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, according to National Geographic, in 1206 when a Mongol chieftain, Temujin (sometimes Temijin) united the various tribes of the steppes of Central Asia and took the name Genghis Khan...
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, according to National Geographic, in 1206 when a Mongol chieftain, Temujin (sometimes Temijin) united the various tribes of the steppes of Central Asia and took the name Genghis Khan...
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, according to How Stuff Works.
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 Genghis Khan would be any different?
Contemporary accounts suggest hundreds of wives and hundreds of children, with a preponderance of male offspring. Modern DNA studies indicate that one in 200 men alive today are direct descendants. (Admit it: You're humming "We Are Family," aren't you.)
The great French philosopher Volatire once wrote, "One need not be obsessed with the merits of the Chinese to recognise that their empire is the best that the world has ever seen." For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, that was the view basically everyone in Europe took. The meritocracy of Chinese civil service fascinated liberals, while Chinese art was considered so perfect that Asian motifs started to appear in the work of a generation of painters. Add to that tea, hanfu (Chinese-style kimonos), and magnificent palaces, and it's no wonder Imperial China appeared a utopia.
