When Ögedei dies in late 1241, the empire must choose a successor before it can move forward. In spite of the late Khan determining in advance that it should be his grandson, his empress has other ideas - namely, installing her own irascible son, Güyük, instead. This raises more than a few eyebrows, especially from the Lord of the Golden Horde (and Güyük's personal nemesis) Batu Khan. He'll spend then next 5 years doing absolutely everything in his power to prevent Güyüks' enthronement. And so, when Güyük is finally installed... is it any surprise that he'll seek to get even on his hated cousin? Their looking showdown on the fields of Dzungaria will set the stage for a truly unpredictable series of events, that will leave the Mongol Empire altered forever...
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Time Period Covered:
1242-1254 CE
Major Historical Figures:
Mongol Empire:
Temuge Otchigin, Genghis Khan's youngest brother, Prince of the Hearth [1168-1246]
House Ögedei:
*Ögedei Khaghan [r. 1232-1241]
Toregene Khatun [r. 1242-1246]
Güyük Khaghan [r. 1246-1248]
Oghul Khaimish Khatun [r. 1248-1251]
Prince Shiremun [d. 1251]
Prince Khodan [d. 1246]
Lady Fatima [d. 1246]
House Tolui:
*Tolui Otchigin [1191-1232]
Sorkhakhtani Beki [1190-1252]
Möngke Khaghan [r. 1251-1259]
Prince Khubilai
Prince Hulagu
Prince Ariq Boke
General Menggesar, Noyan Companion of Mongke
House Jochi:
*Jochi [c. 1182-1225]
Batu, Khan of the Golden Horde [1205-1255]
Major Sources Cited:
De Nicola, Bruno. “Regents and Empresses: Women’s Rule In the Mongols’ World Empire” in Women in Mongol Iran: The Khatuns, 1206-1335.
Hamadani, Rashid-al-Din. Compendium of Chronicles. Dowson, John (tr.)
Juvaini, Ata-Malik. History of the World Conqueror. (tr. John Andrew Boyle).
Kim, Hodong. “A Reappraisal of Güyüg Khan” in Mongols, Turks, and Others: Eurasian Nomand and the Sedentary World.
Man, John. Kublai Khan: The Mongol King Who Remade China.
McLynn, Frank. Genghis Khan: This Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy.
Onon, Urgunge (tr.). The Secret History of the Mongols: The Life and Times of Chinggis Khan.
Rockhill, William Woodville (tr.). The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world, 1253-55, as narrated by himself, with two accounts of the earlier journey of John of Pian de Carpine.
Rossabi, Morris. “The Reigns of Ogodei and Guyug” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368.
Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
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