# Canonical recap data for Genghis Khan Proclaimed Supreme Ruler (1206)
# Source: https://recap.at/1206/genghis-khan-proclaimed
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: genghis-khan-proclaimed
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1206/genghis-khan-proclaimed"
title: Genghis Khan Proclaimed Supreme Ruler
aliases:
- Temüjin proclaimed Genghis Khan
- Kurultai of 1206
- Unification of the Mongol tribes
- Rise of Genghis Khan
subtitle: Temüjin's unification of Mongol tribes launched the largest contiguous land empire in history, reshaping Eurasian trade and conquest.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1206-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1206
decade: 1200
country:
name: Mongolia
slug: mongolia
summaryShort: Genghis Khan, also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns, conquering large parts of China and Central Asia.
summaryLong: Genghis Khan, also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns, conquering large parts of China and Central Asia.
lede: In 1206, a Mongol warrior named Temüjin united the fractious tribes of the steppes and took the title Genghis Khan—a proclamation that would reshape the political map of Asia and beyond. Over the next few decades, his armies conquered territory from the Pacific to the Black Sea, creating the largest contiguous land empire in history. The event marked the beginning of a transformation that redrew borders, redirected trade routes, and altered the genetic and cultural makeup of entire continents.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/YuanEmperorAlbumGenghisPortrait.jpg/1280px-YuanEmperorAlbumGenghisPortrait.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Genghis Khan"
importance: 93
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Year of proclamation
  value: "1206"
- label: Birth name
  value: Temüjin
- label: Title adopted
  value: Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan)
- label: Location of unification
  value: Onon River valley, Mongolia
- label: Number of major Mongol tribes
  value: Approximately 12-15 prior to unification
- label: Peak empire territory
  value: 24 million square kilometers (9.3 million square miles)
- label: Year of death
  value: "1227"
- label: Reign duration as Great Khan
  value: 1206-1227 (21 years)
timeline:
- date: 1162-01-01
  title: Birth of Temüjin
  description: Temüjin born near the Onon River in Mongolia. Early life marked by tribal conflict and personal hardship.
- date: 1180-01-01
  title: Early conflicts and tribal warfare
  description: Temüjin begins consolidating power through strategic alliances and military victories against rival clans including the Tatars and Kereit.
- date: 1202-01-01
  title: Victory over the Tatars
  description: Temüjin defeats the Tatar tribe in a decisive battle, eliminating a major rival and gaining followers.
- date: 1204-01-01
  title: Defeat of Jamukha's confederation
  description: Temüjin defeats Jamukha and the Tatar confederacy, consolidating control over central Mongolia and breaking the last major organized resistance.
- date: 1206-01-01
  title: Genghis Khan proclaimed Supreme Ruler
  description: Temüjin convenes a kurultai (assembly) at the Onon River and is proclaimed Genghis Khan (Universal Ruler) by the unified Mongol tribes. He establishes the Great Mongol Nation.
- date: 1207-01-01
  title: First military campaigns
  description: Genghis Khan begins campaigns against neighboring peoples, expanding Mongol territory and recruiting additional forces.
- date: 1215-01-01
  title: Siege of Zhongdu
  description: Mongol forces capture the Jin Dynasty capital (present-day Beijing), signaling the beginning of systematic conquest of China.
- date: 1219-01-01
  title: Central Asian campaign begins
  description: Genghis Khan launches invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire, one of the era's most powerful states. The campaign lasts until 1221.
- date: 1227-08-25
  title: Death of Genghis Khan
  description: Genghis Khan dies, possibly from complications of a fall from a horse or illness. His empire passes to his son Ögedei Khan.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan"
  title: Genghis Khan
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Genghis Khan's coronation united warring Mongol clans under a single military hierarchy and set the stage for the largest land empire ever assembled. His organizational innovations—meritocratic command structures, rapid communication systems, and combined-arms tactics—became templates for military and administrative organization across Asia and Europe. Within a generation, his descendants controlled territories spanning 24 million square kilometers, fundamentally reshaping Eurasian geography, trade, and cultural exchange.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- regime_change
- revolution
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
- governance
impactRadius: civilizational
velocity: gradual
predictability: emergent
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: In 1206, Temüjin unified the Mongol tribes and became Genghis Khan, launching the conquest of the largest land empire in history.
wikidataQid: Q720
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: Court Records of the Jin Dynasty
  publisherSlug: jin-dynasty-court-records
  headline: Mongol Tribes Unite Under New Khan - Potential Threat to Northern Border
  publishedAt: 1206-06-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - A previously fragmented confederation of Mongol tribes has coalesced under the leadership of a warrior known as Temüjin, now proclaimed Genghis Khan. Jin court advisors warn that this consolidation may pose a significant military threat to the northern frontier.
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: China
- publisher: Nestorian Church Chronicles
  publisherSlug: nestorian-church-chronicles
  headline: New Mongol Ruler Emerges in Central Asian Steppes
  publishedAt: 1206-08-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Missionary reports from the steppes describe the rise of Genghis Khan, who has unified warring Mongol clans through military prowess and administrative reorganization. Christian communities along the Silk Road observe this development with cautious interest.
  significance: 65
  type: magazine
  region: Central Asia
- publisher: Islamic Scholars' Correspondence Network
  publisherSlug: islamic-scholars-network
  headline: Mongol Confederation Established - New Political Force in Asia
  publishedAt: 1206-07-30
  url: Synthesized from period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Traveling merchants and diplomatic correspondents report the consolidation of Mongol tribes under supreme ruler Genghis Khan at a kurultai assembly. Arab and Persian scholars note the emergence of a formidable new political entity on the Asian continent.
  significance: 72
  type: magazine
  region: Middle East
- publisher: Song Dynasty Official Gazette
  publisherSlug: song-dynasty-gazette
  headline: Northern Barbarians Crown Supreme Khan - Intelligence Assessment Issued
  publishedAt: 1206-09-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Song intelligence officials have circulated reports on the proclamation of Genghis Khan as supreme ruler of the Mongol confederation. Military strategists debate whether this unification will accelerate raids on settled territories or redirect Mongol aggression northward toward the Jin.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: China
peoplesVoice:
- source: Tatars tribal elder, Central Mongolia
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: Spoken in the aftermath of Temüjin's kurultai, when older tribal leaders assessed the new khan's consolidation of power.
  excerpt: One man cannot hold the reins of all the tribes. The Tatars, the Kereit, the Naimans - we have ruled ourselves since time immemorial. This boy may have won battles, but unity dies when he does.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 55
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Mongolian oral tradition recorded by later chroniclers
  publishedAt: 1206-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Jamukha, rival Mongol chieftain
  voiceType: official
  context: Statement from Temüjin's greatest rival after the kurultai, refusing to acknowledge the supreme khan title.
  excerpt: He calls himself khan of khans, but he rules through iron, not legitimacy. The shamans have not spoken. His reign will be as short as a summer storm across the steppe.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 80
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Secret History of the Mongols
  publishedAt: 1206-07-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Börte, Temüjin's chief wife
  voiceType: industry
  context: Testimony from within Temüjin's household regarding the significance of his elevation to supreme ruler.
  excerpt: My husband has unified the tribes and taken the name Genghis Khan. Now the Mongol people have one voice. The khans and their families will serve a single law, not their own desires.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Yuan Dynasty histories referencing oral tradition
  publishedAt: 1206-06-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A Kerait scout and military observer
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Assessment of Genghis Khan's military implications offered to neighboring powers monitoring steppe developments.
  excerpt: He has reorganized the tribes into decimal units - tens, hundreds, thousands. Discipline replaces clan loyalty. The steppe has never seen an army like this. The Jin Dynasty should take notice.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Jin Dynasty intelligence reports
  publishedAt: 1206-08-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An Islamic scholar in Bukhara, Central Asia
  voiceType: media
  context: Written observation of the Mongol consolidation circulating among educated merchants and clergy in Central Asian trade hubs.
  excerpt: From the north comes news of a shepherd called Khan who has united the wild tribes through conquest. Men of learning should watch these developments, for the balance of power in Asia shifts.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 60
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - merchant correspondences preserved in Central Asian archives
  publishedAt: 1206-09-15
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260606204848/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-06
  label: Genghis Khan
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan"
