Tekuder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ahmed Tekuder
Sultan
Tekuder receives an ambassador
Il-Khan
Reign	6 May 1282 - 10 August 1284
Predecessor	Abaqa
Successor	Arghun
Born	Ahmad Tegüder 1246/1247
Died	August 10, 1284 (aged 37)
Consort	see below
Issue	see below
Full name Sultan Ahmed Tekuder bin Hulagu Khan
House	Borjigin
Father	Hulagu
Mother	Qutui Khatun
Religion	Sunni Islam

Tekuder leading his Mongol warriors.

Ahmed Tekuder (Mongolian: Төгөлдөр, romanized: Tegülder, meaning “perfect”) was an important ruler known as the Sultan of the Ilkhanate. He ruled from 1282 to 1284. Ahmed Tekuder was the son of Hulagu and the brother of Abaqa. After his rule, his nephew Arghun Khan became the next leader.

Early Life of Ahmed Tekuder

Ahmed Tekuder was born around 1246 in Mongolia. His parents were Hulagu and Qutui Khatun. He was their seventh son. When he was a child, he was baptized as a Nestorian Christian and given the name Nicholas.

He moved to the Ilkhanate region in the 1260s with his mother and brother. Later, his brother Abaqa made him the governor of Nahavand and Dinavar. Abaqa respected their mother, Qutui, very much.

How Ahmed Tekuder Became a Muslim

We don't know exactly when Ahmed Tekuder became a Muslim. However, he had a religious teacher named Kamal al-Din Abd ul-Rahman. This teacher might have helped him convert to Islam.

After converting, he changed his name to Ahmed. Kamal al-Din Abd ul-Rahman later became an important person in the court. He even served as an ambassador to Egypt.

Becoming Il-Khan and His Rule

After Abaqa passed away in April 1282, a big meeting was held. This meeting, called a qurultai, was to choose the next Il-Khan. Ahmed Tekuder was one of the main candidates. His nephew Arghun and his brother Möngke-Temür were also considered.

Most of the important nobles and leaders supported Ahmed Tekuder. He was chosen as the new Il-Khan on May 6, 1282. His official crowning happened on June 21, 1282. He then used his Muslim name, Ahmed, as his ruling name.

Early Decisions as Sultan

One of Ahmed Tekuder's first actions was to help Ata-Malik Juvayni. Juvayni had been accused of taking state money. Tekuder cleared his name and gave him back his job in Baghdad. Tekuder also made his younger half-brother, Qonqurtai, a viceroy in Anatolia.

However, Arghun believed that Juvayni and his brother were involved in his father's death. Arghun started his own investigation into the money issues.

Rivalry with Arghun

Arghun and Tekuder.

As Arghun became more unhappy, he went to Khorasan. There, he gathered support from other nobles. Meanwhile, Tekuder started to suspect his half-brother Qonqurtai. He thought Qonqurtai might be planning with Arghun.

Qonqurtai was arrested and sadly passed away shortly after. Some other leaders also fled to Arghun's side.

The Conflict Begins

Tekuder then sent an army of 15,000 men to fight Arghun. He followed with his main army, which included soldiers from Armenia, Georgia, and Mongolia. Arghun won a battle against Tekuder's army. However, Arghun still went back to his lands in Khorasan.

Arghun tried to make a peace agreement. Tekuder, against the advice of his own advisors, refused. Arghun sent another group of people to talk, including his son Ghazan. This time, Tekuder agreed to a truce. Arghun had to send his brother Gaykhatu as a hostage.

The Betrayal and Capture

Even with the truce, Tekuder kept fighting Arghun. This made one of Tekuder's main commanders, Buqa, upset. Buqa started to support Arghun instead. Tekuder also began to trust another general more than Buqa.

Arghun had to hide in a strong fortress. But he was forced to surrender to Tekuder's forces. Tekuder left Arghun guarded while he went to his main army. This was Buqa's chance. Buqa freed Arghun and defeated Tekuder's guards. Tekuder fled west, but he was soon caught by soldiers sent by Buqa. He was handed over to Arghun on July 26, 1284.

Trial and Death

Ahmed Tekuder was put on trial by Arghun. He was accused of unfairly causing the death of his half-brother, Qonqurtai. Tekuder asked for mercy. However, Qonqurtai's mother demanded that Tekuder be punished.

Arghun was not eager to execute Tekuder. But other family members were rebelling, which put pressure on him. So, on August 10, 1284, Ahmed Tekuder was executed.

Relations with Mamluks

Tekuder and Shams al-Din Juvayni.

Ahmed Tekuder's advisor, Shams al-Din Juvayni, suggested making peace with Mamluk Egypt. This was because Tekuder was a Muslim sultan, like the Mamluk leader. Tekuder sent a message to Egypt in August 1282. He wanted to form an alliance with Qalawun.

Qalawun replied, asking Tekuder to free the Sultanate of Rum from being under his control. Tekuder sent another message in June 1283. However, this message arrived after Tekuder had passed away. The Mamluks then arrested the messenger.

When Arghun did not get a reply from Tekuder, he declared war. Tekuder asked the Mamluks for help, but they did not fully support him. Tekuder's army was smaller and weaker. He was defeated by Arghun's larger force.

Family

Ahmed Tekuder had several wives and many children. Here are some of his family members:

• Töküz Khatun (his senior wife)
  • Kuchuk Khatun
• Armini Khatun (his second wife)
  • Qaplanchi
  • Arslanchi
  • Könchek Khatun
  • Chechak Khatun
  • Maynu Khatun
• Baytegin Khatun
• Tödegü Khatun
  • Saylun Khatun
• El Qutlugh Khatun
• Tödai Khatun (who was the widow of Abaqa Khan)
• Qurquchin Agachi
  • Noghachi
• Qonqurchin Agachi
  • Kalturmish Khatun

Images for kids

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  "The war of two Il-Khanid rulers, Arghun Khan vs. Sultan Ahmad" (Tekuder). Folio from a revised, Safavid-era edition of the Safvat al-safa ("The Quintessence of Purity"), Shiraz, Iran, dated September 1582