The Mongol Empire emerged from the unification of nomadic tribes in the Mongol homeland under the leadership of Genghis Khan, who was proclaimed ruler of all Mongols in 1206. The empire grew rapidly under the rule of him and his descendants, who sent invasions in every direction.
Originating in the steppes of Central Asia, the Mongol Empire eventually stretched from Central Europe to the Sea of Japan, extending northwards into Siberia, eastwards and southwards into the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, and the Iranian plateau, and westwards as far as the Levant and Arabia.
The
Battle of Yehuling, literally the
Battle of Wild Fox Ridge, was a major decisive battle fought between the
Mongol Empire and
Jurchen-led
Jin dynasty during the first stage of the
Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty. The battle was fought between August and October 1211 at Yehuling (野狐嶺; lit. "Wild Fox Ridge"), which is located northwest of present-day
Wanquan District,
Zhangjiakou,
Hebei Province. The battle, which concluded with a decisive Mongol victory, was followed by the assassination of the Jin emperor,
Wanyan Yongji, by one of his generals. It also hastened the weakening and decline of the Jin dynasty.