The youngest son of a blacksmith who supervised Genghis Khan’s soldiers was called Subutai. He joined Genghis’ army at the age of 14, served until his death as the most talented of the Mughal generals and gained an almost celestial reputation among his people. Jebe, Kublai, Jilmi and Subutai are said to have been Genghis Khan’s four greatest generals. Early on, Khan recognised Subutai’s fighting qualities and began to talk to him about combat. He entrusted him to a highly trained soldier.
Subutai oversaw more than 20 military campaigns and defeated 32 nations in 65 battles over the course of his 60-year military career. More than any other commander in history, he overran more continents and never lost a crucial battle. Subutai won battles in Poland, Hungary, Georgia, Mongolia, China, Central Asia, and Russia.
