Timeline Description: Genghis Khan was a great Mongol warrior of the 12th century. He was the leader of the Mongol Empire, which went on to become one of the largest empires in the world after he died. He was able to create the empire by defeating smaller nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1162 | Temujin is born in Deluun Boldog. Temujin is born in Deluun Boldog near modern day Mongolia. Little is known of his earliest years. He may have been the descendant of a family of blacksmiths and he may have been named for a Tatar chieftain that his father had recently captured. |
| 1171 | Temujin and his mother are abandoned by his father's tribe. After his father is poisoned, Temujin goes to take over his father's role as chieftain of their tribe. However, the tribe refused to be ruled by a young boy and cast out Temujin, his mother, and his three brothers, forcing them to live in poverty. |
| 1172 | Temujin kills his half-brother. In an argument during a hunting expedition, Temujin kills his half-brother, Behter, who liked to take whatever young Temujin killed or caught. This is the beginning of his reputation as a great warrior. |
| 1177 | Temujin escapes from the Tayichi'ud. After being captured and enslaved by the Tayichi'ud, his father's formers allies, Temujin escapes with the help of a guard. Jelme and Bo'orchu, who will become two of his generals, join forces with him as Temujin's reputation grows. |
| 1187 | Temujin marries a woman from the Onggirat tribe. Hoping to build an alliance with the Onggirat tribe, Temujin marries Borte. She is then kidnapped by the Merkit tribe as revenge against Temujin's father, who stole a Merkit wife. |
| 1187 | Temujin rescues his wife from the Merkit tribe. Temujin gathers several hundred supporters and rescues Borte from the Merkit tribe, where she was someone else's wife. Temujin rescues her and she gives birth to his first son nine months later. He takes several other wives over the course of his life. |
| 1206 | Temujin is named Genghis Khan of the Mongolian Empire Temujin is named Genghis Khan, the ruler of the Turko-Mongol people. He builds an army that becomes one of the strongest in the world. |
| 1209 | Genghis begins his first foreign war. In his first war outside of Mongolia, Genghis leads his army against the kingdom of Xi Xia in China. Genghis's army, far more organized that that of Xi Xia, wins easily and Xi Xia becomes a vassal of Mongolia. |
| 1215 | Genghis defeats Zhongdu by starving the residents into submission. Genghis leads his army into northern China in 1214. When the Jin emperor asks Genghis to withdraw, promising him a princess, slaves, gold, and silver. Genghis agrees but gets angry and fears a counterattack when the Jin court retreats. He returns to Zhongdu in 1215 and starves the city into surrender. |
| 1218 | Shah Muhammad sends Genghis a head. Even though Genghis seeks peace with Shah Muhammad of the Khwarizm Empire, Muhammad sends him the head of Mongol envoy. Genghis is furious and vows revenge. |
| 1228 | Genghis storms across Central Asia. Seeking revenge for Muhammad's actions, Genghis's army storms through Central Asia. He attacks and plunders the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. |
| 1242 | Genghis sends for Changchun, a Taoist sage. Searching for the secret to long life, Genghis sends for a Taoist sage named Changchun. Even though Changchun tells him that nothing is permanent, the two become friends and write to each other often. |
| 1226 | Genghis begins his final campaign. As punishment for disobedience, Genghis leads his army to Xi Xia. His army diverts a canal and water threatens to flood the city of Ningxia, forcing the troops to surrender. |
| 1226 | Genghis orders the destruction of Xi Xia. The aging and ill general orders his army to remove any trace of Xi Xia. The troops comply and completely destroy entire towns and villages. Residents are either killed or taken as slaves. |
| August 18, 1227 | Khan dies, possibly due to prior injuries. Already in failing health, Khan dies in a camp during a campaign against Xi Xia, a kingdom of China. He may have died due to injuries he received after he fell off of a horse the previous year. |