The Mongol Empire was the largest continuous land empire known to history, its violent creation the major political event of the thirteenth century world. Yet little is known the history of Christendom's most formidable eastern neighbour. In this classic history, David Morgan explains how the vast Mongolian Empire was organized and governed, examining the religious and political character of the steppe nomadic society. He assesses the astonishing military career of Chinggis Qan, considers the nature of Mongol imperial government, and the effects of Mongol campaigns on the countries and peoples they conquered in China, Russia, Persia and Europe. His narrative extends to the collapse of the Empire and the formation of the People's Republic of Mongolia as a Soviet satellite state.