Out of the many great leaders/warriors to have been born, one man made a mark on the world that would forever change history. The man named Temujin better known to the world as Genghis Khan, would become Mongolia’s greatest leader and ancestor. Genghis Khan was the son of a warrior tribe chief named Yesukhei. Most of the western world has seen Genghis Khan as a barbarian that slaughtered, plundered, and destroyed many cultures. But for the Mongols, they saw him as a national hero that united the people and paved the way for the largest continuous land empire in world history. As he began to gain power as a young man, he was able to unite the Merkits, Naimans, Tatars, Keraites and Mongol tribes through his charisma, dedication, and sheer strong
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In comparison, what the Romans conquered in four hundred years, only took Genghis Khan and his Mongol army to do in twenty-five. Great world leaders with massive empires usually crumbled with the death of their leaders (cite?). When Alexander the Great mysteriously died, his people divided up his territories and killed off his family. Napoleon, in contrast, faced death as a lonely prisoner on a remote and inaccessible island. However, Genghis Khan, who died around the age of seventy-years-old, was surrounded by loyal soldiers, friends, and family. According to Mongolian belief, the body of the dead should be left in peace because the soul was no longer there. Therefore, monuments were not required after death because Mongols believed that the soul lived on a Spirit Banner (Weatherford). A Spirit Banner is a pole with a circular horse hair varying in different colors, typically, white was used during times of peace and black was used during times of war (Wikipedia). Genghis Khan’s body was taken back to his homeland and had a secret burial with an unmarked burial site with no monuments. In addition, his soldiers sealed off the entire area for several hundred square miles. Only members of Genghis Khan’s family and highly trained warriors know of his secret burial site in order to protect it from intruders. For eight-hundred years this area remained closed off and after the Mongol Empire collapsed the people continued to keep invaders from entering the sacred area of their most famous ancestor Genghis
In comparison, what the Romans conquered in four hundred years, only took Genghis Khan and his Mongol army to do in twenty-five. Great world leaders with massive empires usually crumbled with the death of their leaders (cite?). When Alexander the Great mysteriously died, his people divided up his territories and killed off his family. Napoleon, in contrast, faced death as a lonely prisoner on a remote and inaccessible island. However, Genghis Khan, who died around the age of seventy-years-old, was surrounded by loyal soldiers, friends, and family. According to Mongolian belief, the body of the dead should be left in peace because the soul was no longer there. Therefore, monuments were not required after death because Mongols believed that the soul lived on a Spirit Banner (Weatherford). A Spirit Banner is a pole with a circular horse hair varying in different colors, typically, white was used during times of peace and black was used during times of war (Wikipedia). Genghis Khan’s body was taken back to his homeland and had a secret burial with an unmarked burial site with no monuments. In addition, his soldiers sealed off the entire area for several hundred square miles. Only members of Genghis Khan’s family and highly trained warriors know of his secret burial site in order to protect it from intruders. For eight-hundred years this area remained closed off and after the Mongol Empire collapsed the people continued to keep invaders from entering the sacred area of their most famous ancestor Genghis