Can You Conquer This Quiz on the Mongol Empire?

The death of Möngke Khan in 1259 CE led to a fight for the Mongol throne that eventually culminated in a civil war between his two younger brothers. Ariq Böke led his army against Kublai Khan in what is known as the Toluid Civil War, as both were members of the Tolui family line. Kublai won the battle, but the legitimacy of the empire was weakened, and the war marked the beginning of the end for the Mongol Empire.

In the 13th and 14th centuries CE, the Mongol Empire wasn't a cohesive unit. It was more a cooperative group of four autonomous khanates — the Ilkhanate, the Chagatai Khanate, the Golden Horde, and Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty. Because, for a time, there was no infighting amongst the khanates, this period is known as the Pax Mongolica, which ended around the time of the outbreak of the Black Plague in Asia.

Ögödei was the son of Genghis Khan, and after the Mongol Empire founder's death, Ögödei filled the power vacuum in 1229 CE. While Great Khan of the Mongols, Ögödei expanded the reaches of his empire, spreading as far east as China and as far west as Hungary and the Adriatic Sea. His troops were set to expand even further into western Europe when he died suddenly in 1241 CE.

After the death of Genghis Khan's son Ögödei, Ögödei's wife, Töregene, became regent of the empire, assuming complete power and pursuing her own policies of international diplomacy and trade. A few years later, her daughter-in-law Oghul Qaimish took the helm but had to defend against other claimants to the throne.

Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and ran a large chunk of the Mongol Empire that mostly covered what is now China. After completing his grandfather's goal of conquering the Song Dynasty, Kublai founded the Yuan Dynasty. Kublai wanted to better appeal to his Chinese subjects, so he established a new capital in what is now Beijing and was eventually accepted by most people.

The Yasa is the Mongol code of laws and ordinances that was first created by Genghis Khan at the start of the Mongol Empire. It covered all realms of life in the empire and included laws regarding the specifics of military training, religious freedom, and taxation. During his reign, Genghis constantly updated the Yasa, though because he was illiterate, he had to dictate new laws to his assistants.

From 1220 to 1267 CE, the Mongol Empire was headquartered in Karakoram, a city in north-central Mongolia. The city was originally founded in about 750 CE, but at the start of the Mongol conquest, Genghis Khan made Karakoram his home base for the invasion of China. After the attacks, Genghis' successors moved the capital to Khanbaliq, which later became the modern city of Beijing.

Genghis Khan was born near Lake Baikal, Mongolia, in 1162 CE. A descendant of other local rulers, Genghis consolidated the tribes of his nation into a unified Mongolia and began conquering beyond his land. He extended his rule across Asia to the Adriatic Sea, making the Mongol Empire the largest land empire in history. After his death, the empire was run by his family.

The Silk Road ran through Mongolian territory even before the rise of Genghis Khan, though he and his successors heavily promoted and supported the trade route. Genghis improved some of the Silk Road's vital infrastructure, made travel safer, and dealt with certain trade disputes that would otherwise have disrupted the flow of international commerce.

In their conquests, the Mongols utilized many advanced military techniques. However, their greatest advantage came from their mastery of horses. The Mongols revered their horses, and each soldier had four to six horses so they could rotate the animals and not exhaust them. The massive Mongol force could travel extremely quickly with their equine assistants and often caught enemies by surprise with their speed.

Genghis Khan was called Temüjin from his birth until 1206 CE, when he took the Khan title at a tribal meeting called a "kurultai." "Khan" is a traditional title meaning "leader," but no one is sure what exactly Genghis means. Most translations, however, identify the full honorific as "universal ruler."