Buqa
Encyclopedia
Buqa (died January 16, 1289) was a Mongol
lord and chancellor
who was instrumental in sweeping Arghun
to power as the fourth Il-Khan of Iran
in 1284 and became his chief minister (vizier
) and advisor, succeeding Shams ad-Din Juvayni
whom Arghun had executed. Buqa is from the Jalayir
clan of the Mongolians.
Aided by his brother Aruq, Buqa embarked on a reform that revolutionized the monetary and fiscal structure of the empire. The Great Khan Kublai Khan
rewarded Buqa the title of chingsang (chancellor) for his loyalty to the Ilkhan Arghun in 1284.
Initially, he was allowed to exercise wide powers, but his arrogance and excesses soon raised him many enemies. Perceiving that he had lost the khan’s favour, Buqa organized a conspiracy in which several of the Il-Khanate lords and Arghun’s vassal king Demetre II of Georgia
(whose daughter Rusudan was married to Buqa’s son) were implicated. The group was penetrated by the khan’s agents and the plot was soon revealed. Buqa was arrested and put to death on January 16, 1289. He was succeeded as vizier by a Jewish physician Sa’d al-Daula of Abhar
.
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
lord and chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
who was instrumental in sweeping Arghun
Arghun
Arghun Khan aka Argon was the fourth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate, from 1284 to 1291. He was the son of Abaqa Khan, and like his father, was a devout Buddhist...
to power as the fourth Il-Khan of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in 1284 and became his chief minister (vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
) and advisor, succeeding Shams ad-Din Juvayni
Shams ad-Din Juvayni
Shams al-Din Juvayni or Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Juwayni was a vizier and sahib-divan or Minister of Finance under three Mongol Ilkhans - Hulagu, Abaqa and Tekuder - from 1263 until his execution by Arghun Khan in 1285...
whom Arghun had executed. Buqa is from the Jalayir
Jalayir
Jalayir is one of the Darliqin Mongol tribes according to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's Jami' al-tawarikh. After the Mongol conquest in the 13th century many Jalayirs spread over Central Asia and the Middle East. Jalayirs are one of the founding tribes of Mongolia's largest ethnic group Khalkha....
clan of the Mongolians.
Aided by his brother Aruq, Buqa embarked on a reform that revolutionized the monetary and fiscal structure of the empire. The Great Khan 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...
rewarded Buqa the title of chingsang (chancellor) for his loyalty to the Ilkhan Arghun in 1284.
Initially, he was allowed to exercise wide powers, but his arrogance and excesses soon raised him many enemies. Perceiving that he had lost the khan’s favour, Buqa organized a conspiracy in which several of the Il-Khanate lords and Arghun’s vassal king Demetre II of Georgia
Demetre II of Georgia
Saint King Demetrius II the Self-sacrificer , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289.-Life:...
(whose daughter Rusudan was married to Buqa’s son) were implicated. The group was penetrated by the khan’s agents and the plot was soon revealed. Buqa was arrested and put to death on January 16, 1289. He was succeeded as vizier by a Jewish physician Sa’d al-Daula of Abhar
Abhar
Abhar is a city in and capital of Abhar County, Zanjan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 70,836, in 19,136 families.Abhar is located between Qazvin and Zanjan, near the Abhar River. It is the second-largest city in the province after Zanjan...
.