Introduction: Genghis Khan Facts – Seven Lessons from a Tyrant
What are some Genghis Khan facts? Genghis Khan, Founder and Emperor of the Mongol Empire, in his sixty five years (1162 – 1227) on earth committed a lot of atrocities. It's believed that at the time of his death in 1227,
“he had been responsible for the death of around 20 million people, around one-tenth of the population of the known world at the time.”
In a life filled with savagery and brutality, there is much to learn from Khan, even if it is what not to do.
I hesitated before I purchased 100 Tyrants: History's Most Evil Despots & Dictators
(citations in this post are from this book) by Nigel Cawthorne because I didn't want to pollute my mind. That was a bit arrogant on my part because life isn't always rosy, and tyrants will always be around us. Books like this one give us insights into the way tyrants think and behave, and if we stop to look, there are always lessons around us, even from a thirteenth century tyrant.
Genghis Khan started his tyranny at an early age, killing his brother in a dispute over a fish at the age of 12. His tyranny continued throughout his life in his quest to expand his wealth and territory. His major goal was to conquer imperial China. Later in his life, he wanted to share his conquests with his people and he did so. He also had great foresight and kept a written record of his legacy.
Seven Lessons From Genghis Khan
- Honor your word: In more than one instance after giving his word that a city would be spared and the inhabitants unmolested if they surrendered, Khan reneged on his promise and slaughtered the inhabitants.
- Take the road less traveled: Khan often won the wars he waged because he didn't do the expected.
- Don't be scared to take on the giants in your field, but be very strategic about it: Khan often defeated armies much larger than his because he was strategic and tactical.
- Be compassionate when dealing with others: People begged for mercy, begged for their lives, but Khan seldom showed mercy.
- How you play the game is more important than winning: If cities opposed Khan, “As well as massacring the inhabitants, he would destroy the irrigation systems that had taken centuries to construct.”
- Being weighed down by the tools of the trade can give your competitors and adversaries an unfair advantage: “The Russian knights wore steel armour and had shields, axes, swords and lances, but were heavy and slow compared to the Mongol.”
- In what ways can you be innovative in the way you conduct your work? Back in the thirteenth century, people in Samarkand “Sent melons as far as Baghdad, packed with snow to keep them fresh.” Today this is nothing because we take refrigeration for granted, back then, that was a hugely innovative act. Also,when Khan didn't have any boulders for the catapults, he improvised and used the cut up trunks of the mulberry tree.
Who are some of the most notable tyrants who have walked this earth? What are five lessons that we can learn from?
Action Steps After Reading Facts About Genghis Khan
Read about some of the most known tyrants and see what you can learn from them.
Final Thoughts: Genghis Khan Facts – Seven Lessons from a Tyrant
No one is inherently all bad or all good. Each of us possesses both darkness and light. Looking at the facts about Genghis Khan, there are lessons you can learn from him. He was very good at strategic. According to Wikipedia,
“Beyond his great military accomplishments, Genghis Khan also advanced the Mongol Empire in other ways. He decreed the adoption of the Uyghur script as the Mongol Empire's writing system. He also promoted religious tolerance in the Mongol Empire, and created a unified empire from the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia.”
Books About Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Genghis: Birth of an Empire: A Novel (The Khan Dynasty)Genghis KhanGenghis Khan and the Quest for God: How the World's Greatest Conqueror Gave Us Religious FreedomGenghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His LegacyGenghis Khan: The Ruthless Legacy, Great Mongol Empire, And The Making Of The Modern WorldThe Story of Genghis Khan (Long Version)KhanKhan: Empire of Silver: A Novel (The Khan Dynasty)
Further Reading
Genghis Khan (from Wikipedia)
BBC Genghis Khan YouTube Video Part One of Five
BBC Genghis Khan Video Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
