Temujin owed his reputation as an ideal steppe ruler not only to his princely roots and military successes. He was distinguished from many other members of the noble family by his common sense, poise, foresight, and self–control — precisely the character traits that a sovereign needs. He knew how to wait and endure in the interests of the cause, persistently strive for the set goal and achieve it. But his imperiousness and cool temper were especially pronounced in him. At the same time, the ruler was generous and felt grateful to those who served him faithfully. Temujin could counterbalance the cunning of his enemies with cunning, but he never broke his word to his allies.
Khan was a stranger to depraved tendencies, did not seek entertainment. His only passion was hunting. When dividing the spoils, he adhered to strict fairness and demanded the same from others.
Beliefs and predictions widespread among the Mongolian people played a major role in the development of the worldview of the future Conqueror. They often said that a new Mongol leader would appear soon. This prediction reinforced in him the belief in his predestination, that it was he, and not someone else, who, at the behest of Heaven, should raise the Mongolian people to an unattainable height, and in Mongolian society created the conditions for the emergence of a brilliant leader and commander.
Among those who came under Temujin’s rule and proclaimed him khan, there were many chiefs and noyons who were both more noble and richer than him: descendants of Khabul Khan, Altan, the son of the famous Hutula, the last Mongol Khan, and other aristocrats. And they did it not for selfish or cunning reasons, but because they saw in Temujin the ideal of a ruler and a steppe hero. In fairness, it should be noted that he was indeed of enormous height (by Mongolian standards), slender, strong, and of a heroic build. He has a solid reputation as a man who is protected by the Eternal Blue Sky both in life and in battle. In addition, judging by the «Secret Legend of the Mongols», the first of the famous historical and literary Mongolian monuments (1240), Temujin also had an oratorical gift, he was able to inflame people’s hearts with words.
The success in the war with the Merkits attracted many warriors to his side, significantly increased the Khan’s army, and also expanded the territory under his control. And with those who refused to recognize him, he waged a relentless war with persistence and terrible cruelty. In 1193, Temujin fought his first major battle. His rival turned out to be his father-in-law, Ung Khan, who dared to contradict his domineering son-in-law. He had a large army, commanded by the military commander Sanguk. It was precisely because of this preponderance in military strength that this experienced commander committed a carelessness that led to disaster. Temujin’s six thousand strong army took the enemy by surprise, and Ung Khan’s ten thousand soldiers were completely defeated.
I must say that the future Great conqueror was always well-versed in the tactics of warfare in the steppe. He attacked the nomadic tribes suddenly and inevitably won. The defeated Khan left the right to choose: either to become his ally, or to die. After subjugating the Solong tribes (Koreans) for three years, his gaze turned to the west and south. In 1195, he conquered the Sartagol tribe (Sarts), and the following year, the tribes of Tibet.
At that time, the situation on the borders of the Mongolian steppes was very turbulent. The neighboring Jin state tried in every possible way to weaken its nomadic neighbors, sowing hostility and civil strife among them for this purpose. Having decided to completely put an end to the once powerful Tatars, the Jin emperor invited Tooril Khan as an ally. From the front, he wanted to attack them with his troops, and the Khan had to hit them in the rear. Temujin had a great opportunity to finally take revenge on the Tatars for the death of his father. A bloodbath between the opponents took place in 1200 or 1202. The decisive battle took place in the spring near the Ulhui-Shilugelzhit tract at the confluence of the Khalkha River with Lake Buir. In it, Temujin performed a maneuver that later became famous for the Mongol encirclement tactics. As a result, all four Tatar tribes were almost completely destroyed. However, there were also losses on the Mongolian side. The surrounded Tatars hid knives in their sleeves and, before they died, managed to send their executioners to the next world, so that «they would serve them in their graves with pillows.» Temujin was adamant about the fate of the captured Tatars. Having gathered his relatives for a secret council, he issued an extremely unequivocal verdict: «The Tatar tribe are the original destroyers of our grandfathers and fathers. Let’s exterminate them, making them equal in height by the cart check, in revenge for their grandfathers and fathers. And we will enslave the remaining (children).» In the future, the unprecedented cruelty of Temujin’s warriors will befall more than one nation.
Among the Tatars who escaped was the beautiful Yesugan-khatun, who became Temujin’s concubine. From her, he learned about the beauty of her older sister Yesui. The girl was found, her fiance was beheaded in front of the bride, and she shared the fate of her sister. Yesugan-khatun, who became an evil genius for her sister, nevertheless played a good role for her fellow tribesmen. When she eventually became the khan’s full-fledged wife, she obtained from him permission to gather the surviving Tatars and unite them under the rule of two Neumans. They became two Tatar slaves who grew up among the Mongols and were devoted to the khan.
The extermination of the Tatars provided the ruler with absolute power over Eastern Mongolia. However, the central part of the country was ruled by the powerful Kereits of Tooril Khan, while the Naimans ruled in the western part. Temujin decided to change the balance of power in his favor. It was not easy to do this, because his former brother-in-law and friend Jamukha did not stop plotting against him and tried to create a coalition of leaders hostile to him. The Taichi people who lived down the Onon succumbed to his persuasions. However, their attack did not take Khan by surprise. The guard found the Taichiut and Jamukha military detachments in time. A great battle took place in the Talan-Baljius area, in which Temujin’s 13,000-strong army defeated the enemy’s 30,000-strong army. 78 enemy commanders were captured, who were immediately executed by order of the khan to intimidate future enemies. In this battle, Temujin was wounded in the neck by an arrow. But then he suddenly made another friend – a young man came to him from the enemy camp, who confessed that he had killed a horse under him, but now wanted to fight on his side. The young man, who received the nickname Jebe («arrow»), later became one of Genghis Khan’s most talented military leaders and took part in all his campaigns, including in Asia, as well as in the battle against the Russians on the Kalka River in 1223.
After defeating the Taichi, Temujin decided to subjugate the entire Mongolian Plateau. However, the same Jamukha got in his way. In 1201, on the banks of the Arguni River, he was proclaimed by his supporters Gurkhan, the National Khan, or Ruler over all khans. It was a direct challenge to Temujin. It also came as a complete surprise to him that Jamukha was supported by his recent ally Tooril Khan. A new war became inevitable, and its outcome was unpredictable. To win it, it was necessary not only to throw all the forces at the enemy, but also to outwit him. And Temujin succeeded. He so skillfully disguised his army in the forest that the enemy could not detect him. The khan himself led his soldiers out of the ambush by a stealthy forced march at night, approached the enemy camp and surrounded it. The battle was very fierce and lasted for three days and three nights. The Kereites were completely defeated. Tooril Khan and his son Sangum only miraculously escaped from the encirclement. And the winner ordered to distribute the captured Kereites «to all corners», taking Ibahi-beki, the eldest daughter of Tooril Khan, as a trophy.
This victory contributed to the spread of Temujin’s even greater fame. But his ambition was not satisfied, and he was not going to rest on his laurels. The ruler set as his goal the unification of all related Mongolian tribes and sought it at all costs, because he believed that «the dignity of every cause is that it be brought to an end.»
In the early summer of 1204, Temujin with 45,000 horsemen marched against the Naimans, led by Tayan Khan with the support of Jamukha. Before the campaign, a sacrifice was made to the white sacred banner with nine tails, in which, according to Mongol beliefs, the spirit of Sulde, the guardian of the army and the patron saint of Mongol warriors, dwelt. After that, Temujin’s army invaded the country of the Naimans, located in the Altai Mountains. The general battle took place on June 16, 1204. The Khan personally led his army. He placed his brother Khasar in the center of the attackers. During the battle, Jamukha treacherously abandoned Tayan Khan, and his army was completely destroyed. Tayan himself died, and his mother, who despised the Mongols for their bad smell, became the concubine of one of the leaders. Jamukha ended his life just as tragically. After the defeat of the Naimans, he no longer posed a danger to Temujin, since the last supporters turned away from him. One day, the remaining nukers tied up the hapless Gurkhan and took him to Temujin. He ordered his execution «without shedding blood,» that is, by breaking his back, and then gave his former twin a solemn funeral.
Only one Merkit leader, Tokhtoa, managed to avoid defeat, remaining with the Naimans until the end. In 1204, Temujin staged a real hunt for him. He went with his warriors to the forests and mountains of the Southern Selenga, but in the spring of the following year he was overtaken and defeated. Tohtoa’s sons did not even have time to take his body from the battlefield. In a hurry, they «cut off his head out of respect to take it with them and pay their last respects.» The remnants of the defeated Merkit army rushed to the southeast. A significant part of them drowned in the spring Irtysh. Years later, the famous Genghis Khan commander Subutai completed the destruction of the Merkits. So the Great Conqueror took revenge on the hated tribe that had once stolen his wife from him.
When returning in 1205 from a campaign against the Naimans, Temujin invaded the western regions of the powerful Tangut state of Xi Xia on the way. His soldiers plundered the districts of Shazhou and Guazhou, including the powerful fortress of Ligili and the large city of Klin-Loshi. And then, with rich booty and slaves, they went to their steppes.
After conquering the western tribes, Temujin became the undisputed ruler of the entire country – from Altai to the Great Wall of China. His unification of all Mongol lands undoubtedly meant the desire to restore the Ancient Mongolian state of the XI century. After returning from his last campaign, Temujin held a magnificent celebration, distributed awards to military leaders, as well as war trophies. In his address to the tribesmen, he said: «According to the command of the supreme king, Tengri Khurmuzd, my father, I subdued 12 earthly kingdoms, I subdued the boundless self-will of minor princes, a huge number of people who wandered in need and oppression, I gathered them and combined them into one, so I did most of what I had to do. Now I want to give peace to my body and soul.» But this state of rest, so unnatural for the Great Conqueror, did not last very long.