Alright so last Tuesday night I was scrolling through weird history facts and this question popped into my head – how tall was Genghis Khan actually? Like everybody talks about him being some giant, but nobody ever gives straight numbers. Decided to dig into it properly.
Starting My Rabbit Hole
First thing? Googled “Genghis Khan height” obviously. Got flooded with random numbers everywhere:
- Some forums claimed 6 feet tall like a modern basketball player
- Others said 5’2 like crazy short
- Wikipedia just shrugged with “estimates vary”
Felt like hitting a brick wall. Why so much disagreement?
What Did Primary Sources Say?
Switched tactics. Searched for actual Mongol records or writings. Found quotes from The Secret History of the Mongols. Scanned through translations page by page… nothing. Not one mention of his height anywhere. SO annoying.
Then checked Persian accounts from enemies like Juvaini. Nada. Chinese scholars from the Yuan dynasty? Silence about his physical size. Everybody described his tactics, leadership, even temper – but never went “and dude was TALL” or “surprisingly short”.
My Eureka Moment
Got desperate and searched “average height Mongolian warrior 13th century”. Finally got useful clues:
- Studies of Mongolian skeletons from that era showed average male height around 5’2″ to 5’5″
- Burial sites in Khövsgöl proved warriors weren’t tall by today’s standards
- Armor measurements surviving in museums matched these heights
That clicked hard. No contemporary called him unusually tall or short. His height wasn’t remarkable to them. So why would he stand out physically?
Putting It Together
Sat back and realized:
- People imagine conquerors as giants
- Hollywood casts massive actors like 6’4″ guys
- Zero evidence Genghis broke Mongol height norms
Conclusion? Dude was regular Mongol height: likely between 5’2″ and 5’5″. Maybe 5’3″ on a good day. His reputation grew taller than he ever was physically. Blew my mind that such a “simple” fact got lost under centuries of legend.
Case closed. Brewed coffee. Felt satisfied.
