"16 million individuals alive today are related to one man?"
This amazing claim has been made by the Russian Academy of Sciences, who assert that the Mongol ruler, Genghis Khan, has16 million male living descendants.
Known by various names, such as the Scourge of God and The Warlord, Genghis Khan, his armies, raped, pillaged and slaughtered their way to creating an empire twice the size of Rome, during the13th century.
Studies have examined blood samples which were collected over a ten year period, from more than 40 populations living in and around the former Mongol Empire and found that the Y-chromosome of nearly 8 percent of the men showed Y-chromosomes that are nearly identical. This means that about 0.5 percent of the male population in the world, or about 16 million men, can trace their ancestry back to one person.
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| Genghis Khan as portrayed in a 14th century Yuan era album |
There are many incredible tales told about Genghis Khan and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. However, the evidence shows that Khan and his armies used staggering levels of violence to annihilate enemies as they lay siege. They would generally kill or enslave all the men and rape the women.
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| Mongol "Great Khans" coin, minted at Balk, Afghanistan, AH 618, 1221 AD |
Al-Juvayni, a Persian historian who wrote (admittedly) a generation after the destruction of the Persian city of Merv, said: "To each Mongol soldier was allotted the execution of 300 or 400 Persians. So many had been killed by nightfall that the mountains became hillocks, and the plain was soaked with the blood of the mighty."
Another Persian writer, Ata-Malik Juvaini, writing in 1260, estimated that one century after Genghis Khan lived, he had 20,000 descendants.
At the moment, it cannot be proved that Genghis Khan carried this particular gene mutation, until his tomb and his remains are found. However, perhaps it has been found.
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American and Mongolian scholars, as of December 2012, believe that they have found Khan's burial site in a remote area of northwestern Mongolia, by using satellite and other technology. The problem is, that digging up the grave site may cause problems. Some Mongolians believe this will cause the world to end. There is also a delicate political situation with China to consider. And there are few clues to go on and the area around Burkhan Khaldun, where the tomb is believed to be, is strictly controlled and has great religious significance for the population.
Genghis Khan supposedly, wanted to be buried without markings or any sign, with his six cats, while they were still alive, so that their purrs could guide him to the afterlife. So, for the moment, we must await further news.
Books To Read
The Conqueror series is a series of novels by Conn Iggulden about Genghis Khan and his successors, set during the time of the Mongol conquest of the 12th centuries.
Books To Read
The Conqueror series is a series of novels by Conn Iggulden about Genghis Khan and his successors, set during the time of the Mongol conquest of the 12th centuries.
