The Mongol Empire (1206-1368) was founded by Genghis Khan (r. 1206-1227), first Great Khan or 'universal ruler' of the Mongol peoples. Genghis forged the empire by uniting nomadic tribes of the Asian steppe and creating a devastatingly effective army with fast, light, and highly coordinated cavalry. Eventually, the empire dominated Asia from the Black Sea to the Korean peninsula.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 1162 - 1227Life of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire.
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1205The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.
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1205 - 1255Life of the Mongol military commander and grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu Khan.
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1206 - 1368The Mongol Empire rules in Central and East Asia.
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1206A great Mongol conference of tribal leaders (khuriltai) awards Temujin the title of Genghis Khan ('universal ruler').
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1206 - 1227Reign of Genghis Khan as the ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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1209The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.
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1209The Mongols attack the Tangut state of Xi Xia.
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1209The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.
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1211The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.
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1212 - 1215The Mongols attack Song China, sacking over 90 cities.
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1214The Jurchen Jin state signs a short-lived peace treaty with the Mongol Empire and is obliged to pay tribute.
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1215The Mongols attack the Tangut state of Xi Xia.
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1215The Mongols sack Beijing.
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1215The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin state in northern China.
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1218 - 1220The Mongols attack the Khwarazm Empire in Central Asia.
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1219A Goryeo army allies with the Mongols to attack the Khitan in northern Korea.
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1221The Mongols attack northern Afghanistan.
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1223The Mongols defeat an army of the Kievan Rus at Kalka.
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c. 1227 - 1363The Mongol Chagatai Khanate rules in Central Asia.
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c. 1227 - 1242Reign of Chagatai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Chagatai Khanate named after him.
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18 Aug 1227Death of Genghis Khan from illness.
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1228 - 1240Composition of the Secret History of the Mongols.
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1229 - 1241Reign of Ogedei Khan as the ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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1230 - 1231The Mongols attack the Jurchen Jin State.
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1231 - 1232Ogedei Khan leads a Mongol invasion into Korea.
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1233Kaifeng, capital of the Jurchen Jin State, falls after a lengthy siege by the Mongols.
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1234 - 1236Ogedei Khan orders a census to be conducted for tax purposes across northern China.
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Feb 1234The Mongols attack and conquer the Jurchen Jin State in northern China.
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1235Ogedei Khan orders the construction of a new capital of the Mongol Empire at Karakorum, Mongolia.
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1235The Mongols invade northern Iraq and western Asia
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1235 - 1263Karakorum is capital of the Mongol Empire.
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1236 - 1242Multiple Mongol armies attack western Asia, Russia, Poland, and Hungary.
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21 Dec 1237The city of Ryazan (Riazan) is besieged and captured by the Mongols.
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1238The Mongols invade Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.
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7 Feb 1238The Mongols capture the city of Vladimir.
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23 Mar 1238The Mongols capture the city of Torshok.
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1240The Mongols sack Halych.
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6 Dec 1240The Mongols capture Kiev.
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18 Mar 1241The Battle of Chmielnik in the region of modern-day Poland results in a decisive victory for the Mongols during the Mongol Invasion of Poland and the sacking of the city of Krakow.
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9 Apr 1241The Mongols defeat an army led by Henry the Pious, the Duke of Silesia, near Liegnitz (Legnica).
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10 Apr 1241 - 11 Apr 1241The Mongols defeat an army led by Bela IV, king of Hungary, at the Battle of Mohi.
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Dec 1241The Mongols capture Buda and Pest.
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Dec 1241The Mongols capture the great city of Gran (Esztergom) in Hungary.
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11 Dec 1241Ogedei Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire, dies at the capital Karakorum.
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1242Death of Chagatai, ruler of the Chagatai Khanate.
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1246 - 1248Reign of Guyuk Khan as ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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1251Batu Khan and the Jochid-Toluid kurultai declare Mongke Great Khan of the Mongols.
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1251 - 1259Reign of Mongke Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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1253 - 1255The Franciscan missionary and chronicler William of Rubruck visits the Mongol Empire, including the capital Karakorum.
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1253 - 1260A Mongol army led by Hulegu invades Persia and the Middle East.
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1256The Mongols defeat the Ismailis (aka the Assassins) in Persia.
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1257The Mongols invade Vietnam.
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1257The Mongols conquer the Dali kingdom in southern China.
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1258An uprising restores the monarchy in Korea and makes peace with the Mongol Empire.
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1258The Mongols conquer the Abbasid Caliphate. During this campaign there is the infamous sacking of Baghdad and murder of the caliph.
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29 Jan 1258The forces of the Mongol Empire are defeated by the kingdom of Dai Viet at the Battle of Dong Bo Dau during the Mongol Invasion of Vietnam. This victory, and resistance to later Mongol incursions, informed Vietnamese resistance efforts against the French and, later, the Americans in the 20th century.
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11 Aug 1259Death of Mongke Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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Dec 1259The Mongols besiege and capture Aleppo in Syria.
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1260 - 1265Hulegu rules the Ilkhanate.
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1260 - 1335The Mongol Ilkhanate rules in Iran and neighbouring territories.
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1260 - 1294Reign of Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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1260 - 1264Kublai Khan fights a civil war with his brother Ariq Boke for control of the Mongol Empire.
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1262Kublai Khan captures Karakorum after his rival nAriq Boke (1219-1266 CE) used it as his base.
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1263 - 1273Xanadu is the capital of the Mongol Empire.
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1265 - 1282Abaqa rules the Ilkhanate.
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1268Kublai Khan resumes the Mongol attacks on Song Dynasty China.
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1270Abaqa, ruler of the Ilkhanate, defeats Baraq, ruler of the Chagatai Khanate, at the battle of Herat.
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1270Part of northern Korea is conquered by the Mongol Empire.
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1271The Ilkhanate signs a trade agreement with Venice.
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1271 - 1368The Mongol Yuan Dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan, rules China.
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1272 - 1301The Mongol leader Qaidu II dominates Central Asia and nominates khans to rule the Chagatai Khanate.
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1273Abaqa, ruler of the Ilkhanate, sacks the city of Bukhara in the Chagatai Khanate.
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1273Xiangyang falls into Mongol hands.
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1274 - 1364Xanadu is the summer capital of the Mongol Empire.
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c. 1275 - 1292Marco Polo serves Kublai Khan in Mongol Yuan Dynasty China.
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1275 - 1279The Mongols led by Kublai Khan attack and conquer the last remnants of Song China.
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28 Mar 1276Lin'an, the capital of the Song Dynasty, is captured by a Mongol army.
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1277The Ilkhanate defeats a Mamluk army in Lesser Armenia.
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1277The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty invade Burma.
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19 Mar 1279The Battle of Yamen is a decisive victory for the Mongol Yuan dynasty forces who defeated the Southern Song forces, ending the Song Dynasty and completing the Mongol conquest of China.
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19 Mar 1279The Mongols complete their conquest of Song Dynasty China with victory at the naval battle at Yaishan.
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1281The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China invade Vietnam for a second time.
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1282 - 1284Ahmad Teguder rules the Ilkhanate.
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1284 - 1291Arghun rules the Ilkhanate.
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1286The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China re-invade Vietnam.
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1287The Mongols/Yuan Dynasty China re-invade Burma.
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Dec 1288The Ilkhanate agrees a trade deal with Genoa.
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1291 - 1295Gaikhatu rules the Ilkhanate.
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1292A Mongol/Yuan Dynasty naval force attacks Java.
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1295Baidu rules the Ilkhanate.
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1295 - 1304Ghazan rules the Ilkhanate.
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1295Ghazan, ruler of the Ilkhanate, converts to Islam.
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Nov 1299The Ilkhanate briefly captures Mamluk-controlled Aleppo and Damascus.
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1303The Mamluks defeat an Ilkhanate army in Syria at Marj al-Suffar.
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1304 - 1316Oljeitu rules the Ilkhanate.
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1316 - 1335Abu Said rules the Ilkhanate.
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1322The Ilkhanate and Mamluk Sultanate sign a peace treaty.
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1335The Ilkhanate disintegrates into smaller states following dynastic disputes.
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1347 - 1363Tughlugh Timur rules as the last Khan of the Chagatai Khanate. Upon his death, the state disintegrates.
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1370The last Yuan Dynasty emperor, Toghon Temur (r. 1333-1368 CE), dies at Karakorum.
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1430The city of Xanadu, once the capital of the Mongol Empire, is definitively abandoned.
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8 Oct 1480The Battle of the Ugra (also known as the Great Stand on the Ugra River) is fought between the Great Horde under Akhmat Khan and the forces of the Grand Duchy of Moscow under Prince Ivan III, ending in a Russian victory.
