Not long after, their first son, Jochi, was born.Įmboldened by his success, Temujin now embarked on a quest to unite the various nomadic tribes that roamed the steppes. The raid was a success and he and he brought Borte home. Temujin was not going to stand by and allow his bride to be stolen by another and at once enlisted help for a daring rescue mission. As a result, Borte was kidnapped and presented to their chief as a wife. At this point of time, the Merkits, Hoelun’s tribe, decided to avenge her capture by Yesukhei.

Subutai: The Forgotten Force Behind the Fearsome Mongol MilitaryĪt the age of 16, the future Genghis Khan married Borte, thus forming an alliance with her tribe, the Konkirats.

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As a result, Temujin, his mother, and his six siblings were deserted by their own clan, who were not willing to feed them, leaving the family to fend for themselves. Yesukhei was assassinated by a rival Tatar tribe when Temujin was merely nine years old. But if Temujin was indeed destined for greatness, it did not seem obvious at first. His father was a minor Mongolian chief by the name of Yesukhei, and his mother, Hoelun, had been kidnapped by Yesukhei, and forced into marriage.Īccording to legend, Temujin was born clutching a blood clot in his right hand, which was a sign that the baby was destined to become a great ruler.

Genghis Khan (also transliterated from Mongolian as Chinggis Khan) was born in north central Mongolia around 1162 as Temujin Borjigin. Only the British Empire, formed centuries after Genghis Khan’s death, eventually exceeded the Mongol Empire in size. After the death of Genghis Khan, the task of conquering the world continued under his descendants, and the Mongol Empire eventually became the largest contiguous land empire the world had ever seen. Although his beginnings were obscure and seemingly insignificant, Genghis Khan would rise to become one of the most successful empire-builders in history. He was the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan was one of the most famous conquerors in the world history.

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