The ironic Temujin
Genghis Khan is a famous Mongolian warlord from the ancient far East, and most people have at least heard his name, but actually, that isn't his given name. Almost no one has heard his real given name, Temujin. Ironically, Genghis Khan didn't begin as Genghis Khan. He was a man from humble beginnings whose story doesn't start with aggressive conquering at all. He was a troubled person whose family was outcast from their tribe, and when his wife was abducted by political enemies, he made enemies trying to save her. This is the beginning of his military campaign, an ironic beginning for one of the world's most successful conquerer.
The Mongol World War
Most people have the impression that everything was going fine and then Genghis Khan swarmed in and took over Asia, but that isn't really what the history shows. Weatherford's history teaches that Genghis Khan rose to power during a season when the continent was changing. There were tribal conflicts, and the customs of ancient times were beginning to show cracks in their façade. Genghis Khan surfed a political wave of change.
Tradition and change
For ancient customs and traditions to change so quickly is ironic, and of course, the influence of Genghis Khan in this process is nearly unthinkable. One man managed to undo the establishment that had preceded him by generations and generations. His influence brought him into power, because he was a catalyst, and his rejection of traditional ways made him easily able to conquer people whose ways were thoroughly known to him. He exploited tradition for its weaknesses.
Black Death
Although Genghis Khan was able to forge a great empire, he was not immortal. His death meant that his empire was reduced to its political structures, and then, without warning, the plague swept into China, killing many people all at once. The empire was strong enough to conquer the world, but it could not conquer illness and death. It is as if fate itself would not allow such an empire to persist without Khan's leadership; the state disintegrated.
The demise of an empire
History shows the same thing over and over again, and yet, without fail, it continues to be surprising and ironic every time. Empires collapse. This is a rule that has never been broken in the history of the earth. The final section of this book is dedicated to the ways that Khan's empire crumbled. What doesn't change, however, is the influence of his empire in China. His empire was an obvious signal to the Chinese world that times were changing, and the continent expected new conquerers to try and follow in his footsteps. The author maintains that the effects of this change are still felt today.
