Genghis Khan, Conqueror of the Four Quarters

Synopsis

Using official history as its bones and unofficial tales as its flesh, this book brings to life the epic story of Genghis Khan, from orphan of a troubled age to unifier of the grasslands and founder of an empire spanning Europe and Asia. Across sixty chapters, it begins with his birth on the banks of the Onon River and recounts his youth in exile, the betrayal of sworn brothers, the struggle for supremacy on the grasslands, and the unification of the great desert. It follows his proclamation as Khan on the banks of the Onon, the establishment of the thousand-household units and the Keshig, the promulgation of the Great Yassa, the appointment of the Four Heroes and Four Hounds, and the establishment of the Golden Family's succession.

It then follows the campaigns against Western Xia and the Jin dynasty, the sweeping conquest of the Central Plains, and the western expedition against the Khwarazmian Empire. His armies conquered the great cities of Central Asia, and his iron cavalry reached the Caucasus and watered their horses in the Indus. The book also offers a full account of the turbulent years after his death: Ogedei, Mongke, and Kublai taking power in turn; Batu's eldest son leading a western expedition that shook Europe; Hulagu's western campaign and founding of the Ilkhanate; and the coexistence of the four great khanates of the Golden Horde, Chagatai, Ogedei, and the Ilkhanate, up to the Mongol Empire's division and the unification of the realm under the Yuan dynasty.

Combining warfare, political intrigue, customs, and secret tales, the book both restores the true course of history and portrays the characters' love and hatred. It offers a comprehensive look at the rise, expansion, and legacy of the Mongol Empire, a complete biography of Genghis Khan and his family with no blind spots and nothing left uncovered.