Historians believed that the cruelty of these ruthless warriors was merely propaganda—until they discovered what Ashurnasirpal II had inscribed on his columns.

Not only did he build a unified Mongol state, but he also waged conquests across Asia that astonished his contemporaries with their destructiveness. The discipline of his armies turned local victories into empire-wide collapses for adversaries who failed to adapt. This reputation only grew with campaigns that devastated entire regions when cities put up resistance.

As a high-ranking Mongol commander, he helped lead Mongol operations in Central and Eastern Europe. Even today, his coordinated campaigns are remembered for the considerable distances they covered and for trapping the enemy. The goal was not only victory, but also to prove that distance and winter could not protect you.

Despite his dynasty’s cultural legacy, Tamerlane is best known as a conqueror whose campaigns stretched from Central Asia to India and the Middle East. Terror was an integral part of his rule, and his conquests resulted in the deaths of approximately 17 million people.

When you take the life of your own brother and are given the nickname “Scourge of God,” you realize that violence is very real. His reign shows how a mobile confederation could destabilize empires without constantly occupying every battlefield. The fear he inspired did not stem from any single moment, but from the devastation wrought by his men.

His legacy is already embedded in Dracula, but the creative liberties taken in the novel have only scratched the surface of his true horror. Vlad resorted to extreme cruelty to intimidate his enemies and punish dissidents. His nickname, unsurprisingly, comes from the practice of impalement, which was used as a public warning or against suspected traitors.

Zulu is linked to the campaigns that devastated certain regions of southern Africa, although historians continue to debate the details. Not only did he establish a military system that contributed to the power of the Zulu Kingdom, but he was also known for his brutal rituals and intense paranoia, which often led to the deaths of thousands of people.

Many consider him the man who overthrew the authority of the Ashikaga shogunate, but Nobunaga primarily built a solid reputation by fighting his religious opponents. In 1571, he razed Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei, burning temples and killing thousands of people, including civilians who were trying to flee. Then, in 1574, he besieged the Nagashima Ikkō-ikki strongholds and set the complex ablaze, killing approximately 20,000 people trapped inside.

Hideyoshi’s imperial ambitions triggered the invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598, a war marked by massacres and looting. Most notably, certain… trophies were taken aboard the commander’s ships and later buried in Mimizuka, Kyoto. He also ordered the crucifixion of 26 Christians in 1597 following a forced march to Nagasaki.

He expanded and consolidated Assyrian power. He presented himself as a formidable commander. But what sets him apart is the candor with which he described the atrocities in his own records. He cut off noses, wrapped pillars in the skin of his enemies, and did not even spare children.

Sulla emerged victorious from a brutal Roman civil war and then ruled as a dictator while reshaping the republic’s political order. His legacy is marked by severe reprisals against his enemies and the normalization of violence as a tool of internal control. Families also suffered as a result, since the descendants of his enemies were excluded from the Senate long after he had left office.

You don’t have to be a history buff to know his name, but what do you really know about his reign? He is best known for conquering Gaul and becoming one of Rome’s most formidable generals. However, after capturing Avaricum, his troops wiped out nearly the entire population—a massacre he portrayed as an act of revenge.

Don’t be fooled by his nickname: he committed numerous massacres. Alexander is known for his grueling sieges and uncompromising punishments, which partly explains why his name still provokes such strong reactions today. He is remembered not only for taking the lives of thousands of people, but also for selling tens of thousands more into slavery after the siege of Tyre.

Barca led Carthage’s war against Rome, throwing Rome off balance with crushing victories on the battlefield. Ancient historians regarded him as a leading commander, but his darkest act was not merely a massacre. He captured cities and destroyed supplies to break the Romans’ will, and the suffering of civilians was part of his strategy.

When Cortés overthrew the Aztec Empire and seized Mexico, he did not do so without violence. In Cholula, in October 1519, his forces and allies carried out a massacre that historians consider a genocidal turning point against unarmed civilians. But it didn’t stop there: he also ordered the hanging of Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler.

In 1532, Pizarro set up an ambush at Cajamarca, where the Spaniards massacred thousands of Incas and captured Emperor Atahualpa. Although he accepted gold and silver as ransom, he still had Atahualpa executed in 1533. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that his strategy was nothing more than a ruthless pursuit of his goal.

This type of career illustrates just how closely brute force and political ambitions were often linked in the Middle Ages. Baybars I cemented his legendary status when his Mamluk army captured Antioch in May 1268. The scene was nothing short of chaotic: the inhabitants were massacred and enslaved.

It was not enough for al-Walīd to kill people during the Ridda Wars: he also took the life of Malik ibn Nuwayra after capturing him, and then married his widow. Reports also indicate that he ordered the execution of many prisoners.

Shāh rebuilt the Iranian army, thereby consolidating his role as ruler and conqueror. His invasion in 1739 resulted in the occupation and sacking of Delhi, as well as numerous casualties. That did not, however, prevent him from taking whatever he wanted. He also seized treasures such as the Peacock Throne, leaving the capital traumatized for generations to come.

According to an ancient tradition, she is said to have led the Massagetae against Cyrus the Great and taken his life, but she did not stop at killing him. She is also said to have committed some rather gruesome acts with his head. It should be kept in mind, however, that modern scholarship highlights the uncertainty surrounding these details, so they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Boudicca’s revolt was no peaceful affair; her forces set Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium ablaze. As you can imagine, this did not happen without a struggle, and it is estimated that she massacred approximately 70,000 people during this destruction.