Genghis Khan, (1162-1227), a noted chieftain of Mongolia. His father was a petty chieftain who paid tribute to the khan of Tartary. Genghis was a born intriguer and ruler. He united various Tartar and Mongol tribes under his leadership, broke through the great wall of China, and subjugated that country. In 1215 he took Peking by storm and allowed it to be plundered by his soldiers. Three years later he invaded Turkestan with a considerable army. He extended his conquests until the entire territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Dnieper River in Europe was under his rule. At his death his immense empire, like that of Alexander the Great, was broken up into fragments, the largest of which is now known as China.

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