Conquest of Genghis Khan. Years of life and reign of Genghis Khan. The campaign of Genghis Khan to Russia

In the first quarter of the thirteenth-century history, rich in historical events, from Siberia to Northern Iran and the Azov Sea, were announced the neighing of the horses of countless invaders that poured from the depths of the Mongolian steppes. They were led by the evil genius of that ancient era - the intrepid conqueror and conqueror of the peoples of Genghis Khan.

The son of the hero Esugaia

Temujin - so at birth was named Genghis Khan, the future ruler of Mongolia and Northern China, - was born in a small tract Delun-Baldok, sheltered on the banks of the Onon River. He was the son of the unobtrusive local leader Esugei, who nevertheless bore the title of bagatura, which in translation means "hero". Such an honorary title he was awarded for the victory over the Tatar leader Tmujin-Ugra. In battle, having proved to his enemy who is who and captivating him, he, along with other prey, captured his wife Oelun, who became the mother of Temujin nine months later.

The exact date of this event, reflected in the course of world history, is not exactly established to this day, but the most probable is the year 1155. About how his early years have passed, there is also no reliable information, but it is for certain that already at the age of nine Esughey in one of the neighboring tribes had been wooing his son a bride named Borte. By the way, personally for him this matchmaking ended very sad: on the way back he was poisoned by the Tatars, from whom he and his son stopped for the night.

Years of wanderings and troubles

From a young age, Genghis Khan's rise took place in the atmosphere of a ruthless struggle for survival. As soon as his fellow tribesmen learned about Esugai's death, they threw his widows to the mercy of fate (the ill-fated hero had two wives) and children (who also remained many) and took all the property and went to the steppe. For a few years the family had been wandering about on the brink of starvation.

The early years of Genghis Khan's life (Temujin) coincided with the period when, in the steppes that had become his homeland, the local tribal leaders fought a brutal struggle for power, the aim of which was to subjugate the remaining nomads. One of these contenders - the head of the Tajiuty tribe Targutai-Kiriltukh (a distant relative of his father) even captivated the youth, seeing in him a future rival, and for a long time kept in wooden blocks.

Shuba, who turned the history of peoples

But fate was pleased to grant freedom to a young captive who was able to deceive his tormentors and break free. By this time belongs the first conquest of Genghis Khan. They were the heart of a young beauty Borta - his fiancée. Temujin went to see her, barely having freedom. A beggar, with traces of pads on his wrists, he was an unenviable fiancé, but is it possible to embarrass the girl's heart?

As a dowry, Father Borte gave his son-in-law a luxurious sable fur coat, with which, although it seems incredible, the ascent of the future conqueror of Asia began. No matter how great was the temptation to show off in expensive furs, but Temujin preferred to dispose of the wedding gift in a different way.

With him, he went to the most powerful at that time steppe leader - the head of the tribe of the Kereits, Tooril Khan, and offered him this unique value, not forgetting to accompany the gift with a suitable flattery. This move was very far-sighted. Having lost his fur coat, Temujin acquired a mighty patron, in conjunction with whom the conqueror's journey began.

The beginning of the way

With the support of such a powerful ally as Tooril Khan, the legendary conquests of Genghis Khan began. The table given in the article shows only the most famous of them, which have become historically significant. But they could not have taken place without victories in the small, local battles that paved the way for world glory.

While making raids on the inhabitants of neighboring uluses, he tried to shed less blood and, if possible, save his enemies. This was not done out of humanism, which was alien to the inhabitants of the steppes, but in order to attract the defeated to their side and by this to replenish the ranks of their troops. Willingly he accepted to himself and the nukers - aliens, who were ready to serve for a share of the loot mined in the campaigns.

However, the first years of the reign of Genghis Khan were often overshadowed and miserable miscalculations. Once he went on another raid, leaving his place without a guard. This was used by the tribe of Merkit, whose warriors, in the absence of the master, attacked and plundered the property, took with them all the women, including his beloved wife Botha. Only with the help of the same Tooril Khan, Temujin, succeeded in destroying the Merkit, to return his faithful.

Victory over the Tatars and the seizure of Eastern Mongolia

Each new conquest of Genghis Khan raised his prestige among the steppe nomads and brought him to the rank of the main rulers of the region. Around 1186 he created his own ulus, a sort of feudal state. Having concentrated all the power in his hands, he established a strictly delineated vertical of power in his subordinate territories, where all his key posts occupied his approximate positions.

The defeat of the Tatars became one of the greatest victories, from which the conquest of Genghis Khan began. The table given in the article refers this event to the year 1200, but a series of armed clashes began five years earlier. At the end of the 12th century, the Tatars lived through hard times. Their camps were constantly attacked by a strong and dangerous enemy - the troops of the Chinese emperors of the Jin Dynasty.

Taking advantage of this, Temujin joined the Jin army and together with them attacked the enemy. In this case, his main goal was not the booty, which he willingly shared with the Chinese, but the weakening of the Tatars who stood on his way to undivided dominion in the steppes. Having achieved what he wanted, he mastered practically the whole territory of Eastern Mongolia, becoming its undivided ruler, as the influence of the Jin Dynasty in this region has noticeably weakened.

Conquest of the Trans-Baikal Territory

We should pay tribute not only to Temujin's military talent, but also to his diplomatic abilities. Skillfully manipulating the ambition of tribal leaders, he always directed their enmity in a direction that was favorable for him. Concluding military alliances with his yesterday's enemies and treacherously attacking recent friends, he always knew how to be a winner.

After the conquest of the Tatars in 1202, Genghis Khan's aggressive campaigns began in the Trans-Baikal Territory, where the Taijut tribes settled in the vast wild expanses. It was a difficult campaign, in one of the battles of which the khan was dangerously wounded by an enemy arrow. However, in addition to the rich trophies, he brought the khan confidence in his forces, since the victory was won alone, without the support of the allies.

The title of the great Khan and the code of laws "Yasa"

The next five years were a continuation of his conquest of the numerous peoples who lived on the territory of Mongolia. From victory to victory grew his power and increased the army, replenished due to passed to his service yesterday's opponents. In the early spring of 1206, Temujin was proclaimed a great khan with the conferment of the highest title "kagan" and the name Chingiz (the conqueror of water), with which he entered the world history.

The years of the reign of Genghis Khan became a period when the whole life of the peoples under his rule was regulated by the laws that he had developed, the code of which was called "Yasa". The main place in it was occupied with articles prescribing the provision of comprehensive mutual assistance in the campaign and under penalty of punishment forbidding the deceit of someone who trusted in anything.

It is curious, but according to the laws of this half-savage ruler, one of the highest virtues was considered loyalty, even manifested by the enemy in relation to its sovereign. For example, a captive who did not want to renounce his former master was considered worthy of respect and willingly accepted into the army.

To strengthen the power vertical during the years of Genghis Khan's life, all the population under his control was divided into tens of thousands (tumes), thousands and hundreds. Above each group was placed the chief, head (in the literal sense) responsible for the loyalty of his subordinates. This made it possible to keep a huge number of people in strict subordination.

Each adult and healthy man was considered a warrior and at the first signal was obliged to take up arms. In general, at that time the army of Genghis Khan was about 95 thousand people, bound by iron discipline. The slightest disobedience or cowardice displayed in battle was punishable by death.

A New Way of Conquest

In 1211 Genghis Khan conquered peoples inhabiting Trans-Baikal and Siberia. From all corners of this vast land, a tribute to him flowed. But his rebellious soul found no rest. Ahead was North China, a country whose emperor once helped him defeat the Tatars and, having strengthened himself, to rise to a new level of power.

Four years before the beginning of the Chinese campaign, in order to secure the way for his troops, Genghis Khan seized and plundered the Tangut kingdom of Xi Xia. In the summer of 1213 he, having managed to seize the fortress that covered the passage in the Great Wall of China, invaded the territory of the state of Jin. His campaign was swift and victorious. Caught unawares, many cities surrendered without a fight, and a number of Chinese military commanders took the side of the invaders.

When North China was conquered, Genghis Khan moved his troops to Central Asia, where they were also lucky. Having conquered vast expanses, he reached Samarkand, from where he continued his journey, conquering Northern Iran and a significant part of the Caucasus.

The campaign of Genghis Khan to Russia

For the conquest of the Slav lands in 1221-1224 Genghis Khan sent his two most experienced commander - Subadei and Jehpe. Crossing the Dnieper, they invaded the Kievan Rus at the head of a large army. Not hoping to defeat the enemy on their own, the Russian princes concluded an alliance with their long-time enemies - the Polovtsians.

The battle took place on May 31, 1223 in the Azov Sea, on the river Kalka. It ended with the defeat of the Russian-Polovtsian troops. Many historians see the reason for failure as arrogance of Prince Mstislav Udatny, who crossed the river and started the battle before the approach of the main forces. The prince's desire to cope alone with the enemy turned into his own death and the death of many other governors. Such a tragedy for the defenders of the fatherland was the turning of Genghis Khan into Russia. But ahead of them, even more severe trials were awaited.

The last conquest of Genghis Khan

The conqueror of Asia died in the end of the summer of 1227 during his second campaign against the Xi Xia state. In the winter, he began the siege of his capital - Zhongxing, and, exhausting the strength of the defenders of the city, was preparing to accept their surrender. This was the last conquest of Genghis Khan. Suddenly, he felt ill and lay down, but died after a short time. Without excluding the possibility of poisoning, researchers are inclined to see the cause of death in complications caused by a trauma received shortly before when they fell from a horse.

The exact place of burial of the great khan is unknown, as is the date of his last hour. In Mongolia, where there was once a tract Delun-Baldok, in which, according to legend, Genghis Khan was born, today a monument erected in his honor stands.