20 moments

1. Born in the Khentii Mountains

   1162-01-01 · Khentii Mountains, Mongolia

   

   Temüjin, later titled Genghis Khan, was born in the Khentii mountain region near the Onon River. The precise identification of Delüün Boldog remains disputed. Most historians accept 1162, but 1155 and 1167 are also proposed. The coordinate is a representative point in the Khentii Mountains.

2. Taken to the Khongirad

   1171-01-01 · Khongirad territory, eastern Mongolian Plateau

   

   Yesugei took the young Temüjin eastward to the Khongirad to arrange his future marriage to Börte, an early relocation that established a decisive family alliance. The source identifies the people and direction of travel but not an exact settlement; the coordinate represents the eastern Mongolian steppe.

3. Fought Jamukha at Dalan Baljut

   1187-01-01 · Dalan Baljut, near the Onon River, Mongolia

   

   Temüjin confronted his former blood brother Jamukha near the Onon River and suffered a major defeat, beginning a poorly documented period in his rise to power. Some reconstructions date the battle to 1193. The exact battlefield is unidentified; coordinates represent the central Onon valley.

4. Defeated at Khalakhaljid Sands

   1203-01-01 · Khalakhaljid Sands, Mount Mauo, Mongolia

   

   Temüjin fought Toghrul's Kereit forces at Khalakhaljid Sands. The comprehensive defeat forced him to withdraw with a small remnant of followers. The historical battlefield's modern identification is uncertain; coordinates are representative of the proposed eastern Mongolian region.

5. Regrouped at Baljuna

   1203-01-01 · Baljuna, southeastern Mongolian Plateau

   

   After his defeat by the Kereit, Temüjin reached Baljuna and forged an oath of mutual fidelity with his surviving companions, creating a core coalition for his recovery. Baljuna has not been securely located. The coordinate follows the proposed Kalka River region and is necessarily approximate.

6. Captured Wulahai

   1209-01-01 · Wulahai, Western Xia, near modern Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China

   

   During his first full-scale Western Xia invasion, Genghis defeated a defending force outside Wulahai and captured the city before advancing along the Yellow River. Wulahai's identification with the modern Wuhai vicinity is approximate; coordinates use modern Wuhai.

7. Led the Mongols at Yehuling

   1211-08-01 · Yehuling, Wanquan District, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China

   

   Genghis commanded the Mongol invasion at Yehuling, a decisive campaign that shattered major Jin forces and opened northern China to deeper Mongol incursions. The source gives a campaign range rather than a single day. Coordinates represent the Yehuling area northwest of Wanquan.

8. Besieged the Jin western capital

   1212-01-01 · Datong, Shanxi, China

   

   Genghis personally led the main Mongol force against Xijing, modern Datong. An arrow wound compelled him to abandon the siege. Only the year and season are supported; the coordinate is the modern city center.

9. Waited across the Syr Darya at Otrar

   1219-01-01 · Syr Darya opposite Otrar, Turkistan Region, Kazakhstan

   

   At the opening of the Khwarazmian invasion, Genghis remained across the Syr Darya while his sons invested Otrar, hoping to draw Shah Muhammad into battle. The exact riverside camp is unknown; coordinates represent the Otrar archaeological area beside the Syr Darya system.

10. Rested near Nasaf

    1220-01-01 · Nasaf, modern Qarshi, Uzbekistan

    

    After the initial Transoxianan conquests, Genghis and converging Mongol armies spent the summer near Nasaf resting their soldiers and horses before further operations. Coordinates use modern Qarshi, generally identified with historical Nasaf.

11. Wintered on the upper Vakhsh

    1220-01-01 · Upper Vakhsh River, Tajikistan

    

    Genghis and Tolui spent the winter suppressing resistance along the upper Vakhsh River before operations expanded into Khorasan and northern Afghanistan. The date field uses the starting year because JSONL dates cannot express the supported winter range. Coordinates are representative of the upper Vakhsh valley.

12. Reached Bukhara through the Kyzylkum

    1220-02-07 · Bukhara, Uzbekistan

    

    Genghis bypassed stronger defenses and crossed the Kyzylkum Desert to appear unexpectedly before Bukhara, a central maneuver in the destruction of Khwarazmian resistance.

13. Arrived before Samarkand

    1220-03-01 · Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    

    After Bukhara fell, Genghis advanced to Samarkand, the Khwarazmian capital, where the convergence of Mongol forces enabled another rapid conquest.

14. Conducted the siege of Samarkand

    1220-03-01 · Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    

    Genghis reached and encircled Samarkand with forces subsequently reinforced by his sons after Otrar's capture. The city's fall broke the center of Khwarazmian defense. This card records the siege activity following his arrival, distinct from the preceding journey card.

15. Crossed the Hindu Kush and besieged Bamyan

    1221-07-01 · Shahr-e Gholghola, Bamyan, Afghanistan

    

    Genghis crossed the Hindu Kush and besieged the fortress near Bamyan. The death of his favored grandson Mutukan during the operation prompted an especially destructive response. The article's infobox gives July 1221, while its introduction more broadly says spring 1221; month confidence is therefore reduced.

16. Commanded the Battle of the Indus

    1221-11-24 · Indus River battlefield near Attock, Pakistan

    

    Genghis caught Jalal al-Din's army on the Indus and personally directed the Mongol victory, concluding the principal phase of the Khwarazmian campaign. The exact battlefield remains debated; coordinates represent the Indus near Attock, a commonly proposed general area.

17. Camped at Baghlan

    1222-01-01 · Baghlan, Afghanistan

    

    During operations against post-conquest revolts, Genghis occupied a camp at Baghlan that was twice raided by insurgent Muhammad al-Marghani. The source supports the year through campaign context but provides no month. Coordinates use modern Baghlan.

18. Received Qiu Chuji near the Hindu Kush

    1222-01-01 · Genghis Khan's camp near the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan

    

    Genghis met the Daoist master Qiu Chuji at his camp near the Hindu Kush and questioned him about government, health, and immortality. The precise camp location is unresolved; coordinates represent the central Hindu Kush region.

19. Resided in the Qilian Mountains

    1226-08-01 · Qilian Mountains, Gansu–Qinghai border, China

    

    During the final Western Xia campaign, Genghis temporarily resided in the Qilian Mountains to escape the summer heat while his army advanced toward Wuwei. No exact mountain camp is identified; coordinates are a representative point in the central Qilian range.

20. Died during the Western Xia campaign

    1227-08-01 · Xingqing, modern Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

    

    Genghis died at Xingqing during the final campaign against Western Xia. His death was concealed so that ongoing military operations would not be disrupted. Sources disagree between 18 and 25 August 1227, so only month precision is used. Coordinates represent central modern Yinchuan.