Genghis Khan, though the product of an illiterate and barbaric people plagued by internal warfare, transformed the Mongol warriors into a brilliant military machine that frequently defeated the civilizations of China, Islam, and Eastern Europe. Legend has it that Genghis Khan was born with a blood clot in his hand, a harbinger of greatness. Regardless of the omens, Genghis Khan’s cruel, creative, and cunning mind was clearly responsible for his truly legendary success.

For example, in 1207, when his Mongol army had been blocked by the fortified city of Volohai, he proposed to the city’s leaders that he would end their siege if they paid him a rare tribute of 1,000 cats and 10,000 swallows. The strange demand was met by the city and then Genghis Khan told his Mongols to tie locks of wool to the tails of the animals and set them on fire. Terrified by the burned bits of wool, the cats and swallows were released. They fled back to their lairs and nests within the city and spread fire along the walls. The Mongols then successfully stormed the walls of Volohai while its defenders were busy with the many fires. Another tactic employed by the Mongols during one of their many campaigns against the Chinese was to gather women, children, and old men from the countryside and bring them before their army as human shields to keep the defenders of the walls from shooting.

Despite his intelligence, Genghis Khan realized that he could not depend on deception forever. He needed to address the weaknesses within the Mongol army. Siege equipment and techniques needed to be added to the swift and bloodthirsty Mongol hordes.

Genghis Khan was always willing to learn from the civilizations he conquered, including the arts of war. He ordered each tribe under him to assemble siege equipment and learn how to use and transport it. In addition to these technical advances, he raised an elite corps of professional commanders who would devote themselves to training for warfare. This innovation in their command structure surpassed the long tradition of Mongol warriors who, despite their wicked skills, were amateurs. They followed orders while victory was near, but became restless in the face of setbacks or failure. Wanting only easy loot, the traditional Mongol warrior had not applied much to long-term strategies. The new command corps would provide the structure and discipline necessary to transform the Mongol warriors into a versatile and adaptable force.

Genghis Khan also understood that an army is supported by its society, and he allowed Mongolian civil society to advance with the help of codified laws that he ordered his adviser and scribe Tatatungo to write. The newly written Mongolian code called for all men to work and always be ready for battle, established that even a leader was subject to law, insisted that all religions must be tolerated and even respected, and that the rights and responsibilities of women on the management of family assets should be expanded considerably. This inclusion of women in running society as opposed to total oppression allowed Mongolian society to function while the men were at war. Genghis Khan did not allow the strict patriarchy to weaken his army. His codification and application of written laws also promoted discussion and judgment within Mongolian society to settle disputes rather than the petty wars that had raged continuously for countless generations. With Mongol society now enjoying a greater level of peace, he could better maintain the engines of conquest.

With the natural talents of Mongol warriors now enhanced by strategic thinking, professional leadership, and siege technology, the many kingdoms of Asia would soon collapse under the hooves of the nomadic-turned-conqueror masses. Even with such power at his disposal, Genghis Khan did not strike without thinking. He is well known for his cunning use of terror. He cultivated such a fearful reputation that cities and kingdoms surrendered to him rather than be assaulted by his bloodthirsty hordes. Genghis Khan required complete and immediate submission to bestow mercy on him. Any resistance invited brutal horrors. Although he does not condone the slaughter and looting of his armies, his conscious use of terror was a well-thought-out practice that often landed him an efficient victory without spending the lives of his soldiers and wasting resources and time.

The Mongols under Genghis Khan were such a colossal force that resistance was almost always futile. The fierce and highly-skilled Mongol warriors seemed to be without a match on the open battlefield. Mongol warriors were superb horsemen and capable of shooting arrows while mounted. The speed and precision of this highly mobile force could outmaneuver and outmaneuver almost anyone who came across it. The Turks expected Samarkand, the great city on the Silk Road, to hold out against the Mongols for at least a year, but even with 100,000 Turkish fighters to defend it, the Mongols were able to put the great city to the sword after just three days. Merciless slaughter descended on Samarkand for having the audacity to resist Genghis Khan, but he showed mercy to those within the city who sided with him, and, considerate as always, saved the craftsmen and workers who were useful to the Mongols.

Even with such glorious successes to his name, Genghis Khan felt the inevitable pressure to bring his people new success, and for the Mongols this meant new victories and booty. Historian Peter Brent, author of “Genghis Khan: The Rise, Authority, and Decline of Mongol Power” described this hungry cycle of continuous warfare as the “debauchery of conquest.”

The empire created by Genghis Khan and maintained by several generations of his heirs was truly epic in scale. He imposed the will of a nomadic people on the glorious towers of civilization, and millions of people, from Chinese kings to Russian peasants to Persian merchants, lived in fear of Mongol invasions during the 12th and 13th centuries. Genghis Khan lived from 1167 to 1227, and he is truly one of the most impressive figures in history. Intelligent and cruel, but a thoughtful administrator who managed his society on many levels, Genghis Khan was always a larger-than-life figure, even to his contemporaries. Taller than most men and famous for his handsome beard, he received countless tributes and literally plundered the rich of the world. It is unknown if he took any of his wealth with him to the grave. The location of his grave remains unknown. Rest somewhere among the cold Mongolian hills.