When talking about ancient warlords, there is one name above all that will inevitably come up. Genghis Khan, founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He is widely considered to be the greatest warlord of all times due to conquering a substantial portion of Central Asia and China. Let’s dive into the mind of this great conqueror with this list of Genghis Khan quotes I have assembled here.
Genghis Khan first came to power through the unification of many of the nomadic tribes that lived in Northeast Asia. Following that, he launched many successful campaigns to expand his empire, most of which included large-scale massacres of civilians.
But aside from his brutality, he was also known for being a great ruler who practiced meritocracy, the distribution of political power not based on social class, but on talent and achievements alone.
31 Genghis Khan Quotes to Glimpse Into the Mind of the Great Conqueror
Genghis Khan Quotes About His Conquests and Brutality
#1. “Come and sip from the cup of destruction.”
#2. “Man’s greatest joy is to slay his enemy, plunder his riches, ride his steeds, see the tears of his loved ones and embrace his women.”
#3. “Oh people, know that you have committed great sins. If you ask me what proof I have for these words, I say it is because I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you!”
#4. “All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender but opposes with struggle and dissension, shall be annihilated.”
#5. “Happiness lies in conquering one’s enemies, in driving them in front of oneself, in taking their property, in savoring their despair, in outraging their wives and daughters.”
#6. “I am the flail of god.”
Genghis Khan Quotes About Leadership
#7. “The strength of a wall is neither greater nor less than the courage of the men who defend it.”
#8. “It is not sufficient that I succeed – all others must fail.”
#9. “If lies can show the truth, they can be the truth, they can cause the truth, so I may build an empire on lies, but they are the truth.”
#10. “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. That task is left for you.”
#11. “One arrow alone can be easily broken but many arrows are indestructible.”
#12. “Be of one mind and one faith, that you may conquer your enemies and lead long and happy lives.”
#13. “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.”
#14. “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.”
#15. “When it was wet, we bore the wet together, when it was cold, we bore the cold together.”
#16. “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.”
#17. “People conquered on different sides of the lake should be ruled on different sides of the lake.”
#18. “I’m going by the law, so that peace and happiness in the world there are hard and fast rule.”
#19. “I will rule them by fixed laws so that rest and happiness shall prevail in the world.”
#20. “In the space of seven years I have succeeded in accomplishing a great work and uniting the whole world in one Empire.”
#21. “Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard.”
#22. “A leader can never be happy until his people are happy.”
#23. “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 break you like frail arrows, one at a time.”
#24. “I leave you the greatest empire in the world, but your preserving it depends upon your remaining always united. If discord steals in among you all will most assuredly be lost.”
Genghis Khan Quotes That Show How He Lived
#25. “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. [In which case], you will be no better than a slave, and you will surely lose everything.”
#26. “Even when a friend does something you do not like, he continues to be your friend.”
#27. “The merit in action lies in finishing it to the end.”
#28. “If you’re afraid — don’t do it; if you’re doing it — don’t be afraid!”
#29. “An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”
#30. “There is no good in anything until it is finished.”
#31. “Remember, you have no companions but your shadow.”
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that, even though Genghis Khan was a brutal conqueror, he was also a skilled leader and ruler. I hope these Genghis Khan quotes have helped you understand some of the brilliance and wisdom he possessed which allowed him to accomplish so much in his life.
