Political divisions and vassals of the Mongol Empire

Last updated
The Mongol world, ca. 1300. The gray area is the later Timurid Empire. Mongol dominions1.jpg
The Mongol world, ca. 1300. The gray area is the later Timurid Empire.

This article discusses the political divisions and vassals of the Mongol Empire. Through invasions and conquests the Mongols established a vast empire that included many political divisions, vassals and tributary states. It was the largest contiguous land empire in history. However, after the death of Möngke Khan, the Toluid Civil War and subsequent wars had led to the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire. By 1294, the empire had fractured into four autonomous khanates, including the Golden Horde in the northwest, the Chagatai Khanate in the middle, the Ilkhanate in the southwest, and the Yuan dynasty [lower-alpha 1] in the east based in modern-day Beijing, although the Yuan emperors held the nominal title of Khagan of the empire.

Contents

Political divisions of the early Mongol Empire

The political divisions of the early Mongol Empire consisted of five main parts [10] in addition to appanage khanates - there were:

When Genghis Khan was campaigning in Central Asia, his entrusted general Muqali (1170–1223) attempted to set up provinces and established branch departments of state affairs. But Ögedei abolished them and divided the areas of North China into 10 routes (lu, 路) according to the suggestion of Yelü Chucai, a prominent Confucian statesman of Khitan ethnicity. He also divided the empire into Beshbalik administration, Yanjing administration while the headquarters in Karakorum directly dealt with Manchuria, Mongolia and Southern Siberia. Late in his reign, Amu Darya administration was established. Under Möngke Khan, these administrations were renamed Branch Departments.

Yuan dynasty

Kublai (Emperor Shizu), the founder of the Yuan dynasty, made significant reforms to the existing institutions. He established the Yuan dynasty in 1271 and claimed orthodox political succession from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Tang dynasty. [6] The Yuan forces seized southern China by defeating the Southern Song dynasty and the Yuan dynasty unified all of China proper under its rule. On the other hand, Kublai had effectively lost control over the western khanates. The territory of the Yuan dynasty was divided into the Central Region (腹裏) governed by the Central Secretariat (Zhongshu Sheng) and places under control of various Branch Secretariats (行中書省) or the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan).

Golden Horde

The two main divisions of the Golden Horde (Jochid Ulus) are known as the White horde and the Blue horde, also Batu's Ulus (district) and Orda's Ulus.

Vassals and tributary states

The Mongol Empire at its greatest extent included all of modern-day Mongolia, China, much or all of Russia, Ukraine, Cilicia, Anatolia, Georgia, Armenia, Persia, Iraq, Korea, and Central Asia, parts of Burma, Romania and Pakistan. In the meantime, many countries became vassals or tributary states of the Mongol Empire.

European vassals

Southeast Asian vassals

East and Central Asian vassals

Middle East vassals

Tributary states

See also

Notes

  1. As per modern historiographical norm, the "Yuan dynasty" in this article refers exclusively to the realm based in Dadu (present-day Beijing). However, the Han-style dynastic name "Great Yuan" (大元) as proclaimed by Kublai, as well as the claim to Chinese political orthodoxy were meant to be applied to the entire Mongol Empire. [6] [7] [8] [9] In spite of this, "Yuan dynasty" is rarely used in the broad sense of the definition by modern scholars due to the de facto disintegrated nature of the Mongol Empire.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Horde</span> 1242–1502 Turkicized Mongol khanate

The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the disintegration of the Mongol Empire after 1259, it became a functionally separate khanate. It is also known as the Kipchak Khanate or as the Ulus of Jochi, and it replaced the earlier, less organized Cuman–Kipchak confederation.

<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.

Khagan or Qaghan is a title of imperial rank in Turkic, Mongolic, and some other languages, equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate (empire). The female equivalent is Khatun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilkhanate</span> 1256–1335 breakaway khanate of the Mongol Empire

The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate, also known as the Ilkhanids, and known to the Mongols as Hülegü Ulus, was a Mongol khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm was officially known as land of Iran or simply Iran. It was established after Hulagu Khan, the son of Tolui and grandson of Genghis Khan, inherited the Southwest Asian part of the Mongol Empire after his brother Möngke Khan died in 1259.

<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">Temür Khan</span> 6th Khagan of the Mongol Empire

Öljeyitü Khan, born Temür, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzong of Yuan, was the second emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China, ruling from May 10, 1294 to February 10, 1307. Apart from Emperor of China, he is considered as the sixth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, although it was only nominal due to the division of the empire. He was an able ruler of the Yuan dynasty, and his reign established the patterns of power for the next few decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongol invasions and conquests</span> Series of military campaigns (1206–1308)

The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastation as one of the deadliest episodes in history. In addition, Mongol expeditions may have spread the bubonic plague across much of Eurasia, helping to spark the Black Death of the 14th century.

Chungnyeol of Goryeo was the 25th ruler of the medieval Korean kingdom of Goryeo from 1274 to 1308. He was the son of Wonjong, his predecessor on the throne. Chungnyeol was king during the Mongol Invasions of Japan, reluctantly aiding in the offensives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongol invasions of Korea</span> 1231–1271 Mongol Yuan conquests

A series of campaigns were conducted between 1231 and 1270 by the Mongol Empire against the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. There were seven major campaigns at tremendous cost to civilian lives, the last campaign made most of Goryeo a vassal state of the Yuan dynasty for approximately 80 years. However, rebellion movements existed throughout this time and in 1274, some Goryeo territory existed outside of Mongol control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mengu-Timur</span> Khan of the Golden Horde (r. 1266-1280)

Munkh Tumur or Möngke Temür was a son of Toqoqan Khan and Köchu Khatun of Oirat, daughter of Toralchi Küregen and granddaughter of Qutuqa Beki, and the grandson of Batu Khan. He was a khan of the Golden Horde, a division of the Mongol Empire in 1266–1280.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berke–Hulagu war</span> War between the Golden Horde and Ilkhanate

The Berke–Hulagu war was fought between two Mongol leaders, Berke Khan of the Golden Horde and Hulagu Khan of the Ilkhanate. It was fought mostly in the Caucasus Mountains area in the 1260s after the destruction of Baghdad in 1258. The war overlaps with the Toluid Civil War in the Mongol Empire between two members of the Tolui family line, Kublai Khan and Ariq Böke, who both claimed the title of Great Khan (Khagan). Kublai allied with Hulagu, while Ariq Böke sided with Berke. Hulagu headed to Mongolia for the election of a new Khagan to succeed Möngke Khan, but the loss of the Battle of Ain Jalut to the Mamluks forced him to withdraw back to the Middle East. The Mamluk victory emboldened Berke to invade the Ilkhanate. The Berke–Hulagu war and the Toluid Civil War as well as the subsequent Kaidu–Kublai war marked a key moment in the fragmentation of the Mongol empire after the death of Möngke, the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.

A khanate or khaganate is the name for a type of historic polity ruled by a khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. Khanates were typically nomadic Turkic, Mongol and Tatar societies located on the Eurasian Steppe, politically equivalent in status to kinship-based chiefdoms and feudal monarchies. Khanates and khaganates were organised tribally, where leaders gained power on the support and loyalty of their warrior subjects, gaining tribute from subordinates as realm funding. In comparison to a khanate, a khaganate, the realm of a khagan, was a large nomadic state maintaining subjugation over numerous smaller khanates. The title of khagan, translating as "Khan of the Khans", roughly corresponds in status to that of an emperor.

<i>Darughachi</i>

Darughachi or Basqaq were originally designated officials in the Mongol Empire that were in charge of taxes and administration in a certain province. The plural form of the Mongolian word is darugha. They were sometimes referred to as governors. The term corresponds to dārugheh and basqaq or baskak in Turkic, dálǔhuāchì in Pinyin or ta lu hua ch'ih in Wade–Giles in Chinese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongol invasions of Vietnam</span> 13th-century Mongol-Chinese campaigns

Four major military campaigns were launched by the Mongol Empire, and later the Yuan dynasty, against the kingdom of Đại Việt ruled by the Trần dynasty and the kingdom of Champa in 1258, 1282–1284, 1285, and 1287–88. The campaigns are treated by a number of scholars as a success due to the establishment of tributary relations with Đại Việt despite the Mongols suffering major military defeats. In contrast, modern Vietnamese historiography regards the war as a major victory against the foreign invaders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuan dynasty</span> Mongol-led dynasty of China (1271–1368)

The Yuan dynasty, officially the Great Yuan, was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from the Borjigin clan, and lasted from 1271 to 1368. In Chinese history, the Yuan dynasty followed the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kublai Khan</span> Founding emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China

Kublai Khan, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, although after the division of the empire this was a nominal position. He proclaimed the dynastic name "Great Yuan" in 1271, and ruled Yuan China until his death in 1294.

The division of the Mongol Empire began after Möngke Khan died in 1259 in the siege of Diaoyu Castle with no declared successor, precipitating infighting between members of the Tolui family line for the title of khagan that escalated into the Toluid Civil War. This civil war, along with the Berke–Hulagu war and the subsequent Kaidu–Kublai war, greatly weakened the authority of the great khan over the entirety of the Mongol Empire, and the empire fractured into four khanates: the Golden Horde in Eastern Europe, the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, the Ilkhanate in Southwest Asia, and the Yuan dynasty in East Asia based in modern-day Beijing – although the Yuan emperors held the nominal title of khagan of the empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goryeo under Mongol rule</span> 1270–1356 Goryeo vassalage to Yuan

Goryeo under Mongol rule refers to the rule of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty over the Korean Peninsula from about 1270 to 1356. After the Mongol invasions of Korea and the capitulation of the Korean Goryeo dynasty in the 13th century, Goryeo became a semi-autonomous vassal state and compulsory ally of the Yuan dynasty for about 80 years. It has been referred to as a "son-in-law kingdom in the Mongol Empire." The ruling line of Goryeo, the House of Wang, was permitted to rule Korea as a vassal of the Yuan, which established the Branch Secretariat for Eastern Campaigns in Korea as an extension of Mongol supervision and political power. Members of the Goryeo royal family were taken to Khanbaliq, and typically married to spouses from the Yuan imperial clan, the House of Borjigin. As a result, princes who became monarchs of Goryeo during this period were effectively imperial sons in-law (khuregen). Yuan overlordship ended in the 1350s when the Yuan dynasty itself started to crumble and King Gongmin of Goryeo began to push the Yuan garrisons back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuan dynasty in Inner Asia</span>

The Yuan dynasty in Inner Asia was the domination of the Yuan dynasty in Inner Asia in the 13th and the 14th centuries. The Borjigin rulers of the Yuan came from the Mongolian steppe, and the Mongols under Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) based in Khanbaliq. The Yuan was a Chinese dynasty that incorporated many aspects of Mongol and Inner Asian political and military institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaidu–Kublai war</span> Civil war within the Mongol Empire

The Kaidu–Kublai war was a war between Kaidu and Kublai from 1268 to 1301. Kaidu was the leader of the House of Ögedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate, while Kublai was the founder of the Yuan dynasty. The Kaidu–Kublai war followed the Toluid Civil War (1260–1264) and resulted in the permanent division of the Mongol Empire. By the time of Kublai's death in 1294, the Mongol Empire had fractured into four separate polities: the Golden Horde khanate in the northwest, the Chagatai Khanate in the middle, the Ilkhanate in the southwest, and the Yuan dynasty in the east based in modern-day Beijing. Although Temür later made peace with the three western khanates in 1304 after Kaidu's death, the four successor states of the Mongol Empire continued their own separate development and fell at different times.

References

  1. C. P. Atwood Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p.403
  2. Herbert Franke, Denis Twitchett, John King Fairbank The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, "Alien Regimes and Border States", p.473
  3. Colin Mackerras China's minorities, p.29
  4. George Alexander Ballard-The influence of the sea on the political history of Japan, p.21
  5. Conrad Schirokauer A brief history of Chinese and Japanese civilizations, p.211
  6. 1 2 Kublai (18 December 1271), 《建國號詔》 [Edict to Establish the Name of the State], 《元典章》[Statutes of Yuan] (in Classical Chinese)
  7. Robinson, David (2019). In the Shadow of the Mongol Empire: Ming China and Eurasia. p. 50. ISBN   9781108482448.
  8. Robinson, David (2009). Empire's Twilight: Northeast Asia Under the Mongols. p. 293. ISBN   9780674036086.
  9. Brook, Timothy; Walt van Praag, Michael van; Boltjes, Miek (2018). Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan. p. 45. ISBN   9780226562933.
  10. A COMPENDIUM OF CHRONICLES: Rashid al-Din's Illustrated History of the World (The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, VOL XXVII) ISBN   0-19-727627-X, the reign of Möngke
  11. A. P. Grigorev and O. B. Frolova "Geographicheskoy opisaniye Zolotoy Ordi" in Encyclopedia al-Kashkandi-Tyurkologicheskyh sbornik,2001-p. 262-302
  12. René Grousset The Empire of the Steppes, Ж.Бор Еварзийн дипломат шашстир II боть
  13. Л.Н.Гумилев - Древняя Русь и великая степь
  14. 1 2 Ринчен Хара Даван - Чингис хан гений
  15. 1 2 3 René Grousset - The Empire of the Steppes, Ж.Бор Евразийн дипломат шашстир II боть
  16. "The History of Yuan Dynasty", J.Bor, p.313, Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol empire, p.581
  17. The Empire of the Steppes by René Grousset, trans. N. Walford, p.291
  18. "Expanding the Realm". Koreanhistoryproject.org. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
  19. ed. Rossabi 1983, p. 247.
  20. Haw 2014, p. 4.
  21. Reuven Amitei Press Mamluk Ilkhanid war 1260-1280
  22. A History of the Byzantine Empire by Al. Vasilief, © 2007
  23. Mark Hudson Ruins of Identity, p.226
  24. Brett L. Walker The Conquest of Ainu Lands, p.133
  25. Ринчен Хара-Даван: Чингис хан гений, Ж.Бор: Евразийн дипломат шашстир II боть