Genghis Khan controlled a significant territory.
Genghis Khan . After founding the Empire and being proclaimed `` Genghis Khan '' , he started the Mongol invasions that conquered most of Eurasia . He was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia . Although known for the brutality of his campaigns and considered by many to have been a genocidal ruler , Genghis Khan is also credited with bringing the Silk Road under one cohesive political environment . Mongolia . In 1206 , Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire , which became the largest contiguous land empire in history . The Silk Road or Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes that were for centuries central to cultural interaction originally through regions of Eurasia connecting the East and West and stretching from the Korean peninsula and Japan to the Mediterranean Sea .