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.
More about: Mongol EmpireDefinition
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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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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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 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.
