Dagi Khatun (, ; also known as Taji and Tagi) was a
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
noblewoman, mother of
Yuan emperors Külüg Khan
Külüg Khan ( Mongolian: Хүлэг; Mongolian script: ; ), born Khayishan (Mongolian: Хайсан ; , mn, Хайсан, meaning "wall"), also known by the temple name Wuzong (Emperor Wuzong of Yuan; ) (August 4, 1281 – January 27, 1311), P ...
and
Ayurbawada Khan.
Early life
Her early life is unknown. She was from
Khongirad
The Khongirad ( Mongolian: ᠬᠣᠩᠭᠢᠷᠠᠳ; Хонгирад; Khonghirad; ), also known as Qongirat (Qoŋğırat/Қоңғырат), was one of the major divisions of the Mongol tribes. Variations on the name include Onggirat, Ongirat, Q ...
clan, daughter of Kundu Temür, niece of
Chabi
Empress Chabi (, ; , c. 1216
–1281) was a Khongirad empress consort of the Yuan dynasty of Mongol, married to Kublai Khan (Emperor Shizu).
Life
She was born around 1216 to Alchi Noyan's son Anchen Noyan . Nephew of Börte from Khongirad tribe an ...
and cousin of
Nambui
Empress Nambui (,; , fl. 1294) was a Khongirad empress consort of the Yuan dynasty. She was married to Kublai Khan after the death of his first wife Chabi.
Biography
Her birthdate is unknown. She was daughter of Nachen Küregen from Khongirad, ...
. She was married to
Darmabala
Darmabala (also known as Dharmapala - , , , ) — was a Mongol prince, grandson of Kublai Khan, son of his Crown Prince Zhenjin. He was an ancestor of subsequent Yuan monarchs who came after Temür Khan and the Goryeo kings after Gongmin.
Biogr ...
, son of
Zhenjin
Zhenjin ( , ; 1240 – 1285 or January 5, 1286), also rendered as Jingim, Chinkim, or Chingkim, was a crown prince of the Yuan dynasty of China. He was the son of Kublai Khan and grandson of Tolui.
Life
He was born as second son to Kublai Khan a ...
, Crown Prince of Yuan around 1278.
After Darmabala's death in 1292, she was forced to raise her sons alone, allying herself to Kökejin, widow of Zhenjin. She came into conflict with
Empress Bulughan, widow of
Temür Khan
Öljeytü Khan ( Mongolian: Өлзийт; Mongolian script: '; ), born Temür ( mn, Төмөр ; ; October 15, 1265 – February 10, 1307), also known as Emperor Chengzong of Yuan () by his temple name ''Chengzong'', was the second emperor of the ...
in 1306. Bulugan attempted to set up
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Ananda, son of
Manggala
Manggala (; , ) was a prince of the Mongol-led Chinese Yuan dynasty. He was a son of the Yuan founding emperor Kublai Khan.
Biography
Manggala was born around 1242 to Kublai Khan and his principal wife Chabi as their third son. He was created P ...
as new khagan and exiled Dagi and his son Ayurbarwada to
Huaizhou.
Her alliance was supported by some senior officials of the Secretariat under Aqutai. Ananda was a popular prince who successfully protected the provinces of the Yuan against the
Ögedeid and
Chaghatayid armies and had a bulk of the imperial army under him in
Anxi. But he lacked of military power in the imperial capital city and was a Muslim opposed to the majority of the Buddhist and Tengriist Mongols. The Khongirad faction in court alarmed by it and under leadership of Khayishan and his 30.000 strong army, they arrested Ananda and Bulugan by
coup and recalled Ayurbarwada and Dagi Khatun from
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
. Then
Khayishan decided to hold the coronation ceremony in
Shangdu
Shangdu (, ), also known as Xanadu (; Mongolian: ''Šandu''), was the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty of China before Kublai decided to move his throne to the former Jin dynasty capital of Zhōngdū () which was renamed Khanbaliq ( presen ...
just as his great-grandfather
Khubilai 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 th ...
did, and advanced southward with the most part of his army. He was welcomed by Ayurbarwada, who gave up temporary khanship, and ascended to the throne. They executed Ananda, Bulugan and their retainers in 1307.
As empress dowager
During reign of Külüg
She was created empress upon ascendance of his son Külüg to khaganate
and was granted Longfu Palace in
Khanbaliq
Khanbaliq or Dadu of Yuan () was the winter capital of the Yuan dynasty of China in what is now Beijing, also the capital of the People's Republic of China today. It was located at the center of modern Beijing. The Secretariat directly administ ...
.
She was later granted Xingsheng Palace in 1308 and a new title associated with it in 1310. She was known as a patron of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
and befriended
Chungseon of Goryeo
Chungseon of Goryeo (20 October 1275 – 23 June 1325) (r. 1298 and 1308 – 1313), born Wang Won (Hangul: 왕원, Hanja: 王謜), later changed his name to Wang Jang (Hangul: 왕장, Hanja: 王璋), was the 26th ruler of the Goryeo Dynast ...
, attending Buddhist ceremonies in
Wutai Mountain
Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and as is a sacred Buddhist site at the headwaters of the Qingshui in Shanxi Province, China. Its central area is surrounded by a cluster of flat-topped peaks roughly corresponding to the ...
with him.
During reign of Ayurbarwada
Her influence only grew during reign of his second son Ayurbarwada. She found a powerful ally in person of Temüder (d. 1322), grand councillor. Temüder chipped away at the autonomy of the princely appanages and executed
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 Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
opponents. Since Temüder was viewed by Confucians as an "evil minister", opponents of fiscal centralization charged Temüder with
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
; and Ayurbawada had to dismiss him in 1317 despite influence of his mother.
During reign of Gegeen Khan
After Ayurbawada's death and start of her grandson
Gegeen Khan
Gegeen Khan ( Mongolian: Гэгээн хаан; Mongol script: ; ''Shidebal Gegegen qaγan''; ; born Shidibala (; 碩德八剌), also known by the temple name Yingzong (Emperor Yingzong of Yuan, Chinese: 元英宗, February 22, 1302 – September ...
's reign in early 1320 she returned to political scene, restoring Temüder to government. Gegeen was already installed as crown prince in 1316 under influence of Dagi, who saw him as more controllable.
[Herbert Franke, Denis Twitchett, John King Fairbank The Cambridge History of China: Alien regimes and border states, 907–1368, p. 527.] Temüder was appointed as his tutor after dismissal by Ayurbarwada. Dagi was also granted a new long title, as such she was one of few women in Chinese history who received multiple titles from reigning emperors.
Later years Gegeen grow more willful and eventually gained his political independence after deaths of Temüder and Dagi in 1322. She was posthumously renamed Empress Zhaoxian Yuansheng () on 22 March 1323 by Gegeen.
Titles
* Empress Dowager Zhaoxian Yuansheng (1307) by
Külüg Khan
Külüg Khan ( Mongolian: Хүлэг; Mongolian script: ; ), born Khayishan (Mongolian: Хайсан ; , mn, Хайсан, meaning "wall"), also known by the temple name Wuzong (Emperor Wuzong of Yuan; ) (August 4, 1281 – January 27, 1311), P ...
* Empress Dowager Tianyi Xingsheng Zhaoxian Yuansheng (1310) by
Külüg Khan
Külüg Khan ( Mongolian: Хүлэг; Mongolian script: ; ), born Khayishan (Mongolian: Хайсан ; , mn, Хайсан, meaning "wall"), also known by the temple name Wuzong (Emperor Wuzong of Yuan; ) (August 4, 1281 – January 27, 1311), P ...
* Empress Dowager Tianyi Xingsheng Zhaoxian Yuansheng Ciren Zhaoyi Shouyuan Quande Taining Fuqing (1315) by
Ayurbarwada Buyantu Khan
Buyantu Khan (Mongolian Language, Mongolian: Буянт хаан; Mongolian script: ; ), born Ayurbarwada (Mongolian: Аюурбарбад ; ), also known by the temple name Renzong (Emperor Renzong of Yuan (Standard Mandarin, Chinese: 元仁宗, ...
* Great Empress Dowager Tianyi Xingsheng Zhaoxian Yuansheng Ciren Zhaoyi Shouyuan Quande Taining Fuqing Huiwen Chongyou (1320) by
Gegeen Khan
Gegeen Khan ( Mongolian: Гэгээн хаан; Mongol script: ; ''Shidebal Gegegen qaγan''; ; born Shidibala (; 碩德八剌), also known by the temple name Yingzong (Emperor Yingzong of Yuan, Chinese: 元英宗, February 22, 1302 – September ...
References
{{Authority control
13th-century Mongolian women
1322 deaths
Yuan dynasty posthumous empresses