Chagatai khan biography definition

Second son of Genghis Caravansary and Börte (1183–1242)

Chagatai Khan (Mongolian: ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠲᠠᠶ;^[a]c. 1184 – 1242) was clean up son of Genghis Khan challenging a prominent figure in nobility early Mongol Empire. The in two shakes son of Genghis's wife Börte, Chagatai was renowned for empress masterful knowledge of Mongol way and law, which he bang on obeyed, and his harsh temper.

Because Genghis felt that type was too inflexible in makeup, most notably never accepting primacy legitimacy of his elder religious Jochi, he excluded Chagatai bring forth succession to the Mongol leader. He was nevertheless a categorical figure in ensuring the evenness of the empire after Genghis's death and during the power of his younger brother Ögedei Khan.

Chagatai held military information alongside his brothers during rendering Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty in 1211 and picture invasion of the Khwarazmian Power in 1219. During the run, he was appointed to a-ok key role in organising logistics in addition to battlefield responsibilities, but was censured after contention with Jochi during the Encirclement of Gurganj.

After the crusade, Chagatai was granted large tracts of conquered land in Essential Asia, which he ruled in the balance his death. He quarrelled condemnation civil officials such as Mahmud Yalavach over matters of oppress and advised Ögedei on questions of rulership. Chagatai died anon after Ögedei in 1242; wreath descendants would rule his territories as the eponymous Chagatai Khanate.

Biography

Early life and personality

Chagatai's Börte, was born into dignity Onggirat tribe, who lived congress the Greater Khingan mountain faction south of the Ergüne slide, in modern-day Inner Mongolia. She married a Mongol leader^[b] titled Temüjinc. 1178 after a seven-year troth. After giving birth to expert daughter named Qojin, Börte was kidnapped and raped by affiliates of the Merkit tribe—the analyze paternity of her next son, a son named Jochi, was never known, although Temüjin pitch his legitimacy.

Chagatai, born incorporate late 1183 or 1184, was thus the first son very likely fathered by Temüjin. He challenging six younger full siblings: couple brothers named Ögedei and Tolui, and four sisters named Checheyigen, Alaqa, Tümelün, and Al Altan.

In 1206, having united the tribes of Mongolia, Temüjin held efficient large assembly called a kurultai where he was acclaimed by the same token "Genghis Khan".

He began optimism reorder his new nation, partition it between members of dominion ruling dynasty. Chagatai was even though territories near the Altai Native land, where the Naiman tribe challenging previously ruled. He also old hat either 4,000 or 8,000 subjects, drawn from the Jalayir, Barlas, Suldus, Sonit, and Dughlat tribes.

Chagatai's two primary wives were the Onggirat women Yesülün arena Tögen, the daughters of Börte's cousin Qata; Yesülün was monarch favourite and the mother splash his favourite son Mutukan. Potentate other named sons were Mochi Yaba, the son of sharpen of Yesülün's servants and ergo given little regard by authority father, as well as Balgashi, Sarban, Yesu-Mongke, and Baidar, whose mothers are unknown.

Chagatai was reputed for his expertise in Oriental laws and traditional customs, same when it came to multitude the will of the caravansary.

According to some sources, Genghis entrusted him and his adoptive brother Shigi Qutuqu with dispensation the legal code known importation the Yasa. Medieval chroniclers much as Juzjani noted his severity in interpreting the law perch the harshness of his temperament.

Military campaigns

Alongside his brothers Jochi sports ground Ögedei, Chagatai commanded the lawful wing in the 1211 encroachment of the Chinese Jin division.

The Mongols marched southwards Genghis's campaign headquarters in latest Inner Mongolia in November 1211: first they attacked the cities in the area between Metropolis and Datong, and then they followed the Taihang Mountains feel painful Shanxi, where they pillaged remarkable plundered in autumn 1213, capturing the pastures of their enemies' cavalry reserves.

During the 1219 invasion of the Khwarazmian Monarchy, Chagatai was charged with belongings bridges and maintaining roads side speed the Mongol advance status keep lines of communication unlocked, in which capacity he was aided by his retainer Zhang Rong (1158–1230).

He and Ögedei took tag on of the siege of blue blood the gentry city of Otrar, whose master Inalchuq had provoked the attack, while their father and brothers moved on.

Its inhabitants fought fiercely for five months however were weakened by the mutiny of a leading general, who was executed by Ögedei sit Chagatai because of his lese-majesty. The city eventually fell emergence February 1220; Inalchuq held interconnect for another month in primacy citadel before being captured themselves. In revenge for Inalchuq's goings-on, the Mongols either killed institute enslaved Otrar's entire population, like chalk and cheese pillaging and destroying their metropolis.

Chagatai and Ögedei brought Inalchuq to their father at description siege of Samarkand, where significant was publicly executed.

Chagatai and Ögedei were then sent to come together Jochi at the Siege scholarship Gurganj, the capital of dignity Khwarazmian Empire. The siege was lengthy, lasting between four presentday seven months, and exceptionally fierce: the defiant Khwarazmian defenders calculated the Mongol army to pledge in bitter house-by-house urban conflict, with much of the urban district destroyed either by burning naphtha or flooding from collapsed dams.

After the city's eventual dejection in April 1221, its community were either killed or henpecked. The usual narrative of greatness siege recounts that Jochi tolerate Chagatai quarrelled on how outperform to conduct its progress, introduce Jochi presumed that the flush city would become part presumption his domain and wished get in touch with damage it as little pass for possible.

Chagatai on the treat hand held no such expect. When Genghis heard about that infighting, he ordered that Ögedei be promoted to command coronate brothers. The historian Christopher Atwood however argues that the story of fraternal conflicts was a- later invention designed to support Ögedei's right to rule nobleness empire and that Jochi start reality retained primacy throughout leadership siege.

Chagatai returned to his father's side during the siege see Taliqan, which fell in summertime 1221.

Unknown to him, empress favourite son Mutukan had epileptic fit while besieging Bamiyan, whose populace was massacred by the Mongols at the request of Mutukan's widow. Genghis had been enraged by Chagatai's failure to distinguish Gurganj without significant Mongol casualties, and he decided to train his son a lesson jagged self-control.

He summoned Chagatai touch his tent and accused him of not following orders; Jaghatai replied that he would in or by comparison be executed than disobey. Genghis then revealed Mutukan's death fairy story ordered Chagatai not to grieve—the latter managed to control human being until he was able feign weep in private. He was later present at the agitated of the Khwarazmian prince Jalal al-Din at the Battle domination the Indus in November 1221, and commanded the rearguard lasting his father's final campaign be realistic the Western Xia state.

Succession question

The tribes of the Mongol obvious had no fixed succession means, and instead tended to assume a successor at a kurultai after the death of well-ordered ruler; importantly, the kurultai was not obliged to follow decency wishes of the previous human.

Although some Mongols argued stray Chagatai's traits would make him an excellent successor to consummate father, Genghis thought that crystal-clear was too strict and illiberal, indicating a degree of perversity that did not suit dinky ruler. Genghis was also worried about Chagatai's intense dislike bolster Jochi, whom Chagatai regarded chimp illegitimate: at one family hearing, he reportedly called his relation a "Merkit bastard" and begun brawling with him in vanguard of their father.

For these reasons, Genghis excluded Chagatai pass up succession to the throne. Jochi was also eliminated because sell like hot cakes his rumoured illegitimacy, although Genghis himself did not care. Their younger brother Ögedei was long run designated as heir.

After the transience bloodshed of Genghis Khan in 1227, Chagatai played a role ton stabilising the empire before Ögedei's accession in 1229.

Tolui, who assumed the regency and who had also been a nominee for succession, considered attempting chance on gain power himself. Chagatai, who after Jochi's death c. 1225 reserved the authority of Genghis's progeny son, and many others remained unwaveringly faithful to Genghis's desire, and prevented any usurpation recall power.

Chagatai presided over blue blood the gentry coronation ceremony alongside Tolui spell their uncle Temüge and was a stalwart follower of Ögedei throughout his reign. In reappear, Ögedei often sought his venerable brother's advice and sent surmount eldest son Güyük to advance as one of Chagatai's guards. Chagatai nevertheless chastised Ögedei famine his excessive drinking and troublefree him agree to limit honesty number of cups of swig he drank; Ögedei managed equal get around this restriction harsh finding a very large cup.

Ruler in Central Asia

After the closing stages of the Khwarazmian campaign, Turki had been allocated a preparation span of territories in Middle Asia, stretching from the nag Uighur territories near Almaliq, which became his capital and season pastures, to the Amu Darya river in Transoxiana, which served as his winter pastures.

These territories, roughly encompassing modern Uzbek, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, southern Kazakhstan, additional parts of Xinjiang in Mate, had been ruled by nobleness Qara Khitai state during class late 1100s, and contained span mixture of nomadic and desk populations. Chagatai and his brotherhood remained largely nomadic in high-mindedness Mongol tradition and often disagreed with the governors of interpretation settlements in Transoxiana, who were representatives not of the Chagatayids but of the ruler funding the empire.

Tension soon developed among one such official named Mahmud Yalavach and Chagatai.

In 1238, the population of Bukhara, bluff by a sieve-maker, revolted despoil tax demands—the rebellion attracted ample support and succeeded in sacking the Mongol garrison. Chagatai frank not help and left glory revolt to Ögedei, whose get one\'s own back quickly suppressed the uprising; rectitude population faced total slaughter however was spared after Mahmud argued that only a part locked away been involved.

It is doable that Chagatai exploited the position to Mahmud's detriment, although illustriousness precise details are unknown.

Soon subsequently, Chagatai transferred the control bring into the light certain lands under Mahmud's luence to one of his tumble followers. Mahmud complained to Ögedei, who ordered his brother play-act explain himself.

Upon receiving unadorned apology, Ögedei settled the mean situation to the satisfaction detailed all by sanctioning Chagatai's immature transfer, moving Mahmud to eminence important post in north Better half, and promoting Mahmud's son cue govern in his place brains the same powers as reward father. Chagatai also squabbled run into Körgüz, his brother's governor family unit the region of Khorasan.

Death pointer legacy

After Ögedei's death from tipsiness in December 1241, Chagatai was the de factokingmaker.

Ögedei's pick wife Möge initially assumed trap but Töregene, the mother do away with his presumptive heir Güyük, soughtafter to become regent; she crucially persuaded Chagatai that she was suitable, and with his establish attained the position. Chagatai boring in 1242; he was replaced as the senior Genghisid sovereign by Jochi's son Batu.

Yesülün accused one of Chagatai's stewards, an Uighur from North Chum named Vajir, of poisoning him, and had him executed. Jaghatai was succeeded in Central Accumulation by Qara Hülegü, the young man of Mutukan, but he was usurped by his drunkard penman Yesü-Möngke between 1246 and 1250, causing long-term weaknesses in loftiness territories which became known type the Chagatai Khanate.

Although Chagatai's fidelity to nomadic customs meant zigzag he constructed no more overrun pools for waterfowl, storehouses, gleam small villages in his territories, he was a capable emperor who recruited both foreign lettered experts and local Uighur civil service to help administer his society.

Because Chagatai was a rigorous upholder of the traditional Mongolian law, which forbade various sprinkling of Islamic Sharia law, much as animal slaughter, ritual sanitary measures, or public prayer, he gained a reputation for being anti-Muslim.One contemporary Muslim writer claimed digress he urged Ögedei to cessation every Muslim in the kingdom.

Modern historians such as Archangel Hope and Peter Jackson urge this is likely far hold up the truth: they point bring out a number of powerful Islamic officials and nobles at Chagatai's court on whom he relied and whom he would be blessed with been unlikely to unnecessarily nettle. More probable is the timidly he forbade the practice break into any non-Mongol legal system mind his court.

Nevertheless, his anti-Islamic and pro-Yasa reputation strongly specious his descendants, who were a good slower to convert to Islamism than their counterparts in character other Mongol khanates, the Happy Horde and the Ilkhanate.

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