Genghis Khan is one of the most prolific rulers in the history of the world, and the total number of his children is not known with certainty. According to the most reliable sources, Genghis Khan had at least 40 children, and the number may have been considerably higher. The four sons of Genghis Khan by his principal wife Börte — Jochi, Chagatai, Ögedei, and Tolui — were the most important, but he also had a number of sons by his other wives and concubines, and he had several daughters as well.
The most famous estimate of the total number of children is the one given by the Persian historian Rashid al-Din, who reported that Genghis Khan had 40 sons. The estimate is probably too low, as it counts only the sons and ignores the daughters, but it gives a sense of the scale of Genghis Khan’s offspring. The Secret History of the Mongols also mentions a number of Genghis Khan’s children, including the four sons by Börte, several sons by other wives, and several daughters.
The Children by Börte
The four sons of Genghis Khan by his principal wife Börte were the most important of his children. They were:
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Jochi (c. 1182-1227): The eldest son, Jochi was the commander of the western campaigns and the founder of the line that would rule the Golden Horde. Jochi’s relationship with his father was complicated by the circumstances of his birth — he was born after Börte’s kidnapping by the Merkit, and there was a question of his paternity. Genghis Khan treated Jochi as his own son, but the question of his paternity was used by his enemies to challenge his claims.
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Chagatai (c. 1183-1242): The second son, Chagatai was the founder of the line that would rule the Chagatai Khanate. Chagatai was a traditionalist and a conservative, and he enforced the traditional Mongol way of life in his territories with considerable rigor.
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Ögedei (c. 1186-1241): The third son, Ögedei was the second great khan of the Mongol Empire. Under his rule, the Mongol Empire reached most of its maximum territorial extent.
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Tolui (c. 1191-1232): The fourth son, Tolui was the father of the great khans Möngke and Kublai. Tolui was reportedly the favorite of Genghis Khan, and his line eventually came to rule the Yuan Dynasty in China.
Börte was the principal wife of the imperial household, and she played an important role in the political life of the Mongol court. Börte outlived Genghis Khan and was an important figure in the imperial family for several decades after his death.
The Other Children
Genghis Khan had a number of other children by his secondary wives and concubines. The most important of these were:
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Jochi Khasar (c. 1164-?: A half-brother of Genghis Khan, Jochi Khasar was one of his most important supporters in the wars of unification. Jochi Khasar was eventually accused of treason and was killed, but his descendants remained important in the imperial family.
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Temüge (c. 1170-?: A half-brother of Genghis Khan, Temüge served as the chief counselor of the imperial court and was an important figure in the succession of Genghis Khan.
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Hasar (c. 1164-?: A half-brother of Genghis Khan, Hasar was a key supporter of Genghis Khan in the wars of unification. Hasar was eventually accused of treason and was forced to submit, but his descendants remained important in the imperial family.
Genghis Khan also had a number of daughters, of whom the most famous was Alaqai Beki, who played an important role in the political life of the Mongol court. Other daughters included Alaqa, Tümüle, and Qutui, who married various Mongol nobles and who played important roles in the diplomatic life of the empire.
The Concubines and the Imperial Harem
Genghis Khan maintained a large imperial harem, and the women of the harem were an important part of the political life of the Mongol court. The women of the harem were drawn from the families of conquered rulers, the families of allied Mongol nobles, and the families of common Mongol warriors. The women of the harem were responsible for the management of the imperial household, and they played important roles in the education and upbringing of the imperial children.
The most famous of Genghis Khan’s concubines was Yesui, the daughter of a conquered chief, who was reportedly the mother of several of his children. Yesui played an important role in the political life of the imperial court, and she is mentioned in several sources as a trusted adviser of the great khan.
The Genetic Legacy
The genetic legacy of Genghis Khan is one of the most striking features of his offspring. According to a famous study published in 2003, roughly 8% of the men living in the region of the former Mongol Empire — about 16 million people — carry Y-chromosomes that are likely to be descended from Genghis Khan. The claim is controversial, but it is a striking reminder of the demographic legacy of the Mongol Empire.
The high frequency of the Y-chromosome haplotype in the region of the former Mongol Empire is the result of a combination of factors. The first is the large number of children fathered by Genghis Khan, which gave his Y-chromosome a significant initial presence in the population. The second is the social and political status of Genghis Khan’s descendants, who were more likely than average to have large numbers of children. The third is the tradition of polygyny among the Mongol ruling class, which allowed the imperial family to maintain a higher fertility rate than the general population.
Sources
- John Man, Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Legacy (London, 2004).
- Igor de Rachewiltz, ed., The Secret History of the Mongols (2 vols., Brill, 2004–2013).
- Paul Ratchnevsky, Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy (Oxford, 1991).