Who founded the Mongol Empire in 1206?

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206.

Born with the name Temüjin, he united many Mongol and steppe tribes through alliances, warfare, and political reforms. In 1206, a kurultai, or assembly of Mongol nobles, proclaimed him Genghis Khan, commonly translated as a universal or oceanic ruler. This event marks the traditional foundation of the Mongol Empire.

Genghis Khan organized military units across tribal lines and created an empire that expanded rapidly across Central Asia and northern China. He died in 1227, but his successors continued the conquests. His grandson Kublai Khan later founded China’s Yuan dynasty, which is why the two rulers are sometimes confused, although Kublai did not found the Mongol Empire.