Genghis Khan Invades China

Undaunted by the Great Wall, Genghis Khan and his army went around it. But the wall was not China’s only defense. The Chinese people had devised a type of medieval landmine - pointed spikes - to also keep their enemies away. Those spikes, however, did not stop the Mongolian invasion.

With the aid of mercenaries, Genghis Khan and his men marched through northern China. Merciless in their efforts to conquer a new land, the Mongols made their way to Beijing. But another wall, this time a formidable one, protected the city. Genghis Khan decided to out-wait the people of Beijing by starving them.

The clip is from the BBC's Genghis Khan, based on a written history composed soon after the great ruler's death.