1162 AD: In the steppes of Mongolia, a young boy was born in turbulent times. Nomadic tribes were at war with each other. 

His mother had been kidnapped by his father, and when Temujin was just 10 years old, his father was poisoned by a rival clan. His own clan deserted the family to avoid feeding them. Temujin killed his step-brother and assumed leadership of the family.  

Through clever military tactics, striking alliances with rival clans, and placing allies in leadership positions, Temujin - who later came to be known as Genghis Khan, consolidated his power. 

The Empire Grows

The Mongolian empire was one of the greatest to walk this earth. It covered modern-day lands of Korea, China, Russia, Eastern Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. From 1211 to 1225, the empire had its greatest period of expansion. Genghis Khan led his army to conquer land from the coast of Northern China to the Caspian Sea, a distance of over 2,000 miles! 

Khan may have used merciless strategies to bring conquered territories under his control. But he was benevolent in some ways - he forbade kidnapping of women and enslaving people, and made the killing of animals punishable. He also united his kingdom by adopting a system of writing to keep census, allowed religious freedom, and had a system of foreign ambassadors similar to today!

Genghis Khan died in 1227 from complications after a horse threw him to the ground. 

How Did Khan Conquer So Much?

Previously, researchers thought that an intense drought led the Mongols to capture so much land. Instead of drought, an unusual tree-ring record of Mongolia’s climate shows that the summer weather was warm and quite wet.

The scientists and historians researching Genghis Khan’s rule focused on an unusual group of stunted Siberian pines. The trees were growing from cracks in a now solid old lava flow in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia. The trees in that location grow more slowly and are very sensitive to fluctuations in the weather. As a result, they provide an abundance of data in their tree rings, considering some trees had lived for over 1100 years.

The researchers found many interesting things during their studies. The years before Genghis Khan’s rule, AD 1180-1190 were characterized by severe drought. However, the consistent wet period, from AD 1211-1225 coincides with the time of the empire’s greatest growth. 

Moist conditions could have led to plentiful grass to feed the horses and livestock that were part of Khan’s army. The arid climate would have led to increased agricultural output and boosted the confidence people had in Genghis Khan. He was able to unite the many tribes with the promise of food and power.

Overall, scientists conclude that forces of nature helped Genghis Khan become the greatest Mongolian emperor!

Courtesy AFP, Biography.com