abstract | - Temujin, Genghis Khan (ca. 1162–August 18, 1227) was a Mongol Khan (ruler) and posthumously Khagan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire. Born with the name Temüjin into the Borjigin clan, he united the Central Asian tribes and founded the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), the largest contiguous and second largest overall empire in world history. Before becoming a Khan, Temüjin united many of the nomadic tribes of north-east Asia and Central Asia under a new social identity as the "Mongols." Starting with the invasion of western Xia and Jin Dynasty in northern China and consolidating through numerous conquests including the Khwarezmid Empire in Persia, Mongol rule across the Eurasian landmass radically altered the demography and geopolitics of these areas. The Mongol Empire ended up ruling, or at least briefly conquering and/or invading large parts of East Asia, Central Asia, Northern Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe and attacking places as far as Central Europe and Southeast Asia. Genghis Khan died in 1227. The causes of his death are not clear. His sons and grandsons controlled the empire after his death and it grew and endured for over 150 years.
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