Alghu
Encyclopedia
Alghu was a khan of the Chagatai Khanate
(1260-1265/6). He was the son of Baidar
and the grandson of Chagatai Khan
.
In 1260 he was appointed as head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate by the Great Khan claimant Ariq Böke
, in opposition to the child khan Mubarak Shah
and his mother Orghina. In 1261 he was sent to Central Asia
, where he quickly established control of much of the Chagatai Khanate, as well as other areas, particularly those that were formerly under the control of the Blue Horde. He also seized control of Samarkand
and Bukhara
, which before had been ruled jointly between the Chagatai Khan and the Great Khan. In 1262 he rebelled against Ariq Boke, and the conflict saw a series of violent clashes over the next two years. Alghu gained the support of the Great Khan's governor of Turkestan
, Mas'ud Beg, as well as Orghina. The revolt severely weakened Ariq Böke's power and contributed to his eventual loss to Kublai Khan
.
In 1263 Alghu declared his allegiance to Kublai, and then attacked Kaidu
, whose lands bordered his, under the pretext that the latter had supported Ariq Böke. Kaidu turned to Berke
, Khan of the Blue Horde, for assistance; the latter provided him with resources and an army. Alghu found his territories invaded, and was defeated by Kaidu in battle. However, Alghu struck back and was victorious in a new battle, and would have pressed his advantage had he not died in the end of 1265 or the beginning of 1266. He was buried in Almaliq
.
Chagatai Khanate
The Chagatai Khanate was a Turko-Mongol khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan , second son of the Great Khan Genghis Khan, and his descendents and successors...
(1260-1265/6). He was the son of Baidar
Baidar
Baidar was the second son of Chagatai Khan.He participated in the European campaign with his nephew Büri from 1235-1241. He commanded the Mongol army assigned to Poland with Kadan and, probably, Orda Khan....
and the grandson of Chagatai Khan
Chagatai Khan
Chagatai Khan was the second son of Genghis Khan and first khan and origin of the names of the Chagatai Khanate, Chagatai language and Chagatai Turks....
.
In 1260 he was appointed as head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate by the Great Khan claimant Ariq Böke
Ariq Boke
Ariq Böke , the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik, Bukha, Buka , was the youngest son of Tolui , a son of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Mongke, Ariq Boke briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent...
, in opposition to the child khan Mubarak Shah
Mubarak Shah
Mubarak Shah was head of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the son of Qara Hülëgü and Ergene Khatun, of the Mongol empire....
and his mother Orghina. In 1261 he was sent to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, where he quickly established control of much of the Chagatai Khanate, as well as other areas, particularly those that were formerly under the control of the Blue Horde. He also seized control of Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
and Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
, which before had been ruled jointly between the Chagatai Khan and the Great Khan. In 1262 he rebelled against Ariq Boke, and the conflict saw a series of violent clashes over the next two years. Alghu gained the support of the Great Khan's governor of Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
, Mas'ud Beg, as well as Orghina. The revolt severely weakened Ariq Böke's power and contributed to his eventual loss to Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
.
In 1263 Alghu declared his allegiance to Kublai, and then attacked Kaidu
Kaidu
Kaidu was the leader of the House of Ogedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate. He ruled part of modern-day Xinjiang and Central Asia during the 13th century, and actively opposed his uncle, Kublai Khan, who established the Yuan Dynasty in China until his death in 1301...
, whose lands bordered his, under the pretext that the latter had supported Ariq Böke. Kaidu turned to Berke
Berke
Berke Khan was the ruler of the Golden Horde who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Hordes from 1257 to 1266. He succeeded his brother Batu Khan of the Blue Horde and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire...
, Khan of the Blue Horde, for assistance; the latter provided him with resources and an army. Alghu found his territories invaded, and was defeated by Kaidu in battle. However, Alghu struck back and was victorious in a new battle, and would have pressed his advantage had he not died in the end of 1265 or the beginning of 1266. He was buried in Almaliq
Almaliq, China
Almalik was a medieval city in Central Asia's Ili river basin. Its site is located within the present-day Huocheng County in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, between the city of Yining and the border with Kazakhstan.Almalik was originally one of...
.