How Genghis Khan Was Even More Evil Than You Think

Genghis Khan, whose birth name was Temüjin, was born in Mongolia. The likely year of his birth was 1162, though sources aren't completely sure of the date. He would eventually become known as one of the bloodiest warriors of all time and the first Great Khan ("universal ruler") of the Mongol Empire. His childhood wasn't much of a fun time. His father...

In the 1200s A.D., the world was hit by the equivalent of a human-made meteor bombardment. Cities were leveled, millions killed, and empires turned to ash. At the same time, a great part of the world became united, trade was promoted, and the stage was set for the modern era. This tsunami of change started in 1206 when a Mongol chieftain, Temujin...

Genghis Khan. Not to be confused with his grandson, Kublai Khan. Or with Benedict Cumberbatch. There's not a lot of census data available for 12th century Mongolia, drat the luck. He's usually pegged at being born around 1162, and had the good fortune to survive to adulthood, "adulthood" being slightly different than present-day "old enough to drink...

If you've ever actually stopped to think about it, you probably assumed that life was pretty terrible for women under Genghis Khan. And you'd be forgiven for making that assumption. Most cultures that existed in the distant past have a not-exactly great reputation for treating women with respect and fairness, so why would you think that a dictator as brutal as...

What is most unusual about Genghis Khan is that somebody so important to the pageant of world history, somebody who is the equivalent of an extinction event comet, has many key details of his life and work unknown. This makes the Mongol warlord still mysterious to us today. Historians and archaeologists continue working to uncover some of the...