Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan (Temujin; 1167?–1227), Mongol ruler of one of the largest empires in world history. After 20 years of tribal warfare he was acknowledged Genghis Khan (“universal ruler”) in 1206. He campaigned against the Chin empire in North China (1213–15), and in 1218–25 he conquered Turkestan, Persia, Afghanistan, and South Russia. His empire stretched from the Caucasus Mountains to the Indus River and from the Caspian Sea to Peking (now Beijing). Genghis Khan was not only a fearsome warrior but also a skilled political leader.

See also: Mongol Empire.