TIL: You Might Be Related to Genghis Khan | Today I Learned

The rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian empire was responsible for the annihilation of an estimated 40 million people, but there were clearly more than a few conquests off the battlefield as well. A 2003 study suggests that 1 in 200 men are direct descendants of Genghis Khan.

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Studies of Y-chromosome data found that almost 8 percent of men living in the former Mongolian empire carry nearly identical Y chromosomes. Researchers believe this is attributed to a unique set of social selection circumstances put into play by the spread of the Mongolian empire. In this week’s "Today I Learned," research scientist Albert Lin elaborates on Genghis Khan as a romantic.

TIL: You Might Be Related to Genghis Khan | Today I Learned

National Geographic

[unknown]

i am from afghanistan and "hazara" ethnic which means 1000 soldiers in persian. they were the 1000 genghis khans soldiers and this is how we are ralated to him.

[dineshlamarumba]

i think this guy is certainly related to him.

[beluthesussycat]

Son: mom meet my girlfriend
Mom: that’s ur cousin

[Wolfsbane]

it should be noted that Genghis Khan took an concubine at every successful attack, it's also what motivated a lot of the riders. No one will saddle up to ride in a war campaign if there are no spoils of war to be had. After you take a city like Euesperides and offer no spoils of war people will quickly leave thats common sense. Genghis Khan shared his spoils of war which is why he was able to conquer most of Asia.

[maxjohnson]

I’m Hazara from Afghanistan which is apparently descendentants of the Mongols and my DNA test showed I’m not related to Genghis Khan even though I have 25% Mongolian DNA

[eugenic]

Even the Queen is related to Chinggiskhaan. So most of the people in Asia and Europe somehow connected with him.

[munkhochirmunkhochir]

it was his plan to get more mongolians

[starsoffyre]

And 8% are those who had a direct male lineage to him. Which means there is a good chance that most Mongolians are direct descendants, just not a direct male lineage.

[scummymummy]

That's crazy "I am" related to Ghangis Khan and I live in California.

[aashishrana]

By facial feature I look more like Genghis khan than my own parents.

[rastaking]

just shows you a good strong woman can get you far in life

[MunhbayrSukhbaatar]

GREETINGS FROM ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA
Let's do a fucking family reunion.

[ZzigZaGNIN]

One of the scariest love stories in history 😭

[MetaITurtle]

My great great grandmother was Chinese. I also had the blue birthmark thing as well when i was young. Interesting..

[l.chrisjones]

My wife and son are believed to be literal descendants of Chinngis Khan.

[florastewart]

I’m half African American Filipino Chinese. Hey Cuz!

[evendarker]

It’s so funny that guys are proud that he related to them and don’t know that he rap*ed them

[kadenelijah]

Lol everyone in these comments think they’re descendants of Ghengis

[ChromeMan]

People in the comments are deluded. The small percentage of ancestry in the world is not even from him but likely from his soldiers. Even so, it’s highly suspect as most of his descendants (or rather his soldiers descendants) are found in China and Central Asia where the Mongols were mainly based.

[microtree]

It's much more significant than that, I think it's that 0.5 percent of people are descended from him in the direct male line! Because there's a specific thing on the y chromosome. Evreryone in asia is likely descended from him many times over