Khutughtu Khan ( mn, Хутагт хаан;

Mongolian script The classical or traditional Mongolian script, also known as the , was the first writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most widespread until the introduction of Cyrillic in 1946. It is traditionally written ...

: ; ), born Kuśala (Mongolian: Хүслэн ; , sa, कुशल means virtuous/wholesome), also known by the

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

Mingzong (Emperor Mingzong of Yuan, ; 22 December 1300 – 30 August 1329), was a son of Khayishan who seized the throne of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

of China in 1329, but died soon after.Herbert Franke, Denis Twitchett, John King Fairbank-The Cambridge History of China: Alien regimes and border states, 907–1368, p. 545. Apart from the

Emperor of China ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...

, he is considered as the 13th

Great Khan Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakha ...

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, ...

, although it was only nominal due to the division of the empire.

Early life and exile

He was the eldest son of Khayishan (Külüg Khan or Emperor Wuzong) and a

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group indigenous peoples, native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia, Buryatia Republic of the Russia, Russ ...

-Ikhires woman. Due to the unstable balance present in the Khayishan administration with the tense rivalry between Khayishan, his younger brother Ayurbarwada and their mother Dagi of the Khunggirad clan, Khayishan appointed Ayurbarwada as Crown Prince on the condition that he would pass the status to Kuśala after succession. However, after Khayishan's death, Ayurbarwada succeeded to the throne in 1311. In 1320, Dagi, Temüder and other members of the Khunggirad faction installed Ayurbarwada's son Shidebala as the new ruler instead of Kuśala, due to the knowledge of Kuśala coming from an Ikhires background, rather than the more noble Khunggirad lineage. To ensure Shidebala's succession, Kuśala was rewarded with the title of king of Chou and relegated to

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...

in 1316; but fled to Esen Bukha-ruled

Chagatai Khanate The Chagatai Khanate, or Chagatai Ulus ( xng, , translit=Čaɣatay-yin Ulus; mn, Цагаадайн улс, translit=Tsagaadain Uls; chg, , translit=Čağatāy Ulusi; fa, , translit=Xânât-e Joghatây) was a Mongol and later Turkicized kh ...

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the f ...

, as a pro-Khayishan official advised, after a failed revolt in

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ningx ...

. When the

Chagatayid Khan The Chagatai Khans were the monarchs of the Chagatai Khanate from Chagatai Khan's inheritance of the state in 1227 to their removal from power by the Dzungars and their vassals in 1687. The power of the Chagatai Khans varied; from its beginnin ...

Esen Bukha heard that Kuśala was living near his realm, he came to greet him. After that, Kusala was backed by the Chagatayid princes. While in exile in Central Asia, he married Mailaiti, a daughter of Temuder of the Qarluq.

Brief accession and sudden death

Although the rival faction was purged by Yesün Temür Khan (Emperor Taiding) when Shidibala Khan (Emperor Yingzong) was assassinated, he remained in Central Asia. He extended his influence in his stronghold, which was located to the west of

Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters. The massif merges with the ...

. In 1328, when Yesün Temür Khan died, a civil war known as the

War of the Two Capitals The War of the Two Capitals (), or the Tianli Incident (), was a war of succession that occurred in 1328 in the Yuan dynasty. It was a war of succession fought between the forces based in the Yuan capital Khanbaliq (Dadu, modern Beijing) and the ...

erupted between

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 ( pre ...

-based Ragibagh and Dadu-based Tugh Temür. The former was a son of Yesün Temür and was backed up the former Yesün Temür administration led by Dawlat Shah, and the latter was Kuśala's younger brother who was supported by the former Khayishan faction led by the

Qipchaq The Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the Sec ...

commander El Temür and the Merkit commander Bayan, a governor in Henan. This ended in the victory of Tugh Temür since he secured support from most of the princes, aristocrats and warlords in the south of the Gobi Desert. Tugh Temür summoned his brother to come to Dadu. At the same time, Kuśala, with support from the Chaghadayid leaders

Eljigidey Eljigidey was khan of the Chagatai Khanate, a division of the Mongol Empire in 1326–1329. He was the son of Duwa. After the death of his brother Kebek, Eljigidey took control of the Chagatai Khanate. He was involved in the succession stru ...

and

Duwa Temür Duwa Temür (Дуватөмөр) or Tore Temur (Төртөмөр) was khan of the Chagatai Khanate for a period in 1329/1330. He was the son of Duwa. He surrendered to the forces of the Yuan dynasty in 1313 when Esen Buqa I revolted against Yua ...

, entered

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...

from the Tarbagatai region (in the

Khangai Mountains The Khangai Mountains ( mn, Хангайн нуруу, Hangain nuruu, ); form a range in central Mongolia, some west of Ulaanbaatar. Name Two provinces of Mongolia are named after the Khangai mountains: Arkhangai (North Khangai) and Ovorkhang ...

). He also got support from princes and generals of Mongolia, and with overwhelming military power in the background, put pressure on Tugh Temür, who had already ascended the throne. Kuśala enthroned himself on 27 February 1329, north of Karakorum. Tugh Temür abdicated on 3 April 1329, and a month later El Temür brought the imperial seal to Kuśala in Mongolia, announcing Dadu's intent to welcome him. Kuśala responded by making Tugh Temür his heir apparent on 15 May. Kuśala had proceeded to appoint his own loyal followers to important posts in the Secretariat, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Censorate. Taking 1,800 men with him, Kuśala set out for Dadu. On 26 August, he met with Tugh Temür in Ongghuchad (Onggachatu), where Tugh Temur had built the city of Zhongdu. He suddenly died only 4 days after a banquet with Tugh Temür. The

Yuan shi The ''History of Yuan'' (''Yuán Shǐ''), also known as the ''Yuanshi'', is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the ''Twenty-Four Histories'' of China. Commissioned by the court of the Ming dynasty, in accordance to political ...

states that the luckless Kuśala Khan died of violence. It seems that Kuśala was poisoned by El Temür, who feared losing power to princes and officers of the

and Mongolia, who followed Kuśala.Fujishima Tateki-Gen no Minso no shogai, p. 22. Tugh Temür was restored to the throne on 8 September.

Family

Khutughtu Khan had two wives who were Mailaiti, a descendant of the famous Qarluq chief, Arslan, who submitted to

Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

and Babusha of the Naiman. They gave birth to two Mongol emperors, including Toghon Temür, the last Mongolian emperor to rule China. * Parents: ** Külüg, Wuzong (; 4 August 1281 – 27 January 1311) ** Concubine Shoutong () * Wives and children: ** Mailaiti (; 1290's – 1320) *** Toghon Temür, Huizong (; 25 May 1320 – 23 May 1370), first son ** Anchuhan () ** Yuelusha () *** Princess Changguo () ** Buyanhuludou () ** Yesu () ** Tuohusi () ** Babusha (; d. 1330) *** '' Rinchinbal, Ningzong'' (; 1 May 1326 – 14 December 1332), second son ** Unknown *** Princess Minghui Zhenyi (), personal name Budaxini ()

References

*Ч.Далай – ''Монголын түүх 1260–1388'' *Д.Цэен-Ойдов – ''Чингис богдоос Лигдэн хутагт хүртэл монголын хаад'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Mingzong Great Khans of the Mongol Empire Yuan dynasty emperors Yuan dynasty Buddhists Chinese Buddhist monarchs 14th-century Chinese monarchs 14th-century Mongol rulers 1300 births 1329 deaths Murdered Chinese emperors Mongolian Buddhist monarchs

Early life and exile

Brief accession and sudden death

Family

See also

References