Yesün Temür (Yuan dynasty) facts for kids

Yesün Temür (born in 1293, died August 15, 1328) was an important ruler in Chinese history. He was a great-grandson of the famous Kublai Khan. Yesün Temür served as an emperor of the Yuan dynasty in China from 1323 to 1328.

He was also known as the 10th Khagan of the Mongol Empire. However, this title was mostly symbolic because the Mongol Empire had already split into different parts. In China, he is often called the Taiding Emperor of Yuan. This name comes from his first Chinese era name. Yesün Temür really liked the old traditions of the Mongols. His name means "nine iron" in the Mongolian language.

Some historians believe he was the emperor visited by a traveler named Odoric of Pordenone. Odoric was a Franciscan friar who wrote interesting stories about his journeys.

Early Life and Family

Yesün Temür was born in Mongolia in 1293. His father was Gammala, who was the oldest son of Zhenjin. Zhenjin was supposed to be the next leader after his father, Kublai Khan.

In 1292, Gammala was given the title of Jinong. This happened after Zhenjin passed away. But Gammala did not become the next emperor. His younger brother, Temür, became the leader instead. This meant Gammala and his son Yesün Temür were not in line for the throne.

As Jinong, Gammala ruled the Mongolian steppes, which are vast grasslands north of the Gobi Desert. He also took care of the shrine for Genghis Khan. When Gammala died in 1302, Yesün Temür took over his role as Jinong.

During the reigns of other emperors like Kulug Khan and Gegeen Khan, Yesün Temür became very respected. He had a large area of land and a strong army in Mongolia. This made him a powerful leader among the princes in the steppe.

Becoming Emperor

In 1323, something dramatic happened. The emperor at the time, Shidebala Gegeen Khan, was killed. This was done by a group of rebels led by Grand Censor Tegshi and Esen Temur. The rebels then wanted Yesün Temür to become the new emperor. They chose him because his mother, Buyan Kelmish, was from the important Khunggirad family.

According to official records, Yesün Temür tried to warn the emperor about the plot. But his messengers arrived too late. Many historians believe Yesün Temür was involved in the plan to some extent. It is thought that his main helper, Dawlat Shah, was in touch with the plotters.

After the rebels sent him the imperial seal, Yesün Temür became emperor. This happened on October 4, 1323, by the Kherlen River in Mongolia. At first, he rewarded the plotters. Esen Temur became a top advisor, and Tegshi managed military affairs.

However, Yesün Temür soon changed his mind. He realized that people might suspect him of being part of the murders. So, he ordered Tegshi, Esen Temur, and others to be executed. Officials who had been loyal to the previous emperor asked Yesün Temür to take the throne and punish the conspirators. He sent soldiers to the capital cities, Dadu and Shangdu. He had the rebellious officers killed before he entered Dadu. He did this to make sure he would not be controlled by them. The five princes who were involved in the plot were sent away to faraway places like Yunnan and Hainan.

Chinese officials wanted Yesün Temür to punish everyone connected to the plotters. But he refused to do so. He announced a general amnesty, which meant forgiveness for many. The belongings taken from the executed plotters were even given back to their families.

How He Ruled

Yesün Temür became emperor through a difficult situation. So, he tried hard to get support from as many people as possible. To gain the trust of the Chinese people, he showed respect for Confucian traditions. This was important for an Emperor of China.

However, most of the important jobs in his government went to Muslim and Mongol officials. These officials came from the steppe regions. Key positions were held by people like Kumeijil, Tas Temur, and Dawlat Shah. Dawlat Shah was a very important Muslim official. He held several high positions, including managing government affairs.

An old document with special writing and two seals

Other Muslim officials, Ubaidullah and Bayanchar, also held important roles. Mahumud Shah and Hasan Khoja managed military affairs. Chinese officials, on the other hand, had less power in the government. During Yesün Temür's rule, Mongol merchants had a very good time. His government did not make Christians and Muslims pay certain taxes. It also made sure that the promises of large payments from Mongol nobles for expensive goods were kept.

Yesün Temür was concerned about the court's spending. He criticized how much money was spent on costly jewels bought from foreign merchants. These jewels were sold for ten times their real value, while many poor people were struggling. In 1326, Ozbeg Khan from the Golden Horde sent cheetahs to Yesün Temür. In return, Yesün Temür sent back gifts of gold, silver, money, and silks.

During his time as emperor, Yesün Temür changed how the empire was organized. He divided it into eighteen departments. These were managed by a group called "the Lords of the Provinces." Before, the empire had only been divided into twelve parts.

Reports from the provinces often complained about the Lamas. Lamas are Buddhist religious teachers. These reports said that Lamas, who had special golden seals, traveled around the provinces. They demanded things from people and treated them very badly. They would stay in private homes, force the owners out, and generally do whatever they wanted. At first, the emperor was afraid to upset the Mongols and the Lamas. But eventually, he stopped the Lamas from entering China. Yesün Temür also did not pay much attention to the old Mongol religion of Tengerism, which involved worshipping the sky.

Yesün Temür died suddenly in Shangdu on August 15, 1328. He left the empire's management to his Muslim helper, Dawlat Shah, and his wife, Khatun Babukhan. His son, Ragibagh, was made emperor by Dawlat Shah. But Ragibagh was defeated just three months later by his rival, Tugh Temür. This led to a conflict known as the War of the Two Capitals.

Family

Yesün Temür had a family that included several wives and children.

Parents:

• Father: Gammala (1263–1302). He was the son of Zhenjin. After he died, he was given the special title of Emperor Renxiaoguangsheng.
• Mother: Buyan Kelmish. She was also given the special title of Empress Xuanyishusheng after she died.

Wives and Children:

• Empress Babukhan from the Khonggirat family.
  • Ragibagh Khan (also known as Emperor Tianshun). He was Yesün Temür's first son and became an emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.
• Empress Yilianzhenbala
• Empress Sadabala, who was the daughter of Princess Shouning.
• Empress Bihan from the Khongirad family.
• Other children whose mothers are not known:
  • Yondan zhangbu, his second son, who died young.
  • Batma Irgenbu, his third son.
  • Söse, his fourth son.

See also

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