Genghis Khan Timeline

Temujin was born

1162

Genghis Khan's real name was Temujin. No one knows the exact date of his birth, but we know it was in 1162. We also know he was born near the border between modern Siberia and Mongolia. His mother was kidnapped by his father and forced into marriage. Legend has it that Temujin was born holding a blood clot. This is significant because it shows us how little we know about the Mongol culture and how people lived there (Genghis Khan www.history.com).

Maimonides moves to Egypt

1166

Maimonides and his family leave the Holy Land and settle in Egypt near Cairo. They moved there because Jews were free to practice their faith openly. But soon after he arrived his father and brother died. His arrival in Egypt was significant because Maimonides would become a respected leader in the Jewish community of Egypt. He will also train to be a physician (Ben Zion Bokser www.britannica.com).

Temujin's father dies

1171

When Temujin was only 9 years old, his father brought him to live with the family of his future wife. On the way back, Yesukhei (Temujin's father) was encountered by a rival Tatar tribe who offered him a meal. He was poisoned because of past conflicts with the Tartar's. This is significant because it led to Temujin avenging his fathers murder by killing every single Tatar under 3 feet (Genghis Khan Biography www.biography.com).

Temujin kills his half-brother

1172

After hearing about his fathers death, Temujin returns home to claim his position as clan chief. But the clan wouldn't acknowledge the boys leadership, and they brought his younger brothers and half brothers to a refugee camp. On a hunting expedition, an argument over their findings lead Temujin to kill his half- brother, and claim the position of clan chief. This is significant because it begins Temujin's life as a great warrior (Genghis Khan Biography www.biography.com).

Temujin gets married and has children

1178

At 16 years old, Temujin gets married to his wife Borte. This cemented an alliance between Temujin's tribe and Borte's tribe, the Konkriat. Temujin saved Borte from a rival tribe that kidnapped her. They had four sons together, two of which include Jochi and Ogodei. This is significant because Ogodei would go on to write a biography on his fathers life, which is part of how we know about Mongol history (Genghis Khan Biography www.biography.com).

Innocent III as the new Pope

Jan 8, 1198

On January 8, 1198, the old Pope Celestine III died. The cardinals quickly elected Lothar as Pope despite his young age. Lothar adopted the name Innocent III. He was ordained as a priest in February of that year, and was consecrated and Bishop of Rome the following day. This is significant because Innocent III would become one of the most powerful and influential Popes of the Middle Ages (Moss and Wilson 26).

King John is called to the throne

1199

After King Richard died in 1199, John Lackland was called to the throne to replace his brother, and adopted the name King John. His only rival for the crown was his deceased brother Geoffrey's three-year old son, Arthur I. This was because John left England, and when he heard the news he returned. King John getting the throne was significant because he would lose a war with France, losing his possessions as well. This loss we force the Magna Carta to be signed (Moss and Wilson 91).

Genghis Khan comes to power

1206

Temujin was the most powerful chief on the steppe. Through a combination of military tactics and no mercy, he had decimated the Tartar army. He conquered many lands and incorporated them into his massive army, like the Naiman tribe. In 1206 he summoned a grand council and declared himself Genghis Khan, which meant "universal ruler". He now controlled central and eastern Mongolia. This is significant because it was the start of the powerful Mongolian empire (Taylor 11).

Genghis Khan's first foreign war

1209

Genghis Khan began his first war outside of Mongolia in 1209. This was against the Xi Xia kingdom of northwestern China. Khan's army eventually made it to Yinchuan, the capital of Xi Xia. Even though their attempt to flood the city failed, the Xi Xia ruler submitted and presented tribute. This is significant because it influences the Mongolian campaigns to besiege land and grown the Mongolian Empire (Genghis Khan www.history.com).

Mongols get through the Great Wall of China

1211

In 1211, the Mongols began their invasion on northern China. Mongolian soldiers fought on horseback, so the Great Wall of China blocked their path. To get through, Genghis Khan ordered his commander to go through a gorge. When the Chinese warriors saw them, the Mongols purposely retreated leading Genghis Khan and the rest of his army to successfully attack from behind. This is significant because it was one of the Mongols most effective battle tactic It also led them to raid China (Wiencek 23).

The Children's Crusade marches to Jerusalem

1212

The Children's crusade began in the summer of 1212 and lasted from May to September. It was a popular religious movement of young people. They set out for Jerusalem, and their ultimate goal was to recover it from the Muslims. Although it ended in failure, it was significant because the religious passion it spread helped start the Fifth Crusade (Moss and Wilson 31).

The Mongols subdued China

1214

After the Mongols got through the Great Wall, they stormed into China. There army was outnumbered but they still managed to ravage across the countryside forcing refugees into cities. Food shortages soon became a problem which led the Jin army to kill tens of thousands of their own people. The Mongols besieged the capital of China in 1214. This is significant because the Jin leader agreed to give Genghis Khan large amounts of silk, silver, gold, and horses (Moss and Wilson 21).

Innocent III dies while planning the Fifth Crusade

1215

After the failure of the Children's Crusade, Innocent III began to plan another expedition to the east called the Fifth Crusade. He wanted to restore Western rule in the Holy land. He would also learn from his mistakes from the Fourth Crusade. In 1215 at the Lateran Council, blueprints for the Fifth Crusade were drafted. Innocent had died leaving his successor Honorius III in charge. This was significant because it would drive the Fifth Crusade into failure (Moss and Wilson 33).

Magna Carta was signed

Jul 15, 1215

The Magna Carta, which means "The Great Charter", was written by King John and Stephen Langton. This document was one of the most important in history. It was first signed on June 15, 1215 by King John, and was re-issued two more times after that. This document is significant because it established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to law and guarantees the rights of people, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial (Moss and Wilson 94).

Genghis Khan attacks the Khwarizm Dynasty

1219

After the Jin Dynasty, Genghis Khan returned home to Mongolia in 1215. He returned home to deal with bigger matters in the west. He wanted to establish trade relations with the Turkish Khwarizm Dynasty. He used diplomacy, but his mission was attacked by a governor of Otrar. This infuriated Genghis Khan, unleashing Mongols into the dynasty. This is significant because it influenced the Mongolian army to invade western Asia and some parts of Europe (Genghis Khan Biography www.biography.com).

Genghis Khan dies

Aug 18, 1227

Genghis Khan died on August 18, 1227. The exact cause of his death is unknown, some historians say he fell off of his horse, others say he died of a respiratory disease. Nobody knows the exact place of his burial either, but we know it was somewhere near his birth place, and that he was buried without any markings. Genghis Khan's empire continued after his death. This is significant because it displays how secretive the Mongol culture was (Moss and Wilson 23).