The Golden Coins of Chinggis Khan and the Early Mongol Empire
What coins can teach us about the Mongol Empire.
Did Chinggis Khan have red hair and green eyes?
A not uncommon claim on the internet is that Chinggis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, had red hair and green eyes.
Writing and the Mongol Empire
In 1204, the Mongolian warlord Temüjin adopted the Uighur script for his state and people. Two years later, he established the Mongol Empire and took the title of Chinggis Khan. What led an otherwise illiterate Mongol nomad to adopt a script, and how was it implemented in the new Mongol Empire? In this piece, we’ll look at the introduction and use of the written word in the early Mongol state.
The Mongol Khans and Alcohol
A look at the Mongol royal courts and their relationship with alcohol.
The Mongols and Silk
You’ve likely heard the claim that the Mongols wore silk shirts as protection against arrows; the idea being that silk winds up around an arrowhead and thus prevents penetration. There is, however, little historical basis to this claim.
Chinggis Khan’s Missing Ten Years, 1186-1196
There is a stretch of ten years in Chinggis Khan’s early life where we have little information about his whereabouts. What was the future ruler of the Mongol Empire doing at this point?
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: A Retrospective
Jack Weatherford’s 2004 book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World quickly became one of the top-selling works on Chinggis Khan and the Mongol Empire. The book sets out to a mighty task: offering a reevaluation of the Mongol imperial founder. Let’s take a look at whether this book was successful at this goal.
Medieval hairstyles: From bianfa to top-knots in Northeast Asia
The importance of hair and hairstyles among Chinese, Mongols and other peoples of northeast Asia during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
What’s in a Name? Genghis vs Chinggis
The very name “Genghis Khan” is one that immediately brings to mind images of a great conqueror. But just as with most aspects of his life, the story of his name is not so simply told. Here, we’re going to have a look at the meaning, and transmission, of the name of Genghis; or as it’s rendered in Mongolian, Chinggis Khan.