The Mongols (1961)
Director: Andre de Toth
Starring: Gabriele Antonini (Temugin), Gianni Garko (Henry de Valois), Jack Palance (Ogotai), Pierre Cressoy (Igor), Antonella Lualdi (Amina), Gabriella Pallotta (Lutezia), Anita Ekberg (Huluna), Rolando Lupi (Genghis Khan), Franco Silva (Stephen of Crakow).
Country: Italian film
Jack Palance plays the role of the son of Genghis Khan with Anita Ekberg as his mistress. The mistress kills the son of the Great Khan so that her lover, Ogotai (the son of Khan), can become ruler of the realm. He then leads his people into further battles.
Historical Background:
Genghis Khan (Temujin) had four famous sons by Borte, his first and chief wife. They were: Jochi, whose son Batu founded the Golden Horde and ruled in Russia and Eastern Europe; Jagatai who gave his name to a state in Central Asia; Ögödei who succeeded his father and ruled Mongolia and northern China; and Tolui. Tolui was the father of Mangu Khan, ruler of the unified Mongol Empire from 1251 to 1259; Kublai Khan, who founded the Yuan dynasty in China; and Hulagu, who founded the il-Khanid dynasty of Persia.
1186 -- birth of Ogedei, the third son of Genghis Khan, but his favorite child. Ogedei was physically a large man, but jovial, charismatic and looking forward to enjoying good times. He was also an alcoholic.
1229 -- Ogedei elected supreme khan after Genghis' death. His reign was very stable.
1234 -- completion of the destruction of the Jurchen Jin empire and conflict with the Southern Song.
1235 -- beginning of a 45 year war of conquest. China conquered; Korea vassalized; contol over Persia, and the subduing of the Russian steppe. The conquered almost all of Russia (with Novgorod becoming a vassal), Hungary and Poland. The
The Mongols destroyed the Poles, including units of the Knights Templar and Teutonic Order, at the battle of Legnica.
Two days later, they destroyed the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohi.
The Mongols reestablished the Silk Road, the main trading route between East and West.
1241 -- death of Ogedei Khan. Western Europe was saved by the Khan's death and the Mongolian Empire began its decline.
His son Güyük succeeded him (after the five-year regency of his widow Töregene Khatun.
Batu Khan, Khan of the Kipchak Khanate in Russia, never accepted Güyük.
1248 -- Güyük died of alcoholism and gout on the way to confront the Batu Khan.
not until 1255 -- Batu felt secure enough to prepare an invasion of Europe. Batu died in the same year. His son took over, but also died.
1258 -- Batu's brother Berke, ascended to the Kipchak Khanate, who was a muslim and mostly interested in stopping his cousin Hulagu from doing any more damage to the Holy Land.
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