Where did the early settlers from Mongolia come from?

The nomadic warrior tribe known now as the Mongols came from Mongolia, north and west of China. Before the tribes were united by Genghiz Khan in the early 13th century, there were half a dozen or more groups and clans of Mongol tribes. Genghiz, the son of a tribal leader who was poisoned by a rival, was raised by his mother. As a young adult, he led raids into the territories of the other tribes and gradually became their leader as his group of warriors grew in size. After the tribes were united, he and his armies conquered most of Asia and the surrounding lands. Although Genghis himself didn't live to see it, the Mongol empire under his sons and grandsons grew to become the largest land empire ever seen on earth. Fully 1/3rd of the worlds population was subject to the various Mongol Khanates, from China and Manchuria to Persia, Central Asia, Russia and even farther west. The Mongol Empire was unique in that, as opposed to most other rulers, they had very little written history at the time. So for many centuries, all we knew of the Mongols was what was written by the 'victims' of their rule, in many cases European Christians. The Mongols were pictured as sub-human, evil creatures who killed indiscriminately and subjected their people to every manner of torture and evil.

The truth turns out to be not quite so bloodthirsty. Yes, the Mongols killed thousands of people in their few centuries of power, but they also did something quite unique - they encouraged commerce and education and travel between the far reaches of their empire - the Khans brought craftsmen, philosophers, artists, even religious leaders back to their capital and encourage them to ply their trades. The Mongols were relatively tolerant of other religions as well, allowing Christians, Moslems, Jews and nearly every other sect to exist, if not flourish under their rule. They also applied what is known as the Pax Mongolica, under which law and justice was applied democratically and fairly, for the first time in history, from the Danube to the Pacific.

The Mongols brought East and West together for the first time. They kick-started civilization and commerce. They were not nearly so bad as history paints them.

The Mongol empire didn't fall so much as simply be absorbed in to the lands they ruled. As nomads and wanderers, they had not talent, nor desire, for civil administration and governance. Native peoples were left in charge of their territories, and as long as they played by the rules (e.g., tribute and taxes) they 'conquered' people lived almost as if the Mongols had never been there.

Mongol descendants ruled China, India, much of Central Asia, and what is now Russia for hundreds of years.