[theme music] NARRATOR: It is the dawn of
the 13th century over Asia. A fierce storm rages deep within
the heart of the continent. Growing to a tempest, it spills
over into China devastating one of the most ancient
cultures on earth. Then, gathering momentum,
its violent fury vents westward laying waste
Afghanistan and Persia. Riding these bitter winds are
unstoppable hordes mercilessly carving out an empire
that will know no equal in all of human history. Eventually, it will stretch
over 4,000 miles from the shores of the Pacific to the banks of
the Danube in Central Europe. From the hidden
hinterland of Mongolia, stream ruthless and
highly efficient warriors, united under a leader who
galvanizes them to challenge the world. His rise to power among
the tribes of Central Asia would forever influence history,
forging alliances, defining frontiers, creating new maps. But by the time his
visions are fulfilled, millions would lie
dead in his trail. Known by many terms, madman and
genius, bloodthirsty warrior and brilliant politician,
architect of nations and destroyer of civilizations,
he was all of these. His name, Genghis Khan. The closing decades
of the 12th century are a time when medieval
Europe is thriving. On the opposite
side of the world, Chinese civilization
has reached its peak. Sandwiched somewhere
between these two extremes is an inhospitable region of
desert, forest, and grassland. These are the legendary steppes
of Central Asia known today as Mongolia. But in ancient times, the
Chinese simply referred to it as the barbarian wilderness. It was populated by tribes of
warring nomads, the Tartars, Mongols, Merkits, and Naimans. To keep them from raiding
Chinese settlements, a great wall has been
slung across China's northern boundary. Built almost 2,300 years
ago, it was a monument to China's strength and power. But in the 13th century, a
new threat arises from deep within the continent. It comes in the form of a
single man, a man whose name has thundered down to us through
the pages of history. He is Genghis Khan. But this renowned
figure who would rise to become one of the
world's greatest or perhaps most infamous military rulers
sprang from humble beginnings. He was born somewhere in the
steppes in about the year 1165. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: This
background to Genghis Khan is contained in an account
called the "Secret History of the Mongols," which is a sort
of an official history written, not in Genghis Khan's
lifetime but soon afterwards, ascribing the
background to this man who became the
ruler of the world. It said he was born with a
clot of blood in his hand, of the infant. And this was a good sign. This was an omen that he
would be a great warlord. NARRATOR: Genghis Khan's
life was controversial. Some saw him as a conquering
hero, others, as a tyrant. Persian, Russian, and Chinese
scribes all wrote of him, but dates, names, and events
often do not coincide. The Secret History
of the Mongols remains the most reliable
source of information about him and about the
times in which he lived. The world into which
the young Khan was born could not be more harsh,
no more difficult. DR. NICOLA DI COSMO: 12th
century Mongolia was actually a grim place to be brought up. The Mongols themselves were
broken into a number of clans, families, tribes. And at a particular
point in time, they did not have a
common head, a chief. Feuds among families
were very common. And life was
extremely uncertain. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: There was
an enormous amount of space. But yet, the
environment was so harsh that there was actually no
room for clemency of any sort. The weakest died. If the climate didn't get to
you, your neighbors would. NARRATOR: Strength
was found in numbers and a man could have as many
wives as he could afford. Genghis's father had two. In keeping with the aggressive
customs of the Mongols, he abducted his wife,
Hoelun, Genghis's mother from her previous
husband in another tribe. As a boy, Genghis grew up
with three brothers, a sister, and two half brothers, the
children of his father's second wife. Genghis's earliest
years are much like those of any boy
of his time, hunting, riding, roaming the plains. The nomads lived in
their felled tents, and moved continuously
from place to place. When the grazing ran out, they
simply packed up and moved away to new pastures. As a boy, Genghis lives
an uneventful childhood. He is brave and defiant. It is said the only
thing he fears are dogs. Their barking frightens him. Deeply introspective, he
spends much time in solitude. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: He
was quite a loner. He was somebody who
kept his own counsel. And I think this
made him different. He was not a person
who consulted others. He took his own decisions. He had a sense of
his own destiny without any question
about that at all. NARRATOR: As is the
custom, it is soon time to select a
girl for Genghis to marry when he
reaches adulthood. He was about eight
or nine years old when his parents arranged
a marriage for him to Borte, a woman from
a different tribe. In fact, his father took
him and deposited him with the other tribe so
that he would grow up with his intended. NARRATOR: Genghis's father now
sets out on the return ride to his own camp. Along the way, fate intercedes. He meets a party
of Tartar tribesmen on a hunting expedition. They offer him food and drink. But unbeknown to him, they
have laced it with poison. Three days later, he
stumbles into his tent, and collapses into the arms of
his wife, Hoelun, mortally ill. Genghis is immediately sent
for but it is too late. His father is dead. With her husband gone, the
rest of the clan desert Hoelun, leaving her as sole
defender of the family. According to the
legend, Hoelun really was the influence in
Genghis Khan's life which was that he should
stand up for himself. But that cooperation
was the key to success. And there's a famous story that
she took an arrow, a broken arrow in front of the
children and said, you see, this arrow break. And then took a bunch of arrows
and handed them to the children and said, try and snap
the bunch of arrows. And, of course, they couldn't. And she said, well, that is when
you hold together as a group, you will be that much stronger. NARRATOR: Genghis relishes the
significance of the lesson. But within the family
itself, there is friction. Hoelun's many duties include
taking care of the two stepchildren from her husband's
second wife, who has also deserted her. Being only half brothers
to her own children, they become the cause
of much dissent. One day, Genghis catches a fish
and one of the half brothers snatches it away from him. Without hesitation,
Genghis draws an arrow and coldly kills the boy. They just used him
as target practice. It was a deliberate ambush. The moral of that story is you
did not cross Genghis Khan. Even when he was very young,
he was totally ruthless. NARRATOR: Only 13
years old, the one who would become known as
the Great Khan is already a murderer. But this is merely the beginning
of a fateful sign of things to come. By the time Genghis Khan
turns 15 in the year 1180, he has become a
proficient hunter, skilled at horsemanship,
and physically superior to his siblings. They easily fall under
his spell allowing him to take the initiative. His mother senses
his inner strength and gives him the reins of
leadership in the family. His name becomes known
among neighboring clans. But mistrust and suspicion
are never far away in the harsh world
of the steppes. Not everyone welcomes the
news of his rising popularity. Fearing him as a
possible future threat, the clan who deserted his
family when his father died decided to intervene. The secret history
tells us that they invade Genghis's encampment with
the intention of capturing him. But he runs away. Nine days later, they find
him tired and exhausted. They take him back
to their tents, where they place a heavy wooden
yoke around his neck intending to keep him as their prisoner. There was a party a
couple of evenings later. And while his captors
were celebrating, he managed to overpower the
young man who was in charge from his guard, and wriggled
out of the felled tent and got away to a river. And, of course, his
absence is discovered. The next episode
then illustrates what a sly and clever man he was
because instead of running off, which would've been extremely
difficult wearing his board, he went back into the
tent of the person who had failed to raise the alarm,
and essentially blackmailed him. And said, now, if I
am found in this tent, I will tell them that
you saw me in the river, and you did nothing about it. You've now got to
help me properly. You've got to get this board
off and provide me with a horse so I can get away, which is very
shrewd thinking on his part. Then that's how it turned out. He actually rode away
with the help of this man. NARRATOR: In 1182, when
Genghis is 16 years old, he decides it is time to marry. He returns to claim Borte, the
woman to whom he was pledged at the time of his
father's death. As a wedding gift,
the girl's family gives him a
magnificent sable coat. After taking his bride
back to his encampment, he leaves her in the
charge of his mother, and then rides into the distant
forest with the new coat. He presents it as a
gift to a chieftain by the name of Toghrul, one
of his late father's friends. But there is purpose
behind the gesture. In Mongol custom, alliances
are formed by gift-giving, where you give somebody a
particularly valuable gift, and in a way, you purchase,
if you like, his allegiance, or buy the respect that you've
shown him by giving this gift. NARRATOR: Genghis begs
Toghrul to help him win back the loyalty of the tribesmen
who deserted him and his family. His plea is
sympathetically heard, and a solemn pact is struck. News of the agreement between
Genghis and Toghrul spreads. Soon, other clans
offer him their support to reconstitute the tribe. Then suddenly, disaster strikes. Early one morning,
invading Merkit horsemen galloped toward Genghis's tents. These are the people
from whom his father once abducted his mother, Hoelun. And now, they are on
a mission of revenge to kidnap every woman
in Genghis's tent. He and most of his family
escaped, but in the skirmish, his young wife is left behind. Genghis knows she
has been stranded to await an unknown fate at
the hands of the Merkits. His decision to allow his
wife to be captured in that way was basically survival. It was strategic. He had to protect himself and
protect the few men that he had available to them. They couldn't be allowed
to straggle behind in order to save his wife. Genghis and two of his
brothers ride frantically to the encampment of Toghrul. It is time to make use
of the alliance cemented with him earlier over the
presentation of the sable coat. MAN 3: "Thus, spake Toghrul,
'now, keeping to my word in return for the
coat of sables, I will destroy the Merkit,
and I shall return thee Borte, thy wife.'" The Secret
History of the Mongols. NARRATOR: Toghrul also
enlists the aid of Jamukha, an old boyhood
friend of Genghis, a man who is now chieftain
of a neighboring clan. Within months, they rally
over 5,000 of their people to ride with them in
search of Genghis's wife. Thrilled at the prospect
of looting Merkit property, the warriors engaged the
enemy and vanquished them, acquiring women and
animals in the process. In the midst of the Merkit
encampment, they find Borte. We're not exactly sure what
happened to Borte when she was captured by the Merkit tribe. We do know that there are
intimations in Secret History that Merkit raped her repeatedly
during her stay with them. NARRATOR: Borte is
pregnant when rescued. Shortly after her return
to Genghis's camp, she produces a son. In the ensuing years,
it will never be certain whose child it is, her Merkit
captors or that of Genghis. With the Merkit threat
removed, Genghis now strikes up a close friendship
with his boyhood friend, Jamukha, the man who
helped him regain his wife. The relationship intensifies. And over time, the
two men's clans unite. As their friendship blossoms,
the men become inseparable. MAN 3: "Genghis and Jamukha
declared themselves blood brothers, and swore
love for each other. They rejoiced with
feasts and banquets. And at night, they
slept together under the same blanket. They loved each other
for a whole year and half a second year." The Secret History
of the Mongols. NARRATOR: Genghis's
mother and wife grow jealous of the bond
between the two men. They spread intimidating
rumors about Jamukha trying to coerce Genghis
to sever the relationship. Whether it is their influence
that enforces his decision or merely his own lust
for power among the clan, he finally resolves
to break the tie. It happens early in
the summer of 1185. The two men are leading their
people to new grazing pastures. Jamukha wants to camp in
a fertile river valley, but Genghis merely continues
riding ignoring his friend's request to stop. The split has come. Without looking back,
Genghis climbs a ridge to wait for the rest of his
tribe to catch up with him. Then, glancing back, he sees
that not only his own people but many of Jamukha's group
have elected to follow him. In the days that come,
others joined them. Though unforeseen at the
time, this will eventually result in Genghis becoming
one of the legends of history. I don't think Genghis had
a plan for world conquest or even becoming the greatest
leader among the Mongols. It was one event leading
to another based initially on bare survival
when his father died. And then as time went
on, the progression involved the desire to
satisfy his own retainers. Then there was a pressure on
him to continuously acquire more and more. And that is really the
heart of the matter. NARRATOR: Those who do not agree
to show allegiance to Genghis are now forced to do so
often by brutal means. TIMOTHY SEVERIN:
He wanted power. He wanted control. He wanted wealth. And wealth to the Mongols
meant horses, fine clothing, and capturing the enemy's women. And there was a fine sort of
quotation in the Secret History in which it is said that
nothing is finer than to attack your neighbor and carry off all
his horses and his women folk. That is the joy of life. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI:
Genghis was brilliant at psychological warfare. He engaged in terror for
psychological reasons, for strategic reasons. He would attack and destroy a
specific unit or specific tribe and use devastating force
in doing so in order to elicit surrenders by those
who would be intimidated by such butchery. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: Very often,
thousands upon thousands of his enemies would
surrender 'cause of fear rather than having to endure
the attacks by the Mongols. NARRATOR: Now
respected and feared, Genghis has his people's
unbridled allegiance. With his gaze set
on distant horizons, he begins a ruthless
ride to victory, one that would ultimately lay
much of the civilized world at his feet. It is the year
1187, Genghis Khan is firmly in command
of his people. But he yearns to unite
all unattached tribes even in the outermost
reaches of Mongolia. There are those who have
not yet joined his alliance. One of them is his old friend
and now enemy, Jamukha. After their split,
the two men never re-established
their relationship. Jamukha and his followers
keep a safe distance, but they are never far away. The people of the
two encampments maintain an uneasy peace. But there is often
tension between them, especially over grazing lands. One day, an argument erupts
into an all-out fight. A man from Genghis's camp
rides to Jamukha's tents and murders his brother. Incensed, Jamukha seizes the
opportunity to retaliate. He attacks Genghis's camp. Not expecting the raid, many
of Genghis's men are killed. 70 of his captured
chieftains are taken back to Jamukha's tents where they
are tortured and boiled alive. Shocked by this
horrifying defeat, Genghis realizes that
his men are not yet ready to support him in
his bid for supreme power. He sets out to mold
them into a war machine, to convert them into warriors
the likes of which the world has never seen before. TIMOTHY SEVERIN:
They put together the most professional army that
hadn't been seen in Central Asia. It was absolutely extraordinary. It was an incredibly
mobile army. It was fairly small,
yet it moved so fast. It could travel at duress
at about 70 miles a day. Bear in mind, in the
Second World War, an army was very pleased
to go 11 miles a day with tanks and
motorized vehicles. The Mongols could go
up to 70 miles a day. And at a push,
their flying units would go 120 miles in a day. They were just
unbelievably quick. NARRATOR: Grueling training
and severe discipline sharpened the men for battle. Their reputation spreads as
far even as the Jin empire in that sprawling land of China
that lies beyond the Great Wall. The Jin invite Genghis
to help them fend off bands of marauding Tartars
who constantly attack their settlements. It so happens that
the Tartars are also old enemies of the Mongols. So this is the opportunity
Genghis has been waiting for. In just a short
time, triumph is his. The Tartars are crushed. However, this success is
not celebrated by Jamukha. Fearing his adversary's
growing military might, Jamukha attacks Genghis's camp. It is precisely what Genghis
anticipates will happen. This time, his forces will
not be caught off-guard. Once again, blood stains
the Mongol landscape. It will take three more battles
before Jamukha's supporters are finally defeated. Jamukha himself
escapes and seeks refuge with the Naimans, a
powerful tribe that inhabits the north westerly
region of the steppes. They scorn the Mongols who,
unlike themselves, have no written language,
no agriculture, and no permanent settlements. When Genghis learns that
Jamukha has found shelter with the Naiman, he
rides against them at the head of
80,000 cavalrymen. The resulting battle virtually
annihilates the Naiman people. Once again, Jamukha escapes
death, and for a time, hides in the hills with a
loyal group of followers. But eventually, fearing
revenge from the Mongols, his people deliver him
into Genghis's hands. Appalled at this lack of respect
and loyalty for their leader, Genghis orders
Jamukha's followers put to death even down to
the last woman and child. He offers to pardon Jamukha
for the bloody conflict that has raged between them,
but Jamukha refuses. He begs to die and is
reportedly suffocated to death inside a carpet. For Genghis, the execution
is too much to bear. He cannot watch his old friend
die revealing an unusual contrast to his usually depicted
character as a cold-blooded murderer. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI: Genghis was
not someone who was just simply a pure murderer or a butcher. He did have a very
compassionate side. And there are a number of
incidents in the Secret History that indicate he was very
wary of simply destroying human life without any cause. There are a number of incidents
in which he is described as having saved children
or women from attacks by his own troops. He was not a particularly
violent man in the sense that he tried to justify
every action of violence in one way or another. Of course, vendetta,
revenge was one of the ways in which he
justified some rather gruesome actions. But these were not out of
step, let's say, with respect to his time and age. NARRATOR: With the
Naimans destroyed, Genghis is now the undisputed
warlord over more than two million people. The taste of victory
has been sweet, and he develops a voracious
appetite for more conquests. He turns his attention
to the tribes scattered along the eastern and
southern regions of the land. Soon, another bloodbath begins. The attacks are vicious, beating
into submission those who have not yet joined his alliance. Throughout the campaign,
Genghis personally supervises each battle. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: In one
of them, he almost died. He was wounded by
an arrow in the neck and almost died
of loss of blood. His skill militarily
seems to be in the ability to pick brilliant generals. That really accounts for
his success as a leader. DR. NICOLA DI COSMO: Every
action, every event of his life seemed to reveal a person
who is extremely pragmatic but also has foresight. He knows that if he
does a certain thing at a certain time, that
it's going to pay off at some point in the future. NARRATOR: In 1206,
the Year of the Tiger, the people decide
to proclaim Genghis their supreme and unequal ruler. It is now that he officially
acquires that title by which we know him today. MAN 3: "The people proclaimed,
'We will make you our leader, our great Khan. We will fling ourselves like
lightning upon your foes. We shall give you the
fairest girls from the enemy. If we disobey you, take
our flocks, and our wives, and our children, and throw
our worthless heads upon the sand.' " When they had spoken
their oaths before him, the people announced him
as their supreme leader." The Secret History
of the Mongols. NARRATOR: The meaning of
the name, Genghis Khan, has long been debated. It may have meant ruler of
the great expanse or ocean even though Genghis himself
would never set eyes upon the shores of any sea. The title could have
meant universal leader, for now, he has been elevated
to an almost godlike position among his people. Yet his life follows
very basic human trends. In between campaigns, he
acquires more wives and fathers more children. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI: Genghis
has a number of wives. In traditional total
is at least four wives. His most senior wife was Borte. And she gave birth to four sons. The oldest one is the
one that's problematic. She may have been impregnated
while she was captured by the enemy. The three others were
definitely Genghis's sons. And eventually, they would be
given appendages or territory by Genghis in various
parts of his empire. NARRATOR: Genghis Khan is
now tormented by vivid dreams of conquest, always
beckoning, always tormenting him is
the vast domain that lies beyond the horizon
especially on the other side of the Great Wall. The lure becomes
a driving force. So carefully, he lays his plans
and sets his sights on China. At the age of 40 in
1206, Genghis Khan lays claim to his dream
of conquering China. He convenes a great meeting
of tribal chieftains near the banks of the Onan
river in eastern Mongolia. It is the largest
gathering of people in the history of the Mongols. It is said that 400,000
tents covered the landscape. Those who have come here
rejoice in feast on horse meat and indulge in a potent
alcoholic brew fermented from mare's milk called airagh. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI: Banquets
and feasts would involve really getting absolutely plastered,
drunk out of their minds. When Europeans came,
particularly European missionaries, they
were quite appalled by the revelry and
the drunkenness that the Mongols engaged in. NARRATOR: Genghis
himself often succumbs to the temptation of alcohol. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI: He appears
to be a very serious man, somewhat dower in his attitudes. His only vice seems to have
been his addiction to drink. As with so many of the other
leaders of the Mongol elite, alcoholism is a very
serious problem. NARRATOR: Genghis now turns
his attention southward to the territory
beyond the Great Wall. But in the way lies
the kingdom of Hsia, the land of the Tanguts, now
modern day northern China. It is through this region that
trade passes between Central Asia and places to the west. Caravans of merchants
passing through often bring tales of the splendors
and wealth of the Jin empire, of walled cities, of
roads that cross rivers, of palatial boats that float
majestically upon these rivers. It is all new and very
alluring to the great Khan. In 1207, he puts his
legions to the test. If they can conquer
western Hsia, they can take the Jin Empire. Within two years, all of
Hsia territory is conquered. The kingdom becomes a state
within the Khan's growing empire of nations. Now, the real prize awaits. Genghis has sent envoys
on a peace mission to the Jin empire. But the Jin view
them with suspicion, and they are put to death. Despite helping to ward off the
Tartars in their hour of need, to the Jin, the Mongols remain
little more than barbarians. In 1211, Genghis embarks
on a three-day fast. Alone in his tent, he meditates
on the impending battle. DR. NICOLA DI COSMO: He actually
had a reputation as somebody who had magical powers. He was later to claim
that he was directly descended from the sky blue
called the most powerful god of the Mongolian pantheon. And I think it was
that combination, he was shrewd politically, but
there was something about him which backed up the
fact that he could claim to have divine powers. MAN 3: "Here me, oh my people. Heaven has promised
me a victory. Now, we must prepare to make war
to take vengeance on the Jin. " The Secret History
of the Mongols. NARRATOR: Genghis leads his
forces against the hated Jin. Behind him ride
40,000 cavalrymen. In the way stands
the Great Wall, but it proves to be no barrier. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: The Great Wall
of China was, in many ways, a wasted effort. It was a magnificent and
rather futile gesture. And there was never any
problem for a major nomad army to breach the wall. After all, you bring
30,000-40,000 troops against a single point on the
wall, and you get through, there's no way that
it'll stop you. One of the most frightening
things about fighting the Mongols is this
army appeared suddenly as if from nowhere, maneuvered
in absolute discipline in total silence until the
final charge of the heavy horse. And nobody could stand up to it. The Mongols were successful
time after time after time. They were invincible. NARRATOR: The ruthless
side of Genghis Khan now becomes terrifyingly
real to his victims. Captured prisoners
including women and children are used as human
shields in battle. They are driven ahead
of Mongol soldiers during attacks on settlements
and often forced to bear arms against their own people. In 1214 the forces of the
Khan reached the capital of the Jin empire, Zhongdu,
known today as Beijing. It is walled and well-fortified. For a year, it is encircled
while its populace holds out. Eventually, Genghis's
engineers develop siege towers and catapults to breach it. In 1215, the city falls. Genghis's dominion has
now doubled in size. Millions more have
become his subjects. Yet he does not linger
to enjoy his victory. The call of the land of
his birth is too strong. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI: Genghis
Khan occupied the city Beijing very briefly and then went
back into the steppe lands. He was a man of the steppes. He was not a man of the cities. And so he returned
to his homeland and continued to roam
around from place to place. NARRATOR: Having
gained new ground and expanded his empire,
Genghis Khan's spirit is more restless than ever. Now, he looks to new horizons,
to the vast tracts of land that stretched beyond
China, to the west, to the very fringe
of Europe itself. By 1217, the way is
open to the west, to a vast empire known as
Khwarezm, covering what would become Afghanistan,
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and northern Iran. It is an Islamic union
ruled by a sultan or Shah. His power is as
great as his domain. And Genghis recognizes this. He seeks only peace
with the Shah. To secure a treaty, he
sends a caravan of diplomats to Khwarezm. But at the border, it is
seized and all of his envoys are massacred. Outraged, Genghis sends another
group of ambassadors directly to the Shah to complain,
but they too are killed. DR. MORRIS ROSSABI:
The Mongols believed in the absolute
inviolability of ambassadors. So the murder of
Genghis's envoys in that way was a disastrous
decision as Genghis had to avenge the
killing of his envoys. And so he set forth on his
largest campaign to date, probably with about
200,000 troops, the largest single contingent of
troops that he'd ever had, towards Central Asia. NARRATOR: The scale of
violence and destruction wrought by the Mongols upon
the Muslim people of Khwarezm is unprecedented. By the time the death
and destruction subsides, Genghis Khan's empire stretches
from the Yellow Sea in the east to the Caspian in the west. With one of his sons
already dead in battle, Genghis makes plans to return
to the steppes of Mongolia. Ever ready to face
the unforeseen, he first designates an heir
to ensure that the sprawling empire he has created will
have a leader in the event of his death. DR. NICOLA DI
COSMO: We certainly know that he had thought
about his succession. He had already
designated an heir in the person of
his son, Ogedei, in the presence of
his elder son, Tolui. In fact, it is interesting
to note that this succession to Genghis Khan was one of the
few episodes in Mongol history where we do not have a great
amount of rivalry and conflict among the potential heirs. NARRATOR: The empire
is huge and unwieldy. And Genghis is mindful of the
need for efficient government. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: Genghis Khan's
empire was ruled, if you like, at second hand. There were so few
Mongols, there's simply not enough of them
to rule an empire the size that he created. So the system he
used was simply, he would overrun a
city and province and replace the governor and
the ruling elite with a handful of Mongols. NARRATOR: In the summer
of 1226, Genghis Khan embarks on his final campaign. He rides at the head
of 180,000 warriors to crush a rebellious uprising
among the Tangut people where he waged war against
the Hsia 20 years earlier. On the way, he
falls from his horse and suffered severe
internal injuries. During the next few months,
his health deteriorates. At the age of 62, the great
Khan breathes his last. It is August 18, 1227. But to this day, the location
of his tomb remains a mystery. TIMOTHY SEVERIN: The Mongols
feared that their leaders would be dug up or grave
robbers or whatever, and they had this custom of
burying and hiding the burial places. And the way they used
to do, dig this chamber, put in the corpse, put in all
some slaves who are killed, horses and all the wealth,
then cover over the earth, and then drive teams of horses
over the top so that everything was obliterated. NARRATOR: The legacy
of Genghis Khan would reach its
ultimate fulfillment through his grandson,
Kublai Khan. During his reign, the borders
of Mongol-held territory would span two continents. By the year 1280, it had become
the largest empire in history. In the west, it had reached
the banks of the Danube embracing immense tracts
of Russia including Moscow and Kiev. It sprawled northward
to the Ural Mountains, to the Himalayas in the
south, and included all of China and Korea in the east. Never again would the world
know anything like it. Genghis laid the foundations
for the greatest empire in world history. And it's not simply a
matter of military conquest. The reason that
is significant is that it is during his, and
his sons', and grandsons' generations that we have
the first direct contact between East and West. I think that's probably the most
significant aspect of Genghis's achievement. As a result of the conquest of
much of Asia by the Mongols, a kind of peace and
stability was established that allowed for the
greatest flow of ideas, people, traders, technologies
between East and West that had ever been known. NARRATOR: The legacy continues
even today, eight centuries after hordes of
fearless warriors first swept forth from
the steppes of Mongolia to take the world by storm.
