Genghis Khan, as a generation of heroes, expanded the territory and made outstanding achievements. But the bizarre experience of his life and the dramatic cause of death have been shrouded in layers of fog. In particular, the statement that "died on the bed of the princess of Western Xia" has caused countless speculations and comments. How unbearable were the last moments of this iron-blooded general? Is it really as rumored that "good luck" fell young? Why are history books so silent about it? What kind of secret past is this, so much so that the history books are unbearable? Let's clear the fog one by one and find out what this mystery about the hero's posthumous reputation is all about.
The origin of the legend of the grassroots iron horseman
To solve the mystery of Genghis Khan, we must first trace his origins and early life. Temujin came from a humble background, and although his ancestors were a Mongol nobleman, his family gradually declined, and by the time his father Yefu was a child, he was already destitute. Yerl also served as a tribal chieftain, and his life was quite difficult.
When he was in his forties, he became acquainted with the wife of a noble king, and the two met late, but they still gave birth to a son, Temujin. At a young age, Temujin suffered endless hardships, including the death of his pregnant mother and the murder of his father.
Exiled, Temujin lived a life of bullying and neglect by hunting and herding. However, the god of fate did not completely abandon this ill-fated young man, and by chance, a relative named Zhemu Chi came to his aid, took in Temujin, and taught him to ride a horse and shoot arrows.
From Zhemuchi, Temujin learned many valuable survival philosophies, such as life principles such as not being confused by violence and being blessed by misfortune. As the years passed, Temujin gradually made a name for himself in society, and slowly became acquainted with some nobles who took refuge in him.
In this way, Temujin went from nothing to rising step by step, and finally dominated the entire steppe by virtue of force and wisdom. It was the legendary experience from this wandering to the final victory of the world that shaped the legendary life of Genghis Khan.
The iron-blooded hero is the young Yellow Spring
Although Genghis Khan was resolute and resolute in his life, he could not escape the fate of life, old age, sickness and death. By the time he was 77 years old, the campaign against Western Xia was nearing its end. In order to completely wipe out the remnants, Genghis Khan personally led his elite troops to launch a final sweep along the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
It was a scorching summer, and the march lasted for months, and some of the warriors were suffering from malaria and dysentery. Even Genghis Khan himself began to drink and lust, and his behavior became more and more absurd. Eyewitnesses recorded that Genghis Khan had personally slashed and killed his captives with his sword on the battlefield, and the bloody scenes were shocking.
On the way back from this expedition to the west, Genghis Khan's illness worsened significantly. He began to vomit frequently and became weaker and weaker. Eventually, in a camp, Genghis Khan was completely bedridden. The ministers and physicians of the army were at his bedside, but all the means of treatment were to no avail.
One night a few days later, Genghis Khan's wheezing suddenly intensified, sweating profusely and his face spasmed. The retinue hurriedly summoned the highest priest of Mongolia, hoping to exorcise evil spirits and cure diseases through sacrifices. But by the time the priest reached the tabernacle, Genghis Khan had died of rage.
In this way, this heroic lord who shook the past and the present during his lifetime died gloomily while wandering in the Western Regions, which is by no means as absurd as the so-called "fortune at the head". His body was soon secretly transported back to his native country and buried in his ancestral land according to traditional Mongolian rituals. The cause of his death has become confusing under the shroud of many rumors.
The background of the princess's statement
Speaking of Genghis Khan's most bizarre statement that "he died in the bed of the princess of Western Xia", we have to go back to the historical process of the Mongol attack on Western Xia.
In 1209, Genghis Khan crossed the Yellow River with his army and began an offensive against Western Xia. Previously, the Western Xia Dynasty had been weakened by the long confrontation with the Jin Dynasty, and was no longer able to resist the invasion of the Mongol iron cavalry. Only two years later, the Western Xia dynasty was devastated, and the capital Zhongzhou (present-day Yinchuan, Ningxia) was occupied.
After the Western Xia monarch Nian Xianer Khan surrendered to the Mongols, he was taken prisoner, and some of the princes and ministers were executed. The princesses, princesses, palace maids and others of Western Xia were captured alive and subjected to atrocities and captivity.
According to historical records, when Genghis Khan's army ransacked the palace of the Western Xia Dynasty, it did plunder the treasures and beauties together. Some of the captured Western Xia princesses and princesses were distributed to the soldiers, and some were left in the military camp to wait for Genghis Khan.
For some time after the fall of the Tangut Dynasty, Genghis Khan's army had been stationed in the territory of the Tangut Dynasty. During this period, it is rumored that Genghis Khan once summoned a captive princess of Western Xia to have sex with him during a banquet. And at this critical time, the princess of Western Xia designed to murder Genghis Khan, and finally ended the life of the male lord by killing people with a knife.
Although this statement has a certain degree of plausibility and credibility, it is also not supported by more direct and reliable historical data. Therefore, it still remains at the level of a "wild history and folk proverb" and cannot be fully confirmed. However, it is this bizarre and mysterious statement that adds infinite mystery to the cause of Genghis Khan's death.
The inside story of the conspiracy involved in the mystery of the cause of death
Behind the cause of Genghis Khan's death, it is likely that there is some mystery of intrigue hidden. We had to turn our attention to the struggle for power within the Mongol Empire.
Before Genghis Khan's death, there were many differences and tendencies between the government and the opposition on the issue of the election of the heir. As the founding father, Genghis Khan naturally hoped to continue his country. However, his eldest son, Jochi, was not a good candidate for succession, but rather a warlike and rough character. In contrast, the second son, Ogedei, was even more outstanding and had the support of many princes and ministers.
As a result, there are two forces within the empire that are fighting openly and secretly. On the one hand, there are conservatives who support Jochi, while on the other side they favor Ogedai and advocate reform. Naturally, the struggle between the two factions intensified.
Against this background, the mystery of Genghis Khan's death is even more confusing. There is a speculation that the theory that he died at the hands of the princess of Western Xia was actually just a deliberate attempt to alienate Jochi in order to prepare for his succession, creating an excuse for slander.
In other words, the Ogedai faction used the "bizarre statement" of the princess to try to smear a dirty stigma on Jochi, so that Jochi could not succeed to the throne. It can be said that this may be the biggest practical purpose of the princess's statement.
Another speculation is that Genghis Khan was actually poisoned by his cronies, and perhaps it was some Ogedai faction who was secretly causing trouble. In order to cover up the truth, they made up the princess's mouth in an attempt to deceive the past.
However, because there are too many speculations and conspiracies, the real cause of Genghis Khan's death is more and more mysterious. To this day, this mystery remains unsolved.
Get to the bottom of the matter
Looking at the various theories about the cause of Genghis Khan's death, we can find that each of them has certain historical roots and rational basis.
For example, he said that he died of illness, which is obviously corroborated by the existence of historical records that the final return journey ended without a problem; And the princess's words also echo the history of the Mongol army's capture of Western Xia and the capture of prisoners.
Another example is the conspiracy theory, which is related to the power struggle within the Mongol Empire and the question of succession. It can be said that each of these theories is not unreasonable, and it is these clues that make the whole mystery of the cause of death even more confusing.
In order to find out the truth, modern scholars have made many efforts. Some of these archaeological discoveries also seem to have added new clues to the mystery of the cause of death.
For example, some experts judged based on unearthed cultural relics and burial goods that Genghis Khan seemed to have been poisoned during his lifetime, and even suspected that it was done by cronies. It was also discovered that when he died, he was not surrounded by ordinary attendants, but by some extremely close subordinates.
These discoveries have undoubtedly added to the mystery of the cause of death. In addition, the repeated interpretations of the original historical materials by historians, and the weighing and analysis of the princess's account and other rumors, all highlight the determination to solve the mystery.
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However, although modern technology and archaeological discoveries have brought new ideas to the mystery of the cause of death, there is still a long way to go to fully restore the truth. After all, it has a history of nearly 800 years, and this mystery buried in the Mongolian steppe may still need more and more direct empirical evidence and data support before it can finally be completely solved.