How Genghis Khan And His Best Friend Turned Against Each Other
Jamukha lost followers when he boiled 70 prisoners of war alive in a cauldron
Before the peak of the Mongol Empire and Genghis Khan’s conquests, he had a best friend. His name was Jamukha, and the two would be so close they were blood brothers. Jamukha helped Genghis Khan recover his kidnapped wife. He fought with Genghis Khan against a rival tribal confederation.
Years later, Jamukha became Genghis Khan’s greatest rival. The two struggled for control in uniting all Mongol tribes for decades, and ultimately, Genghis Khan proved successful. Genghis Khan had to kill Jamukha in a bloodless manner because Jamukha was of royal blood, and the Mongols often refused to spill the blood of royals.
Jamukha’s death was a tragic and emotional moment in Genghis Khan’s life. So who was Genghis Khan’s best friend, Jamukha, and why did the two turn against each other?
Jamukha
Genghis Khan was first known as Temujin, but what goes understated in history was how much a usurper Temujin was to traditional Mongol society and conventions. Genghis Khan famously instituted a meritocracy, which was a slap in the face to the aristocracy of Mongol tribes. Temujin himself was not of particularly noble birth…
