The Rise of the Mongols and Their Leader Genghis Khan

Mongols – The Early Rise of the Mongol Empire, 1167-1243

In this course, Dr Nicholas Morton (Nottingham Trent University) explores the early rise of the Mongol Empire from 1167-1243. In the first module, we look at the rise of the Mongols and their leader, Genghis Khan. In the second module, we then turn to look at the Mongol campaigns and their territorial expansion, before in the third module considering the reasons why the Mongols succeeded in these campaigns.

The Rise of the Mongols and Their Leader Genghis Khan

In this lecture, we look at the rise of the Mongols and their leader, Genghis Khan, focusing in particular on: (i) the contextual environment of the early Mongols, including the populations of Eurasia and the boundaries that separated them; (ii) the context of Temüjin’s (later Genghis Khan) (c.1162-1227) early life, including the Mongol defeat by the Tatars; and (iii) the re-emergence and rise of Temüjin, including the Mongol defeat of the Tatars in 1202 and Temüjin’s coronation as Chinggis Khan in 1206.