Genghis Khan and Amir Temur, who shook China: two paths of history

There are many people in the pages of history who shook the world with their power. But among them there are two names – Genghis Khan and Amir Temur. Both of their lives were spent in campaigns, conquests and the creation of great empires. However, one left a legacy of destruction, the other of creation.

Genghis Khan, the skillful commander of the Mongol state, was actually Temujin. He was born in the Delun Boldak region on the banks of the Onon River between 1155 and 1167. According to legend, he was born with a blood clot in his palm, and the soothsayers predicted: “This child will shed a lot of blood in the future.” He was only 12 years old when his father, Yasugai Bakhodir, died.  After his father’s death, the tribes that had submitted to him dispersed, and young Temujin was forced to spend his days fishing on the Onon River with his mother.

In his youth, Temujin, who was briefly captured by one of the Chinese khans, managed to escape and swore revenge on the Chinese. He subdued China’s fiercest enemies and recruited them into his army. After that, the Chinese people trembled with fear when they heard the name Genghis Khan, and even made sacrifices, saying, “Buddha is punishing us with Genghis Khan.”

By 1205, Temujin had become the most powerful ruler in Mongolia. In 1206, a congress was held in the upper Onon River, where he was given the title “Genghis Khan.” The city of Karakorum was chosen as the capital of the state.  In the following years, the northern part of Mongolia in 1207, the Yenisei River basin in 1207–1208, and China in 1211–1215 fell into the hands of Genghis Khan.

He was a tall, thin-bearded man who would tuck his beard behind his ears when he was angry. He ate whatever his soldiers ate and fought alongside them. For this reason, he earned great respect and admiration in his army. But he was also extremely cruel: he destroyed mosques, forced monks to become horse herders, burned books, and put those who resisted to the sword. He took beautiful girls as his concubines or wives, and his first wife, Burda Khotun, was his loyal advisor. His soldiers buried many innocent people alive and slaughtered those who rebelled.
 He spent most of his life in wars, conquering vast territories, but did not build a single minaret or mosque, and burned and destroyed cities. According to the Russian writer M. Ivanin, at the beginning of his reign, Genghis Khan had about 13 thousand huts and families, but by the end of his life he had subdued 720 peoples speaking different languages and practicing different religions.

In 1224, Genghis Khan divided his state among his four sons – Joji, Chigatai, Oktoi and Tuli. In 1227, during a campaign against the Tangut state of Xi Xia in Northern China, he fell seriously ill and died. He was buried at the foot of Mount Burkhan Khaldun, but his grave still remains a mystery.

 A few centuries later, the great Amir Temur appeared on the stage of history. He also conquered vast territories, like Genghis Khan. But the goal of his campaigns was different: to rebuild the destroyed lands, develop science and art, and restore trade routes. While Genghis Khan’s campaigns left behind dusty ruins, Amir Temur’s campaigns left behind blue-domed madrasas, mosques, caravanserais, and gardens. Therefore, in the memory of the people, Temur remained a creator, and Genghis Khan remained a destroyer. History shows that power and empire are temporary, but the legacy left behind them is eternal: one is remembered with fear and violence, the other with creativity and enlightenment.  

Abdisattorova Khurshida was born on November 9, 1997 in a village of Alarok district, Kashkadarya region. She’s a 3rd year student in the University of Journalism and Communications. Currently, her articles are published in the newspapers ANSISLISSISSIZ, HONOR IF “SISTRICTS AND, HIGHSSIZI’, and History _ 2025.