1. 562 B.C.E.
   1162 C.E.
2. 1562 C.E.

The boy who would one day be Genghis Khan was born in 1162 C.E. in an area that is now the border between Mongolia and Siberia.

1. true
2. false

Born Temujin, which means "blacksmith," he acquired the name Genghis Khan — "universal ruler" — when he took over the Mongol Empire.

1. true
2. false

Khan enjoyed great success partially because he was able to overlook relationships and make appointments based on competency, not blood ties or friendship.

1. overwhelming them with troops
   Trojan horse
2. false withdrawal

Khan and his men won Xi Xia in 1209 by feigning withdrawal, then attacking once the Chinese troops left their positions.

1. bow and arrow
   gun
2. sword

Genghis Khan and his men were masters of the bow and arrow and were surprisingly skilled at shooting while on horseback.

1. inherited titles
   killing captured enemy troops
2. kidnapping women

Genghis Khan made many positive changes, including banning inherited aristocratic titles and the sale and kidnap of women (his own father kidnapped his mother), but he left many bloody enemy corpses in his wake.

1. true
2. false

Khan greatly preferred the horse-mounted soldier to the infantryman. Riding on the small, tough Mongol horses, his troops could cover distances of 100 miles (161 kilometers) per day — a much greater distance than any man could travel on foot.

1. true
2. false

While the Romans wore heavy metal gear, the Mongols use lightweight chain mail or leather plates for protection, giving them greater flexibility and comfort than the Roman troops.

1. Tunisia
   France
2. Iran

Genghis Khan led 200,000 troops into battle at Khwarezm — modern-day Iran — which quickly fell to Mongolian rule in the 13th century.

1. shared them with his troops
   kept them for himself
2. let the conquered people keep them

Since Genghis Khan didn't pay his troops, he kept them happy by splitting the spoils of victory with them.

1. true
2. false

A period of unprecedented rain coincided perfectly with Khan's reign. This extra moisture meant plenty of grass to feed horses, which was critical to Khan's success.

1. the size of the United States
   the size of Australia
2. the size of Africa

Genghis Khan united an area measuring 11-12 million square miles (28-31 million square kilometers) — roughly the size of Africa.

1. true
2. false

Impressed by the fighting skills of an enemy soldier, Khan made him a commander in his own army. Named Jebe — meaning "arrow" — the man went on to become of Genghis Khan's best generals.

1. 400,000
   40,000,000
2. 4,000,000,000

Around 40 million deaths are blamed on Genghis Khan, equal to about 11 percent of the world population at the time.

1. true
2. false

Khan believed strongly in religious freedom and even issued tax exemptions for religious organizations and churches.

1. code of laws
   mail service
2. huge shopping center

Genghis Khan created a courier service called the Yam, which allowed him to stay abreast of political and military news while also communicating with spies and scouts.

1. a fall from a horse
   shot with an arrow
2. old age

Khan was badly injured after falling from a horse in 1227. While he didn't die right away, he did die that same year, though no one is exactly sure how.

1. pyramid
   Great Wall of China
2. river

Khan was buried in an unmarked grave, and legend has it that a river was diverted over his resting spot to make it untraceable.

1. true
2. false

A 2003 study found that 1 in 200 men — 0.5 percent of all men on Earth — are direct descendants of Genghis Khan, who considered women one of the spoils of war.

1. true
2. false

Khan used relay posts all over Asia and eastern Europe to transport military messages via pigeon.

1. true
2. false

Khan would save skilled laborers and craftsmen, sending them to the Mongol Empire to make weapons that he could use in battle. Everyone else was fair game.

1. legal code
   type of weapon
2. path through Mongol Empire

Under Khan, the Mongol Empire relied on a legal code called the Yasa, which included significant rights for women and strict moral codes for all citizens.

1. true
2. false

After capturing a city, Khan and his men would use the citizens as human shields against their own neighbors as they pillaged and plundered.

1. 18 to 35
   17 to 50
2. 15 to 70

Khan drafted men from age 15 to 70, allowing him to maintain large armies for his military battles.

1. pulling enemies off horses
   stabbing enemies
2. protection against enemy swords

The Mongols carried 12-foot-long (4-meter-long) lances, which were hooked at the end to easily pull an enemy off of his horse.

1. true
2. false

Not only did the Mongols have deadly accuracy while moving at high speed, but they learned to release the arrows when all four hooves of the horse were off the ground to maximize the control over each shot.

1. two
   six
2. 12

Genghis Khan required six horses for each soldier, with some warriors having as many as 18 war horses.

1. true
2. false

The Mongols avoided hand-to-hand contact at all costs to minimize casualties.

1. true
2. false

The legendary warrior would not allow a single person to draw, paint or sculpt him during his lifetime. All modern images were created after his death, many by people who had never even met him.

1. until the 9th century
   until the 14th century
2. until the 20th century

The massive Mongol Empire remained united through the 14th century. The last living direct descendent of Khan was deposed in 1920.