The Mongol Conquests Sweep Asia

What happened

From 1211 Genghis Khan turned his armies outward, conquering the Jin dynasty of northern China and then, provoked by the murder of his envoys, destroying the wealthy Khwarazmian Empire of Central Asia and Persia in a campaign of extraordinary devastation. By his death in 1227 the empire already stretched from the Pacific toward the Caspian.

Why it matters

In a single generation the Mongols overran much of Asia, their mounted armies and terror tactics overwhelming far larger and richer states.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Mongol Empire · Reputable source