The name Genghis Khan probably makes many people think of conquering warriors on horseback leaving burning cities and piles of dead bodies behind them. While there is no doubt that Genghis Khan was the leader of a highly efficient killing machine, there was much more to him than military skill. He was also a talented politician with excellent diplomatic abilities.
In the 1160s, the tribes of the Central Asian steppes were almost constantly at war with one another. In the middle of the chaos, one of the tribal leaders had a son named Temujin. When the boy was nine years old, his father was poisoned by enemies. The tribe then abandoned the family, leaving them to survive by eating rats and insects.
Despite his difficult childhood, Temujin grew up strong enough to claim his hereditary position as tribal leader. He became adept at forming alliances, as well as fighting battles. By 1206, all the Mongol tribes were ready to recognize him as supreme leader. They gave him the title Genghis Khan, which means "emperor of all emperors."
Having united the tribes of Central Asia, Genghis Khan turned his attention elsewhere. His ambition was world conquest, and he advanced at an astonishing rate. He invaded northern China and captured Peking, but was unable to subdue the whole country. Instead, he turned westwards. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created an empire that stretched from the Pacific coast to the Caspian Sea.
The Mongols were superb horsemen who won their victories with a technique of pretending to retreat, then launching a surprise attack. Their discipline and organization made them extremely effective fighters. They were expert archers and could maintain total control of their horses while keeping both hands free for fighting.
Genghis Khan's armies were divided into tightly organized units which were directed by an efficient signaling system using black flags. Their favorite tactic in open battle involved provoking an attack, and scattering as the enemy came forward. The Mongols would harass the enemy from the sides until the latter were exhausted, then close in for the kill.
After capturing a city, Mongol armies would test the sincerity of the inhabitants' surrender. They would pretend to go away, leaving behind a small number of representatives. If these were killed, the Mongols would return to murder the entire population. They seldom took prisoners.
Despite his ruthless methods, Genghis Khan was not an impulsive killer. He avoided battle if diplomacy would work, and he was skilled at using spies to help achieve his aims. He also maintained the tradition of choosing leaders in a mass meeting, and people under his rule were able to advance by ability rather than noble birth.
For the citizens of modern-day Mongolia, Genghis Khan is a folk hero and a symbol of their emerging democracy. A main street in the capital of Ulan Bator has been named after him, and his image is on a banknote. He even has a brand of vodka named after him, not an unusual memorial for one of history's greatest conquerors. Perhaps Genghis Khan would appreciate this more than his traditional reputation as a ruthless killer.
