Books
3 Best Novels About the early Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Phase
Early Mongol Empire, 1206–1227
1206–1227 CE
In 1206 Temüjin was proclaimed Genghis Khan after defeating or absorbing rival steppe confederations. The new empire reorganised military and political loyalties around the khan and his household rather than older tribal divisions.
Mongol armies then attacked the Tangut Western Xia, the Jurchen Jin and the Khwarazmian Empire. Commanders such as Jebe and members of Genghis Khan’s family carried campaigns across an unprecedented geographical range.
Legends of the Condor Heroes places Guo Jing’s childhood and early adulthood within this formative phase. The setting allows the novel to contrast intimate bonds formed on the steppe with the destructive consequences of imperial expansion into China.
