Rise of the Mongols

Around 1162, a baby was born among the Mongol group, and in his hand he clutched a blood clot which was a sign of good fortune. He was named Temujin, which means "Blacksmith". The Mongols were a nomadic group and lived in yurts on the Mongolian Steppe. All children were taught to ride horses bareback and shoot bows made out of bone and sinew at a very young age. When Temujin was nine years old, his father was poisoned by an enemy group known as the Tatars. He made allies among the different groups, but not the Tatars. One of these leaders was Toghril, a leader of the Kereyits, who helped him rescue his wife, Borte, from the Merkits. Temujin acted out of vengeance against the death of his father and defeated the Tatars, enslaving the women and children.

When he was 40, Temujin was named Genghis Kahn by the Mongals, meaning "Oceanic Ruler of the Universe". He gave command to those, and only those, that proved themselves. Well disciplined men made up his army, and in return, he treated them with loyalty. During his first campaign outside of Mongolia, his men and him had to cross the Gobi desert. Mares milk and blood kept them alive and they successfully defeated the kingdom of Xi Xia. They made their way into the Jin Dynasty in northern China. After the Mongols defeat, the Jin troops joined Genghis Khans army and gave him their loyalty. They pillaged further into Europe, gaining wealth. Many different tactics were used, most including sneak attacks on their enemy.

Living on the Steppe, the Mongols had a keen sense of sight and sound. They could see up to four or five miles away, and could hear the hoofbeats of horses up to twenty miles away. This was a great advantage to them to see their enemies. Also, their composite bows were strong and had a large shooting range of up to 350 yards (1050 feet). Shooting these bows since a very young age, the men that used them were very skilled and had great aim. When shooting on horseback, they would shoot their arrows when their horses feet were off the ground, because this provided the best shot possible.