Who was Genghis Khan? Born Temujin in Mongolia in the 1160s, his family had some status but was deserted by fellow clansmen and women after the death of Temujin's father. This embittered the young aspiring warrior who came to learn hard lessons early in life and hone to lethal effect a streak of ruthlessness in himself which had probably always been there. He sought to bend as many people as possible to his will. This will was formidable and a vital component in him eventually becoming ruler of the whole of Mongolia. But the road to accomplishing this was not easy; nor did his ambition end with simply being master of his homeland. He sought dominance over other lands too. His eyes and mind fixed hungrily on the wider world, on a great deal of it in fact; he cast his gaze toward the most distant horizons, daring to dream, and more than dream, of world empire.

So, brutal, ruthless and boundlessly ambitious, Genghis Khan went on to found the largest empire the world had yet seen. Under his rule whole lands became connected by an impressive network of communication and commerce. He held sway over more people than any ruler before him; and his empire rested on the bodies of millions.

Genghis Khan's story involves the often ingenious construction of an imperial structure encompassing a huge part of the then known world. But it is also one of colossal slaughter and destruction. One possible version of this story is told here.