| Güyük Khan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A fifteenth-century depiction of Güyük | |||||||||||||
| Khagan of the Mongol Empire | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 24 August 1246 – 20 April 1248 | ||||||||||||
| Coronation | 24 August 1246 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor |
| ||||||||||||
| Successor |
| ||||||||||||
| Born | 19 March 1206 Khamag Mongol | ||||||||||||
| Died | 20 April 1248 (aged 42) Mongol Empire | ||||||||||||
| Burial | Unknown, presumptivelyBurkhan Khaldun[a] | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | Oghul Qaimish | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| House | Borjigin | ||||||||||||
| Father | Ögedei Khan | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Töregene | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Tengrism orChristianity | ||||||||||||
| Seal[b] |  | ||||||||||||
Güyük Khan orGüyüg Khagan,[c] mononymouslyGüyüg[d] (c. 19 March 1206 – 20 April 1248), was the thirdKhagan of theMongol Empire, the eldest son ofÖgedei Khan and a grandson ofGenghis Khan. He reigned from 1246 to 1248. He started his military career by participating in theconquest of Eastern Xia in China and later in theinvasion 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, appointingAndrey II as thegrand prince of Vladimir and giving theprincely title of Kiev toAlexander Nevsky.
Güyük received military training and served as an officer under his grandfatherGenghis Khan and later his fatherÖgedei Khan (after the death of Genghis in 1227). He marriedOghul Qaimish of theMerkit clan. In 1233, Güyük, along with his maternal cousin Alchidai and the Mongol general Tangghud,conquered the short-lived Dongxia Kingdom ofPuxian Wannu, who was a rebelliousJin official,[2] in a few months. After the death of Güyük's uncleTolui, Ögedei proposed thatSorghaghtani, the widow of Tolui, marry his son Güyük.Sorghaghtani declined, saying that her prime responsibility was to her own sons.[3] According toAta-Malik Juvayni, Güyük, son of Ögedei, was aChristian, but does not specify of what denomination.
Güyük participated in theinvasion of Eastern and Central Europe in 1236–1241 with other Mongol princes, including his cousinBatu and half-brotherKadan. He led his corps in theSiege of Ryazan and the lengthy siege of theAlanian capitalMaghas. During the course of the conquest, Güyük quarreled violently withBatu at the victory banquet and screamed at him, "Batu is just an old woman with a quiver".[4][5] Güyük andBüri, a grandson ofChagatai, stormed out of the banquet and rode away swearing and cursing. When word reached theGreat Khan, they were recalled for a time toMongolia. Ögedei refused to see them and threatened to have his son Güyük executed. Ögedei calmed down and finally admitted Güyük into hisger. Ögedei criticized Güyük, "Do you think that the Russians surrendered because how mean you were to your own men? Do you think that they surrendered because they were afraid of you? Because you captured one or two warriors, you think that you won the war. But you did not capture even a single kid goat."[5] Ögedei reprimanded his son harshly for fighting within the family and for mistreating his soldiers. Güyük was dispatched again to Europe.[5]
In the meantime,Ögedei had died (in 1241), and his widowTöregene had taken over asregent, a position of great influence and authority that she used to advocate for her son Güyük.Batu withdrew from Europe so that he might have some influence over thesuccession, but despite his delaying tactics,Töregene succeeded in getting Güyük electedKhan in 1246. When Genghis Khan's youngest brother,Temüge, threatened theGreat Khatun Toregene in an attempt to seize the throne, Güyük came to Mongolia from Emil to secure his position immediately.
According toGiovanni da Pian del Carpine, Güyük was of "medium stature, very prudent and extremely shrewd, and serious and sedate in his manners."[6]
Güyük's enthronement on 24 August 1246, near the Mongol capital atKarakorum, was attended by a large number of foreign ambassadors: theFranciscan friar and envoy ofPope Innocent IV, Giovanni da Pian del Carpine andBenedict of Poland; Grand DukeYaroslav II of Vladimir; the incumbents for the throne ofGeorgia,David Narin andDavid Ulu; the brother of the king ofArmenia and historian,Sempad the Constable; the futureSeljuk Sultan of Rum,Kilij Arslan IV; and ambassadors of theAbbasidCaliphAl-Musta'sim andAla ud din Masud of theDelhi Sultanate.[7] According to John of Plano Carpini, Güyük's formal election in a greatkurultai, or diet of the tribes, took place while his company was at a camp calledSira Orda, or "Yellow Pavilion," along with 3,000 to 4,000 visitors from all parts of Asia andeastern Europe, bearinghomage, 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. According to the 13th century historianJuvayni:
FromKhitai there came emirs and officials; and from Transoxiana and Turkestan the emir Masʿud accompanied by grandees of that region. With the emirArghun there came the celebrities and notables of Khorasan, Iraq, Lur, Azerbaijan and Shirvan. FromRum came Sultan Kilij Arslan IV and theSultan of Takavor (Trebizond); from Georgia, the twoDavits; from Aleppo, the brother of theLord of Aleppo; from Mosul, the envoy of SultanBadr al-Din Luʾluʾ; and from the city of Peace, Baghdad, the chiefqadi Fakhr al-Din. There also came the Sultan ofErzurum, envoys from the Franks, and fromKerman andFars also; and fromʿAla al-Din of Alamut, his governors in Quhistan, Shihab al-Din and Shams al-Din. And all this great assembly came with such baggage as befitted a court; and there came also from other directions so many envoys and messengers that two thousand felt tents had been made ready for them: there came also merchants with the rare and precious things that are produced in the East and the West.
— Ata-Malik Juvayni, 1: 249–50.[8]
When the papal envoy Giovanni da Pian del Carpine protested Mongol attacks on the Catholic kingdoms of Europe, Güyük stated that these people had slain Mongol envoys in the time ofGenghis Khan andOgedei 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.[9] The Khagan wrote a letter toPope 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."
By this time, the relationship between Güyük andToregene had deteriorated significantly, despite Toregene's role in Güyük's accession. Against Toregene's wishes, Güyük had Toregene's favorite,Fatima, arrested, tortured and executed for bewitching his brother Koden (Khuden), and Abd-ur-Rahman was also beheaded forcorruption. Of the provincial officials appointed under Toregene, only theOirat official Arghun Aqa remained.Toregene herself died later, possibly at Güyük's orders.[10] Güyük had Temüge's case investigated byOrda Khan andMöngke, and they had him executed.[11] Güyük replaced the child khanQara Hülëgü of theChagatai Khanate with his favorite cousinYesü Möngke to secure his position. He also restored his father's officials, Mahmud Yalavach, Masud Beg and Chinqai to positions in the provinces.
Güyük reversed several unpopular edicts of his mother the regent and made a surprisingly capable khan, appointingEljigidei in Persia in preparation for an attack onBaghdad and theIsmailis and pursuing the war against theSong Dynasty. He was, nevertheless, insecure and won the disapproval of his subjects by executing several high-ranking officials of the previous regime for treason. TheSeljuk princes struggled incessantly for the throne of theSultanate of Rum. Despised byKaykaus II,Kilij Arslan IV came to Mongolia. Güyük ordered Kilij Arslan enthroned in Kaykaus II's place, and adarughachi with 2,000 Mongol troops was sent to enforce this decision.
When bothDavid Narin andDavid Ulu were summoned before Güyük inKarakorum, he made David Ulu the senior king and divided theKingdom of Georgia between them.[12] After the treaty signed by the Mongols andCilician Armenia in 1243, the kingHetoum I sent his brotherSempad to the Mongol court in Karakorum and made a formal agreement in 1247 in which Cilician Armenia would be considered avassal 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. Güyük demanded full submission of theAbbasids and the Ismailis. Güyük Khan blamedBaiju for the irritated resistance of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Güyük ordered an empire-wide census. In 1246, by the decree of Güyük, taxes amounting between1⁄30 to1⁄10 of value were imposed on everything and a heavy head tax of 60 silver drams was collected from males in Georgia andArmenia.[13]Giovanni da Pian del Carpine reported the presence ofsaracens in southwestern Russia who drafted people into service and recorded the population of those who remained.[14] The Great Khan separated the position of the great darughachi from that of chiefscribe. Güyük took half of his father'skheshig for himself. Under his rule, theUyghur officials increased their dominance, sidelining the North Chinese and the Muslims. Güyük was a strict and intelligent person, though rather morose and sickly, and his bad drinking habit worsened his health.
Güyük sent Amuqan to Korea and the Mongols camped near Yiom-ju in July 1247. After the kingGojong of Goryeo refused to move his capital fromGanghwa Island toSongdo, Amuqan's forcepillaged the Korean Peninsula until 1250.
AlthoughBatu did not support Güyük's election, he respected the Great Khan as a traditionalist and sentAndrey andAlexander Nevsky toKarakorum inMongolia in 1247 after their father's death. Güyük appointed Andrey as thegrand prince of Vladimir and gave Alexander theprincely title of Kiev.[15] The princes ofVladimir-Suzdal ultimately became responsible for delivering the Russian tribute to the khan.[14] 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.
Güyük died en route, in modern-dayQinghe County, Xinjiang, China. Güyük might have been poisoned, but some modern historians believe that he died ofnatural causes because his health deteriorated.[16] According toWilliam of Rubruck he was killed in a violent brawl withShiban. His widowOghul 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.
It was common for powerful Mongol men to have many wives and concubines, but it is unknown how many wives or concubines Güyük had.[17][18]
The death of Güyük had a profound effect on world history. Güyük wanted to turn the Mongol power against Europe, but his premature death prevented Mongol forces from trying to move further west into Europe.[citation needed] Subsequent to Güyük's death, Mongol family politics caused the Mongol efforts to be instead directed against southern China, which waseventually conquered during the rule ofKublai Khan.
When Kublai Khan established theYuan Dynasty in 1271, he had Güyük Khan placed on the official record as Dingzong (Chinese:定宗).
定宗簡平皇帝，諱貴由，太宗長子也...在位三年，壽四十有三。葬起輦谷。
Güyük Khan House of Borjigin (1206–1634) Born: 1206 Died: 1248 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Khagan-Emperor of theMongol Empire 1246–1248 | Succeeded by Oghul Qaimish (regent) |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
