Search Results - Mongol Empire

By 1279, the Mongol Empire covered over 33,000,000&_160;km² (12,741,000&_160;sq&_160;mi),^[1] 22% of the Earth's total land area. It held sway over a population of over 100 million people. However, by that time the empire had already partly fragmented, with the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate being de facto independent and refusing to accept Kublai Khan as Khagan.^[2][3] By the time of Kublai Khan's death, the Mongol Empire had already divided into four separate khanates, each pursuing its own separate interests and objectives.^[4] Although, Khagans of the Yuan Dynasty were accepted by other khanates as their titular suzerains after the treaty in 1304, three western khanates were virtually independent,^[5][6] and there ceased to be any unified foreign ventures of these four khanates in a cooperative military endeavor.^[7]

Before the rise of the Jin Dynasty founded by the Jurchens, the Khitan Liao Dynasty had ruled over Mongolia, Manchuria, and parts of North China since the 10th century. In 1125, the Jin Dynasty overthrew the Liao Dynasty, and attempted to gain control over former Liao territory in Mongolia. However, the Mongols under Qabul Khan, great grandfather of Temujin (Genghis Khan), pushed out the forces of the Jin Dynasty from their territory in early 12th century. Mongols and Tatars began deadly rivalry soon. The Golden Kings of Jin Dynasty encouraged the Tatars in order to keep the nomads weak. There were five main powerful khanliks Kereyds, Mongols, Naimans, Merkits and Tatars in Mongolian plateau at the time.

Temujin, a son of Mongol chieftain and suffered difficult childhood, united the nomadic, previously ever-rivaling Mongol-Turkic tribes under his rule through political manipulation and military might. As allies, his father's friend powerful Kereyt chieftain Wang Khan Toghoril and childhood anda (close friend) Jamukha of the Jadran clan helped him to defeat the Merkids whose army stole his wife Borte, the Naimans and ancient enemy - the Tatars. Temujin forbade looting of enemies after any victorious battle without his permission. And he divided the booty to Mongol warriors and their families instead of giving all to the aristocrats^[8]. Temujin held the title – the khan of the Mongol tribes, however, his uncles were also legitimate heirs to the throne. Those actions disappointed them and they persuaded Jamukha and the Kereyds to leave Temujin. For rival aristocrats, the latter was no more than an insolent usurper. Temujin's powerful position and reputation among the Mongols and other nomads raised the fears of Kereyd elites. Virtually all his uncles, cousins and other clan chieftains had turned against him. Jamukha and later Wang Khan rejected the alliance. A falling out with them nearly destroy him at the war. But he recovered his forces and reinforced by his quda Khungirat and other tribes. In 1203-1205, the Mongols under Temujin destroyed rival tribes including Kereyds, Naimans and Merkits while the Ongud voluntarily joined him. In 1206, Temujin crowned as the Khaghan of Yekhe Mongol Ulus (Great Mongol Nation) at a Kurultai and assumed the title "Chingis Khaan" (or more commonly known as "Genghis Khan", probably meaning Ocean ruler or Universal ruler) instead of the old tribal titles such as Gur Khan or Tayang Khan. This event essentially marked the start of the Mongol Empire under the leadership of Genghis Khan.