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Descent from Genghis Khan

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135-672: Descent from Genghis Khan in East Asia is well documented by Chinese sources. His descent in West Asia and Europe was documented through the 14th century, in texts written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani and other Muslim historians . With the advent of genealogical DNA testing , a larger and broader circle of people have begun to claim descent from Genghis Khan owing to dubious and imprecise haplogroup identifications. However, while many of Genghis Khan's agnates' resting places are known (e.g. Shah Jahan in

270-522: A decisive victory for Temüjin. Toghrul and Senggum were both forced to flee, and while the latter escaped to Tibet , Toghrul was killed by a Naiman who did not recognise him. Temüjin sealed his victory by absorbing the Kereit elite into his own tribe: he took the princess Ibaqa as a wife, and married her sister Sorghaghtani and niece Doquz to his youngest son Tolui. The ranks of the Naimans had swelled due to

405-557: A phobia of dogs , the Secret History also recounts taboo events such as his fratricide and the possibility of his son Jochi's illegitimacy. Multiple chronicles in Persian have also survived, which display a mix of positive and negative attitudes towards Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Both Minhaj-i Siraj Juzjani and Ata-Malik Juvayni completed their respective histories in 1260. Juzjani

540-499: A 2017 review paper published in Human Genetics , authors Chiara Batini and Mark Jobling cast doubts on Zerjal's 2003 theory that Genghis Khan is linked to haplogroup C: Ancient DNA data (Lkhagvasuren et al. 2016) from remains in high-status Mongolian graves dated to 1130–1250 CE revealed MSY lineages belonging to hg R1b, rather than hg C: there are a number of explanations for such findings, but taken at face value, they do not support

675-570: A Jin princess, and massive amounts of gold and silk, before lifting the siege and setting off homewards in May 1214. As the northern Jin lands had been ravaged by plague and war, Xuanzong moved the capital and imperial court 600 kilometres (370 mi) southwards to Kaifeng . Interpreting this as an attempt to regroup in the south and then restart the war, Genghis concluded the terms of the peace treaty had been broken. He immediately prepared to return and capture Zhongdu. According to Christopher Atwood, it

810-449: A captive named Temüchin-uge, after whom he named the newborn in celebration of his victory, while later traditions highlight the root temür (meaning 'iron') and connect to theories that "Temüjin" means 'blacksmith'. Several legends surround Temüjin's birth. The most prominent is that he was born clutching a blood clot in his hand, a motif in Asian folklore indicating the child would be

945-566: A challenge from the shaman Kokechu, whose father Münglig had been allowed to marry Hö'elün after he defected to Temüjin. Kokechu, who had proclaimed Temüjin as Genghis Khan and taken the Tengrist title "Teb Tenggeri" ( lit. "Wholly Heavenly") on account of his sorcery, was very influential among the Mongol commoners and sought to divide the imperial family. Genghis's brother Qasar was the first of Kokechu's targets—always distrusted by his brother, Qasar

1080-509: A clear defeat. Later chroniclers including Rashid al-Din instead state that he was victorious but their accounts contradict themselves and each other. Modern historians such as Ratchnevsky and Timothy May consider it very likely that Temüjin spent a large portion of the decade following the clash at Dalan Baljut as a servant of the Jurchen Jin dynasty in North China . Zhao Hong recorded that

1215-516: A close friendship with Jamukha , another boy of aristocratic descent; the Secret History notes that they exchanged knucklebones and arrows as gifts and swore the anda pact—the traditional oath of Mongol blood brothers –at eleven. As the family lacked allies, Temüjin was taken prisoner on multiple occasions. Captured by the Tayichiuds, he escaped during a feast and hid first in the Onon and then in

1350-408: A controversial figure. He was generous and intensely loyal to his followers, but ruthless towards his enemies. He welcomed advice from diverse sources in his quest for world domination, for which he believed the shamanic supreme deity Tengri had destined him. The Mongol army under Genghis killed millions of people, yet his conquests also facilitated unprecedented commercial and cultural exchange over

1485-610: A coup in Zhongdu, killing Yongji and installing his own puppet ruler, Xuanzong . This governmental breakdown was fortunate for Genghis's forces; emboldened by their victories, they had seriously overreached and lost the initiative. Unable to do more than camp before Zhongdu's fortifications while his army suffered from an epidemic and famine—they resorted to cannibalism according to Carpini , who may have been exaggerating—Genghis opened peace negotiations despite his commanders' militance. He secured tribute, including 3,000 horses, 500 slaves,

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1620-594: A cryptic remark made by Jamukha on the subject of camping; in any case, Temüjin followed the advice of Hö'elün and Börte and began to build an independent following. The major tribal rulers remained with Jamukha, but forty-one leaders gave their support to Temüjin along with many commoners: these included Subutai and others of the Uriankhai , the Barulas , the Olkhonuds, and many more. Many were attracted by Temüjin's reputation as

1755-451: A fair and generous lord who could offer better lives, while his shamans prophesied that heaven had allocated him a great destiny. Temüjin was soon acclaimed by his close followers as khan of the Mongols. Toghrul was pleased at his vassal's elevation but Jamukha was resentful. Tensions escalated into open hostility, and in around 1187 the two leaders clashed in battle at Dalan Baljut : the two forces were evenly matched but Temüjin suffered

1890-419: A following, as nökod such as Jelme entered into his service. Temüjin and Börte had their first child, a daughter named Qojin, around this time. Soon afterwards, seeking revenge for Yesügei's abduction of Hö'elün, around 300 Merkits raided Temüjin's camp. While Temüjin and his brothers were able to hide on Burkhan Khaldun mountain , Börte and Sochigel were abducted. In accordance with levirate law, Börte

2025-569: A large-scale raid into the neighbouring Western Xia , who agreed to Mongol terms the following year. He then launched a campaign against the Jin dynasty , which lasted for four years and ended in 1215 with the capture of the Jin capital Zhongdu . His general Jebe annexed the Central Asian state of Qara Khitai in 1218. Genghis was provoked to invade the Khwarazmian Empire the following year by

2160-479: A leading warrior. Temüjin called in every possible ally and swore a famous oath of loyalty , later known as the Baljuna Covenant , to his faithful followers, which subsequently granted them great prestige. The oath-takers of Baljuna were a very heterogeneous group—men from nine different tribes who included Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, united only by loyalty to Temüjin and to each other. This group became

2295-509: A lesson in self-control. He summoned Chagatai to his tent and accused him of not following orders; Chagatai replied that he would rather be executed than disobey. Genghis then revealed Mutukan's death and ordered Chagatai not to grieve—the latter managed to control himself until he was able to weep in private. He was later present at the defeat of the Khwarazmian prince Jalal al-Din at the Battle of

2430-543: A man named Qorchi as governor of the subdued Hoi-yin Irgen tribes in Siberia. Appointed not for his talents but for prior services rendered, Qorchi's tendency to abduct women as concubines for his harem caused the tribes to rebel and take him prisoner in early 1216. The following year, they ambushed and killed Boroqul , one of Genghis's highest-ranking nökod . The khan was livid at the loss of his close friend and prepared to lead

2565-490: A model for the later empire, termed a "proto-government of a proto-nation" by historian John Man . The Baljuna Covenant was omitted from the Secret History —as the group was predominantly non-Mongol, the author presumably wished to downplay the role of other tribes. A ruse de guerre involving Qasar allowed the Mongols to ambush the Kereit at the Jej'er Heights, but though the ensuing battle still lasted three days, it ended in

2700-510: A much harsher life. Taking up a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, they collected roots and nuts, hunted for small animals, and caught fish. Tensions developed as the children grew older. Both Temüjin and Behter had claims to be their father's heir: although Temüjin was the child of Yesügei's chief wife, Behter was at least two years his senior. There was even the possibility that, as permitted under levirate law, Behter could marry Hö'elün upon attaining his majority and become Temüjin's stepfather. As

2835-464: A patron, Temüjin chose to regift the cloak to Toghrul , khan (ruler) of the Kerait tribe, who had fought alongside Yesügei and sworn the anda pact with him. Toghrul ruled a vast territory in central Mongolia but distrusted many of his followers. In need of loyal replacements, he was delighted with the valuable gift and welcomed Temüjin into his protection. The two grew close, and Temüjin began to build

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2970-482: A puppet ruler of his lineage. Genghis's senior nökod were appointed to the highest ranks and received the greatest honours. Bo'orchu and Muqali were each given ten thousand men to lead as commanders of the right and left wings of the army respectively. The other nökod were each given commands of one of the ninety-five minkad . In a display of Genghis' meritocratic ideals, many of these men were born to low social status: Ratchnevsky cited Jelme and Subutai,

3105-419: A reputation for being anti-Muslim. One contemporary Muslim writer claimed that he urged Ögedei to kill every Muslim in the empire. Modern historians such as Michael Hope and Peter Jackson suggest this is likely far from the truth: they point to a number of powerful Muslim officials and nobles at Chagatai's court on whom he relied and whom he would have been unlikely to unnecessarily antagonise. More probable

3240-553: A retaliatory campaign; eventually dissuaded from this course, he dispatched his eldest son Jochi and a Dörbet commander. They managed to surprise and defeat the rebels, securing control over this economically important region. Kuchlug , the Naiman prince who had been defeated in 1204, had usurped the throne of the Central Asian Qara Khitai dynasty between 1211 and 1213. He was a greedy and arbitrary ruler who probably earned

3375-468: A reverse against a Xia army. After a two-month stalemate, Genghis broke the deadlock with a feigned retreat ; the Xia forces were deceived out of their defensive positions and overpowered. Although Zhongxing was now mostly undefended, the Mongols lacked any siege equipment better than crude battering rams and were unable to progress the siege. The Xia requested aid from the Jin, but Emperor Zhangzong rejected

3510-504: A reward, the Jin awarded him the honorific cha-ut kuri , the meaning of which probably approximated "commander of hundreds" in Jurchen . At around the same time, he assisted Toghrul with reclaiming the lordship of the Kereit, which had been usurped by one of Toghrul's relatives with the support of the powerful Naiman tribe . The actions of 1196 fundamentally changed Temüjin's position in the steppe—although nominally still Toghrul's vassal, he

3645-452: A series of defections, the most prominent of which led directly to Muqali's victory at the Battle of Huan'erzhui in autumn 1211. The campaign was halted in 1212 when Genghis was wounded by an arrow during the unsuccessful siege of Xijing (modern Datong ). Following this failure, Genghis set up a corps of siege engineers , which recruited 500 Jin experts over the next two years. The defences of Juyong Pass had been strongly reinforced by

3780-511: A small force in North China and invade Khwarazmia with most of his army. Chagatai Khan Chagatai Khan ( Mongolian : ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠲᠠᠶ ; c.  1184 – 1242) was a son of Genghis Khan and a prominent figure in the early Mongol Empire . The second son of Genghis's wife Börte , Chagatai was renowned for his masterful knowledge of Mongol custom and law , which he scrupulously obeyed, and his harsh temperament. Because Genghis felt that he

3915-662: A vast geographical area. He is remembered as a backwards, savage tyrant in Russia and the Arab world , while recent Western scholarship has begun to reassess its previous view of him as a barbarian warlord. He was posthumously deified in Mongolia ; modern Mongolians recognise him as the founding father of their nation. There is no universal romanisation system used for Mongolian ; as a result, modern spellings of Mongolian names vary greatly and may result in considerably different pronunciations from

4050-432: A warrior. Others claimed that Hö'elün was impregnated by a ray of light which announced the child's destiny, a legend which echoed that of the mythical Borjigin ancestor Alan Gua . Yesügei and Hö'elün had three younger sons after Temüjin: Qasar , Hachiun , and Temüge , as well as one daughter, Temülün . Temüjin also had two half-brothers, Behter and Belgutei , from Yesügei's secondary wife Sochigel , whose identity

4185-450: A year and a half, during which their leaders reforged their anda pact and slept together under one blanket, according to the Secret History . The source presents this period as close friends bonding, but Ratchnevsky questioned if Temüjin actually entered into Jamukha's service in return for the assistance with the Merkits. Tensions arose and the two leaders parted, ostensibly on account of

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4320-399: Is narrated in the Secret History and contrasts with Rashid al-Din's account, which protects the family's reputation by removing any hint of illegitimacy. Over the next decade and a half, Temüjin and Börte had three more sons ( Chagatai , Ögedei , and Tolui ) and four more daughters ( Checheyigen , Alaqa , Tümelün, and Al-Altan ). The followers of Temüjin and Jamukha camped together for

4455-566: Is that Genghis' descendants intermarried frequently. For instance, the Jochids took wives from the Ilkhan dynasty of Persia , whose progenitor was Hulagu Khan , a son of Tolui who was a son of Genghis Khan. As a consequence, it is likely that many Jochids had other sons of Genghis Khan among their maternal ancestors. Asian dynasties descended from Genghis Khan included the Yuan dynasty (Kublaids) of China ,

4590-668: Is the House of Giray , whose members left Soviet Russia for the United States and United Kingdom. The Qing dynasty of China completely exterminated one branch ( Ligdan Khan 's descendants) of the Borjigids after an anti-Qing revolt in 1675 by Ejei Khan 's brother Abunai and Abunai's son Borni against the Qing. The Qing emperors then placed the Chahar Mongols under their direct rule. The emperors of

4725-572: Is the date accepted by most historians; the historian Paul Ratchnevsky noted that Temüjin himself may not have known the truth. The location of Temüjin's birth, which the Secret History records as Delüün Boldog on the Onon River , is similarly debated: it has been placed at either Dadal in Khentii Province or in southern Agin-Buryat Okrug , Russia. Temüjin was born into the Borjigin clan of

4860-439: Is uncertain. The siblings grew up at Yesugei's main camp on the banks of the Onon, where they learned how to ride a horse and shoot a bow. When Temüjin was eight years old, his father decided to betroth him to a suitable girl. Yesügei took his heir to the pastures of Hö'elün's prestigious Onggirat tribe, which had intermarried with the Mongols on many previous occasions. There, he arranged a betrothal between Temüjin and Börte ,

4995-450: The keshig nevertheless received special privileges and direct access to the khan, whom they served and who in return evaluated their capabilities and their potential to govern or command. Commanders such as Subutai, Chormaqan , and Baiju all started out in the keshig , before being given command of their own force. From 1204 to 1209, Genghis Khan was predominantly focused on consolidating and maintaining his new nation. He faced

5130-558: The Georgian Chronicles , and works by European travellers such as Carpini and Marco Polo . The year of Temüjin's birth is disputed, as historians favour different dates: 1155, 1162 or 1167. Some traditions place his birth in the Year of the Pig , which was either 1155 or 1167. While a dating to 1155 is supported by the writings of both Zhao Hong and Rashid al-Din, other major sources such as

5265-550: The Shengwu qinzheng lu ( Campaigns of Genghis Khan ). The History of Yuan , while poorly edited, provides a large amount of detail on individual campaigns and people; the Shengwu is more disciplined in its chronology, but does not criticise Genghis and occasionally contains errors. The Secret History survived through being transliterated into Chinese characters during the 14th and 15th centuries. Its historicity has been disputed:

5400-681: The Giray dynasty , which ruled the Khanate of Crimea until 1783. Other countries ruled by dynasties with (potential) descent from Genghis Khan are Moghulistan (through Chagatai Khan), the Northern Yuan dynasty (Kublaids), Kara Del (through Chagatai Khan), Khanate of Kazan (through Jochi), Qasim Khanate (through Ulugh Muhammad ), the Kazakh Khanate (through Urus Khan ), the Great Horde (remnant of

5535-516: The History of Yuan and the Shengwu favour the year 1162. The 1167 dating, favoured by the sinologist Paul Pelliot , is derived from a minor source—a text of the Yuan artist Yang Weizhen —but is more compatible with the events of Genghis Khan's life than a 1155 placement, which implies that he did not have children until after the age of thirty and continued actively campaigning into his seventh decade. 1162

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5670-754: The Hulaguids of Persia , the Jochids of the Golden Horde , the Shaybanids of Siberia and Central Asia , and the Astrakhanids of Central Asia. As a rule, the Genghisid descent played a crucial role in Tatar politics. For instance, Mamai (1335–1380) had to exercise his authority through a succession of puppet khans but could not assume the title of khan himself because he lacked Genghisid lineage. Timur Lenk (1336–1405),

5805-754: The Khoshut Khanate were indirect descendants. They were descendants from a younger brother of Genghis Khan, Qasar . As the Russian Empire absorbed Turkic polities, their Genghizid rulers frequently entered the Russian service. For instance, Kuchum 's descendants became Russified as the Tsarevichs of Siberia . Descendants of Ablai Khan assumed in Russia the name of Princes Valikhanov . All these families asserted their Genghisid lineage. The only extant family of this group

5940-454: The Merkit tribe —the true paternity of her next child, a son named Jochi , was never known, although Temüjin accepted his legitimacy. Chagatai, born in late 1183 or 1184, was thus the first son definitively fathered by Temüjin. He had six younger full siblings: two brothers named Ögedei and Tolui , and four sisters named Checheyigen , Alaqa , Tümelün, and Al Altan . In 1206, having united

6075-552: The Mongol tribe to Yesügei , a chieftain who claimed descent from the legendary warlord Bodonchar Munkhag , and his principal wife Hö'elün , originally of the Olkhonud clan, whom Yesügei had abducted from her Merkit bridegroom Chiledu. The origin of his birth name is contested: the earliest traditions hold that his father had just returned from a successful campaign against the Tatars with

6210-815: The Mongol tribes , he launched a series of military campaigns , conquering large parts of China and Central Asia . Born between 1155 and 1167 and given the name Temüjin, he was the eldest child of Yesugei , a Mongol chieftain of the Borjigin clan , and his wife Hö'elün . When Temüjin was eight, his father died and his family was abandoned by its tribe. Reduced to near-poverty, Temüjin killed his older half-brother to secure his familial position. His charismatic personality helped to attract his first followers and to form alliances with two prominent steppe leaders named Jamukha and Toghrul ; they worked together to retrieve Temüjin's newlywed wife Börte , who had been kidnapped by raiders. As his reputation grew, his relationship with Jamukha deteriorated into open warfare. Temüjin

6345-605: The Pamir Mountains , but was captured by local hunters. Jebe had him beheaded and paraded his corpse through Qara Khitai, proclaiming the end of religious persecution in the region. Genghis had now attained complete control of the eastern portion of the Silk Road , and his territory bordered that of the Khwarazmian Empire , which ruled over much of Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan . Merchants from both sides were eager to restart trading, which had halted during Kuchlug's rule;

6480-601: The Qara Khitai state during the late 1100s, and contained a mixture of nomadic and sedentary populations. Chagatai and his descendants remained largely nomadic in the Mongol tradition and often disagreed with the governors of the settlements in Transoxiana, who were representatives not of the Chagatayids but of the ruler of the empire. Tension soon developed between one such official named Mahmud Yalavach and Chagatai. In 1238,

6615-415: The Secret History , are indicative of the emphasis its author put on Genghis' personal charisma. Temüjin returned to Dei Sechen to marry Börte when he reached the age of majority at fifteen. Delighted to see the son-in-law he feared had died, Dei Sechen consented to the marriage and accompanied the newlyweds back to Temüjin's camp; his wife Čotan presented Hö'elün with an expensive sable cloak. Seeking

6750-399: The Shengwu however imply that Yesügei's brothers stood by the widow. It is possible that Hö'elün may have refused to join in levirate marriage with one, resulting in later tensions, or that the author of the Secret History dramatised the situation. All the sources agree that most of Yesügei's people renounced his family in favour of the Tayichiuds and that Hö'elün's family were reduced to

6885-454: The Taj Mahal ), none of their remains have been tested to prove or disprove these theories and debate continues (see below). The family tree of Genghis Khan is listed below. This family tree only lists prominent members of the Borjigin family and does not reach the present. Genghis Khan appears in the middle of the tree, and Kublai Khan appears at the bottom of the tree. The Borjigin family

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7020-458: The Y-chromosomal haplogroup (and therefore patrilineal ancestry) of Genghis Khan. Zerjal et al. (2003) identified a Y-chromosomal lineage haplogroup C*(xC3c) present in about 8% of men in a region of Asia "stretching from northeast China to Uzbekistan ", which would be around 16 million men at the time of publication, "if [Zerjal et al's] sample is representative." The authors propose that

7155-556: The Yuan dynasty in 1271, he bestowed the temple name Taizu ( 太祖 , meaning 'Supreme Progenitor') and the posthumous name Shengwu Huangdi ( 聖 武 皇帝 , meaning 'Holy-Martial Emperor') upon his grandfather. Kublai's great-grandson Külüg Khan later expanded this title into Fatian Qiyun Shengwu Huangdi ( 法 天 啟 運 聖 武 皇帝 , meaning 'Interpreter of the Heavenly Law, Initiator of the Good Fortune, Holy-Martial Emperor'). As

7290-525: The "Great Mongol State", and to commanders who had gained their rank through merit and loyalty to the khan. This particular reform proved extremely effective—even after the division of the Mongol Empire , fragmentation never happened along tribal lines. Instead, the descendants of Genghis continued to reign unchallenged, in some cases until as late as the 1700s, and even powerful non-imperial dynasts such as Timur and Edigu were compelled to rule from behind

7425-462: The 20th-century sinologist Arthur Waley considered it a literary work with no historiographical value, but more recent historians have given the work much more credence. Although it is clear that the work's chronology is suspect and that some passages were removed or modified for better narration, the Secret History is valued highly because the anonymous author is often critical of Genghis Khan: in addition to presenting him as indecisive and as having

7560-532: The Genghis Khan hypothesis for the origin of the widespread Asian expansion lineage (Zerjal et al. 2003). Over the years, following haplogroups have been proposed as candidates: Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin ; c.  1162  – August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan , was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire . After spending most of his life uniting

7695-634: The Golden Horde), the Khanate of Bukhara (Shaybanid dynasty, later Janid dynasty, descendants of Astrakhanids), the Khanate of Khiva (descendants of Shiban , the fifth son of Jochi), the Yarkent Khanate (through Chagatai Khan), the Arghun dynasty (claimed their descent Ilkhanid-Mongol Arghun Khan ), the Kumul Khanate (through Chagatai Khan) and the Khanate of Kokand (Shaybanid dynasty). The khans of

7830-653: The Indus in November 1221, and commanded the rearguard during his father's final campaign against the Western Xia state. The tribes of the Mongol steppe had no fixed succession system, and instead tended to elect a successor at a kurultai after the death of a ruler; importantly, the kurultai was not obliged to follow the wishes of the previous ruler. Although some Mongols argued that Chagatai's traits would make him an excellent successor to his father, Genghis thought that he

7965-780: The Jin dynasty in 1211 and the invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire in 1219. During the latter, he was appointed to a key role in organising logistics in addition to battlefield responsibilities, but was censured after feuding with Jochi during the Siege of Gurganj . After the campaign, Chagatai was granted large tracts of conquered land in Central Asia, which he ruled until his death. He quarrelled with civil officials such as Mahmud Yalavach over matters of jurisdiction and advised Ögedei on questions of rulership. Chagatai died shortly after Ögedei in 1242; his descendants would rule his territories as

8100-427: The Jin throne in 1209. He had previously served on the steppe frontier and Genghis greatly disliked him. When asked to submit and pay the annual tribute to Yongji in 1210, Genghis instead mocked the emperor, spat, and rode away from the Jin envoy—a challenge that meant war. Despite the possibility of being outnumbered eight-to-one by 600,000 Jin soldiers, Genghis had prepared to invade the Jin since learning in 1206 that

8235-424: The Khwarazmian border town of Otrar , decided to massacre the merchants on grounds of espionage and seize the goods; Muhammad had grown suspicious of Genghis's intentions and either supported Inalchuq or turned a blind eye. A Mongol ambassador was sent with two companions to avert war, but Muhammad killed him and humiliated his companions. The killing of an envoy infuriated Genghis, who resolved to leave Muqali with

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8370-401: The Khwarazmian ruler Muhammad II dispatched an envoy shortly after the Mongol capture of Zhongdu, while Genghis instructed his merchants to obtain the high-quality textiles and steel of Central and Western Asia. Many members of the altan uruq invested in one particular caravan of 450 merchants which set off to Khwarazmia in 1218 with a large quantity of wares. Inalchuq , the governor of

8505-499: The Korean Goryeo dynasty became descendants of the Genghisids through the marriage between King Chungnyeol (reigned 1274–1308) and a daughter of Kublai Khan . All subsequent rulers of Korea for the next 80 years, through King Gongmin , also married Borjigid princesses. At a later period, Tatar potentates of Genghisid stock included the khans of Qazan and Qasim (notably a Russian tsar , Simeon Bekbulatovich , formally Grand Prince of All Rus' from 1575 to 1576, died 1616) and

8640-469: The Mongol social hierarchy in his favour. The highest tier was occupied solely by his and his brothers' families, who became known as the altan uruq ( lit. 'Golden Family') or chaghan yasun ( lit. 'white bone'); underneath them came the qara yasun ( lit. 'black bone'; sometimes qarachu ), composed of the surviving pre-empire aristocracy and the most important of the new families. To break any concept of tribal loyalty, Mongol society

8775-451: The Mongols , the boy was sent to Genghis by Chilger , who had kidnapped his first wife Börte , keeping her in captivity for about a year. In one passage, Chagatai refers to Jochi as "bastard" (although the true meaning of the Mongol term is obscure). To this, Genghis Khan responds: "How dare you talk about Jochi like this? Is not he the eldest of my heirs? That I never heard such wicked words again!" (p255). All in all, Genghis Khan pronounces

8910-415: The Mongols, although their neutrality and reliability are often suspect. Additional Chinese sources include the chronicles of the dynasties conquered by the Mongols, and the Song diplomat Zhao Hong , who visited the Mongols in 1221. Arabic sources include a contemporary biography of the Khwarazmian prince Jalal al-Din by his companion al-Nasawi . There are also several later Christian chronicles, including

9045-435: The Mongols. The Mongols had started raiding the border settlements of the Tangut -led Western Xia kingdom in 1205, ostensibly in retaliation for allowing Senggum, Toghrul's son, refuge. More prosaic explanations include rejuvenating the depleted Mongol economy with an influx of fresh goods and livestock , or simply subjugating a semi-hostile state to protect the nascent Mongol nation. Most Xia troops were stationed along

9180-432: The Naimans at Chakirmaut, was betrayed to Temüjin by companions who were executed for their lack of loyalty. According to the Secret History , Jamukha convinced his childhood anda to execute him honourably; other accounts state that he was killed by dismemberment . Now sole ruler of the steppe, Temüjin held a large assembly called a kurultai at the source of the Onon River in 1206. Here, he formally adopted

9315-473: The Onggirat women Yesülün and Tögen, the daughters of Börte's cousin Qata; Yesülün was his favourite and the mother of his favourite son Mutukan . His other named sons were Mochi Yaba, the son of one of Yesülün's servants and thus given little regard by his father, as well as Balgashi, Sarban, Yesu-Mongke , and Baidar , whose mothers are unknown. Chagatai was renowned for his expertise in Mongol laws and traditional customs, especially when it came to following

9450-519: The Qing dynasty and the emperor of Manchukuo were also indirect descendants by Qasar , a younger brother of Genghis Khan. Their ancestry traces Horchin princes established matrimonial relationship with the imperial family of Aisin Gioro . The Crimean Khanate Khan Meñli I Giray was the maternal grandfather of Suleiman the Magnificent through his daughter, Ayşe Hafsa Sultan . Thereafter, the Ottoman dynasty also claimed descent from Genghis Khan through his son Jochi . Scientists have speculated about

9585-465: The Tatars left three military powers in the steppe: the Naimans in the west, the Mongols in the east, and the Kereit in between. Seeking to cement his position, Temüjin proposed that his son Jochi marry one of Toghrul's daughters. Led by Toghrul's son Senggum, the Kereit elite believed the proposal to be an attempt to gain control over their tribe, while the doubts over Jochi's parentage would have offended them further. In addition, Jamukha drew attention to

9720-547: The Zerjal et al. hypothesis: Although such a connection is by no means impossible, we currently have no way of assessing how much confidence to place in such a connection. We emphasize, however, that whenever formal inferences about population history have been attempted with uniparental systems, the statistical power is generally low. Claims of connections, therefore, between specific uniparental lineages and historical figures or historical migrations of peoples are merely speculative. In

9855-555: The arrival of Jamukha and others defeated by the Mongols, and they prepared for war. Temüjin was informed of these events by Alaqush , the sympathetic ruler of the Ongud tribe. In May 1204, at the Battle of Chakirmaut in the Altai Mountains , the Naimans were decisively defeated: their leader Tayang Khan was killed, and his son Kuchlug was forced to flee west. The Merkits were decimated later that year, while Jamukha, who had abandoned

9990-515: The authority of Genghis's eldest son, and many others remained unwaveringly faithful to Genghis's will, and prevented any usurpation of power. Chagatai presided over the coronation ceremony alongside Tolui and their uncle Temüge and was a stalwart follower of Ögedei throughout his reign. In return, Ögedei often sought his elder brother's advice and sent his eldest son Güyük to serve as one of Chagatai's guards. Chagatai nevertheless chastised Ögedei for his excessive drinking and made him agree to limit

10125-482: The citadel before being captured himself. In revenge for Inalchuq's actions, the Mongols either killed or enslaved Otrar's entire population, while pillaging and destroying their town. Chagatai and Ögedei brought Inalchuq to their father at the siege of Samarkand , where he was publicly executed. Chagatai and Ögedei were then sent to join Jochi at the Siege of Gurganj , the capital of the Khwarazmian Empire . The siege

10260-490: The cities in the area between Hohhot and Datong , and then they followed the Taihang Mountains into Shanxi , where they pillaged and plundered in autumn 1213, capturing the pastures of their enemies' cavalry reserves. During the 1219 invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire , Chagatai was charged with building bridges and maintaining roads to speed the Mongol advance and keep lines of communication open, in which capacity he

10395-420: The daughter of an Onggirat chieftain named Dei Sechen . As the betrothal meant Yesügei would gain a powerful ally and as Börte commanded a high bride price , Dei Sechen held the stronger negotiating position, and demanded that Temüjin remain in his household to work off his future debt. Accepting this condition, Yesügei requested a meal from a band of Tatars he encountered while riding homewards alone, relying on

10530-494: The disobedient Jurkin tribe that had previously offended him at a feast and refused to participate in the Tatar campaign. After executing their leaders, he had Belgutei symbolically break a leading Jurkin's back in a staged wrestling match in retribution. This latter incident, which contravened Mongol customs of justice, was only noted by the author of the Secret History , who openly disapproved. These events occurred c. 1197. During

10665-473: The empire and that Jochi in reality retained primacy throughout the siege. Chagatai returned to his father's side during the siege of Taliqan , which fell in summer 1221. Unknown to him, his favourite son Mutukan had died while besieging Bamiyan , whose population was massacred by the Mongols at the request of Mutukan's widow. Genghis had been angered by Chagatai's failure to capture Gurganj without significant Mongol casualties, and he decided to teach his son

10800-409: The enmity of the native Islamic populace whom he attempted to forcibly convert to Buddhism . Genghis reckoned that Kuchlug could be a threat to his empire, and Jebe was sent with an army of 20,000 cavalry to the city of Kashgar ; he undermined Kuchlug's rule by emphasising the Mongol policies of religious tolerance and gained the loyalty of the local elite. Kuchlug was forced to flee southwards to

10935-557: The eponymous Chagatai Khanate . Chagatai's mother, Börte , was born into the Onggirat tribe, who lived along the Greater Khingan mountain range south of the Ergüne river , in modern-day Inner Mongolia . She married a Mongol leader named Temüjin c.  1178 after a seven-year betrothal. After giving birth to a daughter named Qojin, Börte was kidnapped and raped by members of

11070-419: The execution of his envoys; the campaign toppled the Khwarazmian state and devastated the regions of Transoxiana and Khorasan , while Jebe and his colleague Subutai led an expedition that reached Georgia and Kievan Rus' . In 1227, Genghis died while subduing the rebellious Western Xia; following a two-year interregnum , his third son and heir Ögedei acceded to the throne in 1229. Genghis Khan remains

11205-473: The following month. These border fortifications were guarded by Alaqush's Ongud, who allowed the Mongols to pass without difficulty. The three-pronged chevauchée aimed both to plunder and burn a vast area of Jin territory to deprive them of supplies and popular legitimacy, and to secure the mountain passes which allowed access to the North China Plain . The Jin lost numerous towns and were hindered by

11340-732: The following years, Temüjin and Toghrul campaigned against the Merkits, the Naimans, and the Tatars; sometimes separately and sometimes together. In around 1201, a collection of dissatisfied tribes including the Onggirat, the Tayichiud, and the Tatars swore to break the domination of the Borjigin-Kereit alliance, electing Jamukha as their leader and gurkhan ( lit.   ' "khan of the tribes" ' ). After some initial successes, Temüjin and Toghrul routed this loose confederation at Yedi Qunan , and Jamukha

11475-401: The foundations for larger states and had been the downfall of previous steppe confederations. Genghis thus began a series of administrative reforms designed to suppress the power of tribal affiliations and to replace them with unconditional loyalty to the khan and the ruling family. As most of the traditional tribal leaders had been killed during his rise to power, Genghis was able to reconstruct

11610-597: The founder of the Timurid dynasty , claimed descent from Genghis Khan. He associated himself with the family of Chagatai Khan through marriage. He never assumed the title Khan for himself, but employed two members of the Chagatai clan as formal heads of state. The Mughal imperial family of the Indian subcontinent descended from Timur through Babur and also from Genghis Khan (through his son Chagatai Khan ). The ruling Wang Clan of

11745-482: The friction, exacerbated by frequent disputes over the division of hunting spoils, intensified, Temüjin and his younger brother Qasar ambushed and killed Behter. This taboo act was omitted from the official chronicles but not from the Secret History , which recounts that Hö'elün angrily reprimanded her sons. Behter's younger full-brother Belgutei did not seek vengeance, and became one of Temüjin's highest-ranking followers alongside Qasar. Around this time, Temüjin developed

11880-513: The future Genghis Khan spent several years as a slave of the Jin. Formerly seen as an expression of nationalistic arrogance, the statement is now thought to be based in fact, especially as no other source convincingly explains Temüjin's activities between Dalan Baljut and c.  1195 . Taking refuge across the border was a common practice both for disaffected steppe leaders and disgraced Chinese officials. Temüjin's reemergence having retained significant power indicates that he probably profited in

12015-611: The lineage was likely carried by male-line descendants of Genghis Khan, because of its presence in certain ethnic groups rumored to be their descendants. One study published in the Russian Journal of Genetics found that 24% of Mongolians carry this haplogroup, and that it occurs in low frequencies in neighboring Turkic states (with the exception of Kazakhstan). A white paper by the American Society of Human Genetics Ancestry and Ancestry Testing Task Force, Royal et al. (2010) observed

12150-483: The name as J̌ingiz , while Syriac authors used Šīngīz . In addition to "Genghis", introduced into English during the 18th century based on a misreading of Persian sources, modern English spellings include "Chinggis", "Chingis", "Jinghis", and "Jengiz". His birth name "Temüjin" ( ᠲᠡᠮᠦᠵᠢᠨ ; 鐵木真 Tiěmùzhēn ) is sometimes also spelled "Temuchin" in English. When Genghis's grandson Kublai Khan established

12285-746: The number of cups of alcohol he drank; Ögedei managed to get around this restriction by finding a very large cup. After the conclusion of the Khwarazmian campaign, Chagatai had been allocated a wide span of territories in Central Asia, stretching from the former Uighur territories near Almaliq , which became his capital and summer pastures, to the Amu Darya river in Transoxiana , which served as his winter pastures. These territories, roughly encompassing modern Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan , southern Kazakhstan , and parts of Xinjiang in China, had been ruled by

12420-517: The order of Genghis's descendant Ghazan in the early 14th century. Ghazan allowed Rashid privileged access to both confidential Mongol sources such as the Altan Debter and to experts on the Mongol oral tradition, including Kublai Khan's ambassador Bolad Chingsang . As he was writing an official chronicle, Rashid censored inconvenient or taboo details. There are many other contemporary histories which include additional information on Genghis Khan and

12555-462: The original. The honorific most commonly rendered as "Genghis" ultimately derives from the Mongolian ᠴᠢᠩᠭᠢᠰ , which may be romanised as Činggis . This was adapted into Chinese as 成吉思 Chéngjísī , and into Persian as چنگیز Čəngīz . As Arabic lacks a sound similar to [ tʃ ] , represented in the Mongolian and Persian romanisations by ⟨ č ⟩, writers transcribed

12690-556: The plea. Genghis's attempt to redirect the Yellow River into the city with a dam initially worked, but the poorly-constructed earthworks broke—possibly breached by the Xia—in January 1210 and the Mongol camp was flooded, forcing them to retreat. A peace treaty was soon formalised: the Xia emperor Xiangzong submitted and handed over tribute, including his daughter Chaka, in exchange for the Mongol withdrawal. Wanyan Yongji usurped

12825-408: The population of Bukhara , led by a sieve-maker, revolted against tax demands—the rebellion attracted wide support and succeeded in expelling the Mongol garrison. Chagatai did not help and left the revolt to Ögedei, whose armies quickly suppressed the uprising; the population faced total slaughter but was spared after Mahmud argued that only a part had been involved. It is likely that Chagatai exploited

12960-573: The region's trade in grain and furs, as well as its gold mines . Mongol armies also rode westwards, defeating the Naiman-Merkit alliance on the River Irtysh in late 1208. Their khan was killed and Kuchlug fled into Central Asia . Led by Barchuk , the Uyghurs freed themselves from the suzerainty of the Qara Khitai and pledged themselves to Genghis in 1211 as the first sedentary society to submit to

13095-399: The rich city would become part of his domain and wished to damage it as little as possible. Chagatai on the other hand held no such qualms. When Genghis heard about this infighting, he ordered that Ögedei be promoted to command his brothers. The historian Christopher Atwood however argues that the narrative of fraternal conflicts was a later invention designed to buttress Ögedei's right to rule

13230-454: The same powers as his father. Chagatai also squabbled with Körgüz , his brother's governor in the region of Khorasan . After Ögedei's death from alcoholism in December 1241, Chagatai was the de facto kingmaker . Ögedei's favourite wife Möge initially assumed control but Töregene , the mother of his presumptive heir Güyük, sought to become regent; she crucially persuaded Chagatai that she

13365-400: The service of the Jin. As he later overthrew that state, such an episode, detrimental to Mongol prestige, was omitted from all their sources. Zhao Hong was bound by no such taboos. The sources do not agree on the events of Temüjin's return to the steppe. In early summer 1196, he participated in a joint campaign with the Jin against the Tatars, who had begun to act contrary to Jin interests. As

13500-621: The shaman's position as the Mongols' highest spiritual authority. During these years, the Mongols imposed their control on surrounding areas. Genghis dispatched Jochi northwards in 1207 to subjugate the Hoi-yin Irgen  [ ja ] , a collection of tribes on the edge of the Siberian taiga . Having secured a marriage alliance with the Oirats and defeated the Yenisei Kyrgyz , he took control of

13635-518: The situation to Mahmud's detriment, although the precise details are unknown. Soon afterwards, Chagatai transferred the control of certain lands under Mahmud's jurisdiction to one of his own followers. Mahmud complained to Ögedei, who ordered his brother to explain himself. Upon receiving an apology, Ögedei settled the tense situation to the satisfaction of all by sanctioning Chagatai's initial transfer, moving Mahmud to an important post in north China, and promoting Mahmud's son to govern in his place with

13770-452: The sole ruler on the Mongolian steppe. Temüjin formally adopted the title "Genghis Khan", the meaning of which is uncertain, at an assembly in 1206. Carrying out reforms designed to ensure long-term stability, he transformed the Mongols' tribal structure into an integrated meritocracy dedicated to the service of the ruling family. After thwarting a coup attempt from a powerful shaman , Genghis began to consolidate his power. In 1209, he led

13905-521: The sons of blacksmiths, in addition to a carpenter, a shepherd, and even the two herdsmen who had warned Temüjin of Toghrul's plans in 1203. As a special privilege, Genghis allowed certain loyal commanders to retain the tribal identities of their units. Alaqush of the Ongud was allowed to retain five thousand warriors of his tribe because his son had entered into an alliance pact with Genghis, marrying his daughter Alaqa. A key tool which underpinned these reforms

14040-566: The sources are written in more than a dozen languages from across Eurasia, modern historians have found it difficult to compile information on the life of Genghis Khan. All accounts of his adolescence and rise to power derive from two Mongolian-language sources—the Secret History of the Mongols , and the Altan Debter ( Golden Book ). The latter, now lost, served as inspiration for two Chinese chronicles—the 14th-century History of Yuan and

14175-541: The southern and eastern borders of the kingdom to guard against attacks from the Song and Jin dynasties respectively, while its northern border relied only on the Gobi desert for protection. After a raid in 1207 sacked the Xia fortress of Wulahai , Genghis decided to personally lead a full-scale invasion in 1209. Wulahai was captured again in May and the Mongols advanced on the capital Zhongxing (modern-day Yinchuan ) but suffered

14310-472: The state was wracked by internal instabilities. Genghis had two aims: to take vengeance for past wrongs committed by the Jin, foremost among which was the death of Ambaghai Khan in the mid-12th century, and to win the vast amounts of plunder his troops and vassals expected. After calling for a kurultai in March 1211, Genghis launched his invasion of Jin China in May, reaching the outer ring of Jin defences

14445-493: The steppe tradition of hospitality to strangers. However, the Tatars recognised their old enemy and slipped poison into his food. Yesügei gradually sickened but managed to return home; close to death, he requested a trusted retainer called Münglig to retrieve Temüjin from the Onggirat. He died soon after. Yesügei's death shattered the unity of his people, which included members of the Borjigin, Tayichiud , and other clans. As Temüjin

14580-541: The sweet and the bitter. If I break this word, may I be like the water of the River, drunk up by others." Among officers and men there was none who was not moved to tears. The History of Yuan , vol 120 (1370) Retreating southeast to Baljuna, an unidentified lake or river, Temüjin waited for his scattered forces to regroup: Bo'orchu had lost his horse and was forced to flee on foot, while Temüjin's badly wounded son Ögedei had been transported and tended to by Borokhula ,

14715-451: The tent of Sorkan-Shira , a man who had seen him in the river and not raised the alarm. Sorkan-Shira sheltered Temüjin for three days at great personal risk before helping him to escape. Temüjin was assisted on another occasion by Bo'orchu , an adolescent who aided him in retrieving stolen horses. Soon afterwards, Bo'orchu joined Temüjin's camp as his first nökor ('personal companion'; pl. nökod ). These incidents, related by

14850-610: The territories which became known as the Chagatai Khanate . Although Chagatai's loyalty to nomadic customs meant that he constructed no more than pools for waterfowl , storehouses, and small villages in his territories, he was a capable ruler who recruited both foreign educated experts and local Uighur officials to help administer his realm. Because Chagatai was a strict upholder of the traditional Mongol law, which forbade various elements of Islamic Sharia law , such as animal slaughter , ritual hygiene , or public prayer , he gained

14985-543: The threat Temüjin posed to the traditional steppe aristocracy by his habit of promoting commoners to high positions, which subverted social norms. Yielding eventually to these demands, Toghrul attempted to lure his vassal into an ambush, but his plans were overheard by two herdsmen. Temüjin was able to gather some of his forces, but was soundly defeated at the Battle of Qalaqaljid Sands . "[Temüjin] raised his hands and looking up at Heaven swore, saying "If I am able to achieve my 'Great Work', I shall [always] share with you men

15120-491: The throne. Jochi was also eliminated because of his rumoured illegitimacy, although Genghis himself did not care. Their younger brother Ögedei was eventually designated as heir. After the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, Chagatai played a role in stabilising the empire before Ögedei's accession in 1229. Tolui, who assumed the regency and who had also been a candidate for succession, considered attempting to gain power himself. Chagatai, who after Jochi's death c.  1225 held

15255-460: The time the conflict resumed in 1213, but a Mongol detachment led by Jebe managed to infiltrate the pass and surprise the elite Jin defenders, opening the road to the Jin capital Zhongdu (modern-day Beijing ). The Jin administration began to disintegrate: after the Khitans , a tribe subject to the Jin, entered open rebellion, Hushahu, the commander of the forces at Xijing, abandoned his post and staged

15390-434: The title "Genghis Khan", the etymology and meaning of which have been much debated. Some commentators hold that the title had no meaning, simply representing Temüjin's eschewal of the traditional gurkhan title, which had been accorded to Jamukha and was thus of lesser worth. Another theory suggests that the word "Genghis" bears connotations of strength, firmness, hardness, or righteousness. A third hypothesis proposes that

15525-497: The title is related to the Turkic tängiz ('ocean'), the title "Genghis Khan" would mean "master of the ocean", and as the ocean was believed to surround the earth, the title thus ultimately implied "Universal Ruler". Having attained control over one million people, Genghis Khan began a "social revolution", in May's words. As traditional tribal systems had primarily evolved to benefit small clans and families, they were unsuitable as

15660-525: The tribes of Mongolia , Temüjin held a large assembly called a kurultai where he was acclaimed as "Genghis Khan". He began to reorder his new nation, dividing it between members of his ruling dynasty. Chagatai was granted territories near the Altai Mountains , where the Naiman tribe had previously ruled. He also received either 4,000 or 8,000 subjects, drawn from the Jalayir , Barlas , Suldus , Sonit, and Dughlat tribes. Chagatai's two primary wives were

15795-653: The will of the khan. According to some sources, Genghis entrusted him and his adopted brother Shigi Qutuqu with administering the legal code known as the Yasa . Medieval chroniclers such as Juzjani noted his strictness in interpreting the law and the harshness of his temperament. Alongside his brothers Jochi and Ögedei, Chagatai commanded the right wing in the 1211 invasion of the Chinese Jin dynasty . The Mongols marched southwards from Genghis's campaign headquarters in modern Inner Mongolia in November 1211: first they attacked

15930-551: The words "Jochi is my eldest son" thrice (p210, 242, 254). Modern historians speculate that Jochi's disputed paternity was the reason for his eventual estrangement from his father and for the fact that his descendants never succeeded to the imperial throne. On the other hand, Genghis always treated Jochi as his first son, while the failure of the Jochid succession may be explained by Jochi's premature death (which may have excluded his progeny from succession). Another important consideration

16065-444: Was badly defeated in c.  1187 , and may have spent the following years as a subject of the Jin dynasty ; upon reemerging in 1196, he swiftly began gaining power. Toghrul came to view Temüjin as a threat and launched a surprise attack on him in 1203. Temüjin retreated, then regrouped and overpowered Toghrul; after defeating the Naiman tribe and executing Jamukha, he was left as

16200-400: Was de facto an equal ally. Jamukha behaved cruelly following his victory at Dalan Baljut—he allegedly boiled seventy prisoners alive and humiliated the corpses of leaders who had opposed him. A number of disaffected followers, including Yesügei's follower Münglig and his sons, defected to Temüjin as a consequence; they were also probably attracted by his newfound wealth. Temüjin subdued

16335-516: Was aided by his retainer Zhang Rong (1158–1230). He and Ögedei took charge of the siege of the city of Otrar , whose governor Inalchuq had provoked the invasion, while their father and brothers moved on. Its inhabitants fought fiercely for five months but were weakened by the defection of a leading general, who was executed by Ögedei and Chagatai because of his disloyalty. The city eventually fell in February 1220; Inalchuq held out for another month in

16470-527: Was an eyewitness to the brutality of the Mongol conquests, and the hostility of his chronicle reflects his experiences. His contemporary Juvayni, who had travelled twice to Mongolia and attained a high position in the administration of a Mongol successor state , was more sympathetic; his account is the most reliable for Genghis Khan's western campaigns. The most important Persian source is the Jami' al-tawarikh ( Compendium of Chronicles ) compiled by Rashid al-Din on

16605-496: Was forced to beg for Toghrul's clemency. Desiring complete supremacy in eastern Mongolia, Temüjin defeated first the Tayichiud and then, in 1202, the Tatars; after both campaigns, he executed the clan leaders and took the remaining warriors into his service. These included Sorkan-Shira, who had come to his aid previously, and a young warrior named Jebe , who, by killing Temüjin's horse and refusing to hide that fact, had displayed martial ability and personal courage. The absorption of

16740-572: Was given in marriage to the younger brother of the now-deceased Chiledu. Temüjin appealed for aid from Toghrul and his childhood anda Jamukha, who had risen to become chief of the Jadaran tribe. Both chiefs were willing to field armies of 20,000 warriors, and with Jamukha in command, the campaign was soon won. A now-pregnant Börte was recovered successfully and soon gave birth to a son, Jochi ; although Temüjin raised him as his own, questions over his true paternity followed Jochi throughout his life. This

16875-497: Was humiliated and almost imprisoned on false charges before Hö'elün intervened by publicly reprimanding Genghis. Nevertheless, Kokechu's power steadily increased, and he publicly shamed Temüge, Genghis's youngest brother, when he attempted to intervene. Börte saw that Kokechu was a threat to Genghis's power and warned her husband, who still superstitiously revered the shaman but now recognised the political threat he posed. Genghis allowed Temüge to arrange Kokechu's death, and then usurped

17010-560: Was lengthy, lasting between four and seven months, and exceptionally fierce: the defiant Khwarazmian defenders forced the Mongol army to engage in bitter house-by-house urban warfare , with much of the city destroyed either by burning naphtha or flooding from collapsed dams. After the city's eventual fall in April 1221, its inhabitants were either killed or enslaved. The usual narrative of the siege recounts that Jochi and Chagatai quarrelled on how best to conduct its progress, as Jochi presumed that

17145-411: Was not yet ten and Behter around two years older, neither was considered experienced enough to rule. The Tayichiud faction excluded Hö'elün from the ancestor worship ceremonies which followed a ruler's death and soon abandoned her camp. The Secret History relates that the entire Borjigin clan followed, despite Hö'elün's attempts to shame them into staying by appealing to their honour. Rashid al-Din and

17280-518: Was only at this juncture that Genghis decided to fully conquer northern China. Muqali captured numerous towns in Liaodong during winter 1214–15, and although the inhabitants of Zhongdu surrendered to Genghis on 31 May 1215, the city was sacked. When Genghis returned to Mongolia in early 1216, Muqali was left in command in China. He waged a brutal but effective campaign against the unstable Jin regime until his death in 1223. In 1207, Genghis had appointed

17415-404: Was reorganised into a military decimal system. Every man between the age of fifteen and seventy was conscripted into a minqan ( pl. minkad ), a unit of a thousand soldiers, which was further subdivided into units of hundreds ( jaghun , pl. jaghat ) and tens ( arban , pl. arbat ). The units also encompassed each man's household, meaning that each military minqan

17550-463: Was suitable, and with his support attained the position. Chagatai died in 1242; he was replaced as the senior Genghisid prince by Jochi's son Batu . Yesülün accused one of Chagatai's stewards, an Uighur from North China named Vajir, of poisoning him, and had him executed. Chagatai was succeeded in Central Asia by Qara Hülegü , the son of Mutukan, but he was usurped by his drunkard uncle Yesü-Möngke between 1246 and 1250, causing long-term weaknesses in

17685-403: Was supported by a minqan of households in what May has termed "a military–industrial complex ". Each minqan operated as both a political and social unit, while the warriors of defeated tribes were dispersed to different minqad to make it difficult for them to rebel as a single body. This was intended to ensure the disappearance of old tribal identities, replacing them with loyalty to

17820-517: Was the expansion of the keshig ('bodyguard'). After Temüjin defeated Toghrul in 1203, he had appropriated this Kereit institution in a minor form, but at the 1206 kurultai its numbers were greatly expanded, from 1,150 to 10,000 men. The keshig was not only the khan's bodyguard, but his household staff, a military academy, and the centre of governmental administration. All the warriors in this elite corps were brothers or sons of military commanders and were essentially hostages. The members of

17955-454: Was the imperial house of the Mongol Empire (and its various successor states ), dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Only selected, prominent members are shown. Khagans (Great Khans who were rulers of the whole empire ) are in bold . Jochi , Genghis Khan's eldest son, had many more recorded progeny than his brothers Ögedei , Chagatai , and Tolui —but there is some doubt over his paternity. According to The Secret History of

18090-409: Was too inflexible in character, most notably never accepting the legitimacy of his elder brother Jochi , he excluded Chagatai from succession to the Mongol throne. He was nevertheless a key figure in ensuring the stability of the empire after Genghis's death and during the reign of his younger brother Ögedei Khan . Chagatai held military commands alongside his brothers during the Mongol conquest of

18225-404: Was too strict and narrow-minded, indicating a degree of inflexibility that did not suit a ruler. Genghis was also concerned about Chagatai's intense dislike for Jochi, whom Chagatai regarded as illegitimate: at one family meeting, he reportedly called his brother a "Merkit bastard" and started brawling with him in front of their father. For these reasons, Genghis excluded Chagatai from succession to

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