U368 Mongol Conquest
Week 9, Wednesday:  How the Ögedeids blow it

 

  1. The third generation
    1. Second generation ends with Ögedei & Cha'adai's death (1241-2)
    2. Can third generation hold together the empire?
  2. Succession struggles start to involve the whole empire
    1. Main Mongol families set up regional khanates
      1. Jochid realm:  territory expands, stand-offish>>leverage
      2. Cha'adaids:  no expansion, support Ögedeids>>no leverage
    2. The chief administrators politically involved
  3. Initial agreement:  Ögedei's line holds khanship (Juvaini, p. 251)
    1. Nomination (usually of grandsons) proves to be ineffective
    2. Conflict between Ögedeids:  Köten vs. Töregene
      1. Töregene for Güyüg, but Güyüg needs Köten's support
    3. Töregene replaces Ögedei's officials; Köten, Batu, etc. protect them
    4. Policy of stepped-up exploitation
  4. Güyüg tries to return to Ögedei's policy
    1. Execution of Fatima, Töregene's death reunites Ögedeids, Cha'adaids
      1. All Ögedei's officials restored (except Körgüz>>Arghun retained).
    2. Liberality and conquest again used to generate support
    3. Key point was relations with Batu, key conquest should have been Europe
      1. Güyüg could use conquest of Europe to displace Batu
      2. G.'s move to Emil (Ögedeid yurt) yielded center to Toluids (Sorqaqtani Beki)
  5. Oghul Ghaimish's regency and the makings of the Toluid revolution
    1. Were only Güyüg's sons eligible now?  (Rashid, p. 182, says yes)
      1. Again mother/son dissension, but this time sons have no campaign exp.
      2. Witchcraft accusations, this time of queen (Oghul Ghaimish) herself
    2. Repeat of Ögedeid and Cha'adaids vs. Jochids:  but two differences
      1. Toluids (Sorqaqtani Beki, Möngke) now allies of Batu
      2. Ghaimish stays at Ögedeid ordo (Töregene had kept center ordo)
    3. Are only Ögedeids really eligible?  Secret History (§ 255) says no

 

U368 Mongol Conquest
Week 9, Wednesday:  The Toluid coup d'etat and its consequences

 

  1. First quriltai with Batu's court at Ala-Qamaq:  first "rigged" quriltai
    1. Limited attendance--Ögedeids and Cha'adaids all were tokens, outsiders
    2. First quriltai not held at the Shira Ordu
    3. Preliminary decision:  Any experienced Chinggisid eligible
    4. Since Jochids prefer autonomy>>Möngke is the only one available
  2. Toluids win by letting the other side over-react
    1. Second quriltai, slightly less rigged, confirms election
    2. Ögedeids can't believe rigged quriltai will stand; when it does>>coup attempt
    3. Shiremün and Naqu's failed coup gave vital excuse for empire-wide purge
  3. Results of the revolution & new power structure
    1. Möngke hard ruler in mold of Chinggis Qan; different from Ögedei
    2. Chinggisid privilege:  noyans & queens die, but of Chinggisids only Büri killed
    3. Möngke-Batu dyarchy (Rubruck, pp. 136, 155, 196):  no campaign in Europe
  4. Tension over western Iran
    1. In Ögedei's time Iran west of Amu Darya in some sense under Batu
    2. Töregene contests Batu's rule:  sends her men Arghun and Eljigidei there
    3. Möngke's ambivalent policy
      1. Arghun successfully courts S. Beki, joins Toluid camp (1249-1252)
      2. Eljigidei & co. killed in purge by Batu, but Arghun stays on
      3. Toluid Hüle'ü sent to Iran with Jochid princes, Arghun had reps from Batu
      4. But centralization stepped up even more