Rise of Genghis Khan

The Shiwei lived in the Lesser Khingan Range until the 10th century when the Mongol component moved to the Argun River and became vassals of the Khitans.

In the 11th generation of Bat Tsagan's lineage, Dobun Mergen married a young woman named Alan Gho'a of the Khorilar.

After Dobun Mergen died, Alan Gho'a gave birth to Bodonchar Munkhag, who founded the Borjigin clan.

Before he was captured, Ambaghai managed to send a messenger back to his kinsmen, urging them to fight the Tatars to the death.

Around the time of Ambaghai's capture in the 1150s or 1160s, Khabul's grandson Yesugei abducted a Khongirad woman as his bride from the Merkits.

[5] The Mengda Beilu records that the Mongols developed a profound hatred of the Jin because of massacres and atrocities that they committed in the late twelfth century.

[10] The Secret History records his birthplace as Delüün Boldog on the Onon River, but this has been placed at either Dadal in Khentii Province or in southern Agin-Buryat Okrug, Russia.

[11] Genghis Khan was born as Temüjin to Yesugei, the leader of the Borjigin clan, and Hoelun of the Olkhonud tribe.

In 1171, Yesugei took Temüjin east through Tatar territory to the Khongirad, who were closely related to the Olkhonud tribe of his wife, to arrange a future marriage between his son and Börte.

Yesugei sent a trusted retainer called Münglig to retrieve Temüjin from the Khongirad, but he arrived too late to see his father alive.

He then became the captive of the Taichiud and lived in a cage for some time before escaping with the help of a tribesman named Suldus Shira.

Börte gave birth soon afterwards and although the child may have been fathered by a Merkit, Temüjin decided to raise him as his own anyway, naming him Jochi.

[18] The previous attack on the Merkit that resulted in the rescue of Börte may have been a separate campaign that occurred in 1191, and was confused in the sources.

With less than 20,000 men at his side, Jamukha was no longer able to challenge Temüjin on the upper Kherlen River, and retreated further east.

[22][21] Modern historians such as Ratchnevsky and Timothy May consider it very likely that Temüjin spent a large portion of the decade following the clash at Dalan Baljut as a servant of the Jurchen Jin dynasty in North China.

Formerly seen as an expression of nationalistic arrogance, the statement is now thought to be based in fact, especially as no other source convincingly explains Temüjin's activities between Dalan Baljut and c. 1195.

[24] Taking refuge across the border was a common practice both for disaffected steppe leaders and disgraced Chinese officials.

The beleaguered Tatars chose to fight in a makeshift barricade instead of on the open field, probably because they were much weaker than the opposing force.

[27] Soon after the defeat of the Tatars, Toghrul was overthrown by his brother Erke Qara, who was backed by Inanch Bilge khan of the Naimans.

Wanyan Xiang ordered the construction of extensive defensive works to protect sedentary population in the north.

Temüjin attacked them in 1196 and subjugated the majority of the Jurkins, including Muqali, who would later become one of the Mongol Empire's foremost generals.

Alarmed by the eastern invaders, Tayang sent a force under Kökse Sabraq, which intercepted Toghrul and took half his people hostage.

Despite the victory in battle, the allied forces moved further east, possibly out of fear that the two Naiman factions might recoup and unite against them.

[32] While Toghrul was incapacitated for two years, Temüjin recovered his losses and returned to wage war on the Tatars and Dorben while his brother Qasar attacked the Khongirad.

He intended to have all the Tatar captives executed, probably in revenge for his father, but his half-brother Belgutai leaked the information to the prisoners, who broke away and barricaded themselves on a hill.

[34] Buyruq khan assembled a large coalition army including even Jamukha and the Oirats numbering 70,000 strong.

Both sides' forces were scattered and the weather took a turn for the worse with heavy snows and wind blasting the battlefield.

[36][37] After this heavy defeat, Temüjin and the leaders of his remaining followers –a socially, culturally, and religiously heterogeneous mixture of people– swore an oath of brotherhood which became known as the Baljuna Covenant.

Supposedly Naiman scouts were unimpressed with the quality of Temüjin's troops, but Tayang wanted to retreat beyond the Altai Mountains to fight a war of attrition.

The Khitan, Yelü Ahai, who defected to Temüjin some years ago led the way, ostensibly in search for Senggum, Toghrul's son.