Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook1901 edition (text first published 1888)

The History of Genghis Khan

Jacob Abbott · 1901 edition (text first published 1888)

A 19th-century biography of Genghis Khan by Jacob Abbott, here presented as a modern volunteer audio reading.

This biography retells Genghis Khan's life story, from his difficult youth to his founding of the Mongol Empire.

Ask Genghis Khan about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Jacob Abbott, The History of Genghis Khan, 1901 edition. LibriVox volunteer audio reading of the public-domain text.

About this source

What it is

This is a biography of Genghis Khan written by Jacob Abbott, first published in the late 19th century as part of his "Makers of History" series. The audio version available here is a modern LibriVox recording, read aloud by volunteers, not a historical recording.

Why it matters

Abbott's book presents Genghis Khan's rise from a difficult childhood, after his father was poisoned, to becoming the founder of one of history's largest empires. Written for general readers in the 19th century, it reflects how Western authors of that era understood and presented the story of the Mongol conqueror.

Why it matters

This biography shows how Genghis Khan's life was retold for curious readers decades after his death, shaping popular understanding of his achievements and reputation.

Look closer

  • Why might a 19th-century American author choose to write about Genghis Khan in a series called "Makers of History"?
  • How does hearing this text read aloud by a volunteer today differ from reading the original printed book?
  • What parts of Genghis Khan's story does Abbott choose to emphasize, and what might he leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Genghis Khan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Genghis Khan sources

Meet the AI Genghis Khan →
Page of a 1908 Chinese edition of the Secret History of the Mongols, printed in vertical columns of Chinese characters transcribing Mongolian text, with smaller interlinear glosses in Chinese beside them. Some characters are bracketed and marked with small annotations.Book

Secondary source

The Secret History of the Mongols

c. 1228 (completed after 1227)

Painted portrait of a bearded man with a pale white head covering and a light cream robe against a muted sage-green background. He has a long, thin white beard and a mustache, and a small silver earring.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Genghis Khan

Unknown Yuan court painter

Painted manuscript frontispiece in gold, blue and green tones: on the left a seated bearded man in blue robes writes beside a flowering tree, while a standing figure in gold-patterned robes gestures toward it. On the right a white horse with a blue gold-decorated saddle cloth stands above a small seated figure, with stylized clouds and a bird-like motif above.Book

Secondary source

Tarikh-i Jahangushay-i Juvaini

Ata-Malik Juvayni

Manuscript page in Persian nastaliq script with an ornate gold-and-blue illuminated Bismillah heading at top, red-ruled borders, a marginal note in gold, and a round seal stamp in the margin on the right. Adjacent page edge visible at left.Book

Secondary source

Jami' al-tawarikh

Rashid al-Din Hamadani · c. 1400 (manuscript copy)

A tall, arch-topped grey stone stele standing upright in a display case against a dark blue background, with several vertical columns of carved inscription in an old script. A blue label sits at the bottom of the display.Artifact

Primary source

Stele of Genghis Khan

c. 1224-1225

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Genghis Khan now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions