Definition
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Founded in the early thirteenth century CE, it grew within a few generations to stretch from the Pacific coast of Asia to the borders of eastern Europe.
It was built by the Mongols, nomadic herders of the Central Asian steppe, who were unified and led by Genghis Khan. Their empire connected an enormous swath of Eurasia under a single, if loosely held, political system.
Why it matters
How it works
The Mongols combined battlefield superiority with practical governance. They often spared cities that surrendered, recruited skilled administrators and craftsmen from conquered peoples, and tolerated many religions, which made their vast territory easier to rule.
The empire's great weakness was succession. Mongol custom divided inheritance among heirs and required gatherings to confirm a new ruler, which produced repeated disputes. Over time the empire split into four major khanates, which then followed their own separate paths.