I have altered the order of Sung emperors rather than omit scenes with the boy emperor, Huaizong, who ruled slightly later in the period. Emperor Lizong had reigned for some forty years when he finally died childless in 1264. He was succeeded by his nephew, Emperor Duzong, a man of immense appetites. He lasted only ten years until 1274 and was succeeded by his eight-year-old younger brother, who in turn would survive only four years and see Kublai’s triumph over his house.
On the subject of numbers: fourteen is extremely unlucky in Chinese culture, as the sound is similar to the words for ‘want to die’ in both Cantonese and Mandarin. Nine, as the greatest single integer, is one of the luckiest numbers and is associated with the emperor.
By this time, there were simply too many princes to include them all. Lord Alghu was son to Baidur, grandson to Chagatai, great-grandson to Genghis. He ruled the Chagatai khanate and initially supported Arik-Boke in the civil war before turning against him. It is true that he was the first of his line to convert to Islam, a fairly sound tactical move given the people he ruled in the khanate around Samarkand and Bukhara, in modern-day Uzbekistan. A century after these events, Samarkand would become the capital of the conqueror Tamerlane.
The answer Arik-Boke gave to his brother, ‘I was in the right and now you are,’ is part of the historical record and fascinating for what it reveals of the man. Like Guyuk Khan before him, Arik-Boke’s death remains one of those oddly convenient occurrences in history. He was in the prime of his life, healthy and strong, yet shortly after losing to Kublai, he dies. It is not difficult to suspect foul play.
When I began this series, I intended to write all of Kublai Khan’s life. The most famous events - meeting Marco Polo, both attacks on Japan - seemed like vital parts of the story. Yet it is a truth of historical fiction that all the characters are long dead; all the lives and stories have ended, and usually not well. Very few lives finish in glory and I have already written the deaths of Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan. For once, I thought I might finish a series with a character still alive and with all his dreams and hopes still to come. I might know that Kublai’s wife and son died before him, leaving him a broken man given to drinking and eating far too much, but at this point in his life, he does not - and that is how I wanted to leave him.
There will always be loose ends with such a decision. Kublai defeated the Sung at last and established the Yuan dynasty of a united China, a name still used for the currency today. His descendants ruled for almost a hundred years before fading into history, though the bloodline of Genghis ruled other khanates for far longer.
This story began with a single, starving family, hunted and alone on the plains of Mongolia - and ends with Kublai Khan ruling an empire larger than that of Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar. Over just three generations, that is the simply the greatest rags-to-riches tale in human history.
Conn Iggulden
London, 2011
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Airag/Black airag
Clear alcohol, distilled from mare’s milk.
Arban
Small, raiding group, usually ten men.
Bondsmen
Warriors sworn to personal service, guards to a khan.
Chuh!
Phonetic representation of the Mongol horse command for speed.
Deel
Lightly padded full-length robe with wide sleeves, tied at the waist.
Earth Mother
Earth spirit, partner to the Sky Father.
Gers
Circular homes of felt and wicker lattice, sometimes mistakenly called yurts.
Guest rights
The offer of temporary protection or truce while in a man’s home.
Gur-khan/Great Khan
Khan of khans, leader of the nation.
Jagun
Military unit of a hundred men.
Khan
Tribal leader. No ‘k’ sound in Mongolian, so pronounced: ‘Haan’.
Minghaan
Military unit of a thousand.
Nokhoi Khor!
Pronounced: ‘Ner-hoy, Hor.’ Literally: ‘Hold the Dog!’ - a greeting when approaching strangers.
Orlok
Overall commander of a Mongol army.
Quiriltai
A gathering of princes for the purpose of electing a new khan.
Shaman
Medicine man in a tribe, both a healer and one who communes with spirits.
Sky Father
Sometimes called Tengri. Mongol deity, partner to the Earth Mother.
Tuman
Unit of ten thousand.
Yam stations
Stops for fast scouts to change horses, twenty-five miles apart.
INDEX OF CHARACTERS
Ala-ud-Din Mohammed
Shah of Khwarezm. Died exhausted on an island in the Caspian Sea.
Alkhun
Senior officer of the khan’s guards in Karakorum.
Arslan
Master swordsmith who was once armourer to the Naiman tribe. Father to Jelme. Died of disease in Samarkand.
Baabgai
The bear. A Chin recruit who becomes a successful wrestler.
Baidur
Son of Chagatai. Rules his father’s khanate around modern day Afghanistan.
Barchuk
Khan of the Uighurs.
Basan
Wolf tribe. Bondsman of Yesugei in Wolf of the Plains.
Batu
Bayar
General to Kublai.
Bekter
Oldest son of Yesugei and Hoelun. Murdered by his brothers.
Bela IV
King of Hungary at the time Tsubodai’s tumans attacked.
Borte
Olkhun’ut tribe. Daughter to Sholoi and Shria. Becomes wife to Temujin/Genghis and has four sons: Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedai and Tolui.
Chagatai
Old storyteller in Wolf tribe.
Chagatai
Same name as storyteller. Second son of Genghis and Borte. Father to Baidur.
Chakahai
Daughter to Rai Chiang of the Xi Xia. A princess given as tribute. Second wife to Genghis.
Chen Yi
Criminal gang leader in Chin city of Baotou.
Chulgetei
General of a tuman under Tsubodai.
Conrad Von Thuringen
Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights.
Eeluk
Bondsman to Yesugei Khan. Becomes khan of the Wolves on Yesugei’s death.
Enq
Olkhun’ut tribe. Father to Koke. Brother to Hoelun. Uncle to Temujin/Genghis and his siblings.
Genghis Khan (see also Temujin)
First khan of the Mongol nation. Husband to Borte. Father to Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedai and Tolui. Dies in Bones of the Hills.
Guyuk
Son of Ogedai Khan and Torogene.
Hasan
Brutalised servant in assassin fortress of Alamut.
Ho Sa
Officer of the Xi Xia. Becomes envoy and officer under Genghis. Dies in Bones of the Hills.
Hoelun
Wife of Yesugei. Mother to Bekter, Temujin, Kachiun, Khasar, Temuge and Temulun.
Hulegu
Third son of Sorhatani and Tolui. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
Ilugei
General of a tuman under Tsubodai.
Inalchuk
Governor of the city of Otrar. Dies when Genghis pours molten silver into his mouth.
Jebe (originally Zurgadai)
Chosen successor to Arslan. Becomes one of Genghis’ most trusted and able generals. Leader of ‘Bearskin’ tuman. Friend to Jochi, Genghis’ son.
Jelaudin
Son and heir to Shah Ala-ud-Din Mohammed.
Jelme
Son of Arslan. Later becomes one of Genghis’ most trusted generals.
Jochi
First son of Genghis and Borte. Som
e doubt over paternity. Becomes general to ‘Iron Wolf’ tuman. Only general ever to rebel against Genghis. Killed in Bones of the Hills.
Josef Landau
Master of the Livonian Brothers, an order of European knights.
Kachiun
Fourth son of Yesugei and Hoelun. Becomes a general under Genghis.
Khalifa Al-Nayan
Leader of elite Arab cavalry for Shah Mohammed.
Khasar
Third son of Yesugei and Hoelun. Becomes a general under Genghis.
Kokchu
Shaman to the Naiman Khan and later to Genghis. Killed in Bones of the Hills.
Koke
Olkhun’ut tribe. Nephew of Hoelun. Cousin to Temujin and his siblings.
Koten
Leader of the Cumans, a refugee people who fled into Hungary and converted to Christianity.
Second son of Sorhatani and Tolui. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
Lian
Master mason and engineer from Baotou, who makes siege machines for Genghis.
Mohrol
Shaman to Ogedai Khan.
Mongke
Oldest son of Tolui and Sorhatani.
Ogedai
Third son of Genghis and Borte. Husband to Torogene, father to Guyuk.
Oghul Khaimish
Wife to Guyuk Khan. Killed in purges by Mongke Khan.
Old Man of the Mountains
Traditional title for the leader of the Assassin sect. Father to Suleiman, who inherits his position.
Rai Chiang
Ruler of autonomous Xi Xia kingdom in northern China.
Rukn-al-Din
Son of Suleiman. Briefly inherits Alamut.
Samuka
Second in command to Ho Sa in his tuman. Dies in Bones of the Hills.
Sansar
Khan of the Olkhun’ut tribe. Killed by Genghis in Wolf of the Plains.
Sholoi
Olkhun’ut tribe. Father of Borte. Husband to Shria.
Shria
Olkhun’ut tribe. Mother to Borte. Wife of Sholoi.
Sorhatani
Wife to Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis. Mother to: Mongke, Kublai, Hulegu and Arik-Boke. At one point, she was ruler of the ancestral homeland and co-ruler of the capital city. Three of her four sons become khan.
Temuge
Youngest son of Yesugei and Hoelun, brother to Genghis. Shaman and administrator.
Temujin (also Genghis)
The First Great Khan, or Gur-khan. Second son of Yesugei and Hoelun.
Temulun
Only daughter of Yesugei and Hoelun. Marries Palchuk. Murdered by Kokchu in Bones of the Hills.
Togrul
Khan of the Kerait tribe. Dies in Wolf of the Plains.
Tolui
Wolf tribe bondsman.
Tolui
Same name. The fourth son of Genghis and Borte. Husband of Sorhatani and father to Mongke, Kublai, Hulegu and Arik-Boke.
Torogene
Wife of Ogedai, mother to Guyuk. Rules Mongol nation as regent.
Tsubodai
Originally Uriankhai tribe. Becomes Genghis’ greatest general and orlok - leader of his armies.
Uriang-Khadai
Orlok to Kublai.
Wei
Emperor of the Chin. Father to Xuan, Son of Heaven.
Wen Chao
Ambassador of the Chin court, sent into Mongol lands.
Xuan, Son of Heaven
Emperor of the Chin after the death of his father, Emperor Wei.
Yao Shu
Buddhist monk brought back from China by Khasar and Temuge. Becomes chancellor to the khans.
Yaroslav
Grand Duke in Moscow at the time of Tsubodai’s attack.
Yesugei
Khan of the Wolves. Husband to Hoelun. Father to Temujin, Kachiun, Khasar, Temuge and Temulun.
Yuan
Master swordsman and guard to Wen Chao, a Chin diplomat in Mongol lands.
Zhi Zhong
General of Chin emperor Wei’s armies. Becomes regent to Xuan after murdering his master.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Without the sterling efforts of a number of skilful and dedicated people, these books would probably never see the light of day. In particular, I must thank Katie Espiner for editing a monster, as well as Kiera Godfrey, Tim Waller and Victoria Hobbs. Yes, it would have been easier without you lot interfering, but more importantly, it wouldn’t have been as good.
Other Books by Conn Iggulden
The Emperor Series
The Gates of Rome
The Death of Kings
The Field of Swords
The Gods of War
The Conqueror Series
Wolf of the Plains*
Lords of the Bow
Bones of the Hills
Empire of Silver
Blackwater
By Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook
By Conn Iggulden and David Iggulden
The Dangerous Book of Heroes
By Conn Iggulden and illustrated by Lizzy Duncan
Tollins: Explosive Tales for Children
Copyright
HarperCollinsPublishers
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Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2011
First published in Great Britain by
HarperCollinsPublishers 2011
CONQUEROR. Copyright (c) Conn Iggulden 2011. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Map (c) John Gilkes 2011
Conn Iggulden asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-00-727114-6
While some of the events and characters are based on historical incidents and figures, this novel is entirely a work of fiction.
EPub Edition (c) AUGUST 2011 ISBN: 978-0-00-728543-3
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* Published in the USA as Genghis: Birth of an Empire