THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGACY

No one knows where the great Genghis Khan is buried.

According to legend, Khan wanted his final resting place to remain a secret. After the burial, 1,000 horsemen trampled the ground to hide where the earth had been dug up. These men, and many others, lost their lives to keep Genghis Khan’s grave location confidential. As the story goes, no one who knew where the ruler was buried lived to tell the tale.

Why would the Mongols go to such trouble to protect and conceal the place where their leader’s bones lie? Their actions may have seemed cruel to some, but to others, they were a sign of respect—fitting for one of history’s greatest conquerors, the most powerful ruler the Mongol people would ever know.

Born around 1162, Genghis Khan, as we now know him, was originally named Temüjin.

Rising from humble beginnings, much of his early life is a mystery. The only account of his life, The Secret History of the Mongols, was written after his death, and historians are not sure how much of it is true.

According to Secret History, Temüjin’s younger years were unpredictable and painful. He grew up during a time when nearby tribes were constantly fighting and stealing from each other. In fact, Temüjin’s father had kidnapped his mother, Höelün, and forced her to marry him. Then, when Temüjin was nine, a group of the Tatar people poisoned and killed his father. His death caused the tribe to abandon the family, forcing them to survive without protection. Temüjin’s mother bravely showed her children how to live along the Onan River. Together, the family fished and gathered apples, wild onions, and garlic to avoid starvation.

At an early age, Temüjin showed signs of becoming a clever leader and a ruthless conqueror. He became an anda, or a sworn friend, to a boy named Jamuka.

Jamuka came from an influential family and would later become a powerful ally. Around the same time, Temüjin killed his older half-brother, thus becoming the dominant male in his clan.

Young Temüjin also had a talent for earning people’s loyalty. Once, he was taken prisoner but used the wooden board around his neck to knock out his guard. This impressed a man in the area who then helped Temüjin hide for three days.

Another time, a young stranger named Bo’orchu helped Temüjin recover eight stolen horses. Bo’orchu would later serve as one of Genghis Khan’s most loyal army commanders.

When Temüjin was 16, he married a girl named Börte.

Soon after, members of the Merkit tribe kidnapped the young bride. To rescue Börte, Temüjin turned to his father’s loyal friend and leader of the Kereit tribe, Toghril. He also asked his childhood anda, Jamuka, for help. With the support of these two men and their armies, Temüjin defeated the Merkits and rescued Börte.

Eventually, he attracted a large group of followers. For many years, Temüjin and his loyal friends and warriors raided and battled the Tatars, the Merkits, and the other tribes of the grasslands known as the steppe.

By 1206, Temüjin had unified the entire region, but not before mercilessly getting rid of those who betrayed him. According to tradition, Toghril and Jamuka were among those who became his enemies.

Temüjin’s people became known as the Mongols, and it was then that he took the name Genghis Khan. Today, many historians translate his name to mean “universal ruler.”

Until this time, Genghis Khan had used cavalry, or soldiers riding horses, to defeat enemies that lived in tents and traveled from place to place. But he had set his sights higher—upon the valuable network of trade routes known as the Silk Road. To capture the walled cities of China, Khan began using siege weapons, like catapults and cannons.

First, he defeated the Xi Xia Dynasty in western China. Then he captured Yanjing, the capital of the Jin Dynasty, which is now known as Beijing.

After conquering Qara Khitai in 1218, he sent a caravan of merchants to the city of Otrar in the empire of Khwārezm, which bordered his territory. The governor there accused the merchants of spying and had some of them killed. Outraged, Genghis Khan attacked with 100,000 soldiers, storming city after city. It was during this time that many came to fear the Mongols. Two years later, Genghis Khan’s army captured two of Khwārezm’s key cities.

The conqueror now ruled an empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea.

In 1227, Genghis Khan died while putting down a rebellion in Xi Xia. Like much of his life, the cause of his death remains a mystery. Some people believe he died from battle wounds, while others argue he died of an illness.

Genghis Khan left behind a complicated legacy. Millions of people perished during his violent conquests. But he organized a postal service, established a written Mongol language, and encouraged the spread of information, travel, and trade. The Khan worshiped the Sky God, Tengri, but he allowed his subjects to worship as they pleased.

Today, foreign archaeologists scour Mongolia in search of Genghis Khan’s hidden tomb. Are the legends true? Did horsemen really go to their graves to protect the secret? We are not sure, but out of respect for the Khan’s wishes, many Mongolians do not want his burial site to be found.

One thing is certain—Genghis Khan commanded that kind of loyalty. Under his leadership, the Mongol Empire became one of the largest empires in history.