Everyone perceives Genghis Khan as a ruthless, utterly pragmatic conqueror who led an army run with totalitarian discipline (and that may be putting it nicely). Yet this depiction leaves out one of the most astonishing quotes we have, courtesy of Rashid al-Din, about his real leadership style. Here he discusses why his best warrior was not suited to serve as an army commander:

“There is no greater warrior than Yisubei and no man who possesses his ability! But because he does not suffer from the hardships of a campaign, shrugs off hunger and thirst, he assumes that all others, companion and soldiers alike, who accompany him are equally able to bear those hardships, whereas they cannot. For this reason he is not suitable to command an army.”

The story of his early years are also unbelievable from a modern standpoint. From age 9 onward, Genghis Khan suffered a string of misfortunes that brought him to the lowest depths imaginable for a future world-conqueror:

1. His father was murdered by rival tribesman, and his own tribe walked out and left him to die as a result. Genghis Khan, his mother(s), and his siblings were left to starve or die of cold in the inhospitable Mongolian environment. They had to forage for any root or item barely edible, and sought safety within a mountain and thicket to hide from pursuers at various times.
2. Genghis Khan killed his half-brother Bekhter during this survival period, on a charge that he was stealing food from the rest of the family.
3. Once the family had escaped living on the edge of death, they were hunted down by the tribe that initially abandoned them. Genghis himself was captured and made a slave, complete with having to wear the inhuman cangue. He escaped during a drunken feast by first lying in the river, hidden in reeds and water up to his neck, and then later returning back into the enemy camp at night to hide out in the room of a supporter he had won over. This supporter removed the cangue and helped give him an opportunity to sneak off at night.
4. Shortly after Genghis Khan finally gained his freedom and returned to marry Borte (while still in his teens), his wife was captured by the much more powerful Merkit tribe. Rather than abandoning her, Genghis Khan instead sought out powerful allies and got this coalition force to rescue Borte.
5. Several decades later, at near the peak of his influence in Mongolia, he offered to marry the daughter of Ong Khan and become the leader of the Keraite kingdom he had fought under. Instead he was lured into an army, barely escaped with his life, but saw his army scattered across Mongolia, down to less than two dozen followers. He nonetheless persevered, recovered, broke up the enemy coalition with diplomacy and intrigue, and defeated the Keraite army less than a year later.

Another less-known story demonstrates the softer, eye for talent. One day during his era of world-conquest, he came across a slave (of the Tangut people he had conquered) in his army named Chaghan. Though Chaghan was just a young boy, his answer to a question posed by Genghis Khan apparently fascinated the Mongol leader enough to free him from slavery and adopt him into his own household. Chaghan became an accomplished general and served loyally to the Borgijin house

Naturally a problem with some other unbelievable facts that were occurred over 800 years ago is that they may well have just been myths and not worth believing!

Genghis Khan himself told a story to his followers, recorded in his Chinese biography, in response to a question of how he had proven himself worthy in battle and favored by heaven. He said he once found himself ambushed alone by 6 enemies, well-armed with bows and horses. Not only did Genghis Khan supposedly kill them all without getting hit by a single arrow, he also managed to capture all of their horses.

Another less believable story, taken from a Song Dynasty envoy to the Mongols (when the Song still viewed the Mongols as an enemy of their enemy), suggested that Genghis Khan was captured by the Jin dynasty and imprisoned for a decade during the period when he was ostensibly unifying Mongolia. It is possible, since there is around a ten year period in Mongol sources that goes dark on Genghis Khans life. This has been advocated for by a few notable historians, but has not caught on.