| Yesugei Bagatur ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠭᠡᠢ ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De facto ruler ofKhamag Mongol | |||||||||||||
| Reign | c. 1160 – 1171 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Hotula Khan | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Genghis Khan | ||||||||||||
| Born | c. 1134 Mongolian Plateau | ||||||||||||
| Died | c. 1171 (aged 36–37) Mongolian Plateau | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | Hö'elün Sochigel | ||||||||||||
| Issue | Genghis Khan Qasar Hachiun Temüge Belgutei Behter | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| House | Borjigin | ||||||||||||
| Father | Bartan Bagatur | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Aicigel | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Tengrism | ||||||||||||
Yesükhei (Chinese:也速該;pinyin:Yěsùgāi) orYesugei Baghatur (Traditional Mongolian:ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠭᠡᠢ
ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ;Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар,Yesukhei baatar,[ˈjosuxɛːˈbaːtər]) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of theKhamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, who later became known asGenghis Khan. Yesügei was from theBorjigin family, and his name means "like nine", meaning he had the auspicious qualities of the number nine, a lucky number to theMongols.
Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the second son ofKhabul Khan. Khabul was recognized as akhagan by theJin Dynasty. Khabul Khan was, in turn, the great-grandson of the Mongol chiefKhaidu, the first to try to unite the Mongols. Yesügei abducted his chief wife,Hö'elün, a daughter of theOlkhunut forest people, with the help of his elder brother Negün Taishi and younger brother Daritai Otchigin, from her newlywed husband Chiledu ofMerkits.[1] Yesügeiabducted Hoelun because of her beauty and indications of fertility.[2]
After the Khamag Mongol confederation khanHotula died, the confederation had no elected king, butde facto Yesügei ruled the confederation. Yesügei had a bloodbrother, oranda,Toghrul Khan (later known as Wang Khan and Ong Khan). Yesügei helped Toghrul to defeat his uncle Gurkhan. After Yesügei's death, Toghrul initially helped Temüjin in arranging his marriage toBörte and uniting the tribes but later defected to Genghis'anda and rival,Jamukha.
In 1171 Yesügei died when his son Temüjin was nine years old.The Secret History of the Mongols records that Yesügei left Temüjin at the home of Dai Setsen, a noble man of theKhongirad tribe, after Yesügei and Dai Setsen had agreed that their children, Temüjin and Börte, would marry. When Yesügei was on his way home, he noticed an encampment where some Tatars were having a wedding feast.[3] Yesügei wanted to join the celebration, but he knew he could not reveal his identity, since he was known among the Tatars as the person who killed their relative (called Temüjin Uge) in a battle eight years earlier.[4] Yesügei tried his luck, but someone recognized him and offered him poisoned food under the guise of hospitality. Although ill, Yesügei managed to escape back to his family's camp.[4]
Yesügei died three days later at home.
During the reign of theYuan dynasty, he was given the temple name of Liezu (Chinese:烈祖;lit. 'Ardent Founder') and the posthumous name Shenyuan Huangdi (Chinese:神元皇帝;lit. 'Supernaturally Prime Emperor').[5]
Yesügei andHoelun had four sonsTemüjin, (later known as Genghis Khan),Hasar,Hachiun,Temüge and a daughter,Temülen. Yesugei had two sons by his second wifeSochigel:Behter andBelgutei. TheSecret History of the Mongols records that in his youth Temüjin killed his brother Behter in a fight for food. His other half-brother, Belgutei, however was a good friend, and later became a general under Genghis.
Media related toYesugei at Wikimedia Commons