GENGHIS KHAN, Mongol conqueror, whose nomad armies created a vast empire under his control, from China to Russia. He was born near Lake Baykal in Russia, the son of Yesukai (d. 1180?), a Mongol chief and ruler of a large region between the Amur River and the Great Wall of China. At the age of 13, Temujin succeeded his father as tribal chief. His early reign was marked by successive revolts of his subject tribes and an intense struggle to retain his leadership, but the Mongol ruler soon demonstrated his military genius and conquered not only his intractable subjects but his hostile neighbor…
