened in early autumn. According to Genghis Khan's will, Ogedei, his third son, became his successor.

There are many legends about the location of Genghis Khan's tomb. According to some sources, he rests in the depths of the sacred mountain of the Mongols Burkhan-Khaldun, according to others - in his homeland in the upper reaches of the Onon, in the Delyun-Boldok tract.

GENGISH KHAN(present Temujin, Temujin) (1155? - August 1227), founder of the Mongol Empire, the largest conqueror and statesman Asian Middle Ages.

early years

Temujin came from a small tribal nobility of northern Mongolia. He was the eldest son of Yesugei Baatur from the Borjigin clan and Oilun from the Onkhirat tribe. By the middle of the 12th century, my father created a relatively independent feudal-tribal possession in the Onon River valley. In 1164, he went to one of the Onkhirat leaders, Day Setchen, whose daughter Borte successfully betrothed to his son, leaving him in this tribe. On the way back, Yesugei died (according to the “Secret Legend”, he was poisoned by the Tatars he met), his inheritance fell apart, and his family fell into poverty. After the death of his father, Temujin was taken from the Onkhirat tribe. OK. 6 years after the death of his father, the leader of the Onkhirats kept his word and married Borte to Temujin, giving her a rich dowry - a sable fur coat. Subsequently, Temujin had many other wives and concubines, but Borte forever retained her influence.

Elevation

Taking advantage of his previous family ties in the Taichjiut tribe and the Borjigin clan, Temujin gradually began to gather warriors (nukers) around himself. He managed to attract the attention of the head of the Keraits (at that time a very influential tribe professing Christianity in the form of Nestorianism) Vankhan, as a sign of friendship and recognition of himself as a vassal, giving him Borte's fur coat. Temujin began to create an independent inheritance. After the death of Vankhan, he enters into a fight with his former supporter, also a representative of the Mongolian tribal nobility, Jamukha, whom he defeats in battle and executes in 1201. He appropriates the possession of Jamukha, taking advantage of the discord among Vankhan's relatives and entourage. In 1206, having already destroyed all his powerful opponents, Temujin assembled a kuriltai at the sources of the Onon River, where he was named kaan, seated under a nine-bunched white banner. From that time on he was called Genghis Khan.

Military reform. Escalation of conquests

First of all, Genghis Khan reformed the army, appointing 95 thousand-strong noyons at its head. He creates a nomadic system government, lays the foundations of legislation in the form of the oral jar of Genghis Khan. Especially important role in his organizational activities, there was the design of guard units directly involved in guarding and monitoring order in the nomadic headquarters of Genghis Khan. Incentives and punishments are established for all soldiers and administrators of the new state. In 1207, a large military formation was sent to the north, where the forest peoples were to be conquered. This strengthened the territorial base of the state and laid the foundation for a system of appanage estates, which were distributed among the sons and closest relatives of the kaan. New organizational structure troops allowed a more decisive entry into international relationships, demand tribute from surrounding peoples. This tribute included furs, fabrics, weapons, raw materials for weapons (various types of metals), etc. The expansion of possessions led to direct contact with such a large Central Asian power as the Western Xia created by the Tanguts. The first attack on the Tangut state within Gansu and southern Mongolia began already in 1207. In 1209, the conquest of eastern Turkestan, the country of the Uyghurs, took place. Active struggle goes with the states located on the territory of modern China. Thus, in 1211, Genghis Khan personally led the Mongol troops in an attack on the state of Jin, created on the territory of Northern China by the Zhuzhen semi-nomadic tribes. By 1215, most of Jin territory was conquered by the Mongols, including the city of Yanjing (modern Beijing), the capital of the state. The newly conquered country was left to be governed by one of Muhuli’s close military leaders. A description of the situation in this part of China, newly conquered by the Mongols, was given by the envoy of the Song emperor Zhao Hong, who visited Yanjing in 1221. He also wrote a description of the Tatar-Mongol conquerors, given in the book “Menda Beilu” ​​(“Complete Description of the Mongol-Tatars”). The war with Jin led to the Mongols adopting Chinese battering and stone throwing devices; had a significant impact on the further successes of the Mongol armed campaigns. Having stopped at the borders of China proper, Genghis Khan proceeded to the conquest of Central Asia, which began with the defeat of the Naiman tribes (1218), under whose rule were the Karakitai. In 1219, separate armies were formed under the leadership of the sons of Genghis, which were supposed to simultaneously attack Central Asian cities and states. In 1220 Bukhara and Samarkand were conquered. The ruler of Khorezm, Khorezmshah Muhammad, dies while fleeing from Mongol troops. Pursuing his son Jemal at-Din, Mongol warriors enter India for the first time. The conquest of Central Asia ends in 1221.

To the west

At the same time, a special corps was allocated, led by Jebe Noyon and Ubegei Baadur, who was tasked with conquering Western countries. Passing the Caspian Sea from the south, this army sweeps through Azerbaijan, the North Caucasus in a destructive whirlwind and advances to the southern Russian steppes. Along the way, Crimea was conquered, the fortress-port of Sudak was taken, and in 1223, at the Battle of Kalka, Mongol troops won a major victory over the militia of the Russian princes. It is characteristic that the outcome of this battle reflected the experience of the Mongol military leaders, who, in accordance with their usual combat strategy, managed to quarrel the Russian princes with their allies - the Polovtsian rulers. The forces of this army after these battles were running out, and, having failed to win the battle with the Volga Bulgarians, the Mongols retreated.

Last trip. Inheritance

Having conquered Central Asia, Genghis Khan returned to Mongolia, from where in 1226 he set off on another campaign against the Tanguts - the state of Western Xia. This country was conquered and enslaved, but in 1227 Genghis Khan dies. His death turned out to be a great test not only for his relatives, who turned to mutual hostility and struggle for political influence and dominance, but also for the entire newly created huge empire. Only in 1229 at the Kuriltai, which was attended by the sons and close relatives of Genghis Khan, as well as the large Mongolian nobility elevated by him, was Genghis Khan’s third son Ogedei elected as the new Great Khan. Later sources claim that this election was in accordance with the will of Genghis Khan, but the two years it took to establish the new khan on the throne indicate a very difficult political situation and struggle in the circles of the highest nobility.

Administrative regulations

However, Genghis Khan proved himself not only to be a great conqueror, but also a brilliant politician and administrator, who was very short time managed not only to establish the power of his relatives and associates in the newly conquered countries, but also to organize the administration of these conquered countries in such a way that all political and administrative functions in these new uluses at the highest level were concentrated in the hands of the central Mongol administration. This was largely facilitated by the creation of a system of state communications that was unique for its time - roads and postal services, which were completely at the disposal of state power. All key posts in fortresses and garrisons located on the routes of administrative and trade relations were under the direct control of the newly minted Mongol officials and military Mongol garrisons. The empire of Genghis Khan turned out to be the most durable among similar formations ever created by energetic and talented commanders.

The reign of Genghis Khan influenced the development of the political and spiritual culture of the population of many Asian regions. It also influenced the Mongolian nomadic world. In Mongolia itself, it is being hastily built new capital the Karakorum empire, where all the subject and vassal rulers flock. Here orders and instructions are given for the entire vast Asian world, which Genghis Khan took possession of.

Commander, conqueror and ruler of the great Mongol Empire.

According to legend, the genus of Genghis goes back to the Mongolian tribe, descended from a woman named Alan-Goa, who, after the death of her husband, Dobun-Bayan, became pregnant from a ray of light. She gave birth to three sons: those who belong to the family of these sons are called Nirun. The meaning of this word is loins, i.e. the indication of the purity of the loins confirms the origin of these sons from the supernatural light. In the sixth generation from Alan-Goa, Kabul Khan was a direct descendant. From the grandson of the last Yesugei-bahadur came those who received the name Kiyat-burjigin. The word kiyan in Mongolian means “a large stream flowing from the mountains to the lowlands, stormy, fast and strong.”

Kiyat - plural from Kiyan: they were also named for those who are closer to the beginning of the family. The children of Yesugei-bahadur were nicknamed Kiyat-Burjigins because they were both Kiyat and Burjigins. Burjigin in Turkic means a person with blue eyes. His skin color turns yellow. The courage of the Burjigins became a proverb.

The son of Yesugei Bahadur, Genghis Khan, was born in 1162 (according to other, more dubious sources, in 1155) early years Having remained an orphan for 10 years, he endured many hardships and vicissitudes of fate. But from a young age he learned to understand people and find the right people. Bogorchin-noyon and Boragul-noyon, who were next to him even during the years of defeat, when he had to think about searching for food, were so valued by him that he once said: “Let there be no grief and there is no need for Bogorchi to die! there will be grief and it is not suitable for Boragul to die!” Sorkan-Shira from the Taijiut tribe, which captured Genghis Khan, who contributed to the escape from captivity, subsequently received full honor and respect for his person, children and supporters. Genghis Khan dedicated almost poetic lines to Sorkin’s son, Shira Jiladkan-bahadur, bearing in mind his courage:

“I have not seen a footman who would fight and get the head of the rebellious in his hands! I have not seen (a man) like this hero!”

There was a certain Sorkak, the named father of Genghis. At a time when Genghis was not yet a sovereign, he said: many people strive for power, but in the end Temujin will become the leader and the kingdom will be established behind him by the unanimity of the tribes, for he has the ability and dignity for this, and the marks on his forehead are obvious. . Signs of heavenly all-help and royal valor are obvious. The words turned out to be prophetic. Extreme delicacy characterizes Chingiz's attitude towards his first and beloved wife Borte. He did not allow anyone to doubt her chastity after a year of her captivity. From relationships of personal loyalty, a model of vassalage was formed, which he subsequently erected into a system. The personal qualities of Genghis Khan, with all their originality, fit into the age-old characters and age-old motives by which politicians lived and still live: the desire to instill the indisputability of their leadership, the path (sometimes difficult) of advancement to the top of power through treachery and devotion, through hatred and love, through betrayal and friendship, the ability to assess situations and make decisions that bring success.

The line of succession from Genghis Khan was carried over the centuries by his direct and indirect descendants - the Genghisids - in the vast Asian region. There is a certain identity of family traits in the activities of the Chingizids in general, and those who emerged as leaders of the consolidation and formation of a unified Kazakh statehood. From the first-born of Chinkhiz Khan Jochi in the sixteenth generation we have the famous Ablai, his grandson Kenesary. The latter's grandson Azimkhan (1867-1937) enjoyed great respect from the people. He participated in the Alash-Orda government as a hydro-reclamation specialist and contributed to the introduction of Kazakhs to agriculture, and was repressed as an “enemy of the people.”

In the life of Genghis Khan, two main ones can be distinguished. stage: this is the period of unification of all Mongol tribes into single state and the period of conquest and creation great empire. The border between them is marked symbolically. His original name was Tengrin Ogyugsen Temujin. At the kurultai in 1206 he was proclaimed Divine Genghis Khan, his full name in Mongolian it became Delkyan ezen Sutu Bogda Genghis Khan, i.e. the Lord of the world, sent by God Genghis Khan.

In European historiography for a long time the prevailing tradition was to portray Genghis Khan as a bloodthirsty despot and barbarian. Indeed, he received no education and was illiterate. But the very fact of the creation by him and his heirs of an empire that united 4/5 of the Old World, from the mouths of the Danube, the borders of Hungary, Poland, Veliky Novgorod to Pacific Ocean, and from Arctic Ocean to the Adriatic Sea, the Arabian Desert, the Himalayas and the mountains of India testifies at least to him as a brilliant commander and prudent administrator, and not just a conqueror-destroyer and terrorist.

As a conqueror he has no equal in world history. As a commander, he was characterized by the courage of strategic plans and deep foresight of political and diplomatic calculations. Intelligence, including economic intelligence, organization of courier communications on a large scale for military and administrative purposes - these are his personal discoveries. In the reassessment of the personality of Genghis Khan, a movement called the Eurasian played a significant role. In relation to Genghis Khan, Eurasians abandoned the concept of " Tatar-Mongol yoke", which is associated with the ideas of Russia-Eurasia as a special historical and cultural region, equally dissimilar from Western Europe, the Middle East or China, Russia as the heir to the Mongol Empire of the XIII-XIV centuries. The second idea of ​​the Eurasians is an explanation of the reasons for the sharp increase in the activity of the Mongol tribes in Transbaikalia under the leadership of Genghis Khan has a specific feature - passionarity. A person endowed with passionarity is obsessed with an irresistible desire for activity for the sake of an abstract ideal, a distant goal, for the achievement of which the passionary sacrifices not only the lives of those around him, but also his own. There are periods of a sharp increase in the number of passionaries in ethnic group in comparison with ordinary people. In the terminology of Genghis Khan, there are “people of long will”, for whom honor and dignity are more valuable than anything, well-being and even life itself. They are opposed by those who value safety and well-being above their personal dignity and honor.

The network of communication lines he created, which opened up unprecedented access for government and private needs, ensured trade and cultural exchange within the empire. Genghis Khan wanted to provide such convenience to trade that throughout his entire empire one could wear gold on one’s head like ordinary vessels, without fear of robbery and oppression.

About his attention to personnel policy evidence of respect for the bearers of technology and culture, concern for the education of their children, and the involvement of a descendant of the Khitan house, Elü Chutsai, in the service. This philosopher and astrologer was in charge of the administration, finances, and office of the empire. Marco Polo notes among the noble traits of Genghis Khan that he did not violate property rights in the conquered countries.

The most important component of the spiritual heritage of Genghis Khan is the code of laws he compiled, perfect for his time, the so-called Yas. He elevated the written law to a cult and was a supporter of strong law and order.

In addition to strict adherence to the law, Genghis Khan considered religiosity to be the most important basis of statehood.

Genghis Khan died in 1227 and was buried in the area of ​​Purkash-Kaldun (now this place is not identified). According to legend, once in this area, under the shade of a green tree, Genghis Khan, having experienced “a certain inner joy,” said to those close to him: “The place of our last home should be here.”

V.I. Vernadsky came up with the idea that the legacy of Genghis Khan has “tremendous world-historical significance”, thanks to which “peoples of different, often very high, cultures were able to influence each other.”

Emphasizing the extraordinary personal qualities of Genghis Khan, it does not stand in contrast to the tradition that portrayed him as cruel conqueror, embellish Temujin’s political appearance, but perceive him in all the multidimensionality of his traits, both positive and negative. Like any conqueror, he fought, therefore, he destroyed, destroyed, plundered, robbed, but at the same time he attracted the vanquished to his side, and tried in a number of cases to show thriftiness, prudence, concern for the future and the strength of his conquests.

Genghisism is a concept that considered it necessary to introduce into historical science Kazakh researcher V.P. Yudin. It meant not only that certain practical traditions, including the tradition of inheriting military art, continued to operate for a long time in the large territory conquered by him and his descendants. What is meant is something else, namely, ideology, and, moreover, so powerful that it could consolidate on a large scale and for a long time what can be called the geopolitical legacy of Genghis Khan.

V.P. Yudin calls this ideology a worldview, an ideology, a philosophy, a sanction of the social system and the structure of social institutions, a political and legal system, a cultural doctrine, the basis of education, and a means of regulating behavior in society.

(Temujin, Temujin)

(1155 -1227 )

Great conqueror. Founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.

The fate of Temujin, or Temujin, was very difficult. He came from a noble Mongolian family, which wandered with its herds along the banks of the Onon River in the territory of modern Mongolia. When he was nine years old, during the steppe civil strife, his father Yesugei-bahadur was killed. The family, which lost its protector and almost all its livestock, had to flee from the nomads. With great difficulty she managed to endure the harsh winter in a wooded area. Troubles continued to haunt the little Mongol - new enemies from the Taijiut tribe attacked the orphaned family and captured Temujin, putting a wooden slave collar on him.

However, he showed the strength of his character, tempered by the adversities of childhood. Having broken the collar, he escaped and returned to his native tribe, which could not protect his family several years ago. The teenager became a zealous warrior: few of his relatives could so deftly control a steppe horse and shoot accurately with a bow, throw a lasso at full gallop and cut with a saber.

But the warriors of his tribe were struck by something else about Temujin - his power, the desire to subjugate others. From those who came under his banner, the young Mongol military leader demanded complete and unquestioning obedience to his will. Disobedience was punishable only by death. He was as merciless towards disobedient people as he was towards his blood enemies among the Mongols. Temujin soon managed to take revenge on all those who had wronged his family. He had not yet turned 20 years old when he began to unite the Mongol clans around himself, gathering a small detachment of warriors under his command. This was very difficult - after all, the Mongol tribes constantly waged armed struggle among themselves, raiding neighboring nomads in order to take possession of their herds and seize people into slavery.

He united the steppe clans, and then entire tribes of the Mongols, around himself, sometimes by force, and sometimes with the help of diplomacy. Temujin married the daughter of one of his most powerful neighbors, hoping for support from his father-in-law’s warriors in difficult times. However, while the young military leader had few allies and his own warriors, he had to endure failures.
The steppe tribe of the Merkits, hostile to him, once made a successful raid on his camp and kidnapped his wife. This was a great insult to the dignity of the Mongol military leader. He redoubled his efforts to gather the nomadic clans under his authority, and just a year later he commanded an entire cavalry army. With him, he inflicted complete defeat on a large tribe of Merkits, destroying most of them and capturing their herds, and freed his wife, who had suffered the fate of a captive.

Temujin's military successes in the war against the Merkits attracted other Mongol tribes to his side, and now they resignedly surrendered their warriors to the military leader. His army constantly grew, and the territories of the vast Mongol steppe, which were now subject to his authority, expanded.
Temujin tirelessly waged war against all Mongol tribes who refused to recognize his supreme power. At the same time, he was distinguished by his persistence and cruelty. Thus, he almost completely exterminated the Tatar tribe, which refused to subjugate him (the Mongol was already called by this name in Europe, although the Tatars as such were destroyed by Genghis Khan in an internecine war). Temujin had an excellent command of war tactics in the steppe. He suddenly attacked neighboring nomadic tribes and invariably won. He offered the survivors the right to choose: either become his ally or die.

Leader Temujin fought his first big battle in 1193 near Germani in the Mongolian steppes. At the head of 6 thousand soldiers, he defeated the 10 thousand army of his father-in-law Ung Khan, who began to contradict his son-in-law. The Khan's army was commanded by the military commander Sanguk, who, apparently, was very confident in the superiority of the tribal army entrusted to him and did not bother with either reconnaissance or combat security. Temujin took the enemy by surprise in a mountain gorge and inflicted heavy damage on him.

By 1206, Temujin had emerged as the strongest ruler in the steppes north of the Great Wall of China. That year is notable in his life because at the kurultai (congress) of the Mongolian feudal lords he was proclaimed “Great Khan” over all the Mongolian tribes with the title of “Genghis Khan” (from the Turkic “tengiz” - ocean, sea). Under the name of Genghis Khan, Temujin entered world history. For the steppe Mongols, the title sounded like “universal ruler,” “real ruler,” “precious ruler.”
The first thing the Great Khan took care of was the Mongol army. Genghis Khan demanded that the leaders of the tribes, who recognized his supremacy, maintain permanent military detachments to protect the lands of the Mongols with their nomads and for aggressive campaigns against their neighbors. The former slave no longer had open enemies among the Mongol nomads, and he began to prepare for wars of conquest.

To assert personal power and suppress any discontent in the country, Genghis Khan created a horse guard of 10 thousand people. The best warriors were recruited from the Mongolian tribes, and it enjoyed great privileges in the army of Genghis Khan. The guards were his bodyguards. From among them, the ruler of the Mongol state appointed military leaders to the troops.
Genghis Khan's army was built according to decimal system: tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (they consisted of 10 thousand warriors). These military units were not only units of accounting. A hundred and a thousand could perform an independent combat mission. Tumen acted in the war already at the tactical level.

The command of the Mongolian army was also structured according to the decimal system: foreman, centurion, thousander, temnik. To the highest positions, temniks, Genghis Khan appointed his sons and representatives of the tribal nobility from among those military leaders who had proven to him their loyalty and experience in military affairs. The Mongol army maintained the strictest discipline throughout the command hierarchical ladder; any violation was severely punished.
The main branch of troops in Genghis Khan's army was the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves. Its main weapons were a sword or saber, a pike and a bow with arrows. Initially, the Mongols protected their chest and head in battle with strong leather breastplates and helmets. Subsequently, they acquired good protective equipment in the form of various metal armor. Each Mongol warrior had at least two well-trained horses and a large supply of arrows and arrowheads for them.

The light cavalry, and these were mainly horse archers, were made up of warriors of the conquered steppe tribes.

It was they who began the battles, bombarding the enemy with clouds of arrows and causing confusion in his ranks, and then the heavily armed cavalry of the Mongols themselves went on the attack in a dense mass. Their attack looked more like a ramming attack than a dashing raid by horse nomads.

Genghis Khan entered military history as a great strategist and tactician of his era. For his Temnik commanders and other military leaders, he developed rules for waging war and organizing the entire military service. These rules, in conditions of brutal centralization of military and government administration, were strictly followed.

For the strategy and tactics of the great conqueror Ancient world were characterized by careful conduct of long- and short-range reconnaissance, a surprise attack on any enemy, even one noticeably inferior in strength, and the desire to dismember enemy forces in order to destroy them piece by piece. Ambushes and luring the enemy into them were widely and skillfully used. Genghis Khan and his generals skillfully maneuvered large masses of cavalry on the battlefield. The pursuit of the fleeing enemy was carried out not with the goal of capturing more military booty, but with the goal of destroying him.

At the very beginning of his conquests, Genghis Khan did not always assemble an all-Mongol cavalry army. Scouts and spies brought him information about the new enemy, the number, location and routes of movement of his troops. This allowed Genghis Khan to determine the number of troops needed to defeat the enemy and quickly respond to all his offensive actions.

However, the greatness of Genghis Khan’s general art lay in something else: he knew how to react quickly, changing his tactics depending on the circumstances. Thus, encountering strong fortifications in China for the first time, Genghis Khan began to use all kinds of throwing and siege engines in war. They were transported to the army disassembled and quickly assembled during the siege of a new city. When he needed mechanics or doctors who were not among the Mongols, the khan ordered them from other countries or captured them. In this case, military specialists became the khan’s slaves, but were kept in fairly good conditions.
Before last day During his life, Genghis Khan sought to expand his truly enormous possessions as much as possible. Therefore, each time the Mongol army went further and further from Mongolia.

First, the Great Khan decided to annex other nomadic peoples to his power. In 1207 he conquered vast areas north of the Selenga River and in the upper reaches of the Yenisei. The military forces (cavalry) of the conquered tribes were included in the all-Mongol army.

Then came the turn of the Uyghur state, which was large at that time in East Turkestan. In 1209, Genghis Khan's huge army invaded their territory and, capturing their cities and flourishing oases one after another, won complete victory. After this invasion, only heaps of ruins remained of many trading cities and villages.

The destruction of settlements in the occupied territory, the total extermination of rebellious tribes and fortified cities that decided to defend themselves with weapons in their hands were characteristic feature conquests of the great Mongol Khan. The strategy of intimidation allowed him to successfully solve military problems and keep conquered peoples in obedience.

In 1211, Genghis Khan's cavalry army attacked Northern China. The Great Wall of China - this is the most ambitious defensive structure in the history of mankind - did not become an obstacle to the conquerors. The Mongol cavalry defeated the troops that stood in its way. In 1215, the city of Beijing (Yanjing) was captured by cunning, which the Mongols subjected to a long siege.

In Northern China, the Mongols destroyed about 90 cities, the population of which offered resistance to the Mongol army. In this campaign, Genghis Khan adopted Chinese engineering military equipment for his cavalry troops - various throwing machines and battering rams. Chinese engineers trained the Mongols to use them and deliver them to besieged cities and fortresses.

In 1218, the Mongols conquered the Korean Peninsula. After campaigns in Northern China and Korea, Genghis Khan turned his gaze further to the West - towards the sunset. In 1218, the Mongol army invaded Central Asia and captured Khorezm. This time, the great conqueror found a plausible excuse - several Mongol merchants were killed in the border city of Khorezm and therefore it was necessary to punish the country where the Mongols were treated badly.

With the appearance of the enemy on the borders of Khorezm, Shah Mohammed, at the head of a large army (figures of up to 200 thousand people are mentioned), set out on a campaign. A big battle took place near Karaku, which was so stubborn that by evening there was no winner on the battlefield. As darkness fell, the generals withdrew their armies to camps. The next day, Muhammad refused to continue the battle due to heavy losses, which amounted to almost half of the army he had collected. Genghis Khan, for his part, also suffered heavy losses and retreated, but this was his military stratagem.

The conquest of the huge Central Asian state of Khorezm continued. In 1219, a Mongol army of 200 thousand people under the command of the sons of Genghis Khan, Oktay and Zagatai, besieged the city of Otrar, located on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. The city was defended by a 60,000-strong garrison under the command of the brave Khorezm military leader Gazer Khan.

The siege of Otrar lasted four months with frequent attacks. During this time, the number of defenders was reduced by three times. Hunger and disease began in the city, since the supply of drinking water was especially bad. In the end, the Mongol army broke into the city, but was unable to capture the fortress citadel. Gazer Khan with the remnants of the defenders of Otrar held out there for another month. By order of the Great Khan, the city was destroyed, most of the inhabitants were killed, and some - artisans and young people - were taken into slavery.

In March 1220, the Mongol army, led by Genghis Khan himself, besieged one of the largest Central Asian cities, Bukhara. It contained the 20,000-strong army of the Khorezmshah, which, together with its commander, fled when the Mongols approached. The townspeople, not having the strength to fight, opened the city gates to the conquerors. Only the local ruler decided to defend himself by taking refuge in a fortress, which was set on fire and destroyed by the Mongols.

In June of the same 1220, the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, besieged another large city of Khorezm - Samarkand. The city was defended by a garrison of 110,000 (the figures are greatly exaggerated) under the command of the governor Alub Khan. Khorezmian warriors made frequent forays beyond the city walls, preventing the Mongols from conducting siege operations. However, there were townspeople who, wanting to save their property and lives, opened the gates of Samarkand to the enemy.

The Mongols burst into the city, and hot battles with its defenders began in the streets and squares. However, the forces turned out to be unequal, and besides, Genghis Khan brought more and more new forces into the battle to replace the tired warriors. Seeing that Samarkand could not be defended, the heroically fighting Alub Khan, at the head of a thousand Khorezm horsemen, managed to escape from the city and break through the enemy’s blockade ring. The surviving 30 thousand defenders of Samarkand were killed by the Mongols.

The conquerors also met staunch resistance during the siege of the city of Khojent (modern Tajikistan). The city was defended by a garrison led by one of the best Khorezm military leaders, the fearless Timur-Melik. When he realized that the garrison was no longer able to withstand the assault, he and part of his soldiers boarded ships and sailed down the Jaxartes River, pursued along the shore by Mongol cavalry. However, after a fierce battle, Timur-Melik managed to break away from his pursuers. After his departure, the city of Khojent surrendered to the mercy of the victors the next day.

The Mongols continued to capture Khorezm cities one after another: Merv, Urgench... In 1221
After the fall of Khorezm and the conquest of Central Asia, Genghis Khan made a campaign in Northwestern India, capturing this large territory. However, Genghis Khan did not go further to the south of Hindustan: he was constantly attracted by unknown countries at sunset.
He, as usual, thoroughly worked out the route of the new campaign and sent his best commanders Jebe and Subedei far to the west at the head of their tumens and auxiliary troops of the conquered peoples. Their path lay through Iran, Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. So the Mongols found themselves on the southern approaches to Rus', in the Don steppes.

At that time, the Polovtsian Vezhi, who had long lost their military strength, were wandering in the Wild Field. The Mongols defeated the Polovtsians without much difficulty, and they fled to the borderlands of the Russian lands. In 1223, the commanders Jebe and Subedei defeated the united army of several Russian princes and Polovtsian khans in the battle on the Kalka River. After the victory, the vanguard of the Mongol army turned back.

In 1226-1227, Genghis Khan made a campaign in the country of the Tanguts Xi-Xia. He entrusted one of his sons with continuing the conquest of China. The anti-Mongol uprisings that began in Northern China, which he conquered, caused Genghis Khan great concern.

The great commander died during his last campaign against the Tanguts. The Mongols gave him a magnificent funeral and, having destroyed all the participants in these sad celebrations, managed to preserve the complete secret location of Genghis Khan's tomb.

The Arab chronicler Rashid ad-Din in his work “Chronicles” outlined in detail the history of the formation of the Mongol state and the conquests of the Mongols. This is what he wrote about Genghis Khan, who became for world history a symbol of the desire for world domination and military power: “After his victorious performance, the inhabitants of the world saw with their own eyes that he was marked by all kinds of heavenly support. Thanks to the extreme limit of (his) power and might, he conquered all the Turkic and Mongolian tribes and other categories (of the human race), introducing them into the ranks of his slaves...

Thanks to the nobility of his personality and the subtlety of his inner qualities, he stood out from all those peoples, like a rare pearl from among precious stones, and drew them into the circle of possession and into the hand of supreme rule...

Despite the plight and the abundance of difficulties, troubles and all kinds of misfortunes, he was an extremely brave and courageous man, very intelligent and gifted, sensible and knowledgeable...”

They besieged the city of Bamiyan and, after many months of defense, took it by storm. Genghis Khan, whose beloved grandson was killed during the siege, ordered that neither women nor children should be spared. Therefore, the city with its entire population was completely destroyed.