In Mongolia Genghis Khan is a national hero

He may have been responsible for the deaths of around 40 million people but in Mongolia Genghis Khan is a national treasure with rock star status. He is considered the greatest hero in Mongolian history and most Mongolians worship him.

There are statues of him in every town and many places, buildings and businesses named after him. His face appears on bank notes and products from candy to cigarettes, beer and even a brand of vodka bare his name (pictured).

“Genghis Khan wasn’t really a bad guy, he just had bad press.”

Elbegdorj Tsahkia, Mongolian Prime Minister

In 2017 a mongolian man was jailed for one year for insulting Genghis Khan. In Mongolia the ancient warlord is seen as a national hero. Born on the Mongolian Steppe in 1162, his father was killed when he was 9 and he lived a hand to mouth existence but by the time he died in 1227, he had claimed the largest empire in the world, stretching from the Pacific to Europe.

11% of the world’s population

It’s difficult to know exactly how many people were killed in the Mongol Conquests but most historians agree it was around 40 million. Mongolian hordes rampaged through the villages and towns torturing and killing anyone who got in their way. Censuses from the time show that China’s population dropped by tens of millions during the Khan’s lifetime. Genghis Khan’s mongol army may have reduced the entire world population by as much as 11 percent.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-genghis-khan