Genghis Khan Dies: Mongol Empire Marches On
Genghis Khan died in August 1227 during the siege of the Tangut kingdom of Western Xia. The exact cause remains disputed: some sources claim he fell from his horse during a hunt, others say illness, and Mongol tradition holds that a captured Tangut princess fatally wounded him. He was roughly 65 years old and had conquered more territory than any individual in history, building an empire stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea. His funeral escort reportedly killed every living thing they encountered on the journey to prevent news of his death from spreading. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Mongolia that has never been found. The Mongol Empire he built eventually encompassed one-quarter of the world's population.
August 18, 1227
799 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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