Yesün Temür Khan
Encyclopedia
Yesün Temür was a great-grandson of Kublai Khan
to rule as Emperor
of the Yuan Dynasty
from 1323 to 1328. He is regarded as the 10th Khagan
of the Mongols
in Mongolia. In Chinese, Yesün Temür Khan who was very fond of the traditional ways
of the Mongols
is known as the Emperor Taiding from his era's name. His name means "Nine Iron Khan
" in the Mongolian language
.
He was the emperor visited by the Franciscan monk Odoric, who left an excellent record of his travels.
in 1293 to Gammala, a son of Zhenjin
, who was presumed heir to his father Kublai Khan
. Gammala was appointed as Jinong
in 1292 after Zhenjin's death, but he lost the race for successor to his younger brother Temür. Khanship was assumed by Temür, Darmabala and their sons and grandson, so Gammala and his son Yesün Temür were out of the race. As Jinong
, Gammala owned Mongolia north of the Gobi Desert
and enshrined Genghis Khan
in the Four Great Ordo
. In 1302 Gammala died and Yesün Temür took over as Jinong.
During the reigns of Kulug Khan
, Ayurbarwada and Gegeen Khan
, Yesün Temür, who had a large fief and powerful army in Mongolia, became one of the princes most respected by the court and emerged as the undisputed leader of the princes in the steppe.
(Emperor Yingzong) was assassinated by Grand Censor Tegshi and Esen Temur, the rebellious group welcomed Yesün Temür since he was mothered by Buyan Kelmish of the Khunggirad
clan. According to the official history of the Yuan
, Yesün Temür caused Tegshi's envoy Walus to be seized, and sent notice of the plot to the Great Khan Shidebala; but the messengers arrived too late.
He was not merely the principal beneficiary of the conspiracy but was also very likely a participant in it. It is said that his administrator Dawlat Shah had established close contact with the conspirators. After receiving the imperial seal sent by the conspirators, he ascended to the throne on the bank of the Kherlen River
in Mongolia in 4 October 1323. Esen Temur was made the grand councillar of the right, and Tegshi, the manager of the Bireau of Military Affairs.
But on having it represented to him that by this he would incur the suspicion of having been a party to the murders, he suddenly reversed his policy, and ordered Tegshi, Esen Temur and others to be put to death. Under the leadership of Chang Kuei, the late Khagan's officials sent a letter to Yesün Temür urging him to accept the throne and to punish the conspirators. He sent troops to Dadu
and Shangdu, and executed rebellious officers before he entered Dadu because he feared to become a puppet of them. The five princes who had been involved were exiled to Yunnan
, Hainan
, and other distant places.
The Chinese officials repeatedly urged Yesün Temür to extend the purge to all former allies of Temuder and Tegshi and their families; but the Khagan refused. He issued an amnesty
decree and the confiscated properties of the executed conspirators were returned to their families.
As a ruler who had seized the throne by intrigue and violence, Yesün Temür tried to win the widest possible support. To seek support as Emperor of China
from Chinese populance, he duly showed his respect for the Confucian tradition from the beginning of his reign. Nevertheless, Muslim
and Mongol officials from the steppe (who came with him from Mongolia) constituted the majority of posts in the Yuan government. Kumeijil and Tas Temur served as grand councillars of the right; Dawlat Shah served as the manager of the governmental affairs of the Secretariat, then as censor in chief, and finally as grand councillar of the left; and Andachu, the manager of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
In addition to Dawlat Shah, there were two Muslims, Ubaidullah and Bayanchar, who served as managers of governmental affairs in the Secretariat. In the Bureau of Military Affairs, Mahumud Shah and Hasan Khoja were its manager
s. In contrast with the Muslims, Chinese officials exerted little influence on the administration. The high point of the Mongol partner-merchants' operations came under Yesün Temür, whose administration exempted Christian
s and Muslims from any corvee
payments and guaranteed huge payments promised by the Mongolian nobility
in return for luxury good
s (тансаг).
Yesün Temür Khan denounced the extravagance of the court in buying costly precious stones, imported by foreign merchants, and sold for ten times their value, while the poor were starving. In 1326, Ozbeg Khan of the Golden Horde
sent cheetah
s to Yesün Temür Khagan who responded with grants of gold
, silver
, cash
, and silk
s.
During his reign Yesün Temür Khan divided the empire into eighteen departments which were controlled by a board called "the Lords of the Provinces". It had formerly been divided into 12. Reports were presented on the condition of the Yuan provinces was also full of complaints of the Lamas who, armed with their golden seals, rode about the province making exaction and treating it over the people in a shameful way. They put up at private houses, drove out their masters, and debauched their wives, and did pretty much as they wished. The fear of offending the Mongols and the Lamas prevented him doing anything effectual at first. Finally, the Emperor forbade the Lama
s to enter China
. Besides Buddhism
, Yesün Temür Khan neglected the ancient worship of the sky of the Mongols.
He left the empire's governance to his Muslim
aide Dawlat Shah and Khatun
Babukhan. He suddenly died in Shangdu in 15 August 1328. His son Ragibagh was installed by Dawlat Shah but was defeated by his rival Tugh Temür
in three months.
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...
to rule as Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
from 1323 to 1328. He is regarded as the 10th Khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
of the Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
in Mongolia. In Chinese, Yesün Temür Khan who was very fond of the traditional ways
Culture of Mongolia
Mongolian culture has been heavily influenced by the Mongol nomadic way of life. Other important influences are from Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and from China. Since the 20th century, Russian and, via Russia, European culture have had a strong effect on Mongolia...
of the Mongols
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...
is known as the Emperor Taiding from his era's name. His name means "Nine Iron Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
" in the Mongolian language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
.
He was the emperor visited by the Franciscan monk Odoric, who left an excellent record of his travels.
Early life
Yesün Temür was born in MongoliaMongolia
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...
in 1293 to Gammala, a son of Zhenjin
Zhenjin
Zhenjin was the second son of Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty. He was designated as the Crown Prince by Kublai Khan in 1273, and became the head of Zhongshusheng .The North Chinese Buddhist monk Haiyun gave him the name, Zhenjin , when he was born in 1243...
, who was presumed heir to his father 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...
. Gammala was appointed as Jinong
Jinong
Jinong was a title of the Mongols. It was derived from Chinese Jinwang although some historians have suggested it originates from Qinwang...
in 1292 after Zhenjin's death, but he lost the race for successor to his younger brother Temür. Khanship was assumed by Temür, Darmabala and their sons and grandson, so Gammala and his son Yesün Temür were out of the race. As Jinong
Jinong
Jinong was a title of the Mongols. It was derived from Chinese Jinwang although some historians have suggested it originates from Qinwang...
, Gammala owned Mongolia north of the Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
and enshrined 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....
in the Four Great Ordo
Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is located along a river in Kandehuo Enclosure, Xinjie Town, Ejen Khoruu Banner, Ordos Prefecture-Level City , Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. The Mausoleum is a cenotaph, where the coffin contains no body, but only headdresses and accessories, because...
. In 1302 Gammala died and Yesün Temür took over as Jinong.
During the reigns of Kulug Khan
Külüg Khan
Külüg Khan , born Khayishan , or Emperor Wuzong of Yuan , was an Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, and is regarded as the seventh Great Khan of the Mongols in...
, Ayurbarwada and Gegeen Khan
Gegeen Khan
Gegeen Khan , also known as Emperor Yingzong of Yuan , born Shidibala, was the successor of Ayurbarwada to rule as Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, and is regarded as the ninth Great Khan of the Mongols in Mongolia...
, Yesün Temür, who had a large fief and powerful army in Mongolia, became one of the princes most respected by the court and emerged as the undisputed leader of the princes in the steppe.
Accession
In 1323 when Shidebala Gegeen KhanGegeen Khan
Gegeen Khan , also known as Emperor Yingzong of Yuan , born Shidibala, was the successor of Ayurbarwada to rule as Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, and is regarded as the ninth Great Khan of the Mongols in Mongolia...
(Emperor Yingzong) was assassinated by Grand Censor Tegshi and Esen Temur, the rebellious group welcomed Yesün Temür since he was mothered by Buyan Kelmish of the Khunggirad
Onggirat
The Hongirat , also known as Qongirat is a Central Asian tribe, one of the major divisions of the Mongols. Variations on the name include Onggirat, Wangjila , Yongjilie , and Guangjila in Chinese sources and Ongrat or Kungrat in Turkish.The original pastures of the Hongirats were in eastern...
clan. According to the official history of the Yuan
History of Yuan
The History of Yuan is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the Twenty-Four Histories of China. The historical work consists of 210 chapters chronicling the history of the Genghisid Yuan Dynasty from the time of Genghis Khan to the flight of the last Yuan Emperor Huizong from...
, Yesün Temür caused Tegshi's envoy Walus to be seized, and sent notice of the plot to the Great Khan Shidebala; but the messengers arrived too late.
He was not merely the principal beneficiary of the conspiracy but was also very likely a participant in it. It is said that his administrator Dawlat Shah had established close contact with the conspirators. After receiving the imperial seal sent by the conspirators, he ascended to the throne on the bank of the Kherlen River
Kherlen River
Kherlen River is a river of 1,254 km length in Mongolia and China.-Course:The river has its origin in the south slopes of the Khentii mountains, near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, about 180 km northeast of Ulaanbaatar...
in Mongolia in 4 October 1323. Esen Temur was made the grand councillar of the right, and Tegshi, the manager of the Bireau of Military Affairs.
But on having it represented to him that by this he would incur the suspicion of having been a party to the murders, he suddenly reversed his policy, and ordered Tegshi, Esen Temur and others to be put to death. Under the leadership of Chang Kuei, the late Khagan's officials sent a letter to Yesün Temür urging him to accept the throne and to punish the conspirators. He sent troops to Dadu
Khanbaliq
Khanbaliq or Dadu refers to a city which is now Beijing, the current capital of the People's Republic of China...
and Shangdu, and executed rebellious officers before he entered Dadu because he feared to become a puppet of them. The five princes who had been involved were exiled to Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, and other distant places.
The Chinese officials repeatedly urged Yesün Temür to extend the purge to all former allies of Temuder and Tegshi and their families; but the Khagan refused. He issued an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
decree and the confiscated properties of the executed conspirators were returned to their families.
Administration
| "The Empire is a family of which the Emperor is the father." |
| Yesün Temür Khagan, c. 1324, The History of the Yuan |
As a ruler who had seized the throne by intrigue and violence, Yesün Temür tried to win the widest possible support. To seek support as Emperor of China
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
from Chinese populance, he duly showed his respect for the Confucian tradition from the beginning of his reign. Nevertheless, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and Mongol officials from the steppe (who came with him from Mongolia) constituted the majority of posts in the Yuan government. Kumeijil and Tas Temur served as grand councillars of the right; Dawlat Shah served as the manager of the governmental affairs of the Secretariat, then as censor in chief, and finally as grand councillar of the left; and Andachu, the manager of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
In addition to Dawlat Shah, there were two Muslims, Ubaidullah and Bayanchar, who served as managers of governmental affairs in the Secretariat. In the Bureau of Military Affairs, Mahumud Shah and Hasan Khoja were its manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
s. In contrast with the Muslims, Chinese officials exerted little influence on the administration. The high point of the Mongol partner-merchants' operations came under Yesün Temür, whose administration exempted Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s and Muslims from any corvee
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
payments and guaranteed huge payments promised by the Mongolian nobility
Mongolian nobility
The Mongolian nobility arose in the 10-12th centuries, became prominent in the 13th century, and essentially governed Mongolia until the early 20th century....
in return for luxury good
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
s (тансаг).
Yesün Temür Khan denounced the extravagance of the court in buying costly precious stones, imported by foreign merchants, and sold for ten times their value, while the poor were starving. In 1326, Ozbeg Khan of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
sent cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s to Yesün Temür Khagan who responded with grants of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, cash
Chao
Chao or similar sounding câo, cháo, cháo, čhao, chau, ciao, jao, may refer to:-China:*Chao, an alternative spelling of Zhao ; an alternative pronunciation of Cao and Cao *Chao , a Chinese surname...
, and silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
s.
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s to enter China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Besides Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Yesün Temür Khan neglected the ancient worship of the sky of the Mongols.
He left the empire's governance to his Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
aide Dawlat Shah and Khatun
Khatun
Khatun is a female title of nobility and alternative to male "khan" prominently used in the First Turkic Empire and in the subsequent Mongol Empire...
Babukhan. He suddenly died in Shangdu in 15 August 1328. His son Ragibagh was installed by Dawlat Shah but was defeated by his rival Tugh Temür
Jayaatu Khan
Jayaatu Khan , born Tugh Temür, also known as Emperor Wenzong of Yuan , was an Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, and is regarded as the 12th Great Khan of the Mongols in Mongolia.He first ruled from October 16, 1328 to April 3, 1329,second ruled from September 8, 1329 to September 2,...
in three months.