About
Founder and first khagan of the Mongol Empire who is famous for his conquests of China and Central Asia, leading him to rule the largest contiguous land empire in all of history. He is also famous for the untraceable but extensive number of children, and therefore descendants, he had. He died in battle in 1227.
Before Fame
He was named Temujin at birth, in honor of a chief his father had recently captured. He did not officially take the name Ghengis Kahn until a council meeting in 1206. When his father died, both he and his older brother were too young to rule, and the people and tribes faced years of chaos before he rose to his father's status and beyond.
Trivia
While it is not possible to trace the exact amount of children he had, experts estimate that he is the ancestor of a potential 16 million descendants. Despite the death and destruction that ensued during his rule, he is also know for having codified the Mongol legal system and for promoting religious tolerance.
Family Life
His father was Yesugei, a Mongol chieftain, and his mother was named Hoelun. At age eight, he was promised to his first wife Börte but did not formally marry her until age 15. She was the first of many wives he would have. He officially recognized four of his sons, however, he had many other children.
Associated With
Omar Sharif plays him in the biopic Genghis Khan.
