| Emperor Mingzong of Yuan 元明宗 Khutughtu Khan 忽都篤汗 ᠬᠤᠲᠤᠭᠲᠤ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 13thKhagan of theMongol Empire (Nominal due to theempire's division) Emperor of China (9thEmperor of the Yuan dynasty) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Emperor of the Yuan dynasty | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 27 February 1329 – 30 August 1329 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coronation | 27 February 1329 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Jayaatu Khan Tugh Temür (first reign) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Jayaatu Khan Tugh Temür (restored) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 December 1300 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 30 August 1329(1329-08-30) (aged 28) Onggachatu,Inner Mongolia,Yuan China | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Empress | Empress Mailaiti of Karluks (m. 1317–1329) Empress Babusha of Naiman (m. 1320–1329) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| House | Borjigin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Yuan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | Kulug Khan | ||||||||||||||||||||
Khutughtu Khan[a] (bornKhüslen;[b] 22 December 1300 – 30 August 1329), also known by histemple name as theEmperor Mingzong of Yuan,[c] was a son ofKhayishan (Emperor Wuzong) who seized the throne of theYuan dynasty of China in 1329, but died in suspicious circumstances six months later.[1] Apart from theEmperor of China, he is considered as the 13thGreat Khan of theMongol Empire, although it was only nominal due to thedivision of the empire.
Kusala was the eldest son ofKhayishan (Külüg Khan or Emperor Wuzong) and aMongol-Ikhires woman. Due to the unstable balance present in the Khayishan administration with the tense rivalry between Khayishan, his younger brotherAyurbarwada and their mother Dagi of theKhongirad clan, Khayishan appointed Ayurbarwada as Crown Prince on the condition that he would pass the status to Kusala after succession.
However, after Khayishan's death, Ayurbarwada succeeded to the throne in 1311. In 1320, Dagi,Temüder and other members of the Khongirad faction installed Ayurbarwada's sonShidebala as the new ruler instead of Kusala, due to the knowledge of Kusala coming from an Ikhires background, rather than the more noble Khongirad lineage.
To ensure Shidebala's succession, Kusala was rewarded with the title of king of Chou and relegated toYunnan in 1316;[2] but fled toEsen Bukha-ruledChagatai Khanate inCentral Asia, as a pro-Khayishan official advised, after a failed revolt inShaanxi. When theChagatayid KhanEsen Bukha heard that Kusala was living near his realm, he came to greet him. After that, Kusala was backed by the Chagatayid princes.[3] While in exile in Central Asia, he married Mailaiti, a daughter of Temuder of theQarluq.[4]
Although the rival faction was purged byYesün Temür Khan (Emperor Taiding) when Shidibala Khan (Emperor Yingzong) was assassinated, he remained in Central Asia. He extended his influence in his stronghold, which was located to the west ofAltai Mountains.
In 1328, when Yesün Temür Khan died, a civil war known as theWar of the Two Capitals erupted betweenShangdu-basedRagibagh andDadu-basedTugh Temür. The former was a son of Yesün Temür and was backed up the former Yesün Temür administration led byDawlat Shah, and the latter was Kuśala's younger brother who was supported by the former Khayishan faction led by theQipchaq commanderEl Temür and theMerkit commanderBayan, a governor inHenan. This ended in the victory of Tugh Temür since he secured support from most of the princes, aristocrats and warlords in the south of theGobi Desert. Tugh Temür summoned his brother to come to Dadu.
At the same time, Kuśala, with support from the Chaghadayid leadersEljigidey andDuwa Temür, enteredMongolia from the Tarbagatai region (in theKhangai Mountains). He also got support from princes and generals of Mongolia, and with overwhelming military power in the background, put pressure on Tugh Temür, who had already ascended the throne. Kuśala enthroned himself on 27 February 1329, north ofKarakorum.[1]
Tugh Temür abdicated on 3 April 1329, and a month later El Temür brought the imperial seal to Kuśala in Mongolia, announcing Dadu's intent to welcome him. Kuśala responded by making Tugh Temür his heir apparent on 15 May. Kuśala had proceeded to appoint his own loyal followers to important posts in the Secretariat, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Censorate.
Taking 1,800 men with him, Kuśala set out for Dadu. On 26 August, he met with Tugh Temür in Ongghuchad (Onggachatu), where Tugh Temur had built the city of Zhongdu.[5] He suddenly died only 4 days after a banquet with Tugh Temür.[6] TheYuan shi states that the luckless Kuśala Khan died of violence.[7] It seems that Kuśala was poisoned by El Temür, who feared losing power to princes and officers of theChagatai Khanate and Mongolia, who followed Kuśala.[8] Tugh Temür was restored to the throne on 8 September.
Khutughtu Khan had two wives who were Mailaiti, a descendant of the famousQarluq chief, Arslan, who submitted toGenghis Khan andBabusha of theNaiman. They gave birth to two Mongol emperors, includingToghon Temür, the last Mongolian emperor to rule China.
Khutughtu Khan Kusala Born: 22 December 1300 Died: 30 August 1329 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Great Khan of theMongol Empire (Nominal due to theempire's division) 1329 | Succeeded by |
| Emperor of the Yuan dynasty Emperor of China 1329 | ||