Chaghan Temur (,
Mongolian:),
Courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
Tingrui (廷瑞), also known by his sinicized name Li Chaghan ({{zh , c = 李察罕 , p = Lǐ Cháhǎn ), was a
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
officer and military leader of
Naiman Mongol tribe.
Life
Chaghan Temur's family originated from Beshbaliq, today Jimsar County in Xinjiang. His great-grandfather migrated to China following the Mongols' invasion. When he was young, Chaghan Temur passed the
imperial exam and obtained the degree of
Juren
''Juren'' (; 'recommended man') was a rank achieved by people who passed the ''xiangshi'' () exam in the imperial examination system of imperial China. The ''xiangshi'' is also known, in English, as the provincial examination. It was a rank high ...
.
In the year of 1351, there was an outburst of bandit raids in Chaghan Temur's hometown. Counties nearby were attacked and sacked. Out of self defense, Chaghan Temur organized local militia in Shenqiu to fight off the bandits. The news of a Juren improving public security was heard in the court. In 1352, Chaghan Temur became the
darughachi
''Darughachi'' (Mongol form) or ''Basqaq'' (Turkic form) were originally designated officials in the Mongol Empire who were in charge of taxes and administration in a certain province. The singular form of the Mongolian word is ''darugha''. They ...
of Running
Fu. He was able to gather as many as 10,000 people under his command at the time.
In 1355, he marched northward. After a series of successful battles, he managed to pacify the chaos of
Hebei
Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
. The imperial court rewarded him with a civil position. In 1356, he was appointed the Bingbu Shangshu (Minister of war).
The rest of his life was spent on battlefield. The Yuan dynasty was in turbulence.
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
farmers were oppressed under Yuan rule. Rebel leaders such as
Han Shantong and
Liu Futong caused the dynasty to strive for survival. Chaghan Temur managed to defeat Liu's force in Henan and consequently rescued
Khanbaliq
Khanbaliq (; , ''Qaɣan balɣasu'') or Dadu of Yuan (; , ''Dayidu'') was the Historical capitals of China, winter capital of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in what is now Beijing, the capital of China today. It was located at the center of modern ...
from the starvation resulted by the disruption of transportation of essential food supplies from South to North.
[Chen,Bangzhan. Yuanshi Jishi Benmo(元史紀事本末).vol.4] Eventually Chaghan Temur was assassinated by
Wang Shichen, a surrendered leader of farmer riots, in the year of 1362.
Posthumously, he was granted the title "Prince of Yingchuan" (潁川王) and a posthumous name "Zhongxiang" (忠襄), according to Confucian traditions.
His nephew and step-son
Köke Temür was also a general who fought for the failing Yuan dynasty.
Sources
Yuan dynasty generals
Yuan dynasty government officials
Warlords