Baurchuk Art Tekin
Encyclopedia
Baurchuk Art Tekin was a ruler, with a title of Idikut, of the Buddhist Uyghur
kingdom in Beshbalik (near present-day Urumqi
), Kara-Khoja (near present-day Turpan, known also as Idikut-Shahri) and Kumul between 1208 and 1235. As a result of his policies, Uyghuria joined the Mongol Empire
as its fifth Ulus (district) in 1211.
In 1209, Baurchuk sparked a rebellion against Kara-Khitai Gurkhan
, who had forced the Uyghurs into paying tribute. He killed Gurkhan's envoy
Shaukam and sent an embassy to Genghis Khan
, asking for his help. The Mongol ruler accepted Baurchuk's deputation and pledged his support.
During the following year or two, Baurchuk mounted military expeditions against naimans and killed four sons of their ruler Dayan Khan
. After this show of loyalty to Genghis Khan, he was received by the latter in Mongolia
(1211), married his daughter Altun Begi and was declared by Genghis Khan to be his fifth son, after Jochi
, Chagatay
, Ögedei
and Tolui
.
In September 1219, Baurchuk joined Genghis Khan in an attack against the Khwarezmian Empire
, personally commanding 10,000 tuman troops and taking part in the siege of Otrar
and Nishapur
(razed to ground by Mongols). In the spring of 1226, he took an active part in the two-year Mongol expedition against Tangut Kingdom
(known as Western Xia in Chinese chronicles), led by Genghis Khan himself, and completed in almost fully annihilating the Tangut people, who were declared to be responsible for Genghis Khan's death under the walls of besieged Tangut capital , in September, 1227 (as well as the destruction of the Uyghur Ganzhou Kingdom two centuries before, during the Uyghur-Tangut war of 1028-1036, and mass killings of its inhabitants). The population of Tangut Kingdom was reduced from around 3,000,000 people to less than one hundred thousand, which eventually had been assimilated by other ethnic groups, mostly of Mongolic, Turkic
and Tibetan
origins.
The present Tungan (Hui) people of autonomous Ningxia Region can be considered as descendants of the Tangut people. The name Ningxia in Chinese means "Tranquillized or Quelled Xia".
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
kingdom in Beshbalik (near present-day Urumqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
), Kara-Khoja (near present-day Turpan, known also as Idikut-Shahri) and Kumul between 1208 and 1235. As a result of his policies, Uyghuria joined the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
as its fifth Ulus (district) in 1211.
In 1209, Baurchuk sparked a rebellion against Kara-Khitai Gurkhan
Gurkhan
Gurkhan was a Mongol title meaning "chief of Khans" and roughly equivalent to the older word khagan. It was held by the rulers of the Kara-Khitai in the 13th century. It comes from the Mongol Gür / Kür, meaning "wide" or "general"...
, who had forced the Uyghurs into paying tribute. He killed Gurkhan's envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
Shaukam and sent an embassy to Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, asking for his help. The Mongol ruler accepted Baurchuk's deputation and pledged his support.
During the following year or two, Baurchuk mounted military expeditions against naimans and killed four sons of their ruler Dayan Khan
Dayan Khan
Dayan Khan , was a Mongol khan who reunited the Mongols under Chinggisid supremacy in the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia...
. After this show of loyalty to Genghis Khan, he was received by the latter in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
(1211), married his daughter Altun Begi and was declared by Genghis Khan to be his fifth son, after Jochi
Jochi
Jochi was the eldest of the Mongol chieftain Genghis Khan's four sons by his principal wife Börte. An accomplished military leader, he participated in his father's conquest of Central Asia, along with his brothers and uncles.-Early life:...
, Chagatay
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....
, Ögedei
Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...
and Tolui
Tolui
Tolui, was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun Börte...
.
In September 1219, Baurchuk joined Genghis Khan in an attack against the Khwarezmian Empire
Khwarezmian Empire
The Khwarazmian dynasty or Khwarezmian dynasty, also known as Khwarezmids, dynasty of Khwarazm Shahs or Khwarezm-Shah dynasty was a Persianate Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic mamluk origin.They ruled Greater Iran in the High Middle Ages, in the period of about 1077 to 1231, first as vassals of...
, personally commanding 10,000 tuman troops and taking part in the siege of Otrar
Otrar
Otrar or Utrar is a Central Asian ghost town that was a city located along the Silk Road near the current town of Karatau in Kazakhstan. Otrar was an important town in the history of Central Asia, situated on the borders of settled and agricultural civilizations...
and Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
(razed to ground by Mongols). In the spring of 1226, he took an active part in the two-year Mongol expedition against Tangut Kingdom
Western Xia
The Western Xia Dynasty or the Tangut Empire, was known to the Tanguts and the Tibetans as Minyak.The state existed from 1038 to 1227 AD in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, eastern Qinghai, northern Shaanxi, northeastern Xinjiang, southwest Inner Mongolia, and...
(known as Western Xia in Chinese chronicles), led by Genghis Khan himself, and completed in almost fully annihilating the Tangut people, who were declared to be responsible for Genghis Khan's death under the walls of besieged Tangut capital , in September, 1227 (as well as the destruction of the Uyghur Ganzhou Kingdom two centuries before, during the Uyghur-Tangut war of 1028-1036, and mass killings of its inhabitants). The population of Tangut Kingdom was reduced from around 3,000,000 people to less than one hundred thousand, which eventually had been assimilated by other ethnic groups, mostly of Mongolic, Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
origins.
The present Tungan (Hui) people of autonomous Ningxia Region can be considered as descendants of the Tangut people. The name Ningxia in Chinese means "Tranquillized or Quelled Xia".