Printable ScholarMongol Empire Map
Free printable map of the Mongol Empire at its greatest extent under Kublai Khan in 1279 — the largest contiguous land empire in history, stretching from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean.
Choose your version
Labeled or blank.
Both are free PDFs sized for US Letter paper.
Labeled
Regions, cities, rivers and seas named, on shaded relief.
downloadLabeled PDF
Blank
The same terrain, border and city markers with no names, for labeling practice.
downloadBlank PDFInk-saving black and white
The same map with no terrain shading: white land, the empire in light gray, the tributary states striped, the khanates and cities named. The blank one keeps the city markers with no names.
Black and white
Labeled, with no terrain shading.
downloadBlack and white PDF
Black and white blank
City markers with no names, for labeling practice.
downloadBlack and white blank PDFThe Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206 and became the largest contiguous land empire in history. At its peak under his grandson Kublai Khan in 1279, it stretched from the Korean peninsula and the Pacific coast of China westward across Central Asia, Persia, and Russia to the doorstep of Central Europe — covering roughly 24 million square kilometers.
The Mongols conquered through brilliant cavalry tactics, strategic terror, and skilled administration. Cities that surrendered were spared; those that resisted were often destroyed. Baghdad, the intellectual capital of the Islamic world, was sacked in 1258. Kyiv was burned in 1240. Yet the Mongols also maintained religious tolerance and safe passage across their vast territory, enabling the unprecedented Silk Road trade of the Pax Mongolica.
The empire’s peak also marked the beginning of its fragmentation. After Kublai Khan, it split into four successor khanates: the Yuan dynasty in China, the Ilkhanate in Persia and Iraq, the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, and the Golden Horde in Russia and Eastern Europe. Each gradually absorbed into local cultures. The Yuan dynasty fell to the Ming in 1368; the last successor states dissolved by the early 1500s.
Pair it with a timeline
Add the dates to the geography with the free printable Mongol Empire Timeline.
Mongol Empire TimelineFind it on the map
- The open steppe running from Mongolia to the Black Sea
- The Himalayas, which the empire never crossed
- The four khanates: Golden Horde, Chagatai, Ilkhanate and Yuan
The empire boundary is approximate, adapted from the open historical-basemaps dataset by A. Ourednik (GPL-3.0) with corrections. The striped lands paid tribute but were not ruled directly. Coastlines and rivers are shown as they are today.
Frequently asked questions
How big was the Mongol Empire at its peak?
At its greatest extent in 1279, the Mongol Empire covered approximately 24 million square kilometers (9.3 million square miles) — about 16% of Earth’s total land area. It is the largest contiguous land empire in recorded history.
Who founded the Mongol Empire?
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin, c. 1162–1227) united the Mongol tribes in 1206 and launched the initial conquests of northern China, Central Asia, and Persia. His sons and grandsons — including Ögedei, Möngke, and Kublai Khan — continued the expansion after his death.
Which modern countries were part of the Mongol Empire?
The Mongol Empire covered modern-day Mongolia, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, and large parts of Turkey and Syria. Korea (Goryeo) was a vassal state.
Why did the Mongol Empire fall?
The empire began fragmenting after 1259 due to succession disputes among Genghis Khan’s descendants. The four successor khanates gradually became independent and were absorbed by local powers — the Yuan dynasty fell to the Ming in 1368, the Ilkhanate dissolved in the 1330s, and the Golden Horde broke apart by the 1400s.
