In 1172, Targutai-Kiriltukh, the chief of the Taijiuts, decided to migrate from their forced places near the Onon. History has not left the destination of their migration. Knowing this would make it possible to understand whose purposes the Mongol leader served.
The Onon River in the fall. The place where Genghis Khan was born and grew up.
The family of the deceased Esugei had no means of migrating. They had no wagons, no cattle, no wind-up horses. The laws of the steppe are severe — they were left in place. It is not clear whether there was a malicious intent here, as this was always done.
Other poor people were left with Temudgin’s family. One of them was the father of the nuker Yesugei Munlik — Charkha-Ebugen. During the departure of the Mongols he was wounded, as he apparently resisted the departure, realizing that it was perdition. But everyone left and even his son Munlik. This speaks of the very low moral level of the Mongol Horde at that time.
The Taijiuts left not far away and Munlik secretly visited his wounded father for two years, helping what he could to the family of Yesugei. He became the named father of Temujin. The feat of this poor arat herdsman can only be applauded. He had only a few cattle and shared everything with three women and seven children who were strangers to him.
Munlik was forced to break with Yesugei’s family. The steppe doesn’t like losers, and even more those who socialize with them. It’s bad luck.
In these conditions Temujin’s mother Oelun showed character and organized the survival of the family, which had no cattle. All the same, her origin from the Olkhonuts, who carried a strong admixture of taiga Tunguso-Manchurian blood, helped her. The family turned to gathering, fishing and hunting, as Tungus are strong. These occupations were considered dishonorable by the Mongols. Esugei’s family did not care about such subtleties.
The taiga origin of the Olkhonuts may be indicated by the similar name of the island Olkhon on Baikal.
Olkhon is the largest island of Lake Baikal. It is the third largest lake island in the world
Temujin was not alone at this time. He became friends with Jamukha from the Turkic-Mongol tribe Jadaran. The latter helped him in hunting and they became Anyda (twins).
At the age of 12 there is an event that became a turning point in the formation of Temujin’s character.
Esugei had a second wife Sochikhel, from what tribe she is not known, and it is not known who married her. It is clear only that the younger brother of Temujin and the eldest son of Sochikhel Bekter was called the younger brother of the future Shaker of the Universe.
But he was a younger brother in the complex kinship system of nomads only according to the family hierarchy. And so he was a healthy and strong guy, who together with his younger brother Belgutey took away from Temujin and his brothers all the spoils.
This suggests that Sochikhel was the wife of one of Esugei’s relatives. The relative died and she went to father Temujin according to the law of amanger. Another variant — Sochikhel was a war booty. Yesugei took her with his eldest son Bekter, calling him his own. Bekter was older than Temujin, but he occupied a subordinate position in the family hierarchy. The second son Sochikhel was from Yesugei.
That is why Temujin could not kill Bekter in hand-to-hand combat. But he did it by shooting him with a bow. A disgraceful deed, but considering that the family was threatened with starvation Temujin showed his determination. Belgutei was forgiven.
Bekter may have been from a Merkit father, as later Sochikhel, having been captured by the Merkits, refused to return.
Л. N. Gumilev believed that Sochikhel’s flight was the result of her betrayal, as without the help of someone from Borjigin the Merkits would not have been able to find their bet. In his opinion, this explains both the sudden raid on the Borjigin nomad, and Sochikhel’s attachment to her new Merkit husband — Wikipedia
Temujin committed the crime of killing his brother. This was a sin according to steppe concepts. Everyone found out about this act and Temujin became an outcast.
Teemujin was left with only the path of a horse thief-barymtacha. This was the occupation of many declassed elements in the steppe. He formed a group of young poor men who were engaged in barimta. His first nuker was Boorchu from the Mongolian tribe of Arulat.
Boorchu (late XII century — first half of XIII century) — one of the commanders of Genghis Khan’s personal guard.
In legends horse thefts are played up as horse thieves. But most likely vice versa. He stole more from the Taijiyuts. The elders of the Taijiyut decided to catch him and punish him, which was fair according to the laws of the steppe.