Ariq Boke
Encyclopedia
Ariq Böke the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik, Bukha, Buka , was the youngest son of Tolui
(1192–1232), a son of Genghis Khan
. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Mongke
, Ariq Boke briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected simultaneous claimants Kublai and Ariq Boke to the throne, resulting in a war for succession which marked the beginning of civil war in the Mongol Empire
. Ariq Boke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother Kublai Khan
was supported by the senior princes of North China and Manchuria
.
and Tolui
, the youngest son of Genghis Khan
. When Genghis died in 1227, the leadership of the Empire passed to Genghis' son (Ariq Boke's uncle), Ogedei. He peacefully attended the elections of both his uncle Great Khan Ogedei and Ogedei's successor Guyuk
. After his eldest brother Mongke was enthroned in 1250, his family became even more powerful among the Chingisids. Ariq Böke is also known for being sympathetic towards Christianity
; this is known from the account of Franciscan
William of Rubruck
, who was an envoy of French King Louis IX
.
died, a power struggle erupted, with leadership then passing to Ogedei's son Guyuk
in 1246, though Guyuk died only two years later, in 1248. After another struggle, the sons of Tolui, Ogedei's brother, took power. The first of Tolui's sons to be Great Khan was Mongke, who proceeded with Kublai to conquer Southern China
and the Southern Song Dynasty. Their brother Hulagu led the Mongol advance westward, conquering Baghdad
and proceeding into Syria
and towards Palestine
. During this time, all affairs of the Heartland were left under the control of their brother Ariq Böke.
When Möngke died in 1259, Ariq Boke was elected Khan in the absence of his brothers, and had the support of most of the existing ministers and powerful families in the capital of Karakorum
, such as Mongke's family, and other princes of the Golden family along with other forces in the capital of Karakorum
including Torguud royal bodyguards and White Horde elites, as well as the Oirat
s, who were allied with him as one of the Oirat leaders was married to his daughter. However, when Kublai and Hulagu received news of Mongke's death, they aborted their own battles in order to return to the capital to decide the matter of succession. In April 1260, Kublai was elected khan by his own supporters, to rival the claim of Ariq Boke. Thus was launched a civil war between the brothers, for the leadership of the Empire. For example, when the Chagatai Khanate
needed a new leader, Kublai attempted to send Abishqa, who was loyal to him. But Ariq Boke had Abishqa captured and eventually killed, and instead installed his own ally Alghu
. Ariq Boke ordered Alghu to defend the area from both the forces of Hulegu, and the possible presence of Berke
of Golden Horde
. But Alghu deserted Ariq Boke, killing his envoys for treasure, while Kaidu
remained loyal to Ariq Boke. Alghu and Ariq Boke were soon in direct conflict, with Alghu winning the first engagement, but then at the second, Ariq Böke was victorious, and forced Alghu to flee westward.
and Turk
contingents and numerous Chinese
and Goryeo
infantries. Kublai's supporter Kadan
, a son of Ogedei, crushed Ariq Boke's force under general Alandar, and Ariq Böke twice lost control of the capital of Karakorum. Kublai also blockaded all trade to Mongolia from North China
, in order to cut the food supply. Ariq Böke finally submitted to Kublai at Xanadu
on August 21, 1264. Kublai pardoned him but executed most of his companions.
Ariq Böke came to be regarded as this faction's figurehead." This legacy was continued by Kaidu
(Khaidu). Although Ariq Böke lost power, some of his descendants later became important figures in the Ilkhanate
and the Northern Yuan Dynasty, with the lineage of both Ilkhan Arpa Ke'un
and Yesüder
can be traced back to Ariq Boke.
Tolui
Tolui, was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun Börte...
(1192–1232), a son of 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....
. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Mongke
Mongke
Mongke means "eternal" in Mongolian language and may refer to:-Medieval:* Möngke Khan , Great khan of the Mongol Empire* Yesü Möngke, khan of Chagatai khanate, 1247-1252* Mengu-Timur Mongke (also Mönkh, Monkh, Munkh) means "eternal" in Mongolian language and may refer to:-Medieval:* Möngke Khan...
, Ariq Boke briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected simultaneous claimants Kublai and Ariq Boke to the throne, resulting in a war for succession which marked the beginning of civil war in the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. Ariq Boke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother 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...
was supported by the senior princes of North China and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
.
Early years
Ariq Boke was the youngest son of Sorghaghtani BekiSorghaghtani Beki
Sorghaghtani Beki or Bekhi , also written Sorkaktani, Sorkhokhtani, Sorkhogtani, Siyurkuktiti; , a Kereyid princess of the Nestorian Christian faith and daughter-in-law of Temüjin , was one of the most powerful and competent women in the Mongol Empire...
and Tolui
Tolui
Tolui, was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun Börte...
, the youngest son of 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....
. When Genghis died in 1227, the leadership of the Empire passed to Genghis' son (Ariq Boke's uncle), Ogedei. He peacefully attended the elections of both his uncle Great Khan Ogedei and Ogedei's successor Guyuk
Guyuk
Guyuk may refer to:*Guyuk, Nigeria, a town*Uğurtaş, a town in Turkey, formerly called Güyük*Güyük Khan , the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire...
. After his eldest brother Mongke was enthroned in 1250, his family became even more powerful among the Chingisids. Ariq Böke is also known for being sympathetic towards Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
; this is known from the account of Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
William of Rubruck
William of Rubruck
William of Rubruck was a Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer. His account is one of the masterpieces of medieval geographical literature comparable to that of Marco Polo....
, who was an envoy of French King Louis IX
Louis IX
Louis IX may refer to:* Louis IX of France .* Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria "the Rich" * Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt ....
.
Great Khan
When Ogedei KhanÖgedei Khan
Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...
died, a power struggle erupted, with leadership then passing to Ogedei's son Guyuk
Guyuk
Guyuk may refer to:*Guyuk, Nigeria, a town*Uğurtaş, a town in Turkey, formerly called Güyük*Güyük Khan , the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire...
in 1246, though Guyuk died only two years later, in 1248. After another struggle, the sons of Tolui, Ogedei's brother, took power. The first of Tolui's sons to be Great Khan was Mongke, who proceeded with Kublai to conquer Southern China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
and the Southern Song Dynasty. Their brother Hulagu led the Mongol advance westward, conquering Baghdad
Siege of Baghdad
Siege of Baghdad may refer to*Siege of Baghdad during the civil war in Arab Abbasid Caliphate *Siege of Baghdad , during the Caliphal Civil War...
and proceeding into Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and towards Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. During this time, all affairs of the Heartland were left under the control of their brother Ariq Böke.
When Möngke died in 1259, Ariq Boke was elected Khan in the absence of his brothers, and had the support of most of the existing ministers and powerful families in the capital of Karakorum
Karakorum
Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery...
, such as Mongke's family, and other princes of the Golden family along with other forces in the capital of Karakorum
Karakorum
Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery...
including Torguud royal bodyguards and White Horde elites, as well as the Oirat
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
s, who were allied with him as one of the Oirat leaders was married to his daughter. However, when Kublai and Hulagu received news of Mongke's death, they aborted their own battles in order to return to the capital to decide the matter of succession. In April 1260, Kublai was elected khan by his own supporters, to rival the claim of Ariq Boke. Thus was launched a civil war between the brothers, for the leadership of the Empire. For example, when the Chagatai Khanate
Chagatai Khanate
The Chagatai Khanate was a Turko-Mongol khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan , second son of the Great Khan Genghis Khan, and his descendents and successors...
needed a new leader, Kublai attempted to send Abishqa, who was loyal to him. But Ariq Boke had Abishqa captured and eventually killed, and instead installed his own ally Alghu
Alghu
Alghu was a khan of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the son of Baidar and the grandson of Chagatai Khan.In 1260 he was appointed as head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate by the Great Khan claimant Ariq Böke, in opposition to the child khan Mubarak Shah and his mother Orghina...
. Ariq Boke ordered Alghu to defend the area from both the forces of Hulegu, and the possible presence of Berke
Berke
Berke Khan was the ruler of the Golden Horde who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Hordes from 1257 to 1266. He succeeded his brother Batu Khan of the Blue Horde and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire...
of Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
. But Alghu deserted Ariq Boke, killing his envoys for treasure, while Kaidu
Kaidu
Kaidu was the leader of the House of Ogedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate. He ruled part of modern-day Xinjiang and Central Asia during the 13th century, and actively opposed his uncle, Kublai Khan, who established the Yuan Dynasty in China until his death in 1301...
remained loyal to Ariq Boke. Alghu and Ariq Boke were soon in direct conflict, with Alghu winning the first engagement, but then at the second, Ariq Böke was victorious, and forced Alghu to flee westward.
Surrender
Eventually, as the war continued between Ariq Boke and his brother Kublai, Ariq Boke's forces weakened. Kublai had powerful Mongol cavalries, AlanAlan
-People :*Alan , the given name*alan , female Tibetan singer active in Japan*Alan , Mexican boy band singer*Alan , aka Gato Eveready, who wrestles in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración...
and Turk
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
contingents and numerous Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
infantries. Kublai's supporter Kadan
Kadan
Kadaň , is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two...
, a son of Ogedei, crushed Ariq Boke's force under general Alandar, and Ariq Böke twice lost control of the capital of Karakorum. Kublai also blockaded all trade to Mongolia from North China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
, in order to cut the food supply. Ariq Böke finally submitted to Kublai at Xanadu
Xanadu
-Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles...
on August 21, 1264. Kublai pardoned him but executed most of his companions.
Legacy
According to scholar David Morgan, "Ariq Böke can be seen as representing an influential school of thought among the Mongols, which Kublai through his actions and attitudes after 1260 opposed. Some Mongols felt there was a dangerous drift towards softness, typified in those like Kublai who thought there was something to be said for settled civilization and for the Chinese way of life. In the traditionalist view, the Mongol center ought to remain in Mongolia, and the Mongols' nomadic life be preserved uncontaminated. China ought merely to be exploited.Ariq Böke came to be regarded as this faction's figurehead." This legacy was continued by Kaidu
Kaidu
Kaidu was the leader of the House of Ogedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate. He ruled part of modern-day Xinjiang and Central Asia during the 13th century, and actively opposed his uncle, Kublai Khan, who established the Yuan Dynasty in China until his death in 1301...
(Khaidu). Although Ariq Böke lost power, some of his descendants later became important figures in the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
and the Northern Yuan Dynasty, with the lineage of both Ilkhan Arpa Ke'un
Arpa Ke'un
Arpa Ke'un, also known as Arpa Khan or Gavon or Gawon , was an Ilkhan during the disintegration of the Mongol state in Persia. He was a member of the house of Tolui. His lineage traced back to Arik Boke who was a youngest brother of Mongke, Kublai and Hulegu.Arpa Ke'un came to power following the...
and Yesüder
Jorightu Khan, Emperor Xingyuan of Northern Yuan
Jorightu Khan was a Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia. There are questions about the identity of Jorightu: some scholars believe that Jorightu was Yesüder who was a descendant of Arik Boke and Engke Khan was Yesüder's son succeeding him, while other believe that the two were...
can be traced back to Ariq Boke.