Gegeen Khan facts for kids

Gegeen Khan (born Shidibala) was an emperor of the Yuan dynasty in China. He ruled from 1320 to 1323. He was also known by his temple name, Emperor Yingzong of Yuan. Gegeen Khan was considered the ninth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. However, this title was mostly symbolic because the Mongol Empire had already split into different parts. His name "Shidibala" means "purity protection" in an ancient Indian language. His title "Gegeen Khan" means "enlightened khan" in Mongolian.

During his early rule, a powerful group called the Khunggirat faction had a lot of influence in the Yuan court. When his grandmother Dagi and a top official named Temuder died in 1322, Emperor Yingzong tried to reform the government. He wanted to follow the ideas of Confucianism, which is a system of beliefs from ancient China. However, Temuder's supporters teamed up with the royal guards and killed the emperor in 1323. This event is known as the Coup d'état at Nanpo. It was the first time an emperor of the Yuan dynasty was overthrown by a group not led by someone from the royal family.

Becoming Emperor: A Peaceful Start

King Gongmin (1330–1374) and Princess Noguk helped Gegeen Khan become emperor.

Prince Shidibala was the oldest son of Ayurbarwada Buyantu Khan, who was also known as Emperor Renzong. His mother was Radnashiri from the Khunggirad clan. Before Shidibala's father became emperor, he had promised his older brother, Khayishan, that Khayishan's son would be the next Crown Prince. A Crown Prince is the heir to the throne.

But when Khayishan died, his sons were sent away to distant lands. Officials who supported Khayishan were also removed from their positions. Shidibala's powerful grandmother, Dagi, made sure he became the Crown Prince in 1316. Then, he became the Khan in 1320. This happened because his mother was from the Khunggirad clan, which was very influential.

A year later, Shidibala was put in charge of important government offices. His father, Emperor Ayurbarwada, even thought about giving up the throne to Shidibala early. Dagi's trusted official, Temuder, became Shidibala's tutor. This happened after Temuder failed to collect more taxes.

After Emperor Ayurbarwada died in March 1320, Temuder gained a lot of power. He had Dagi's full support. As soon as her grandson became emperor, Dagi brought Temuder back as a top minister. She took a more direct role in politics than before.

Ruling as Emperor: A Young Leader's Challenges

Early Reign and Influences

Prince Shidibala became Gegeen Khan and succeeded his father on April 19, 1320. Empress Dagi quickly brought Temuder back as a senior grand councillor. A grand councillor was a very high-ranking government official. Temuder started punishing his opponents, which upset the new emperor. However, Temuder stayed in power until he died two years later.

Temuder's return to power led to more problems. He even ordered the execution of people he suspected had caused his earlier troubles. Soon, the young emperor started to feel annoyed by the control of his grandmother and Temuder. He wanted to take charge of his own rule.

From the start, Shidibala showed he was independent and determined. To reduce the influence of his grandmother and Temuder, Gegeen made a smart move. In the summer of 1320, he appointed Baiju as the grand councillor of the left. Baiju was only 21 years old. He came from a famous family and had a good education in Confucian ideas. This gave Shidibala several political advantages.

Baiju was a commander of the royal guards. He was a descendant of Muqali, a famous general of Genghis Khan. Baiju was known for his good character. He gained a lot of influence over the emperor. This helped to reduce Temuder's power.

Emperor's Vision and Reforms

The young emperor, Gegeen Khan, did not just sit back. He became a central figure for Confucian scholars who wanted to fight against the powerful Temuder. Gegeen was ready for this role. He had received a good Chinese education, just like his father. He was deeply influenced by both Confucianism and Buddhism. Gegeen could even recite Chinese poems from memory and was a skilled calligrapher.

Besides Confucianism, Gegeen also believed strongly in Buddhism. In 1321, Shidbala built a Buddhist temple near the capital city, Dadu. He built it to honor a Buddhist leader named 'Phags-pa Lama. When some officials criticized him for this, he had several of them put to death. One of them was a respected officer whose family had served the Mongol royal family for a long time.

During his reign, some other groups faced difficulties. For example, it is said that the emperor destroyed a temple built by Muslims in Shangdu. He also made rules that limited their ability to buy and sell slaves.

Baiju's growing influence made Temuder very unhappy. Baiju went on a trip to honor his ancestors. Temuder thought this was a good chance to get his power back at the Yuan court. He went to the palace, but he was not allowed to enter. He died shortly after that. Empress Dagi also died around the same time, in 1322 or 1323.

Taking Full Control: Gegeen Khan's Reforms

In 1322, after Dagi and Temuder died, Gegeen Khan was finally able to take full control. He removed the Khunggirad faction from his new government. He severely punished this powerful group. He took away Temuder's titles and lands and even executed his son.

On the other hand, Gegeen appointed Baiju as the grand councillor of the right. Baiju became the only grand councillor for the rest of Gegeen's rule. This made Baiju a strong ally for the emperor. They removed many offices that were linked to the personal staff of the empress dowager and the empress. The growing influence of Neo-Confucianism also meant that Mongol women were given fewer freedoms to move around in public.

Soon after gaining full control, Gegeen Khan, with Baiju's help, began to reform the government. He wanted to base these reforms on Confucian principles. He continued his father's policies of actively promoting Chinese culture. He and Baiju brought many Chinese scholar-officials back into the government. Many of these scholars had left their jobs when Temuder was in power.

A respected administrator named Zhang Gui was put in charge of government affairs again. He became Baiju's main partner in carrying out the reforms. Three older scholars were appointed as advisors to the Secretariat. Seven famous scholars were also appointed to the Hanlin Academy, an important institution for scholars. Around this time, a huge collection of laws and rules called the Da Yuan Tong Zhi was updated. His father had started this project. The goal was to make the government run better and to improve justice.

To help small landowners, Gegeen's government also made a rule. Landowners had to set aside a part of their land. The money from this land would be used to cover the costs of forced labor, known as corvée. This helped to ease the burden on ordinary people.

A Tragic End: The Coup at Nanpo

Despite all the good things Gegeen Khan did, his reign ended tragically on September 4, 1323. This event is known as the "Coup d'état at Nanpo." A group of Temuder's supporters formed a plan. They were afraid that they would be punished for their past actions. The plot was led by Tegshi, who was Temuder's adopted son.

Besides high-ranking officials, five princes were also involved in the plot. These included Altan Bukha and Bolad, who were related to earlier royal figures. Yerutömör, Kulud Bukha, and Ulus Bukha, who was a descendant of Möngke Khan, were also part of the group.

Gegeen Khan was traveling from his summer palace in Shangdu to the capital city, Dadu. He stopped at a place called Nanpo. There, Gegeen and Baiju were attacked and killed by Tegshi. Tegshi attacked Gegeen's royal camp with guards and soldiers under his command.

Tegshi then asked Yesün Temür to become the new emperor. However, Yesün Temür removed Tegshi's group before he entered Dadu. He did this because he feared becoming a puppet ruler controlled by them.

Gegeen's rule was short. He only had direct control for about a year after his grandmother Dagi died. But he is remembered well in Chinese history. He and his father, with the help of their Mongolian and Chinese advisors, worked hard to make the Yuan dynasty more like traditional Chinese governments. Because of this, Gegeen's assassination is sometimes seen as a conflict between those who supported Chinese ways and those who preferred the older Mongol traditions.

Gegeen Khan was married to Empress Sugabala, but they did not have any children to succeed him.

See also

• List of emperors of the Yuan dynasty
• List of Mongol rulers
• List of rulers of China