Big History 2: Mongols

The history of the Mongol Empire, beginning from the fateful incident in the year 1206, when the Founder and Father of the Mongol nation, Temuchin, who took the name Chingis Khan, emerged as the "leader of all people living in felt tents."

Timeline of the Mongols from 1160s through 1395.

An empire arose in the steppes of Mongolia in the thirteenth century that forever changed the map of the world, opened intercontinental trade, spawned new nations, changed the course of leadership in two religions, and impacted history indirectly in a myriad of other ways.

Perhaps no empire in history has risen so spectacularly as that of the Mongols. In less than 80 years, a band of warriors originally comprised of several men grew to an empire that encompassed all from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River.

The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history, covering over 33 million km² at its peak, with an estimated population of over 100 million people. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, and at its height, encompassed the majority of territories from southeast Asia to central Europe.

Mongol leader Genghis Khan (1162-1227) rose from humble beginnings to establish the largest land empire in history.

By 1260 these and other internal struggles over succession and leadership had led to a gradual breakdown of the Mongol Empire.

Genghis Khan and his successors, to Kubilai Khan; Mongols into Europe, Mesopotamia, Korea, China and Japan.

From the first explosion of Mongol military might from the steppes of central Asia in the early decades of the 13th century to the death of Timur in 1405, the nomads of central Asia made a last, stunning return to center stage in world history.