Signs Someone Is A Decendant Of Genghis Khan

1. Are you related to Genghis Khan?

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If you didn't know, Genghis Khan is said to have created a lineage of more than 20,000 people. He was very enthusiastic when it came to his mating habits! Studies have shown that his DNA is present in at least 16 million men alive today! That is pretty wild.

2. There's a strong chance that you are!

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Genghis Khan died in 1227, so when you do the math, it means that about 0.5 percent of men on the planet are related to him, which may sound like a small number, but it's actually a lot! His Y chromosome may be part of your DNA. His lineage is so strong that they refer to it as a Super-Y lineage.

3. Genghis Khan took his lineage very seriously

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In order to understand why and how Genghis Khan had such a widespread lineage, this quote from him shows his mentality more clearly. He said that "the greatest joy for a man is to defeat enemies and take their possessions, including their wives". So having a long lineage was a sign of conquering and success.

4. The genetic legacy of Genghis Khan

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The Mongol Y-chromosomal lineage has some unique characteristics. It's carried by the male-line of descendants of Genghis Khan and researchers say it was a novel form of social selection. The Mongol population was not spread by chance, but rather as a result of selection. In 16 populations throughout Asian, about 8% of men carried this Y-chromosome.

5. So what is social selection?

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In this particular case, it's a little bit clearer. The Mongol Empire was considered the property of the "Golden Family." This was the family of Genghis Khan. These are the direct descendants of Genghis Khan's four sons from his first wife. They viewed this process as that of a descent from the gods in mythology, and the line to him was consider necessary to become a ruler in the Mongol Empire.

6. Who are some of his direct descendants?

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The Mongol Empire expansion happened with power and fury. There was a magnetism surrounding Genghis Khan and his bloodline within Asian societies, and even within Islamic societies. Timur and his descendants took pride in their Genghis heritage. However, none of Genghis's near descendants nor himself were Muslim.

7. Genghis Khan was genetically fit

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You may be wondering why people were so obsessed with being part of Genghis's lineage. Put simply, he and his descendants were considered "genetically fit." This didn't mean that they were super strong or good at hunting, but simply because he was Khan. His armies conquered many populations.

8. He had many wives

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Obviously, if you've left the earth with approximately 16 million descendants, you've had some help with bearing offspring. He and his first wife married at only NINE years old! However, they didn't come together as husband and wife for seven more years. He had 6 other wives throughout his life.

9. He also had a lot of concubines

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The legend of Genghis Khan is that he had over 500 concubines in addition to his wives. These women were often notable princesses from lands he had conquered. Because of the Mongol culture, it's hard to confirm how many children he had with these women as there was no record kept outside of his heirs with his wife.

10. Okay, this is pretty crazy!

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There's a research project happening to try to reconstruct Genghis Khan's genome. Half your genome is passed on to your child, so statistically, almost all of Genghis's DNA would be present in the population. Researchers can predict any of missing or lost pieces. So we may get more information on who is part of his lineage in the near future.

11. As of now, the only option is to check the Y Chromosome

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While they are working to reconstruct Genghis Khan's genome, this work isn't complete yet. So at this time, the only way to be sure that you are a descendant is through Y Chromosome testing. This is a viable option for you and your family if you're curious to see your relation.

12. When the research is done, we may be surprised

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When they're able to even partially reconstruct Genghis Khan's genome, then it will be straightforward to determine if there's a fraction of your DNA that comes from him. However, he lived so long ago with so many children that a large part of all Asians and even Caucasians would have some of his DNA present. So the question would then be, how closely are you related to him.

13. Unfortunately, only the Y Chromosome can be tested

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As we mentioned, the only way to currently test is via the Y Chromosome. This means you can only be absolutely certain in testing if you are male. However, of course, if your father or grandfather or bother has this same chromosome, then you would also have some of his DNA present in you.

14. You can research the family tree

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The Mongol culture did pretty tediously document Genghis Khan's descendants. As mentioned, this would have been a bit biased in who was included. That being said, you can find his family tree outlined online, which could be a good way to help you determine if you are part of that lineage. It will require some research though!

15. Genghis Khan was a fearsome ruler

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If you're wondering about his traits and if yours are similar, part of the reason that Genghis Khan's genes were considered to be genetically fit is, because he is one of the most fearsome and powerful rulers in history. He brought various Mongol tribes into a unified clan and defeated the Jin dynasty. When he died, the Mongol Empire continued to expand.

16. His legacy lives on even today

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When people think of Genghis Khan today, they remember him as a brutal warrior. Genghis Khan actually killed his own brother to gain more power and was known to gain dominance through violence. That being said, he also had some redeeming qualities that pushed him to the top and kept him in power for over two decades.

17. He didn't bend to the Mongol aristocracy

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One thing that Genghis Khan did during his rule was to fill positions of power based on actual merit. Prior to that, a lot of it had to do with the Mongo aristocracy. But he brought in people from China and Manchuria, rather than only choosing from the Mongol population. He placed competent people in the military leadership which led to his dominance in war.

18. He was quick to share his wealth

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A lot of rulers who dominated by war and violence tended to be quite greedy with possessions they obtained through their conquests. Genghis Khan, on the other hand, was very generous with the wealth he obtained through conquering different lands and empires. This earned him unwavering loyalty.

19. He expanded through trade

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As mentioned, Genghis Khan understood the importance of bringing in the best leadership for the job. He applied this same mentality to trade, knowing that a person can't be good at everything. His rule of thumb was that you could build a stronger society by importing things that the country couldn't produce on its own, which would then boost the economy.

20. He was very diplomatic

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Genghis Khan prided himself on the fact that he had strong relations with foreign economies and was able to buy and sell goods from them. This is actually how the Silk Road to the Middle East (and eventually Europe) was formed! It proved successful, even though some people thought it was odd. At the time, other leaders such as the Jin Dynasty in China, viewed trading with foreigners with disdain.

21. He also advanced linguistics

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Okay, this is really cool! Because of his understanding of other cultures and a deeper understanding of his own, Genghis Khan commissioned the first written language for Mongolians. This then allowed scribes to record the history of the Mongol empire. It's fair to say that if not for him, we would be missing a large part of history!

22. He created government structure

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It's said that Genghis Khan brought order to his world in a way no other ruler had. He set forth a government structure and laws that brought a moral and ethical code to the Mongolian people. The raids and kidnapping that had plagued the population before were no longer tolerated under his rule. This brought peace and stability to everyone there.

23. He empowered women more than most

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Compared to other rulers, Genghis gave a fair amount of power to women. His own mother held a position of authority within the empire, and he hired women for other roles too. When men left for war, the country continued to run because of the women he'd placed in power. It wasn't the same as today's version of feminism, but it was more than most other empires saw at the time.

24. He believed in tolerance over oppression

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While he was a fearsome ruler and definitely conquered through war and violence, it's agreed that by and large his reign was that of tolerance rather than oppression. There was a great growth in science, religion, language, and culture during his reign and the reign of his sons.

25. He had an affinity towards his first wife

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As we discussed, Genghis Khan had several wives, as did his sons. This was common at the time. But it's said that he had a softness towards his first wife and even went to great lengths to search for and rescue here when she was abducted by another tribe. After this rescue, she became the Great Empress.

26. Here's what he should be remembered for

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Historians say that Genghis Khan and the Mongol people should be remembered for running a successful empire, the expansion of laws, language and trade, and also for creating an understanding of good governance. They say that the popular misconception of only destruction just isn't backed up by evidence.

27. It's impossible to definitively link to him

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While you can do the test as we mentioned for the chromosome, because Genghis Khan's body has never been recovered, the DNA sequence cannot be verified. This is why it's currently being reconstructed. But until it's sequenced, it's practically impossible to definitely link to his lineage.

28. His way of procreating was not always the best

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Let's call it for what it is. When he was defeating a new land and pillaging the women and children, there wasn't a lot of consent involved. He had his first pick of the women, and this is how his descendants spread so quickly and so wide, thus creating his genetic legacy.

29. He has some serious competition

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While people have long wondered if they could be a descendent of this man, there are other rulers and leaders who are giving him a run for his money. However, Genghis hit the genetic jackpot, because his Y chromosome seemed to be very strong. He often created sons, and his sons in turn, were genetically predisposed to create more sons. This extended his family line even further!

30. So do you think you're related?

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If you notice any of these traits within yourself and your lineage, it might be worth doing a little research or having your family test for the Y-chromosome. It's interesting to think that we may be able to know more certainly in years to come, but fun to think about the possibilities of what it would mean to be a descendant of this "genetically fit" man.