55 Famous Genghis Khan Quotes on Enemies, War and Conquering

In this post, we’ll read Genghis Khan quotes, a Mongolian warrior and emperor who founded the Mongol Empire, one of the largest empires in history.

Genghis Khan (1162-1227), also known as Temüjin, was born into a noble family but faced hardships from a young age. His father was a tribal chief, but he was poisoned when Genghis Khan was just a boy, leaving the family vulnerable. As a result, he and his family endured poverty and exile.

Despite his difficult childhood, he showed leadership qualities from a young age and united the Mongol tribes under his rule through a combination of military conquests, alliances, and strategic marriages. By the early 13th century, he had established himself as the supreme ruler of the Mongolian steppes. But it wasn’t without bloodshed as he was known as a bloodthirsty terror killing millions during his conquest.

Under Genghis Khan’s leadership, the Mongol Empire grew to become the largest contiguous land empire in history.

Let’s read some of the most famous Genghis Khan quotes about war, conquering and more.

Table of Contents

Famous Genghis Khan Quotes

1. “I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.”

2. “A man’s greatest possession is his dignity and honor; depriving him of it is a great sin.”

3. “Attack with aggression, but always have a plan of retreat.”

4. “Remember, you have no companions but your shadow.”

5. “He who can oppose the sovereign’s wrath and endure his anger shall be invincible.”

6. “I hate luxury. I exercise moderation. It will be easy to forget your vision and purpose once you have fine clothes, fast horses, and beautiful women.”

7. “A leader can never be happy until his people are happy.”

8. “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.”

9. “Do not scorn a weak cub; he may become the brutal tiger.”

Genghis Khan Quotes on Conquering

1. “Conquering oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”

2. “Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard.”

3. “The pleasure and joy of man lies in treading down the rebel and conquering the enemy, in tearing him up by the root, in taking from him all that he has.”

4. “The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes the enemy without a blow.”

5. “It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”

6. “People conquered on different sides of the lake should be ruled on different sides of the lake.”

7. “I will rule them by fixed laws so that rest and happiness shall prevail in the world.”

Coldest Genghis Khan Quotes

1. “I shall kill you without shedding your blood.”

2. “It is not sufficient that I succeed—all others must fail.”

3. “All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender but opposes with struggle and dissension, shall be annihilated.”

4. “Come and sip from the cup of destruction.”

5. “It is the will of God that we take the earth and maintain order.”

6. ‘Don’t Weep Or Cry, Just Kill.”

7. “’I Am Master Of The Lands Of The Rising Sun.”

8. “Commanders, elders and community, know that God has given me the empire of the earth from the east to the west, whoever submits shall be spared, but those who resist, they shall be destroyed with their wives, children and dependents.”

Genghis Khan Quotes on Enemies

1. “A man’s greatest joy is crushing his enemies.”

2. “The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them bathed in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.”

3. “Not even a mighty warrior can break a frail arrow when it is multiplied and supported by its fellows. As long as you brothers support one another and render assistance to one another, your enemies can never gain the victory over you. But if you fall away from each other your enemy can brake you like frail arrows, one at a time.”

4. “Be of one mind and one faith, that you may conquer your enemies and lead long and happy lives.”

5. “Appointed by Mighty Heaven and escorted by Mother Earth, we made man’s enemy, the people of the Merkits, empty their breasts and tore their livers in half. We emptied their beds and destroyed [their] kinsmen.”

6. “An enemy should be forgiven, but not trusted.”

Genghis Khan Quotes on Life

1. “By sucking [away] the blood as it dried, you reopened my life.”

2. “With Heaven’s aid I have conquered for you a huge empire. But my life was too short to achieve the conquest of the world. ”

3. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

4. “Despite all expectations, the time of my last campaign and of my passing is near. I wish to die at home. Let not my end disarm you, and on no account weep for me, lest the enemy be warned of my death.”

Inspirational Genghis Khan Quotes

1. “An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”

2. “The merit of a man is that which he is, not that which he has.”

3. “He who controls the information controls the world.”

4. “If you’re afraid – don’t do it, – if you’re doing it – don’t be afraid!”

5. “Violence never settles anything.”

6. “One arrow alone can be easily broken but many arrows are indestructible.”

7. “Just as God gave different fingers to the hand so has He given different ways to men.”

8. “There is no value in anything until it is finished.”

9. “A wise ruler does not reward their friends for being friends; they reward them for their merit.”

10. “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

11. “The merit in action lies in finishing it to the end.”

12. “Even when a friend does something you do not like, he continues to be your friend.”

13. “If unable to abstain from drinking, a man may get drunk three times a month; if he does it more than three times he is culpable; if he gets drunk twice a month it is better; if once a month, this is still more laudable; and if one does not drink at all what can be better? But where can I find such a man? If such a man were found he would be worthy of the highest esteem.”

Genghis Khan Quotes on War

1. “In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.”

2. “The strength of a wall is neither greater nor less than the courage of the men who defend it.”

3. “If my body dies, let my body die, but do not let my country die.”

4. “Those who were adept and brave fellows I have made military commanders. Those who were quick and nimble I have made herders of horses. Those who were not adept I have given a small whip and sent to be shepherds.”

5. “In the space of seven years I have succeeded in accomplishing a great work and uniting the whole world in one Empire.”

6. “When it was wet, we bore the wet together, when it was cold, we bore the cold together.”

7. “When my call is high, the obligations of me, too, are heavy, and I fear that my decision may be something they want.”

8. “Heaven grew weary of the excessive pride and luxury of China… I am from the Barbaric North. I wear the same clothing and eat the same food as the cowherds and horse-herders. We make the same sacrifices and we share.. our riches. I look upon the nation as a new-born child and I care for my soldiers as though they were my brothers.”

These Genghis Khan quotes reflect his leadership and mindset as he is remembered as one of the most influential and successful military leaders in history.

His armies were known for their speed, discipline, and brutality, and Genghis Khan himself was a formidable warrior and tactician.

His legacy is complex and contested because while he is celebrated as a national hero in Mongolia for unifying the Mongol tribes and establishing the foundations of the Mongol Empire, he is also remembered for the violence and destruction wrought by his conquests.

Which of these Genghis Khan quotes left an impact on you?

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