Genghis Khan’s death (AD 1227): An unsolvable riddle or simply a pandemic disease?

Abstract

The article examines Genghis Khan's death from the historico-medical perspective. Although several etiologies have been proposed over the years, most of these at a closer look appear to be later inventions by historians. A reassessment of the available evidence suggests instead bubonic plague as the most likely clinical scenario. Genghis Khan's death is also a reflection on the impact of pandemic diseases on leadership in ancient times as well as nowadays.

Keywords

• Plague
• History of medicine
• Pandemic
• Genghis Khan
• Paleopathology
• Infectious diseases