On This Day In History: The Mongol Conqueror Genghis Khan Died – On August 18, 1227

AncientPages.com - On August 18, 1227, Genghis Khan died during the siege of Ningxia. The cause of his death remains unknown and has been attributed to being slain in battle, illness, falling from a horse.

His dreams of conquest did not die with him, for his successors conquered not only China but also India and much of Eastern Europe before the end of the 13^th century.

A bust of Genghis Khan adorns a wall in the presidential palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Image credit: Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service - Public Domain

An experienced military commander and strategist, Genghis Khan had by the time of his death built one of the world’s largest empires with an administrative system both fair and efficient.

His descendants expanded the empire even further and reached Poland, Vietnam, Syria, and Korea. At their peak, the Mongols controlled between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles, an area about the size of Africa.

Many people were slaughtered in the course of Genghis Khan’s invasions, but he also granted religious freedom to his subjects, eliminated torture, encouraged trade and created the first international postal system.

Genghis Khan died in 1227 during a military campaign against the Chinese kingdom of Xi Xia. His final resting place remains unknown.

AncientpPages.com