GENGIS KHAN was the son of a Mogul chief named Pisoucay or Yesoucay, who ruled over 30,000 or 40,000 families. He was born A.H. 559 (s.n. 1164), at a place called Blun Yulduck. His original name was Temugin, which he exchanged for that of Gengia Khan, that is, 'Khan of Khans,' when he became the supreme ruler of the Moguls and Tartars.
Gengis Khan was early trained to the art of war. His father died when he was in his fourteenth year ; and the neighbouring princes took advantage of his youth to invade his dominions. At this early age he marched in person against his enemies, but was obliged to retreat, and fled for protection to Oungh, the powerful Khan of the Keraites. [Pazsrea JOHN.] Gengis Khan remained for many years in the court of Oungh Khan, who gave him his daughter in marriage, and advanced him to the highest dignities in his kingdom. Geogia Khan at length incurred the suspicions of his patron, and orders were given for his arrest. He escaped this danger, and returned to his own dominions, where he defeated the troops that were sent against him, and persuaded many of the Mogul hordes that were subject to Oungh Khan, to rebel against his authority. Oungh Khan marched in person against them, but was entirely defeated by Gengis Khan, a.rs 599 (A.B. 1202), who obtained the dominions of his father in-law in consequence of this victory. He next conquered the Naimans, and compelled the most celebrated of the Mogul and Tartar chiefs to submit to his authority. Having thus united the various hordes that wander over the steppes of Central Asis, he summoned a great council consisting of Mogul and Tartar chiefs, in which be was proclaimed Khan of the whole nation, a.w. 602 (s.D. 1205). In the same assembly ho disclosed his intention of invading China and Southern Asia, and pretended to have received from heaven a coin i013 for the couquest of the world. With this object in view, he published a code of laws, and introduced stricter discipline into the army, which he divided into bodies of tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thonsaods; called respectively in the Mogul language Dehe, Scde, Ilezare, and roman. Before he could carry his projects into effect, ho was obliged to defend himself against those Mogul chiefs who refused to submit to his sovereignty. These chiefs were
subdued in the course of five years ; and Gengis Khan was at length able to commence his career of conquest. China first experienced the devastations of the Moguls, A.H. 607 (A.D. 1210); but a temporary peace was concluded between the two countries, and the daughter of the king of China was married to Gengis Khan. Three years after wards another Mogul army invaded the country, and after defeating the Chinese, took the city of Peking. The northern provinces of China were from this period annexed to the Mogul empire.
The most powerful monarch in Southern Asia at this time was Mohammed Kothbeddin, kitig of Carizme, whose ancestors had established an independent monarchy on the decline of the power of the Seljuko Sultans. He ruled over almost all the countries of Southern Asia from Syria to the Indus, and had demanded of the Abbaside Kalif to be allowed to reside at Baghdad as Emir at anara, a dignity which had formerly belonged to the Seljuko Sultans. This demand was refused; and the kalif fearing the power of Mohammed, sent an smbaaaador to Gengis Khan to implore his assistance. Gengia Khau did not immediately comply with the kalif's request; but anxiously waited for some act of hostility on the part of Mohammed to justify him in breaking the peace which then subsisted between them. This was soon given him by the murder of some Mogul ambassadors and merchants at Otrar, a town on the Jaxartes, in the dominions of Mohammed. Gcngis Khan collected all his forces, and with an army of 700,000 men, according to Oriental historians, advanced to the Jaxartes, a.u, 615 (s.D. 1218). Near this river he was met by Mohammed with an army of 400,000 men, and though the issue of the battle was doubtful, Mohammed dared not hazard a second contest, but retreated to the south after placing strong garrisons in all the fortified towns. The conquest of Transoxiana was completed in two years, and all its cities taken, after an obstinate resistance. A body of 30,000 men was sent into Khorasan to pursue Mohammed, who escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea, where he died shortly afterwards.