Title: What Motivated the Mongol Conquests of Genghis Khan?
Headings: What Motivated the Mongol Conquests of Genghis Khan?
What Motivated the Mongol Conquests of Genghis Khan?
The Jin Dynasty
The Need for Spoils of War
Shah Ala ad-Din Muhammad
Genghis Khan's Sons
Sources and Further Reading
Watch Now: Profile of Genghis Khan

Content: What Motivated the Mongol Conquests of Genghis Khan? Humanities › History & Culture
What Motivated the Mongol Conquests of Genghis Khan? Originally Temujin. Mongol conqueror, became leader of his tribe, defeated other clans and was proclaimed Genghis Khan (Universal Ruler) of Mongol chieftains, 1206, made his capital at Karakorum. Archive Photos / Getty Images
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By
Kallie Szczepanski
History Expert
Ph.D., History, Boston University
J.D., University of Washington School of Law
B.A., History, Western Washington University
Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. our editorial process
Kallie Szczepanski
Updated August 13, 2019
Early in the 13th century, a band of Central Asian nomads led by an orphaned, formerly enslaved person rose up and conquered more than 9 million square miles of Eurasia. Genghis Khan led his Mongol hordes out of the steppe to create the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen. What sparked this sudden fit of conquest? Three main factors drove the creation of the Mongol Empire .