Ariq Böke (after 1219–1266), the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka ( mn, Аригбөх, Arigböh, ; ), was the seventh and youngest son of
Tolui and a grandson of
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
. After the death of his brother the Great Khan
Möngke, Ariq Böke claimed the title of the
Great Khan of the
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...
and briefly took power while his brothers
Kublai and
Hulagu were absent from the
Mongolian Plateau. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected both claimants, Kublai and Ariq Böke, to the throne, resulting in the
Toluid Civil War
The Toluid Civil War was a war of succession fought between Kublai Khan and his younger brother, Ariq Böke, from 1260 to 1264. Möngke Khan died in 1259 with no declared successor, precipitating infighting between members of the Tolui family ...
that
fragmented the Mongol Empire. Ariq Böke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother Kublai was supported by the senior princes of
North China
North China, or Huabei () is a geographical region of China, consisting of the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Part of the larger region of Northern China (''Beifang''), it lies north of the Qinling–Hu ...
and
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
.
Early years
Ariq Böke was the youngest son of
Sorghaghtani Beki and
Tolui, the youngest son of
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
. When Genghis died in 1227, the leadership of the Empire passed to Genghis' third son (Ariq Böke's uncle), Ögedei. He peacefully attended the elections of both his uncle, Great Khan
Ögedei and Ögedei's successor and eldest son,
Güyük. After his eldest brother Möngke was enthroned in 1250, his family became even more powerful among the
Chingisids. His mother was Christian and Ariq Böke was also known for being sympathetic towards Christianity; this is known from the account of
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
William of Rubruck, an envoy of
Louis IX of France who wrote that he observed Ariq Böke make the sign of cross and state that "We know that the Messiah
esusis God". A
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
tutor was arranged for Ariq Böke, at the behest of his elder brother
Kublai Khan
Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of ...
, but Ariq Böke did not take to
Chinese scholars the way his elder brother had.
Succession struggle
Great Khan
When
Ögedei Khan died, a power struggle erupted, with leadership then passing to Ögedei's son
Güyük in 1246, though Güyük died only two years later, in 1248. After another struggle, the sons of Tolui, Ögedei's brother, took power. The first of Tolui's sons to be Great Khan was
Möngke, who proceeded with Kublai to conquer
Southern China and the
Southern Song Dynasty. Their brother Hulagu led the Mongol advance westward, conquering
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
and proceeding into
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and towards
Palestine. During this time, all affairs of the Heartland were left under the control of their brother Ariq Böke.
When Möngke died in 1259, Ariq Böke was elected Khan in the absence of his brothers, and had the support of most of the existing ministers and powerful families in the capital of
Karakorum
Karakorum ( Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian Script:, ''Qaraqorum''; ) was the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan dynasty in the 14–15th centuries. Its ruins lie in t ...
, such as Möngke's family, and other princes of the Golden family along with other forces in the capital of
Karakorum
Karakorum ( Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian Script:, ''Qaraqorum''; ) was the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan dynasty in the 14–15th centuries. Its ruins lie in t ...
including
Torguud royal bodyguards and
White Horde elites, as well as the
Oirats, who were allied with him as one of the Oirat leaders was married to his daughter. However, when Kublai and Hulagu received news of Möngke's death, they aborted their own battles in order to return to the capital to decide the matter of succession. In May 1260, Kublai was elected khan by his own supporters, to rival the claim of Ariq Böke. A civil war subsequently broke out between the brothers for the leadership of the Empire. For example, when the
Chagatai Khanate needed a new leader, Kublai attempted to send Abishqa, who was loyal to him. But Ariq Böke had Abishqa captured and eventually killed, and instead installed his own ally
Alghu. Ariq Böke ordered Alghu to defend the area from both the forces of Hulagu, and the possible presence of
Berke
Berke Khan (died 1266) (also Birkai; , tt-Cyrl, Бәркә хан) was a grandson of Genghis Khan and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire) who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue ...
of the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...
. But Alghu deserted Ariq Böke, killing his envoys for treasure, while
Kaidu remained loyal to Ariq Böke. Alghu and Ariq Böke were soon in direct conflict, with Alghu winning the first engagement, but then at the second, Ariq Böke was victorious, and forced Alghu to flee westward.
Surrender
Eventually, as the war continued between Ariq Böke and his brother Kublai, the former's forces weakened. Kublai had powerful Mongol cavalry troops,
Mongolian,
Manchurian,
Han,
Kipchak and numerous
Chinese and
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...
infantry units. Kublai's supporter
Kadan, a son of
Ögedei, crushed Ariq Böke's force under General Alandar, and Ariq Böke twice lost control of the capital of Karakorum. Kublai also blockaded all trade to Mongolia from
North China
North China, or Huabei () is a geographical region of China, consisting of the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Part of the larger region of Northern China (''Beifang''), it lies north of the Qinling–Hu ...
, in order to cut the food supply. Ariq Böke finally submitted to Kublai in 1263. He was imprisoned by Kublai and died mysteriously a few years after his surrender, leading to rumors that he had been secretly poisoned.
Legacy
According to scholar David Morgan, "Ariq Böke can be seen as representing an influential school of thought among the Mongols, which Kublai through his actions and attitudes after 1260 opposed. Some Mongols felt there was a dangerous drift towards softness, typified in those like Kublai who thought there was something to be said for settled civilization and for the Chinese way of life. In the traditionalist view, the Mongol center ought to remain in Mongolia, and the Mongols' nomadic life be preserved uncontaminated. China ought merely to be exploited. Ariq Böke came to be regarded as this faction's figurehead." This legacy was continued by
Kaidu (Khaidu). Although Ariq Böke lost power, some of his descendants later became important figures in the
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...
and the
Northern Yuan dynasty
The Northern Yuan () was a dynastic regime ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Ji ...
, and the lineage of both
Ilkhan Arpa Ke'un and
Yesüder can be traced back to Ariq Böke.
Descendants of Ariq Böke
*Ariq Böke (阿里不哥/ālǐbúgē,اریغ بوکا/Arīq būkā)
**(薬木忽兒/yàomùhūěr, یوبوقور/Yūbūqūr)
**(明里帖木兒/mínglǐ tiēmùér, ملک تیمور/Melik tīmūr)
***Mingγan(منگقان/Mingqān)
****Söse(سوسه/Sūsa)
*****
Arba Ku'ün(ارپا كاون/Arpā Kāūn)
**(乃剌忽不花/nǎiláhū búhuā,نایرو بوقا/Nāīrū būqā)
Khagans of imprecise origin from Ariq Böke
[''Shajrat Ul Atrak: Or The Genealogical Tree Of The Turks And Tatars'' /books.google.com/books?id=ZLw-AAAAcAAJ&pg=219 P.219 /books.google.com/books?id=ZLw-AAAAcAAJ&pg=220 P.220]
*
Jorightu Khan Yesüder
Jorightu Khan ( mn, Зоригт хаан ; ), (1358–1391) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1388 to 1391. The identity of Jorightu is disputed: some scholars believe that Jorightu was the same individual as Yesüder (), ...
(1388–1391) – first khan replaced Kublaid rule in Mongolia
*
Engke Khan
Engke ( mn, Энх ; ), (?–1394) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning for a brief period from 1391 to 1394. The identity of Engke is the subject of an academic dispute: according to Persian history books that Jorightu was Yesüd ...
(1391–1394) – son of Yesüder
*
Gün Temür Khan
Gün Temür ( mn, Гүнтөмөр; Mongolian script: ; ), regnal name Toqoqan Khan ( mn, Тогоон хаан; ), (1377–1402) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1400 to 1402. ''Erdeniin Tobchi'' claimed that Gün Temür w ...
(1399–1402) –
*
Delbeg Khan (Dalbag) (1412–1415) – supported by Oriats
*
Oyiradai
Oyiradai ( mn, Ойрадай; ), (?–1425) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1415 to 1425. Oyiradai ascended to the throne with the help of the Oirats after Delbeg Khan was killed by eastern Mongols led by Adai Khan or pe ...
(1415–1425) – supported by Oriats
See also
*
Toluid Civil War
The Toluid Civil War was a war of succession fought between Kublai Khan and his younger brother, Ariq Böke, from 1260 to 1264. Möngke Khan died in 1259 with no declared successor, precipitating infighting between members of the Tolui family ...
References
Bibliography
*
*René Grousset ''Empire of the Steppes''
*
*
*Jack Wheaterford ''Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World''
*John Man ''Kublai Khan''
*H. H. Howorth ''History of the Mongols Part II''.
Karma Pakshi, Buddhist teacher of Ariq Boke.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boke, Ariq
1266 deaths
History of Mongolia
13th-century Mongol rulers
Year of birth unknown
Year of birth uncertain
Kerait people