The Mongol Empire

How and why did the Mongol Empire rise to power? One of historian’s prevalent hypothesis is that of environmental and climate change. In the thirteenth century, temperatures in the Steppe region and in the Russian plains dropped, crops failed, and masses of people were hungry. Under those circumstances, people were driven out of the steppes which were their comfortable homeland, and became nomadic in search of food. They sought with passion to become dominant over and exploit sedentary people (Fernandez-Armesto, 2011, p. 340).
Temujin was the son of a chieftain, Yesukhei. His father was poisoned and died at the hands of a rival clan when Temujin was only ten years old. After his father’s death, Temujin’s mother and family were excommunicated from their home clan, leaving him to provide for himself (Genghis). As Temujin grew, he vowed to avenge his father’s death, and consequently learned to become a fearless and ruthless Mongol leader. He declared himself “ruler of all those who live in felt tents” and was given the title “Genghis Khan” or “king of everything the ocean encloses” (Fernandez-Armesto, 2011, p. 339). It was with the assistance of his clan and his father’s allies that Genghis was able to begin the organization and unification of his people, which would enable him to eventually lead the Mongols to the invasions, massacres and bloody conquests for which they became known around the world. Without a doubt, it was Genghis Khan who created the largest empire ever established.
With Genghis Khan in command, the Mongols learned to be merciless in their conquests. They believed they had the “God given right… to conquer the world” (Fernandez-Armesto, 2011, p. 340). Genghis organized his troops, and terrorized and...

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...on or death from other environmental disasters, the people followed a courageous commander who ultimately controlled their every move. That leader, Genghis Khan, and those subsequent to him, without a doubt were instrumental in bringing the Mongol Empire to power, replacing the many established empires they overtook along their migration, and assuring triumphant victory over those empires wherever they journeyed.

Works Cited

Fernandez-Aemesto, F. (2011). The World: A History (Combined ed., Vols. 1 - 2). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Genghis Khan. (2013). In Biography.com. Retrieved December 11, 2013
Hosseini, D. (2005, December 11). The Effects of the Mongol Empire on Russia. In School of Russian and Asian Studies. Retrieved December 12, 2013
Smitha, F. E. (n.d.). Genghis Khan and the Great Mongol Empire. In fsmitha.com. Retrieved December 11, 2013