Genghis Khan: More than a Barbarian

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Recommended: The life of Genghis Khan

Many people have heard of Genghis Khan, most people know he was a great conqueror, but very little people know of his non-military achievements. With just enough warriors to fill a modern football stadium, Genghis Khan conquered lands from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea. Khan connected Europe and Asia in trade and diplomatic relations when before his time, they had never even heard of each other. Khan improved the political structure, studied science and philosophy, invented investing back into the economy, and improved the education of the common man. Khan was a great warrior, but that was the least of his accomplishments. Khan improved the welfare and quality of life for most people in the known world with his improvements in administrative.
Born in 1162, Khan's birth name was actually Temujin. The name we come to know him as today he acquired In 1206 when he came to power as leader of the Mongolian people, he was given the name Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) which means universal ruler. Before this time, Khan had a hard life living in the wilderness with his mother and siblings after his father had been murdered by his tribe's enemies and his own clan had abandoned his family to die. While struggling to survive in the Mongolian wilderness, Temujin (Khan) met one of the most influential friends and adversaries he would ever have in his life, Jamuka. (Beckwith-185) He eventually became the leader of a small clan, but quickly turned into a warrior when his wife was kidnapped by a neighboring tribe. With his friend and ally Jamuka, Khan led a war party to the neighboring tribe to get his wife back and this started his military exploits. (Weatherford-51)
The Mongols were a band of many tribes that did not have any ...

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