14.2 Chinggis Khan and the Early Mongol Empire

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe the new civilization Chinggis Khan created for the Mongols
• Analyze the trajectory and motivations of the conquests made under Chinggis, Ogedei, and Mongke Khan
• Explain the actions Ogedei Khan took to bring about Chinggis Khan’s vision for a Eurasian trading empire
• Identify the obstacles the Mongols faced in their efforts to unify and expand their empire

With no remaining rivals to Temujin’s rule over the People of the Felt Walls, nothing stood in the way of his vision of a better world for his followers; Chinggis Khan, or “World Leader,” had truly been born. His vision was twofold. On one hand, Chinggis wanted to end the constant strife and warfare that characterized life on the steppe. Despite being a practitioner of violence and warfare, he also wanted to promote the peaceful acquisition of goods. He spent the rest of his life forcefully promoting those objectives, regardless of whether others desired them, with a bloody ruthlessness that seems at odds with those very same goals.