Güyük Khan
Encyclopedia
Güyük (c. 1206–1248) was the third Great Khan
of the Mongol Empire
. As the eldest son of Ögedei Khan
and a grandson of Genghis Khan
, he reigned from 1246 to 1248. He was given temple name
later by Kublai Khan
who founded the Yuan Dynasty
.
and Ögedei Khan
. He married Oghul Qaimish
of the Merkit
clan. In 1233, Guyuk, along with his maternal cousin Alchidai and the Mongol general Tangghud, conquered the short-lived Dongxia Kingdom of Puxian Wannu
, who was a rebellious Jin official, in a few months. After the death of Tolui, Ogedei proposed that Sorghaghtani, the widow of Tolui
, marry his son Guyuk. Sorghaghtani declined, saying that her prime responsibility was to her own sons.
He participated in the invasion of Russia and Central Europe
in 1236-1241 with other Mongol princes, including his cousin Batu
and half-brother Khadan. Guyuk led his corps in the siege of Ryazan
and the lengthy siege of the Ossetia
n capital Maghas
. During the course of the conquest, Güyük quarreled violently with Batu at the victory banquet and screamed at Batu "Batu is just an old woman with a quiver". Guyuk and Büri
, a grandson of Chagatai
, stormed out of the banquet and rode away swearing and cursing. When word reached the Great Khan, they were recalled for a time to Mongolia
. Ogedei refused to see them and threatened to have his son Guyuk executed. When Ogedei calmed down and finally admitted Guyuk into his ger
. Ogedei criticized Guyuk, "Do you think that the Russians
surrendered because how mean you were to your own men. ...Because you captured 1 or 2 warriors, you think that you won the war. But you didn't capture even a single kid goat." Ogedei reprimanded his son harshly for fighting within the family and for mistreating his soldiers. Guyuk was dispatched again to Europe
.
In the meantime Ögedei had died in 1241, and his widow Töregene had taken over as regent
, a position of great influence and authority which she used to advocate for her son Güyük. Batu withdrew from Europe
so that he might have some influence over the succession
, but despite his delaying tactics, Töregene succeeded in getting Güyük elected Khan
in 1246. When Genghis Khan’s youngest brother, Temuge
, threatened the Great Khatun Toregene in an attempt to seize the throne, Guyuk came to Mongolia from Emil to secure his position immediately.
Guyuk's enthronement on 24 August 1246, near the Mongol capital at Karakorum
, was attended by a large number of foreign ambassadors: the Franciscan
friar and envoy of Pope Innocent IV
, John of Plano Carpini
; the Grand Duke of Moscow Yaroslav II of Vladimir
; the incumbents for the throne of Georgia
; the brother of the king of Armenia
and historian, Sempad the Constable
; the future Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Kilij Arslan IV
; and ambassadors of the Abbasid Caliphate and of the emperor of India
. According to John of Plano Carpini, Güyük's formal election in a great kurultai
, or diet of the tribes, took place while his company was at a camp called Sira Orda, or "Yellow Pavilian," along with 3,000 to 4,000 visitors from all parts of Asia
and eastern Europe
, bearing homage
, tribute, and presents. They afterwards witnessed the formal enthronement at another camp in the vicinity called the "Golden Ordu," after which they were presented to the emperor. Mosul
submitted to him, sending envoys to that assembly.
When the papal envoy John of Plano Carpini protested Mongol attacks on Catholic kingdoms of Europe, Guyuk stated that these people had slain Mongol envoys in the time of Genghis Khan and Ogedei Khan. He also claimed that "from the rising of the sun to its setting, all the lands have been made subject to the Great Khan", proclaiming an explicit ideology of world conquest. The Khagan wrote a letter to Pope Innocent IV on the relations between the Church and the Mongols. "You must say with a sincere heart: 'We will be your subjects; we will give you our strength'. You must in person come with your kings, all together, without exception, to render us service and pay us homage. Only then will we acknowledge your submission. And if you do not follow the order of God, and go against our orders, we will know you as our enemy." According to the account of Plano Carpini, Chingis Khan's daughter or the aunt
of the Khagan was executed for poisoning Ogedei.
Guyuk followed his father's policy and had Fatima arrested and executed for bewitching his brother Koden (Khuden) and Abd-ur-Rahman was also beheaded for corruption
. Of the provincial officiars appointed under Toregene, only the Oirat
official Arghun Aqa remained. Guyuk had Temuge's case indicated by Orda Khan
and Mongke
, and they had him executed. Guyuk replaced the child khan Qara Hulegu
of the Chagatai Khanate
with his favorite cousin Yesu Mongke
to secure his position. He also restored his father's officials, Mahmud Yalavach, Masud Beg and Chinqai to positions in the provinces.
in Persia in preparation for an attack on Baghdad
and the Ismailis and pursuing the war against the Song Dynasty
. He was, nevertheless, insecure and won the disapproval of his subjects by executing several high-ranking officials of the previous regime for treason. The Seljuk
princes struggled incessantly for the throne of the Sultanate of Rum
. Despised by Izz-ad-Din, Rukn ad-Din Kilij Arslan IV
came to Mongolia. Guyuk ordered Rukn ad-Din enthroned in Iz-ad-Din Kaykaus II
's place. A darugachi with 2,000 Mongol troops was sent to enforce this decision. When both David Narin and David Ulu summoned before Guyuk in Karakorum
, he made David Ulu the senior king and divided the Kingdom of Georgia
between them. After the treaty signed by the Mongols and the Cilician Armenia in 1243, the king Hetoum I sent his brother Sempad
to the Mongol court in Karakorum and made a formal agreement in 1247 in which Cilician Armenia would be considered a vassal
state of the Mongol Empire. Due to Armenia's voluntary surrender, Sempad received a Mongol wife, and his Kingdom was spared Mongol overseers and tax. Guyuk demanded full-submission of the Abbasid
s and the Ismailis. Guyuk Khan blamed Baiju
for the irritated resistance of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Guyuk ordered an empire-wide census. In 1246, by the decree of Guyuk, taxes amounting between 1/30 -1/10 of value were imposed on everything and a heavy head tax of 60 silver drams was collected from males in Georgia and Armenia
. The Great Khan separated the position of the great jarugachi from that of chief scribe
. Guyuk took half of his father's kheshig
for himself. Under his rule, the Uyghur
officials increased their dominance, sidelining the North Chinese and the Muslim
s. Guyuk was strict and intelligent person rather morose and sickly. However, his bad habit of drinking worsened his health.
Guyuk sent Amuqan to Korea
and the Mongols camped near Yiom-ju in July 1247. After the king Gojong of Goryeo
refused to move his capital from Kanghwa island to Songdo
, Amuqan's force pillaged Korean Peninsula
until 1250.
Although Batu did not support Guyuk's election seriously, he respected the Great Khan as traditionalist and sent Andrey and Alexander Nevsky
to Karakorum
in Mongolia
in 1247 after their father's death. Guyuk appointed Andrey Grand prince
of Vladimir-Suzdal
and Alexander prince of Kiev
.
In 1248, he demanded Batu come towards Mongolia to meet him, a move that some contemporaries regarded as a pretext for Batu's arrest. In compliance with the order, Batu approached bringing a large army. When Güyük moved westwards, Sorghaghtani warned Batu that the Jochids might be his target.
The showdown never happened—Güyük died en route, in what is now Xinjiang
. Guyuk might have been poisoned, but some modern historians believe that he died of natural causes because his health deteriorated. According to William of Rubruck
, he was killed in a violent brawl with Shiban
. His widow Oghul Qaimish
took over as regent, but she would be unable to keep the succession within her branch of the family. Möngke
succeeded as Khan in 1251.
, a vice that Genghis himself had detested. Despite this, Genghis himself once remarked that it was not realistic to expect a man not to get drunk on occasion. The death of Güyük had a profound effect on history. Güyük wanted to turn the Mongol power against Europe. Because of Güyük's premature death, Mongol family politics caused the Mongol efforts to be directed against southern China, which was eventually conquered in the time of Kublai Khan
.
Güyük's reign showed that the split between Batu's line, the descendants of Jöchi, and the rest of the family was the fatal flaw in the unity of all the Mongol Empire. Oghul Qaimish, whom Möngke had called "more contemptible than a bitch" to a European visitor, was executed after Batu and Möngke effected the family coup.
When Kublai Khan
established the Yuan Dynasty
in 1271, he had Güyük Khan placed on the official record as Dingzong .
Guyuk and his other wife's child was:
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 Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. As the eldest son of Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...
and a grandson 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....
, he reigned from 1246 to 1248. He was given temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
later by 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...
who founded 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...
.
Early life
Güyük received military training and served as an officer under Genghis KhanGenghis 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....
and Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...
. He married Oghul Qaimish
Oghul Qaimish
Oghul Qaimish was the principal wife of Güyük Khan and ruled as regent over the Mongol empire after the death of her husband in 1248. She was a descendant from the Mergid tribe. However, H.H.Howorth believed that she was an Oirat.- Life :...
of the Merkit
Merkit
The Mergid was one of the five major tribal confederations in Mongolian plateau in the 12th century.The Mergids inhabited in basins of the Selenge River and lower Orkhon River...
clan. In 1233, Guyuk, along with his maternal cousin Alchidai and the Mongol general Tangghud, conquered the short-lived Dongxia Kingdom of Puxian Wannu
Puxian Wannu
Púxiān Wànnú was a Jurchen warlord who established the short-lived kingdom of Eastern Xia in 13th century China .He originally served the dying Jin Dynasty under pressure from the Mongol Empire...
, who was a rebellious Jin official, in a few months. After the death of Tolui, Ogedei proposed that Sorghaghtani, the widow of Tolui
Tolui
Tolui, was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun Börte...
, marry his son Guyuk. Sorghaghtani declined, saying that her prime responsibility was to her own sons.
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
in 1236-1241 with other Mongol princes, including his cousin Batu
Batu Khan
Batu Khan was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Ulus of Jochi , the sub-khanate of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. His ulus was the chief state of the Golden Horde , which ruled Rus and the Caucasus for around 250 years, after also destroying the armies...
and half-brother Khadan. Guyuk led his corps in the siege of Ryazan
Siege of Ryazan
Ryazan was the first Rus city to be besieged by the Mongol invaders under Batu Khan.In the autumn of 1237 the Mongol Horde led by invaded the Rus' principality of Ryazan...
and the lengthy siege of the Ossetia
Ossetia
Ossetia Ossetic: Ир, Ирыстон Ir, Iryston; Russian: Осетия, Osetiya; Georgian: ოსეთი, Oset'i) is an ethnolinguistic region located on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. The Ossetian language is part of the Eastern Iranian branch of the Indo-European...
n capital Maghas
Maghas
Known exclusively from Arabic sources, Maghas or Maas was the capital city of Alania, a medieval kingdom in the Greater Caucasus. Its location is uncertain, with some authors favouring North Ossetia and others pointing to Arkhyz in modern-day Karachay-Cherkessia, where three 10th-century churches...
. During the course of the conquest, Güyük quarreled violently with Batu at the victory banquet and screamed at Batu "Batu is just an old woman with a quiver". Guyuk and Büri
Büri
Buri was a son of Mutugen and a grandson of Chagatai khan. His name - Buri - means Wolf. According to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, Buri's mother was a wife of Chagatai khan's one official. She was a beauty, and Mutuken was attracted by her while she served in Khan's ger. Mutuken made her pregnant...
, a grandson of Chagatai
Chagatai Khan
Chagatai Khan was the second son of Genghis Khan and first khan and origin of the names of the Chagatai Khanate, Chagatai language and Chagatai Turks....
, stormed out of the banquet and rode away swearing and cursing. When word reached the Great Khan, they were recalled for a time to Mongolia
Mongolia
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...
. Ogedei refused to see them and threatened to have his son Guyuk executed. When Ogedei calmed down and finally admitted Guyuk into his ger
Ger
Ger may refer to:*Ger , a Hasidic dynasty from Góra Kalwaria*Ger , the javelin of the Germanic tribe of the Teutons*Germany *German language *Granular endoplasmic reticulum *Gross Enrollment Ratio...
. Ogedei criticized Guyuk, "Do you think that the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
surrendered because how mean you were to your own men. ...Because you captured 1 or 2 warriors, you think that you won the war. But you didn't capture even a single kid goat." Ogedei reprimanded his son harshly for fighting within the family and for mistreating his soldiers. Guyuk was dispatched again to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In the meantime Ögedei had died in 1241, and his widow Töregene had taken over as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, a position of great influence and authority which she used to advocate for her son Güyük. Batu withdrew from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
so that he might have some influence over the succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
, but despite his delaying tactics, Töregene succeeded in getting Güyük elected 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 1246. When Genghis Khan’s youngest brother, Temuge
Temüge
Temüge was the youngest full-brother of Genghis Khan. As the youngest sibling, Temüge and his mother, by Mongol traditions, were allotted the most land and people by Genghis Khan during his coronation...
, threatened the Great Khatun Toregene in an attempt to seize the throne, Guyuk came to Mongolia from Emil to secure his position immediately.
Enthronement (1246)
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...
, was attended by a large number of foreign ambassadors: the 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....
friar and envoy of Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
, John of Plano Carpini
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, or John of Plano Carpini or John of Pian de Carpine or Joannes de Plano was one of the first Europeans to enter the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He is the author of the earliest important Western account of northern and central Asia, Rus, and other...
; the Grand Duke of Moscow Yaroslav II of Vladimir
Yaroslav II of Vladimir
Yaroslav II , Christian name Theodor was the Grand Prince of Vladimir who helped to restore his country and capital after the Mongol invasion of Russia.-Prince of Pereyaslav:...
; the incumbents for the throne of Georgia
Kingdom of Georgia
The Kingdom of Georgia was a medieval monarchy established in AD 978 by Bagrat III.It flourished during the 11th and 12th centuries, the so-called "golden age" of the history of Georgia. It fell to the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, but managed to re-assert sovereignty by 1327...
; the brother of the king of Armenia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
and historian, Sempad the Constable
Sempad the Constable
Sempad the Constable was a noble in Cilician Armenia, an older brother of King Hetoum I. He was an important figure in Cilicia, acting as a diplomat, judge, and military officer, holding the title of Constable or Sparapet, supreme commander of the Armenian armed forces...
; the future Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Kilij Arslan IV
Kilij Arslan IV
Kilij Arslan IV was Seljuq Sultan of Rûm after the death of his father Kaykhusraw II in 1246. For part of his tenure as sultan he ruled with his two brothers Kaykaus II and Kayqubad II. He was executed in 1266 by the Pervane Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman.-Sources:...
; and ambassadors of the Abbasid Caliphate and of the emperor of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. According to John of Plano Carpini, Güyük's formal election in a great kurultai
Kurultai
Kurultai is a political and military council of ancient Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans. The root of the word "Khural" means political "meeting" or "assembly" in the Mongolian language, it is also a verb for "to be established"...
, or diet of the tribes, took place while his company was at a camp called Sira Orda, or "Yellow Pavilian," along with 3,000 to 4,000 visitors from all parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, bearing homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
, tribute, and presents. They afterwards witnessed the formal enthronement at another camp in the vicinity called the "Golden Ordu," after which they were presented to the emperor. Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
submitted to him, sending envoys to that assembly.
When the papal envoy John of Plano Carpini protested Mongol attacks on Catholic kingdoms of Europe, Guyuk stated that these people had slain Mongol envoys in the time of Genghis Khan and Ogedei Khan. He also claimed that "from the rising of the sun to its setting, all the lands have been made subject to the Great Khan", proclaiming an explicit ideology of world conquest. The Khagan wrote a letter to Pope Innocent IV on the relations between the Church and the Mongols. "You must say with a sincere heart: 'We will be your subjects; we will give you our strength'. You must in person come with your kings, all together, without exception, to render us service and pay us homage. Only then will we acknowledge your submission. And if you do not follow the order of God, and go against our orders, we will know you as our enemy." According to the account of Plano Carpini, Chingis Khan's daughter or the aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
of the Khagan was executed for poisoning Ogedei.
Guyuk followed his father's policy and had Fatima arrested and executed for bewitching his brother Koden (Khuden) and Abd-ur-Rahman was also beheaded for corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. Of the provincial officiars appointed under Toregene, only 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...
official Arghun Aqa remained. Guyuk had Temuge's case indicated by Orda Khan
Orda Khan
Orda Ichen was a Mongol Khan and military strategist who ruled eastern part of the Ulus of Jochi during the 13th century.-First Khan of the Blue Horde:...
and Mongke
Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...
, and they had him executed. Guyuk replaced the child khan Qara Hulegu
Qara Hülëgü
Qara Hülëgü was head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the son of Mö'etüken, and a grandson of Chagatai Khan....
of 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...
with his favorite cousin Yesu Mongke
Yesü Möngke
Yesü Möngke was head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the son of Chagatai Khan.In or around 1246, he was appointed as khan of the Chagatai Khanate by his cousin the Great Khan Güyük Khan, whom he was friends with, following the deposition of Qara Hülëgü...
to secure his position. He also restored his father's officials, Mahmud Yalavach, Masud Beg and Chinqai to positions in the provinces.
Reign (1246-1248)
Güyük reversed several unpopular edicts of his mother the regent and made a surprisingly capable khan, appointing EljigideiEljigidei
Eljigidei was a Mongol commander in Persia, fl. He supposedly commanded a strong contingent when Chingis Khan invaded Khwarizm in 1219–1223. Ogedei was close to Eljihidey. That's why Eljigidei was given command over the Mongol forces in Persia, by the new khan Güyük in 1246, replacing Baiju...
in Persia in preparation for an attack on Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and the Ismailis and pursuing the war against the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. He was, nevertheless, insecure and won the disapproval of his subjects by executing several high-ranking officials of the previous regime for treason. The Seljuk
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
princes struggled incessantly for the throne of the Sultanate of Rum
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
. Despised by Izz-ad-Din, Rukn ad-Din Kilij Arslan IV
Kilij Arslan IV
Kilij Arslan IV was Seljuq Sultan of Rûm after the death of his father Kaykhusraw II in 1246. For part of his tenure as sultan he ruled with his two brothers Kaykaus II and Kayqubad II. He was executed in 1266 by the Pervane Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman.-Sources:...
came to Mongolia. Guyuk ordered Rukn ad-Din enthroned in Iz-ad-Din Kaykaus II
Kaykaus II
Kaykaus II or Kayka'us II was the eldest of three sons of Kaykhusraw II. He was a youth at the time of his father’s death in 1246 and could do little to prevent the Mongol subjugation of Anatolia. For most of his tenure as the Seljuq Sultan of Rûm, he shared the throne with one or both of his...
's place. A darugachi with 2,000 Mongol troops was sent to enforce this decision. When both David Narin and David Ulu summoned before Guyuk in 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...
, he made David Ulu the senior king and divided the Kingdom of Georgia
Kingdom of Georgia
The Kingdom of Georgia was a medieval monarchy established in AD 978 by Bagrat III.It flourished during the 11th and 12th centuries, the so-called "golden age" of the history of Georgia. It fell to the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, but managed to re-assert sovereignty by 1327...
between them. After the treaty signed by the Mongols and the Cilician Armenia in 1243, the king Hetoum I sent his brother Sempad
Sempad the Constable
Sempad the Constable was a noble in Cilician Armenia, an older brother of King Hetoum I. He was an important figure in Cilicia, acting as a diplomat, judge, and military officer, holding the title of Constable or Sparapet, supreme commander of the Armenian armed forces...
to the Mongol court in Karakorum and made a formal agreement in 1247 in which Cilician Armenia would be considered a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
state of the Mongol Empire. Due to Armenia's voluntary surrender, Sempad received a Mongol wife, and his Kingdom was spared Mongol overseers and tax. Guyuk demanded full-submission of the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
s and the Ismailis. Guyuk Khan blamed Baiju
Baiju
Baiju was a Mongol commander in Persia appointed by Ögedei Khan to succeed Chormagan, and expand Mongol power further in that area....
for the irritated resistance of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Guyuk ordered an empire-wide census. In 1246, by the decree of Guyuk, taxes amounting between 1/30 -1/10 of value were imposed on everything and a heavy head tax of 60 silver drams was collected from males in Georgia and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. The Great Khan separated the position of the great jarugachi from that of chief scribe
Scribe
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
. Guyuk took half of his father's kheshig
Kheshig
Kheshig were the imperial guard for Mongol royalty in the Mongol Empire, particularly for the rulers like the Genghis Khan and his wife Borte. Their primary purpose was as a body guard for the emperors and rulers and to protect them during the day and night...
for himself. Under his rule, the Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
officials increased their dominance, sidelining the North Chinese and the 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...
s. Guyuk was strict and intelligent person rather morose and sickly. However, his bad habit of drinking worsened his health.
Guyuk sent Amuqan to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and the Mongols camped near Yiom-ju in July 1247. After the king Gojong of Goryeo
Gojong of Goryeo
Gojong of Goryeo was the twenty-third ruler of Goryeo in present-day Korea. Gojong's reign was marked by prolonged conflict with the Mongol Empire, which sought to conquer Goryeo, ending only when the kingdom was finally vassalized in 1259...
refused to move his capital from Kanghwa island to Songdo
Songdo
Songdo , meaning "city of pines," can refer to:*Kaesong, North KoreaSongdo , meaning "isle of pines," can refer to:*Songdo International Business District, a new ubiquitous city in Incheon, South Korea*Songdo...
, Amuqan's force pillaged Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
until 1250.
Although Batu did not support Guyuk's election seriously, he respected the Great Khan as traditionalist and sent Andrey and Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
to 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...
in Mongolia
Mongolia
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 1247 after their father's death. Guyuk appointed Andrey Grand prince
Grand Prince
The title grand prince or great prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns...
of Vladimir-Suzdal
Vladimir-Suzdal
The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality or Vladimir-Suzdal Rus’ was one of the major principalities which succeeded Kievan Rus' in the late 12th century and lasted until the late 14th century. For a long time the Principality was a vassal of the Mongolian Golden Horde...
and Alexander prince of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
.
In 1248, he demanded Batu come towards Mongolia to meet him, a move that some contemporaries regarded as a pretext for Batu's arrest. In compliance with the order, Batu approached bringing a large army. When Güyük moved westwards, Sorghaghtani warned Batu that the Jochids might be his target.
The showdown never happened—Güyük died en route, in what is now Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
. Guyuk might have been poisoned, but some modern historians believe that he died of natural causes because his health deteriorated. According to 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....
, he was killed in a violent brawl with Shiban
Shiban
Shiban or Shayban was one of the Left Wing princes. He was Jöchi's fifth son and a grandson of Genghis Khan. Because he was too young when his father died in 1227, he did not receive any lands at that time....
. His widow Oghul Qaimish
Oghul Qaimish
Oghul Qaimish was the principal wife of Güyük Khan and ruled as regent over the Mongol empire after the death of her husband in 1248. She was a descendant from the Mergid tribe. However, H.H.Howorth believed that she was an Oirat.- Life :...
took over as regent, but she would be unable to keep the succession within her branch of the family. Möngke
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...
succeeded as Khan in 1251.
Legacy
Genghis Khan's sons and grandsons were haunted by alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, a vice that Genghis himself had detested. Despite this, Genghis himself once remarked that it was not realistic to expect a man not to get drunk on occasion. The death of Güyük had a profound effect on history. Güyük wanted to turn the Mongol power against Europe. Because of Güyük's premature death, Mongol family politics caused the Mongol efforts to be directed against southern China, which was eventually conquered in the time of 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...
.
Güyük's reign showed that the split between Batu's line, the descendants of Jöchi, and the rest of the family was the fatal flaw in the unity of all the Mongol Empire. Oghul Qaimish, whom Möngke had called "more contemptible than a bitch" to a European visitor, was executed after Batu and Möngke effected the family coup.
When 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...
established 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...
in 1271, he had Güyük Khan placed on the official record as Dingzong .
Children
Guyuk and Oghul Qaimish children included:- Khoja
- Naqu
Guyuk and his other wife's child was:
- Khokhoo