Mongol Empire Timeline

Life of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.

Life of the Mongol military commander and grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu Khan.

The Mongol Empire rules in Central and East Asia.

A great Mongol conference of tribal leaders (khuriltai) awards Temujin the title of Genghis Khan ('universal ruler').

Reign of Genghis Khan as the ruler of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.

The Mongols attack the Tangut state of Xi Xia.

The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.

The Mongols attack Song China, sacking over 90 cities.

The Jurchen Jin state signs a short-lived peace treaty with the Mongol Empire and is obliged to pay tribute.

The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.

The Mongols attack the Tangut state of Xi Xia.

The Mongols sack Beijing.

The Mongols attack the Khwarazm Empire in Central Asia.

A Goryeo army allies with the Mongols to attack the Khitan in northern Korea.

The Mongols attack northern Afghanistan.

The Mongols defeat an army of the Kievan Rus at Kalka.

The Mongol Chagatai Khanate rules in Central Asia.

Reign of Chagatai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Chagatai Khanate named after him.

Death of Genghis Khan from illness.

Composition of the Secret History of the Mongols.

Reign of Ogedei Khan as the ruler of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin State.

Ogedei Khan leads a Mongol invasion into Korea.

Kaifeng, capital of the Jurchen Jin State, falls after a lengthy siege by the Mongols.

Ogedei Khan orders a census to be conducted for tax purposes across northern China.

The Mongols attack and conquer the Jurchen Jin State in northern China.

Ogedei Khan orders the construction of a new capital of the Mongol Empire at Karakorum, Mongolia.

The Mongols invade northern Iraq and western Asia

Karakorum is capital of the Mongol Empire.

Multiple Mongol armies attack western Asia, Russia, Poland, and Hungary.

The city of Ryazan (Riazan) is besieged and captured by the Mongols.

The Mongols invade Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.

The Mongols capture the city of Vladimir.

The Mongols capture the city of Torshok.

The Mongols sack Halych.

The Mongols capture Kiev.

The Mongols defeat an army led by Henry the Pious, the Duke of Silesia, near Liegnitz (Legnica).

The Mongols defeat an army led by Bela IV, king of Hungary, at the Battle of Mohi.

The Mongols capture Buda and Pest.

The Mongols capture the great city of Gran (Esztergom) in Hungary.

Ogedei Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire, dies at the capital Karakorum.

Death of Chagatai, ruler of the Chagatai Khanate.

Reign of Guyuk Khan as ruler of the Mongol Empire.

Batu Khan and the Jochid-Toluid kurultai declare Mongke Great Khan of the Mongols.

Reign of Mongke Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.

The Franciscan missionary and chronicler William of Rubruck visits the Mongol Empire, including the capital Karakorum.

A Mongol army led by Hulegu invades Persia and the Middle East.

The Mongols defeat the Ismailis (aka the Assassins) in Persia.

The Mongols invade Vietnam.

The Mongols conquer the Dali kingdom in southern China.

An uprising restores the monarchy in Korea and makes peace with the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols conquer the Abbasid Caliphate. During this campaign there is the infamous sacking of Baghdad and murder of the caliph.

Death of Mongke Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols besiege and capture Aleppo in Syria.

Reign of Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.

Kublai Khan fights a civil war with his brother Ariq Boke for control of the Mongol Empire.

Hulegu rules the Ilkhanate.

The Mongol Ilkhanate rules in Iran and neighbouring territories.

Kublai Khan captures Karakorum after his rival nAriq Boke (1219-1266 CE) used it as his base.

Xanadu is the capital of the Mongol Empire.

Abaqa rules the Ilkhanate.

Kublai Khan resumes the Mongol attacks on Song Dynasty China.

Part of northern Korea is conquered by the Mongol Empire.

Abaqa, ruler of the Ilkhanate, defeats Baraq, ruler of the Chagatai Khanate, at the battle of Herat.

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan, rules China.

The Ilkhanate signs a trade agreement with Venice.

The Mongol leader Qaidu II dominates Central Asia and nominates khans to rule the Chagatai Khanate.

Xiangyang falls into Mongol hands.

Abaqa, ruler of the Ilkhanate, sacks the city of Bukhara in the Chagatai Khanate.

Xanadu is the summer capital of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols led by Kublai Khan attack and conquer the last remnants of Song China.

Marco Polo serves Kublai Khan in Mongol Yuan Dynasty China.

Lin'an, the capital of the Song Dynasty, is captured by a Mongol army.

The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty invade Burma.

The Ilkhanate defeats a Mamluk army in Lesser Armenia.

The Mongols complete their conquest of Song Dynasty China with victory at the naval battle at Yaishan.

The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China invade Vietnam for a second time.

Ahmad Teguder rules the Ilkhanate.

Arghun rules the Ilkhanate.

The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China re-invade Vietnam.

The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China re-invade Burma.

The Ilkhanate agrees a trade deal with Genoa.

Gaikhatu rules the Ilkhanate.

A Mongol/Yuan Dynasty naval force attacks Java.

Baidu rules the Ilkhanate.

Ghazan rules the Ilkhanate.

Ghazan, ruler of the Ilkhanate, converts to Islam.

The Ilkhanate briefly captures Mamluk-controlled Aleppo and Damascus.

The Mamluks defeat an Ilkhanate army in Syria at Marj al-Suffar.

Oljeitu rules the Ilkhanate.

Abu Said rules the Ilkhanate.

The Ilkhanate and Mamluk Sultanate sign a peace treaty.

The Ilkhanate disintegrates into smaller states following dynastic disputes.

Tughlugh Timur rules as the last Khan of the Chagatai Khanate. Upon his death, the state disintegrates.

The last Yuan Dynasty emperor, Toghon Temur (r. 1333-1368 CE), dies at Karakorum.

The city of Xanadu, once the capital of the Mongol Empire, is definitively abandoned.