Six Key Mongol Conquests: From the Assassins to China

The Mongol Empire, founded by Temujin (Genghis Khan), became the largest contiguous land empire in history, uniting the Chinese and Islamic worlds through conquest. This article ranks the six most significant Mongol conquests based on difficulty and impact. The Nizari Ismaili State (Assassins) fell in 1256 when Hulegu captured Alamut, using siege warfare. The Xi Xia kingdom in northwestern China was first raided (1205-1210) and later destroyed (1225-1227), providing the Mongols with siege technology. The Golden Horde's territories were conquered through the Great Raid (1221-1223) and later campaigns under Batu, reaching Hungary by 1241. The Khwarazmian Empire was destroyed after the execution of Mongol merchants in 1218, leading to the capture of Samarkand and Merv by 1220. The Abbasid Caliphate fell with the sack of Baghdad in 1258, ending the Islamic Golden Age. The conquest of China involved defeating the Jin Dynasty (completed by 1234) and the Song Dynasty (completed by 1279 under Kublai Khan), reunifying China under the Yuan Dynasty. These conquests demonstrated Mongol adaptability and had lasting impacts on trade, culture, and geopolitics.