GENGHIS KHAN (i. e.  Very Mighty Ruler), a celebrated Mongol conqueror, born near Lake Baikal, the son of a Mongol chief; his career as a soldier began at the age of 13, an age at which he boldly assumed the reins of government in succession to his father; by his military skill and daring example he gradually raised his people to a position of supremacy in Asia, and established by means of them a kingdom which, at his death, stretched from the Volga to the Pacific, and from Siberia to the Persian Gulf; he regarded himself as commissioned by Heaven to conquer the world, a destiny which he almost fulfilled (1162-1227).

GENLIS, STEPHANIE FELICITE, COMTESSE DE, a celebrated French novelist, born at Champceri, near Autun, Burgundy; at the age of 16 she was married to the Comte de Genlis, who eventually fell a victim to the fury of the Revolution; in 1770 she was a lady-in-waiting to the Duchesse de Chartres, and 12 years later became governess to the children of the Duc d’Orleans, amongst whom was the future king of the French, Louis-Philippe; the Revolution drove her to Switzerland, but on the elevation of Napoleon she returned to Paris, and received from him a pension, which continued to be paid her even under the restored Bourbon dynasty:  she was a voluminous writer of moral tales, comedies, &c., and her works amount to about 90 vols., among them the celebrated “Memoirs” of her life and times; she was ill-natured, and in her “Memoirs” inaccurate, as well as prejudiced (1746-1830).

GEN`OA (138), a city and chief commercial seaport of Italy, built at the foot of the Apennines as they slope down to the gulf of the name.  The encircling hills behind, which are strongly fortified, form a fine background to the picturesquely laid-out city.  There is excellent harbourage for the extensive shipping, and an active export and import trade is carried on.  In the city are iron-works, cotton and cloth mills, match factories, &c.; the streets are narrow and irregular, but many of the buildings, especially the ducal palaces and the cathedral, are of great historical and architectural interest; there is an excellent university, a public library, and an Academy of Fine Arts; Columbus was born here.

GENRE PAINTING, name given to paintings embracing figures as they appear in ordinary life and in ordinary situations.

GENS, the name among the Romans for what we understand by the word clan as consisting of families.

GENS BRACCATA, the Gauls, from wearing braccae or breeches.

GENS TOGATA, the Roman, from wearing the TOGA (q. v.) as their distinguishing dress.

GEN`SERIC, king of the Vandals, son of Godigiselus, founder of the Vandal kingdom in Spain, and bastard brother of Gunderic, whom he succeeded in A.D. 429; from Spain he crossed to Africa, and in conjunction with the Moors added to his kingdom the land lying W. of Carthage, ultimately gaining possession of Carthage itself; he next set himself to organise a naval force, with which he systematically from year to year pillaged Spain, Italy, Greece, and the opposite lands of Asia Minor, sacking Rome in 455; until his death in 477 he continued master of the seas, despite strenuous efforts of the Roman emperors to crush his power.