Founded by the ruthless leader Genghis Khan in the 12th Century, and expanded by his descendants, the Mongolian Empire stretched from China to Mesopotamia, from the Danube to the Persian Gulf. This six-part series thrillingly brings to life the story of the Great Khans, recreating the bloody battles and globe-spanning adventures that shaped the greatest empire known to mankind.
In less than 80 years, a band of warriors originally comprised of several men grew to an empire that encompassed all from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River. This thrilling six-part series tells the story of the most dramatic conquests in history and how it was driven by one man and his heirs. That man – Genghis Khan.
Born c.1162 into a small nomadic tribe on the steppes of Central Asia, Genghis Khan was the Mongolian warrior rule who built the largest land empire in the world. Through both brutal conquest and savvy alliances, he amassed more than twice as much territory as any person in history. At its peak, his Mongol Empire spanned more than 11 million square miles, stretching from Korea to Europe and bringing Eastern and Western cultures into contact. Remembered for his ruthlessness and bloodlust—and for his purported millions of genealogical descendants—he left a broad and incredible legacy.
In Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols, we’ll chart the history of the Mongolian Empire from its pre-history under Khan’s father Yesügei; its early beginnings as the young man called Temüjin takes up the name Genghis Khan and unites warring tribes; its colossal rise as it cuts it way across the world; and we’ll finish in 1294, when the empire starts to fracture under Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai Khan. Using expert talking heads, high-end graphics and beautiful cinematic recreations, we’ll explore just how one man, reduced to poverty as a child, was able to build such a mighty empire, crushing all in his wake, and how his descendants built upon his legacy, conquering lands far beyond even Genghis’ own terrains. This then is the history of not only Genghis Khan but his sons Ögedei Khan and Güyük Khan, their cousin Möngke Khan, and finally Kublai Khan, whose death in 1294 would mark the last of the great Khans that ruled over the Mongolian Empire.
This is the story of tribal warfare, bloodshed and brutality, great battles on land and sea, and the unification of large swathes of land, from Persia to China, Hungary to Russia, all under the gazes of the most fearsome leaders known to mankind, brought alive by the expert documentary makers at DASH.
EPISODE ONE: TEMUJIN: THE BOY WHO WILL BE KHAN
In this opening episode, we recount the life of Chinggis Khan, beginning with the dramatic struggles of his early years, including his family’s fall from power, his survival against rival tribes, and his first alliances as a young warrior determined to rescue his kidnapped wife, Borte.
EPISODE TWO: THE RISE OF CHINGGIS KHAN
In the episode, we chart Temujin’s growing power on the Mongolian plains, his rivalry with old friend turned enemy Jamuqa, his exile from Mongolia and eventual return to unify the Mongol tribes, culminating in 1206 when he takes the title of Chinggis Khan.
EPISODE THREE: THE BIRTH OF THE EMPIRE
After taking the title of Chinggis Khan, he consolidates power by building a formidable army, eliminating rivals like the shaman Teb Tengri, and begins his conquests with bold campaigns against the Tanguts and the Jin Empire, expanding the Mongol Empire to unprecedented heights!
EPISODE FOUR: THE UNSTOPPABLE EMPIRE
When the neighbouring empire attacks a Mongol caravan and humiliates Chinggis Khan’s envoys, he unleashes a devastating campaign that annihilates the empire and solidifies Mongol dominance across the lands of Persia; as his health declines, he names his son Ogedei as successor and leads one final campaign against the neighbouring Tanguts before his death, leaving behind an empire that spans continents!
EPISODE FIVE: THE RULE OF OGEDEI
After Chinggis Khan’s secret burial, his son Ogedei is proclaimed ruler of the Mongol Empire, bringing a very different leadership style as he conquers Armenia, Georgia, and the Jin Empire, builds the grand capital of Karakorum, and sets the stage for a brutal campaign against Kievan Rus led by his nephew Batu and the veteran general Subudai.
EPISODE SIX - EUROPE UNDER SIEGE
In this thrilling final episode, the Mongolian empire launches a devastating campaign through the lands of Russia and Europe, crushing knights with Mongol speed and strategy, but as they prepare to push deeper into Europe, news of Ögedei’s death halts the advance, triggering a struggle for succession over an empire that now stretches from China to Europe, the largest the world has ever seen.