Michael Weiers presents, for the first time in German, a comprehensive political history of the Mongols from their possible ancestors to the present day. In concise chapters, he outlines the overall contexts, placing great emphasis on a critical evaluation of the historical sources used. He also illustrates how the ever-changing community structures of the Mongols looked and which mechanisms associated with these structures led to the formation of a Mongolian empire in the 13th century. Based on contemporary original sources that have only recently become accessible and are being used for the first time, he describes events and developments whose impacts continue to shape the Mongols to this day.