Oghul Qaimish

Last updated
Oghul Qaimish
Regent of the Mongol Empire
Regency1248–1251
Predecessor Güyük Khan
Successor Möngke Khan
Died1251
Spouse Güyük Khan
Issue Khoja
Naqu

Oghul Qaimish (ᠤᠤᠭᠠᠯ ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠮᠢᠰᠢ, c. 1200s–1251) was the wife of Güyük Khan and the nominal regent of the Mongol Empire between Güyük's death in 1248 and the accession of Möngke Khan in 1251.

Contents

Born into the Merkit tribe, Oghul Qaimish married Güyük in the 1220s. She played little role in his political activities either before or during his time as khan. After his death, her rule was ineffective and confused, with her sons Khoja and Naqu often acting in opposition to her. Meanwhile, her political opponents Batu Khan and Sorghaghtani Beki comprehensively outmanoeuvred her by electing Sorghaghtani's son Möngke in 1250. After his accession, Oghul Qaimish was implicated in a failed coup attempt by Naqu—in retaliation to her refusal to submit, Möngke had her imprisoned, allegedly tortured, and after a show trial, executed.

Biography

The precise year of Oghul Qaimish's birth is unknown: the historian Anne Broadbridge estimates, based on the approximate date of her marriage, that she was born in the early 1200s. [1] Her personal name, of Turkic origin, meant "[We] Were Searching for a Boy", reflecting her parents' presumed frustration at their lack of a male child. [2] The name, which also belonged to one of Tolui's secondary wives, was not uncommon. [3]

Oghul Qaimish was born into the Merkit tribe, which was subjugated in 1204 by Genghis Khan. [4] Initially, the Merkits were allowed to keep their tribal identity, but after they rebelled in 1216, Genghis heavily punished them: his general Subutai defeated and killed the Merkit leaders in 1218, and the surviving remnants of the tribe were dispersed as slaves among Genghis' loyal subjects. [5] Oghul Qaimish's male family members are unlikely to have survived, while her female relatives would not have provided useful connections in Mongol society. [6]

In the early 1220s, Oghul Qaimish was given as a wife to Güyük, who was the eldest son of Ögedei, Genghis's chosen heir, and his principal wife Töregene, who had also been born as a member of the Merkit tribe. [7] As a member of a divided tribe who brought few political connections to the marriage, Oghul Qaimish was a poor strategic match for Güyük: Broadbridge speculates that Töregene may have purposefully overlooked more reputable brides because of her own background. [8] Together, Güyük and Oghul Qaimish had two sons named Khoja and Naqu, but it is not certain if she also gave birth to Güyük's three known daughters: Elmish, Babaqan/Babaqal, and one unnamed child. [6]

Oghul Qaimish is not known to have any influence on Güyük's political life after his father became khan of the Mongol Empire in 1229. [9] From 1235 Güyük was a leader of the western campaign against the Kievan Rus', during which he insulted and gained the enmity of Batu Khan, the most senior descendant of Genghis. [10] Ögedei was furious with his son's disrespect and intended to punish him severely, but died in December 1241 before Güyük reached Mongolia. [11] Töregene assumed authority over the empire—Ögedei had designated no-one as heir, and his favourite grandson Shiremun was too inexperienced—and remained in control for five years. [12] At a kurultai (lit. 'assembly') in 1246, Güyük managed to overcome the candidatures of other potential successors, such as his brother Köten and his great-uncle Temüge, and acceded to the throne on August 24; [13] as ruler, he reversed his mother's unpopular policies and appointments and addressed excess bureaucracy and corruption. [14] Güyük set out westwards in late 1247 with a large force and the official intention to tour his personal lands near the Emil river and then march to take command of the western armies; however, some alleged his actual target was his old foe Batu. [15] Güyük's health deteriorated en route, and he died at Qum-Senggir in April 1248. [16]

At the suggestion of Batu and Ögedei's influential sister-in-law Sorghaghtani Beki, Oghul Qaimish took the position of regent, and began ruling with the aid of Qadaq, Güyük's former tutor, and the officials Chinqai and Bala. [17] She sent out messengers announcing the khan's death, and took his body to his lands, near modern Tacheng, for burial. [18] Unlike Töregene, Oghul Qaimish was not competent in politics—she had no recognisable political agenda, generally neglected the administration of the empire, and reportedly spent much of her time consorting with shamans. [19] She was soon comprehensively outmanoeuvred. [20]

Batu immediately announced that he would hold the succession kurultai at his camp near Issyk-Kul, in modern Kyrgyzstan, explaining that his bad gout and weak horses prevented him travelling to the Mongol heartland. This was a pretext for ensuring the kurultai would be more favourable to his preferred successor—Sorghaghtani's son Möngke. [21] Many prominent Mongols, angry that the kurultai was not held in Genghis' homeland, did not attend—these included Oghul Qaimish, who merely sent Bala as a representative. [22] Her sons Khoja and Naqu attended only briefly, before leaving their own representative; the historian Peter Jackson has theorised that Batu misled them with favourable assurances. [23] They were acting independently from their mother, who lent her support to Shiremun. [24]

The kurultai began in mid-1250. Bala, speaking on behalf of Oghul Qaimish, made good arguments in favour of Shiremun's candidacy, but was unable to avert the selection of Möngke. [25] Shocked by this result, Oghul Qaimish and most of the other non-attendants refused to acknowledge Möngke's succession. [26] She, Khoja, and Naqu had set up separate courts, reducing the effectiveness of their administration, with their pronouncements often contradicting each other. [27] In theory, as regent of the empire, Oghul Qaimish could have drawn upon far greater resources than the other plotters, but she was unable to effectively collect taxes, leaving her cash flow extremely strained. [28] By interpreting the gifts of an embassy from Louis IX of France as a show of submission to her as regent, she attempted to gain political legitimacy, but ultimately failed to gain enough symbolic strength to organise a viable kurultai in opposition to Sorghaghtani's. [29]

After Möngke's official coronation kurultai on 1 July 1251, Shiremun and Naqu planned a coup to unseat the new khan, through violence if necessary, but their plans were foiled when a lowly falconer stumbled across their hidden encampment and informed Möngke. [30] Möngke intercepted and defeated the would-be ambushers, and demanded that Oghul Qaimish submit to him publicly; upon her refusal, she was arrested and brought to the camp of Sorghaghtani, who was now terminally ill. [31] There, she was stripped naked, and allegedly tortured by being whipped with burning sticks of wood. After a show trial, Möngke's chief judge found Oghul Qaimish guilty of witchcraft and sentenced her to execution: she was wrapped in felt and cast into the Kherlen river to drown. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batu Khan</span> Founder and first Khan of the Golden Horde (r. 1227–1255)

Batu Khan was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. His ulus ruled over the Kievan Rus', Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, and the Caucasus for around 250 years.

Articles related to Mongolia include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongol Empire</span> 13th- and 14th-century empire originating in Mongolia

The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, extending northward into parts of the Arctic; eastward and southward into parts of the Indian subcontinent, attempted invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquered the Iranian Plateau; and westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ögedei Khan</span> Ruler of the Mongol Empire (c.1186–1241)

Ögedei Khan was the second ruler of the Mongol Empire. The third son of Genghis Khan, he continued the expansion of the empire that his father had begun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Güyük Khan</span> Third Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Güyük Khan was the third Khagan of the Mongol Empire, the eldest son of Ögedei Khan and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He reigned from 1246 to 1248. He started his military career by participating in the conquest of Eastern Xia and then later in the invasion of Europe. When his father died, he was enthroned as Khagan in 1246. During his almost two year reign, he reversed some of his mother's unpopular edicts and ordered an empire-wide census; he also held some authority in Eastern Europe, appointing Andrey II as the grand prince of Vladimir and giving the princely title of Kiev to Alexander Nevsky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Möngke Khan</span> Fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Möngke Khan was the fourth khagan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251, to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign. Under Möngke, the Mongols conquered Iraq and Syria as well as the kingdom of Dali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tolui</span> Regent of the Mongol Empire (c. 1191 – 1232)

Tolui was the youngest son of Genghis Khan and Börte. A prominent general during the early Mongol conquests, Tolui was a leading candidate to succeed his father after his death in 1227 and ultimately served as regent of the Mongol Empire until the accession of his brother Ögedei two years later. Tolui's wife was Sorghaghtani Beki; their sons included Möngke and Kublai, the fourth and fifth khagans of the empire, and Hulagu, the founder of the Ilkhanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Töregene Khatun</span> Regent and khatun of the Mongol Empire

Töregene Khatun was the Great Khatun and regent of the Mongol Empire from the death of her husband Ögedei Khan in 1241 until the election of her eldest son Güyük Khan in 1246.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merkit</span> 12th-century tribal confederation of the Mongolian Plateau

The Merkit was one of the five major tribal confederations (khanlig) of probably Mongol or Turkic origin in the 12th century Mongolian Plateau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hö'elün</span> Mother of Genghis Khan (fl. 1162–1210)

Hö'elün was a noblewoman of the Mongol Empire and the mother of Temüjin, better known as Genghis Khan. She played a major role in his rise to power, as described in the Secret History of the Mongols.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariq Böke</span> Descendant of Genghis Khan

Ariq Böke, the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka, was the seventh and youngest son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Möngke, Ariq Böke claimed the title of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent from the Mongolian Plateau. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected both claimants, Kublai and Ariq Böke, to the throne, resulting in the Toluid Civil War that fragmented the Mongol Empire. Ariq Böke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother Kublai was supported by the senior princes of North China and Manchuria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorghaghtani Beki</span> Leading stateswoman in the Mongol Empire

Sorghaghtani Beki or Bekhi, also written Sorkaktani, Sorkhokhtani, Sorkhogtani, Siyurkuktiti, posthumous name Empress Xianyi Zhuangsheng, was a Keraite princess and daughter-in-law of Genghis Khan. Married to Tolui, Genghis' youngest son, Sorghaghtani Beki became one of the most powerful and competent people in the Mongol Empire. She made policy decisions at a pivotal moment that led to the transition of the Mongol Empire towards a more cosmopolitan and sophisticated style of administration. She raised her sons to be leaders and maneuvered the family politics so that all four of her sons, Möngke Khan, Hulagu Khan, Ariq Böke, and Kublai Khan, went on to inherit the legacy of their grandfather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berke</span> Khan of the Golden Horde from 1257 to 1266

Berke Khan was a grandson of Genghis Khan from his son Jochi and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Horde from 1257 to 1266. He succeeded his brother Batu Khan of the Blue Horde (West), and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire. Following the Sack of Baghdad by Hulagu Khan, his cousin and head of the Mongol Ilkhanate based in Persia, he allied with the Egyptian Mamluks against Hulagu. Berke also supported Ariq Böke against Kublai in the Toluid Civil War, but did not intervene militarily in the war because he was occupied in his own war against Hulagu and the Ilkhanate.

Temüge (1168–1246) was the youngest brother of Genghis Khan, fourth son of Yesugei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genghis Khan</span> Founder of the Mongol Empire (c. 1162–1227)

Genghis Khan, also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns, conquering large parts of China and Central Asia.

Büri was a son of Mutukan and a grandson of Chagatai Khan.

Shigi Qutuqu was a high-ranking official during the early decades of the Mongol Empire. The adopted son of the empire's founder Temüjin and his wife Börte, Shigi Qutuqu played an important role in the codification of Mongol law, serving with distinction as an administrator in North China. He may also have been a major source for the Secret History of the Mongols, which portrays him very favourably.

<i>The Legend of Kublai Khan</i> Chinese TV series or program

The Legend of Kublai Khan, also known as Legend of Yuan Empire Founder, is a Chinese television series based on the life of Kublai Khan and the events leading to the establishment of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in China. The series started shooting in 2011. It premiered at the 2013 Shanghai Television Festival from 11 to 13 June 2013, and was first aired on HBS from 21 to 30 July 2013. The series was directed by Tsui Siu-ming and starred Hu Jun and Charmaine Sheh as Kublai Khan and Chabi, along with Cai Wenyan, Wu Yue, Tang Guoqiang, Gao Fa, Steven Ma and Ray Lui in supporting roles.

Fatima was an influential figure in the Mongol Empire as a favourite of Töregene Khatun, regent of the empire from 1241 to 1246.

Chinqai was a Mongol statesman, scholar and politician in early Mongol Empire. He was a Nestorian and his ethnic origin was Kereit according to Book of Yuan, Uyghur according to Ata Malik Juvayni's Tarīkh-i Jahān-gushā, though some also argued that he could be an Öngüd. His sinicized name was Tian Zhenhai.

References

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, p. 196.
    2. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 398.
    3. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, pp. 115–116; Atwood 2004, p. 398.
    4. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 347.
    5. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 347; Broadbridge 2018, pp. 196–197.
    6. 1 2 Broadbridge 2018, p. 197.
    7. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, pp. 196–197; Atwood 2004, p. 211.
    8. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, p. 201.
    9. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 418.
    10. ↑ Dunnell 2023, pp. 67–68; May 2018, p. 122–123.
    11. ↑ Dunnell 2023, p. 67; Atwood 2004, p. 212.
    12. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 212; Birge & Broadbridge 2023, p. 637.
    13. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, pp. 179–182; Atwood 2004, p. 212.
    14. ↑ May 2018, pp. 127–128.
    15. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 212; Broadbridge 2018, p. 196; May 2018, pp. 130–131.
    16. ↑ Atwood 2004, pp. 212–213.
    17. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, p. 196; De Nicola 2017, p. 74; Atwood 2004, p. 418.
    18. ↑ Dunnell 2023, pp. 75–76; Atwood 2004, p. 418; May 2018, pp. 131–132.
    19. ↑ Atwood 2004, p. 419; May 2018, p. 132.
    20. ↑ De Nicola 2022, pp. 426–427.
    21. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, p. 203; Dunnell 2023, p. 76; May 2018, p. 132.
    22. ↑ May 2018, p. 133; Dunnell 2023, p. 76.
    23. ↑ May 2018, p. 133; Broadbridge 2018, p. 204.
    24. ↑ Dunnell 2023, p. 76; Broadbridge 2018, p. 205.
    25. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, pp. 205–207.
    26. ↑ Atwood 2004, pp. 419.
    27. ↑ May 2018, pp. 134–135; Broadbridge 2018, p. 207.
    28. ↑ Broadbridge 2018.
    29. ↑ Broadbridge 2018, pp. 209–210.
    30. ↑ May 2018, pp. 135–137; Atwood 2004, p. 363; Dunnell 2023.
    31. ↑ May 2018, pp. 137–138; Broadbridge 2018, pp. 217–218.
    32. ↑ May 2018, p. 138; Broadbridge 2018, pp. 218–219.

    Sources

    • Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. New York: Facts on File. ISBN   978-0-8160-4671-3.
    • Biran, Michal; Kim, Hodong, eds. (2023). The Cambridge History of the Mongol Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-3163-3742-4.
      • Birge, Bettine; Broadbridge, Anne F. "Women and Gender under Mongol Rule". In Biran & Kim (2023), pp. 628–654.
      • Dunnell, Ruth W. "The Rise of Chinggis Khan and the United Empire". In Biran & Kim (2023), pp. 19–106.
    • Broadbridge, Anne F. (2018). Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire. Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-1086-3662-9.
    • De Nicola, Bruno (2017). Women in Mongol Iran: The Khatuns, 1206-1335. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN   978-1-4744-1548-4. JSTOR   10.3366/j.ctt1g09twn.
    • De Nicola, Bruno (2022). "Elite Women in the Mongol Empire". In May, Timothy; Hope, Michael (eds.). The Mongol World. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 422–439. ISBN   978-1-3151-6517-2.
    • May, Timothy (2018). The Mongol Empire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN   978-0-7486-4237-3. JSTOR   10.3366/j.ctv1kz4g68.
    Oghul Qaimish
    House of Merkit (1248-1251)
    Regnal titles
    Preceded by Regent of the Mongol Empire
    1248–1251    		Succeeded by
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.