1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: a show that demystifies history one day at a time. 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: I'm Gabelusier, and today we're talking about the mysterious death 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: of Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader who forged one of 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: the most expansive empires the world has ever known, and 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: then disappeared without a trace. The day was August eighteen, twelve, 8 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: twenty seven. Notorious warlord Genghis Khan died from unknown causes 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: during the conquest of the Chinese kingdom of Shih Shah. 10 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: The Mongol leader was in his mid sixties and had 11 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: been sick with fever for more than a week before 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: his passing. His death was handled with great secret see 13 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: at the time, for fear that news of his demise 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: might compromise the Mongol's current military campaign and embolden their enemies. 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: As a result, numerous legends began to circulate about the 16 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: true cause of the Great Khan's death. Nearly eight hundred 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: years later, that speculation continues, though some historians believe they 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: may have found the answer at long last. Before we 19 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: get into the details of his death, let's talk a 20 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: little about how Genghis Khan rose to power and what 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: life was like for a twelfth century Mongol before he 22 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: came along. At the time, there were roughly one million 23 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: nomadic people living on the Central Asian step, not far 24 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: from the border between modern Mongolia and Siberia. As you 25 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: might imagine, life in that region was pretty brutal, with 26 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: dozens of different tribes living in the same general area 27 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: and competing for the same limited resources. Because of that scarcity, drinking, 28 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: fighting and theft were rampant between the tribes. This cultivated 29 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: a fearful atmosphere, with most people choosing to sleep on 30 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: top of their weapons just in case anyone tried something 31 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: during the night. That's the world Genghis Khan was born 32 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: into in the early eleven sixties, although he wasn't called 33 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: that at the time. In his early life, he was 34 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: named Temujin, which was the Mongol word for blacksmith. According 35 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: to legend, the boy was born clutching a blood clot 36 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: in his fist, a sign in the Mongol culture then 37 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: he was destined to be a great leader. Of course, 38 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: even without a blood clot, to Mudjin would have still 39 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: been in line for a pretty cushy leadership role. He 40 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: was the son of a Mongol chieftain, the head of 41 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: a clan which was composed of around forty thou families, 42 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: and because Asia's feudal system favored class and ancestry, he 43 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: was next in line for his father's title. That said, 44 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: Mongol leaders endured many of the same hardships as their people, 45 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: so it's not like his family's status would have put 46 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: him on easy street. Case in point, when to Mujin 47 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: was just nine years old, his father was poisoned to 48 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: death by assassins from a rival clan, and since Timujin 49 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: was still so young, he wasn't given the chance to 50 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: take over his father's role. To make matters worse, the 51 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: clan now saw he and his family as a burden, 52 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: one that they'd be responsible for feeding and housing from 53 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: then on. To solve that problem, to Mudgin, along with 54 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: his mother and six siblings, were banished from their own clan. 55 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: Things only got worse for Tmugin during his teenage years. 56 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: Most of his days were spent hunting and foraging with 57 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: his family, and during one particularly low point in their poverty, 58 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: to Mugin is said to have murdered his older half 59 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: brother during an argument over a piece of fish. As 60 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: if that wasn't bad enough, he was later captured and 61 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: enslaved by the same clan that had banished a few 62 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: years earlier. Luckily, to Mudgen was able to escape, and 63 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: soon after he decided he was strong enough to return 64 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: to society and marry the woman he had been betrothed 65 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: to just before his father's death. That's when things finally 66 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: started to turn around for the man who would be 67 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: con He convinced the tribe leader to honor the old 68 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: agreement with his father, allowing him to marry the chief's daughter. 69 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 1: With that too, Mugen's honor was more or less restored, 70 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: and he once again had a place in Mongol society. However, 71 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: things didn't stay peaceful for long. Soon after his wedding arrival, 72 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: tribe went on a raid, and during the scuffle, to 73 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: Mudgin's bride was kidnapped and carried off on horseback. That 74 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,679 Speaker 1: was the last straw for t Mugen. Rather than backing down, 75 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: he rallied some friends and went to rescue her. Fresh 76 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: from that win, to Mugen began to form more alliances, 77 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: quickly attracting a horride of followers over the course of 78 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: the next few years. In this way, he gradually consolidated 79 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: all the various nomadic tribes until twelve oh five, when 80 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: Tomogin bested the very last of his rivals. At that point, 81 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: the established leadership structure of Mongol society had been completely toppled, 82 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: and the Step tribes were united for the first time 83 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: in history. The following year, to Mugin called together representatives 84 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: from every part of the region and announced they were 85 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: now part of a brand new nation, one that would 86 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: be organized by shared laws and overseen by a single ruler. 87 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: At the end of the meeting, to Mugin was proclaimed 88 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: Chengiese Khan, meaning Universal Ruler, or as he's known in 89 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: the West, Genghese Khan. With the tribes united, Genghis Khan 90 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: spent the next two decades steadily growing his empire. At 91 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: the peak of his power, the Mongol leader controlled roughly 92 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: twelve million contiguous square miles, more than twice as much 93 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: land as any other person before or since. At the 94 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: heart of that conquest was a ferocious yet highly disciplined 95 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: Mongol army composed of just one hundred thousand men. For 96 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: such a relatively small army to conquer and hold that 97 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: much territory would have been impossible for most countries, but 98 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: that was the genius of Genghis Khan. He didn't operate 99 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: like the rulers of most countries. The innovations he brought 100 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: to society and warfare made it possible for his people 101 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: not only to build an empire through conquest, but to 102 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: run it effectively once the fighting was done. He created 103 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: universal laws aimed at keeping the peace and preventing the 104 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 1: infighting that had previously plagued his tribe. First and foremost, 105 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: he granted religious freedom to everyone under his rule. This 106 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: was crucial because so many of his followers practiced different religions. 107 00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: Within his ranks, you'd find Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, 108 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: as well as other animistic traditions like the shamanism he 109 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: himself practiced. As new regions fell to the Mongol invaders, 110 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: religious representation within the hoard became more and more diverse. 111 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: Genghis Khan also outlawed several traditional practices of the time, 112 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: such as torturing prisoners, kidnapping women, and taking other Mongols 113 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: as servants or slaves. Some of those decisions drew directly 114 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: from his own experiences. His wife had been kidnapped and 115 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: he himself had been enslaved. This taught him firsthand that 116 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: you can't build a functioning community or economy when fellow 117 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: citizens are living in bondage. That was perhaps the most 118 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: distinguishing feature of Genghis Khan's reign, the way he dealt 119 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: with the people and places he conquered. His entire goal 120 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: was to extend his empire and grow his hoard, and 121 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: that meant that wholesale slaughter was out of the question. Instead, 122 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: he viewed any nation they conquered as a source of 123 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: new recruits for his army. Genghis Khan knew that if 124 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: he treated his defeated enemies with enough respect, they wouldn't 125 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: mind joining forces and bending the knee to him. The 126 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: process worked like this. Once he had conquered a nation, 127 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: he killed all the leaders on the spot as punishment 128 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: for leading their people into a war they couldn't win. 129 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: He also killed off the wealthy ruling class because he 130 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: considered them soft, Plus he figured he could never win 131 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:36,239 Speaker 1: their loyalty anyway. As for everyone else, if they surrendered, 132 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: they were spared. Anyone with useful skills was allowed to 133 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: stay and carry on with their lives pretty much as usual, 134 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: though now as subjects of the Great Genghis Khan. Remarkably, 135 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: that rule held true for any skill, not just for warriors. 136 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,719 Speaker 1: Basket weavers and those with the ability to write were 137 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: valued just as much as those who farmed or forged weapons. 138 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: As for the conquered citizens who didn't have skills, they 139 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: were spared as well, though they were typically forced into 140 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: labor or even used as human shields in the army's 141 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: next battle. There's an important distinction there. It shows that 142 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: while Genghis Khan may have been progressive for the time, 143 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: he was still very much of the time. However progressive 144 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: he may have been, he was still an incredibly harsh 145 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: and violent ruler when he wanted to be. In fact, 146 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,319 Speaker 1: while there is no official number, historians estimate that somewhere 147 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:36,359 Speaker 1: around forty million people were killed during Genghis Khan's conquest 148 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: of Asia and Europe. That's roughly eleven per cent of 149 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: the entire world population at the time. Ironically, a two 150 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: thousand three study in the American Journal of Human Genetics 151 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: found that about one in two hundred men worldwide may 152 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: be a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. So while he 153 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: and his forces wiped out a massive chunk of the population, 154 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: he's seems to have done more than his share to 155 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: replenish it as well. All told, in roughly two and 156 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: a half decades, Genghis Khan and his army conquered more 157 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: lands and people than the Romans did in four hundred years. 158 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: By twelve twenty seven, his empire encompassed much of Central Asia, 159 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: as well as parts of Eastern Europe, Persia, and India. 160 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: On August eighteen, twelve twenty seven, Genghis Khan's reign finally 161 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: came to an end, although how exactly it happened is 162 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: still a matter of debate. Some sources say he died 163 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: in battle against the Chinese while trying to bring an 164 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: end to a revolt in the Kingdom of Shishah. Others 165 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: claim he succumbed to injuries sustained from falling off his horse. 166 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: Another theory was that he bled to death after being 167 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: stabbed and castrated by a ten gut princess. Meanwhile, Italian 168 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 1: explorer Marco Polo insisted that the Khan actually died from 169 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: an infection after an arch or shot him in the knee. 170 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: In reality, all of those stories surface decades after the 171 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: Mongol leader's death, and there's little tangible evidence to back 172 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: up any of them. However, in recent years, researchers have 173 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: sought a more definitive answer from a pair of documents 174 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: written around the time of Khan's death or shortly thereafter. 175 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: The first is a report from a Chinese official who 176 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: was an advisor to Genghis Khan. It explains that thousands 177 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: of Mongol troops had contracted the bubonic plague in twelve 178 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: twenty six, just one year before their leader fell ill. 179 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: The second piece of evidence is a report of Genghis 180 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: Khan's death written by a fourteenth century Chinese historian. In it, 181 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: the author describes the Great Khan sickness in the week 182 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: leading up to his death, and all of his symptoms 183 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: match up with those of the plague. In light of 184 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: that evidence, many historians now believe Genghis Khan was himself 185 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: a victim of the bubonic plague, and that Mongol leadership 186 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: simply covered up his illness and perhaps even circulated false 187 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: stories as a way to project strength during a tumultuous time. 188 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: Another strange aspect of the death of Genghis Khan is 189 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: that no one knows where he was buried. He allegedly 190 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: wanted to be placed in an unmarked grave, and there's 191 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: even a rumor that anyone who looked at his funeral 192 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: procession was killed so that only a select few would 193 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: know the location of his final resting place. There's also 194 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: a story that says Mongol engineers diverted a river in 195 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: order to cover up his grave. It's unclear whether there's 196 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: any truth to that, but whatever they did, it seems 197 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: to have worked. Since to this day we still don't 198 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: know where his body is buried. One of the few 199 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: things we can say for certain is that Genghis Khan 200 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: was a man of contradictions, tolerance of other religions and cultures, 201 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: kind to women and prisoners, a staunch defender of the 202 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: rule of law, yet also a mass murderer the likes 203 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: of which the world had never seen and hopefully won't 204 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: see you ever again. In that sense, the mystery surrounding 205 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: his death and burial seems fitting and death, just as 206 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: in life, Genghis Khan remains as enigmatic as ever. I'm 207 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: gave Louisier and hopefully you now know a little more 208 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If you enjoy 209 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,079 Speaker 1: today's show, consider keeping up with us on Twitter, Facebook, 210 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d i HC Show. You can 211 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, or 212 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: you can send your feedback directly to me at this 213 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: Day at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler 214 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thank you for listening. 215 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another Day 216 00:13:51,640 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: in History class.