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Great
conqueror, statesman and law executor. He is the ruler who named his rules as law. He was
born in 1155. His real name is Temuchin. He is the son of Bahadır (also called Yesukay
Batır) Bey. He passed his life in battlefields. He was first entitled as Khan, and then
Genghis after he captured Eastern and Western Mongolia in 1202. He passed away when he was
72 in 1127 after a khan period of 25 years. The place of his grave is not known. When Ulun Hatun, the wife of Clan
Bey Bahadır gave birth to a son in 1155, it was seen that his hand was tightly closed
like a fist. When they hardly opened his fist, they saw some clotted blood in his palm and
commented: |
- “This
child will become a great conqueror, the blood in his palm indicates that”.
- However, before
Temuchin was 13, his father died. His mother Ulun Hatun was a very smart and skillful
woman. He saved the clan from separating and he ruled until her son grew up.
- When Temuchin reached his
adolescence, she left the governance of the clan to him. The clan left from his father to
him was neither a strong state nor did it have a strong army. The first thing Temuchin did
was to form a strong army. He spent years to do this and at last he did.
- First he wanted to
gather neighboring clans under his command. He made his first wars to do so, and won his
first victories. Dominance on Mongolia was in turn. Temuchin, who was a tough warrior and
good commander, did it too. He dominated over both East and West Mongolia after many wars.
He had to fight until his 47 to do this. After he dominated over all Mongolia in 1202, he
was given the title of Khan in the General Assembly held by participation of all Mongol
and Tatar khans. Thus, Temuchin ascended the ruler’s throne in Karakurum. In the General
Assembly held in 1206, a shaman oracle named him “Genghis Khan”. This name, believed
to have descended from the sky meant “the Leader of Leaders”.
- Genghis Khan, within
the twenty years elapsed after this date, succeeded in establishing one of the biggest
states of the world. He started a great invasion movement. First he invaded China and
conquered Hanbalık (today Pekin), the center of this great state (1216).
- As a result of his
great conquests Uygurs, Kalmuks and Karahitays entered into Genghis Khan’s service. Then
he turned West with his army consisting of 200 thousand Turkish-Mongol soldiers and began
to march toward Islamic world. He put an end to Harzemşah East Turkish Country,
substituting Great Seljukian Empire in Iran and Turkistan in 1220. Then he ruined all of
the small states in Middle Asia and Anatolia with his strong invasion army. Thus he
succeeded in extending the borders of his state from Chinese Sea to Black Sea.
Genghis Khan emerged the biggest Turkish state gathering all separate Turkish clans under
one flag by passing through Caucasus to Russia.
Genghis Khan had four “head women” named Börte, Kulan, Yesügen and Yesüy. He had
established headquarters in the same number within his country He had one “head woman”
in each of his headquarters. This tall and stout person with high forehead and harsh looks
had four sons. He obeyed an old Turkish-Mongol tradition and shared out his country among
his for sons before he died. He substituted himself with his third son Ugedey (or
Ödebey). He made Cuci the chief hunter, Chagatai the executor of tradition and law, and
Tulug the minister of war. In a short time, Cuci and Tulug fell out. It was even told that
Cuci was getting prepared for a revolution against his father. However, the reason of
Cuci’s death in a young age could not be understood.
- Genghis Khan
started a military expedition against Hsia state in 1225. This was his last expedition.
The great conqueror died in Kansu region before Hsia fell. His corpse was taken to
Mongolia. There he was buried somewhere in Burhan-Haldun mountains near Kerülen and Onon
springs. His grave was held as a secret according to Turkish-Mongol traditions. His
successors were also buried in various points on these mountains. Neither Genghis Khan’s
nor the others’ graves became clear. After his death, his sons took over. They divided
the country named Ulus into four, and their succeeding children founded new states. The
most famous of all is Altınordu, founded by Batu Khan, one of the sons of Cuci, Kazan and
Kirim Khan Countries established by sons of Togay Timur, and Ilhanlilar state established
by Hulagu Khan, the son of Tulug.
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