He reformed his people’s laws and ushered in a military-feudal form of government. He united Mongolia’s tribes and supported China’s peasant economy by stabilizing taxes and establishing rural cooperatives. Genghis Khan helped allay this sense of precariousness. Drought and disease could wipe out their livelihoods quickly.
Their flocks of goats, sheep, horses, and other animals were dependent on abundant grass and water, and Mongols had to travel frequently to sustain them. But he proved to be one of history’s greatest leaders.Īt the time, Mongolia’s nomadic farmers relied on the land to sustain them. The young warrior had already defeated the Mongols’ most powerful leader and fomented dissatisfaction among his people’s aristocracy. The empire was founded in 1206, when Temijin, son of a Mongol chieftain, assumed power and changed his name to Chinggis Khan (styled as “Genghis Khan” in the West and meaning “universal ruler”). In a moment of inspiration, the future of warfare is forever changed. The Jin dynasty was under siege by the Mongol hordes for decades.
