Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei (
Traditional Mongolian: ;
Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, ''Yesukhei baatar'', ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the
Khamag Mongol
Khamag Mongol ( mn, Хамаг монгол, Khamag mongol, lit=the whole Mongol; ) was a major Mongolic tribal confederation (khanlig) on the Mongolian Plateau in the 12th century. It is sometimes considered to be a predecessor state to the ...
confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as
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
, ...
. He was from the
Borjigin
A Borjigin, ; ; russian: Борджигин, Bordžigin; English plural: Borjigins or Borjigid (from Middle Mongolian);''Histoire des campagnes de Gengis Khan'', p. 119. Manchu plural: is a member of the Mongol sub-clan, which started with Bo ...
family, and his name literally means "like nine", meaning he had the auspicious qualities of the number nine, a lucky number to the
Mongols
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 membe ...
.
Life
Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the second son of
Khabul Khan
Khabul Khan ( mn, Хабул хан; ), also rendered as Qabul Khan, Kabul Khan and Khabul Khagan, (b. 1090s/1100 – d. 1130 CE.) was the founder and first known Khan of the Khamag Mongol confederation and great-grandfather of Genghis Khan. and ...
. Khabul was recognized as a
khagan
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, Khakhan ...
by the
Jin Dynasty. Khabul Khan was, in turn, the great grandson of the Mongol chief
Khaidu, the first to try to unite all of the Mongols. Yesügei's first and chief wife,
Hoelun
Hoelun (also Hoelun Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Өэлүн үжин, Өэлүн эх, ''Mother Hoelun'', Öülen/Oulen; ), 1140-1221 was the mother of Genghis Khan and the wife of his father Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederat ...
, a daughter of the
Olkhunut
Olkhunut ( Mongolian: Олхуноуд, Олхонууд, Олгонууд, Olhonuud; ) was the clan of Hoelun, the mother of Genghis Khan. They helped Genghis to defeat the Naimans. The Olkhunut people were very closely related to the Hongirad t ...
forest people, was abducted by Yesügei with help of his elder brother Negün Taishi and younger brother Daritai Otchigin, from her newlywed husband Chiledu of
Merkit
The Merkit (literally ''"skillful/wise ones"''; mn, ᠮᠡᠷᠬᠢᠳ ; Мэргид, translit=, Mergid; ) was one of the five major tribal confederations (''khanlig'') of probably Mongol s. Yesügei
abducted Hoelun because of her beauty and physical indications of fertility.
After the Khamag Mongol confederation khan
Hotula died, the confederation had no elected king, but ''de facto'' Yesügei ruled the confederation. Yesügei had a bloodbrother, or ''
anda
Anda or ANDA may refer to:
Places China
*Anda, Heilongjiang, a city in Heilongjiang, China
*Anda railway station, a railway station in Anda, China
Iran
*Anda, Iran, a village in Fars Province, Iran
Norway
*Anda, Norway, an island in Øksnes mun ...
'',
Toghrul Khan (later known as Wang Khan and Ong Khan). Yesügei helped Toghrul to defeat his uncle Gurkhan. After Yesügei's death, Toghrul initially helped Temüjin in arranging his marriage to
Börte
Börte (simply Borte, also Börte Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Бөртэ үжин; c. 1161–1230) was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis ...
and uniting the tribes, but later defected to Genghis' ''anda'' and rival,
Jamukha
Jamukha ( mn, Жамуха; ) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) in the unification of the Mongol tribes.
Biography
Jamukha was born in the Jadaran, a sub-tribe of the Khamag Mongol co ...
.
In 1171 Yesügei died when his son Temüjin was nine years old. The ''Secret History of the Mongols'' records that he was poisoned by
Tatars
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different while sharing a meal at a wedding
on the way home after leaving his son Temüjin at home of Dai Setsen, a noble man of
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 ...
tribe, when two fathers, Yesügei and Dai Setsen, agreed that their children, Temüjin and Börte, would marry in the future.
When Yesügei was on his way home after leaving Temüjin with Börte's family, he noticed an encampment where the Tatars were celebrating a feast. The ''Secret History'' explains that he wanted to join their feast, but he knew he can not reveal his real identity since he was known, among the Tatars, as the person who killed their relative (called Temüjin Uge) in a battle eight years earlier.
Yesügei tried his luck but someone recognized him and offered him poisoned food under the guise of hospitality. Although quite ill, Yesügei managed to escape back to his family's camp.
Yesügei died three days later at home with presence of this family and servants.
Legacy
During reign of
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 fifth ...
, he was given temple name of Liezu () and posthumous name Shenyuan Huangdi ().
Family
Yesügei and
Hoelun
Hoelun (also Hoelun Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Өэлүн үжин, Өэлүн эх, ''Mother Hoelun'', Öülen/Oulen; ), 1140-1221 was the mother of Genghis Khan and the wife of his father Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederat ...
had four sons
Temüjin
''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
, ...
, (later known as Genghis Khan),
Hasar
Qasar (also spelled Hasar or Khasar, and also known as Jo'chi Qasar; Mongolian: Жочи Хасар) was one of Genghis Khan's three full brothers. According to the ''Jami' al-Tawarikh'', his given name was Jo'chi and he got the nickname Khasar ...
,
Hachiun
Hachiun ( mn, Хачиун), also known as Hachiun Alchi ( mn, Хачиун Алчи) was a full-brother of Genghis Khan and the third child of Yesugei and Hoelun. "The Secret History of the Mongols
''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middl ...
,
Temüge
Temüge (1168–1246) was the youngest brother of Genghis Khan, second son of Yesugei .
''The Secret History of the Mongols'' tells that "when Temujin was 9 years of age, Temuge was three years old." Being the youngest boy in the family, he rece ...
and a daughter,
Temülen
Temülün (–?) was the youngest full sibling and only sister of Genghis Khan (born Temüjin), the famed founder and Khagan, Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Her parents were Yesugei, Yesügei, chief of the Borjigin clan in the Khamag Mongol conf ...
. Yesugei had two sons by his second wife
Sochigel
Sochigel ( Modern Mongolian: Сочигэл, Russian: Сочихэл, Chinese (Simplifed): 速赤格勒) was either a junior wife or concubine of Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and father of Genghis Khan. Sochigel's childre ...
:
Behter
Behter or Bekter ( mn, Бэхтэр; died 1180) was the son of Yesugei, chief of the Kiyad clan, and a junior wife named Sochigel or Suchigu in some sources and Ko'agjin in others. He was also half-brother of Genghis Khan, then known as Temujin. ...
and
Belgutei
Belgutei ( – ) was the son of Yesugei and Sochigel and half-brother to Genghis Khan. He also became general to Genghis Khan. Belgutei was considered a wise counselor and skilled diplomat, and was often used as a messenger by Genghis Khan. With ...
. The ''
Secret History of the Mongols
''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middle Mongol: ''Mongɣol‑un niɣuca tobciyan''; Traditional Mongolian: , Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ) is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. It was written for the Mongol royal fam ...
'' records that in his youth Temüjin killed his brother Behter in a fight for food. His other half-brother, Belgutei, however was a good friend, and later became a general under Genghis.
See also
*
Bride kidnapping
Bride kidnapping, also known as marriage by abduction or marriage by capture, is a practice in which a man abducts the woman he wishes to marry.
Bride kidnapping (hence the portmanteau bridenapping) has been practiced around the world and ...
*
List of Borjigin Prince
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Barlas-Borjigin Relationship
*
Imperial Mongols Admimistrations
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yesugei
1130s births
1171 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Yesugei
Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei ( Traditional Mongolian: ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, ''Yesukhei baatar'', ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as ...
Genghis Khan
Mongol Empire people