Jebe facts for kids

Jebe (also known as Jebei, Mongolian: Зэв, Zev; his birth name was Jirqo'adai or Zurgadai, Mongolian: Зургаадай, Chinese: 哲别) was a very important general, called a Noyan, for Genghis Khan. He was born around 1224. Jebe belonged to the Besud clan, which was part of the Taichud tribe.

What makes Jebe's story interesting is that he started as an enemy soldier. But Genghis Khan saw his talent and brought him into his own army. Jebe quickly became one of Genghis Khan's best generals. He played a huge part in making the Mongol Empire bigger. People even call him "the greatest cavalry general in history" because of his smart and brave battle moves.

How Jebe Got His Name

In 1204, during a battle called the Battle of the Thirteen Sides, an arrow hit Genghis Khan in the neck. His loyal helper, Jelme, took care of him. After winning the battle, Genghis Khan asked who had shot his horse in the neck. He said "horse" to hide his own injury or to stop people from falsely confessing.

Jirqo'adai bravely stepped forward and said he was the one. He told Genghis Khan that he could kill him, but if he was allowed to live, he would serve him faithfully. Genghis Khan admired skilled and loyal people. So, he forgave Jirqo'adai and even praised him. He then gave Jirqo'adai a new name: Jebe. In the Mongolian language, "Jebe" means both "arrow" and "weapon."

However, another historian named Rashiduddin tells a slightly different story. In his version, Jebe escaped and was chased by Genghis Khan's men. Jebe managed to kill Genghis Khan's horse before he had to surrender. He then begged for his life. To make up for killing the horse, Zuragadai promised to give many horses to his new master.

A Top Commander for Genghis Khan

Jebe quickly became one of Genghis Khan's most trusted and skilled commanders. He rose to become one of Genghis Khan's top generals in just three years. By 1211, he was leading the important left side of the army during the invasion of the Jin dynasty. His skills as a general were as good as other famous generals like Muqali and Subutai.

A Chinese official named Zhao Hong once said that Jebe had as much power as a high-ranking governor. He also commanded the best soldiers in Genghis Khan's army. This shows how successful Jebe was in his military career.

Jebe's Military Adventures

War Against the Jin Dynasty

Jebe fought very well in the first war against the Jin dynasty from 1211 to 1214. In this invasion, Jebe led the left side of the army with Subutai. His group went around the Jin walls to the east and captured two forts. He then came back to destroy the second Jin army at Wusha Fortress. After that, he joined up with Genghis Khan's main army. They later won a huge battle called the Battle of Yehuling.

After this big win, the Mongols took control of the mountain passes that led to the Beijing plains. They continued to take over more land. Jebe was sent to capture many forts. He did this by pretending to run away, which tricked the defenders into coming out of their forts.

Genghis Khan often used Jebe for long-distance missions. In the winter of 1211, Jebe was sent to capture Liaoyang. This was when the Mongols had just taken control of the plains around Zhongdu. Jebe rode hundreds of miles away from the main fighting. He tricked the defenders of Liaoyang with a fake retreat that lasted over 100 miles. He even left a lot of Mongol treasures on the ground. The Chinese soldiers stopped to take the treasures. Jebe used the long nights of the northern winter to ride 100 miles in 24 hours. He then surprised the Jin forces and took Liaoyang.

In 1213, Genghis Khan sent Jebe to capture the strongly defended Juyong Pass. Jebe found a mountain path that went around the Jin defenses. This forced the defenders to come out and fight in the open. Jebe and Subutai then quickly marched back the other way, getting behind the enemy's new position. They surrounded and defeated this important army. After causing a rebellion in Manchuria and taking several forts, Genghis Khan divided his army into five parts to raid large areas of Jin territory. Jebe was part of an elite group with Muqali and Subutai. They successfully raided the land all the way to the ocean, destroying or capturing many Jin towns and cities.

Battles Against Kuchlug

In 1218, Jebe was given the job of defeating Kuchlug, a long-time enemy of the Mongols, and conquering Kara-Khitai. Jebe had only 20,000 men. He saved his soldiers by encouraging religious revolts between the ruling Buddhists and the unhappy Muslims. His army moved incredibly fast, which allowed him to defeat Kuchlug and his 30,000 men. Kuchlug was later chased through the mountains and captured.

After Jebe won against Kuchlug, Genghis Khan was a bit worried. Even though he was happy about his general's victory, he wondered if Jebe might become too ambitious and rebel. When Jebe heard about this, he immediately went back to Genghis Khan. He offered 100 white horses (the same kind Genghis Khan rode when Jebe wounded him) as a sign of his loyalty. This put all doubts to rest.

Invasion of the Khwarezm Empire

During the invasion of the Khwarezm Empire in 1219, Jebe was sent with a small force to distract the enemy. He traveled over the Tian Shan mountains in winter to threaten the rich Fergana Valley. Jebe was able to cross tall mountain passes that had over five feet of snow. He managed to draw out Shah Mohammed II's best cavalry force of 50,000 men.

Jebe either won or at least avoided defeat against this strong force. He then moved further south to threaten Khorasan. This helped to cut off the far-away parts of the empire. He then looped back to join Genghis Khan's main army at the capital city of Samarkand. This effectively split the Khwarezm Empire into two parts. To stop the Shah from gathering his forces in Khorasan and western Iran, Genghis Khan sent Jebe and Subutai to hunt him. They didn't catch him, but their close chase stopped the Shah from gathering any new armies. The Shah was forced to flee toward Iran with Jebe and Subutai right behind him. Because of this, the Khwarezmian forces were spread out and slowly destroyed.

Jebe's Death

Jebe made a famous journey around the Caspian Sea. During this trip, he and Subutai defeated the Georgians, who were planning to join the Fifth Crusade. They also defeated the tribes of the Caucasus Steppe. After that, he went on to defeat the Kievan Rus' and Cumans at the Battle of the Kalka River. This battle happened before the Mongols conquered Kievan Rus'.

Jebe likely died around 1224, on his way back from the conquests of the Kievan Rus'. The exact details of how he disappeared and died are a mystery. One expert, Stephen Pow, thinks Jebe might have been killed by the Kipchaks, who were allied with the Russians, near a burial mound close to Khortytsia Island. However, other scholars disagree with this idea.

Even though the details of his death are unclear, Jebe left a huge mark on history. His conquests in China, Central Asia, and Europe (like at Kiev and the Rus) show his amazing skills as a general.

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See also

In Spanish: Jebe para niños