The founder of the Mongol empire. Originally named Temujin, he took the name Genghis Khan (‘ruler of all’) in 1206 after uniting the nomadic Mongol tribes under his command and becoming master of both eastern and western Mongolia. He then attacked China, capturing Beijing in 1215. When he died his empire extended from the shores of the Pacific to the northern shores of the Black Sea. His grandson Kublai Khan completed the conquest of China.