Which empire was ruled by Genghis Khan?

The legendary figure known as Genghis Khan was the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Born Temüjin around 1162, he spent much of his early life uniting the disparate nomadic tribes of the Mongolian plateau. This monumental achievement culminated in 1206 when a council proclaimed him "Genghis Khan," a title often translated as "universal ruler" or "supreme ruler."

Under his visionary leadership, the Mongol Empire rapidly expanded, becoming the largest contiguous land empire in history. At its height, the empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe, encompassing a vast array of cultures and peoples. Genghis Khan's strategic military campaigns and organizational skills allowed him and his successors to control an immense territory, connecting East with West through an enforced "Pax Mongolica," which facilitated the exchange of trade, technologies, and ideas across Eurasia.

Beyond his military prowess, Genghis Khan implemented several significant reforms. He introduced a writing system, conducted regular censuses, granted diplomatic immunity to foreign ambassadors, and famously allowed freedom of religion among his subjects, a progressive idea for the era. While his conquests were often brutal and led to immense loss of life, his legacy also includes the establishment of an international postal system and the encouragement of trade routes, which profoundly impacted global history. The empire, though eventually fragmenting, laid foundations that influenced regions for centuries.