Mengu-Timur
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Mengu-Timur or Möngke Temür (Мөнхтөмөр) (? - 1282), Son of Toqoqan Khan[1] and Buka Ujin of Oirat[2] and the grandson of Batu Khan. He was a khan of the Golden Horde in 1266-1282.
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[edit] Early reign and foreign policy
During his reign, the Mongols together with their allied Russian princes undertook military campaigns against Byzantium (c. 1269-1271), Lithuania (1275), and alans in Caucasus (1277). The very first yarlyk (license) found by historians was written on behalf of Mengu-Timur and contained information on the release of the Russian Orthodox Church from paying tribute to the Golden Horde, however, he was a shamanist. During the reign of Mengu-Timur, the Genoese traders purchased Caffa from the Mongols. But those italian merchants paid taxes to Mongol khans and sometimes to Nogai.
Both German crusaders and Lithuanians endangered the safety of Russian lands. In 1268, He sent tatar-mongol force to Novgorod, and forced Livonian Knights to withdraw. In 1274 Smolensk, the last of russian principalities, became subject to Möngke Temür khan of the Golden Horde. The Khan also dispatched his army along with russian princes to Lithuania by the request of the duke of Galich in 1275.
In 1277, He finished long-lasted siege of Alani city Dyadkov with the assistance of his russian vassals. And he allowed German traders to travel freely through his domain.
[edit] Mongol Empire and Golden Horde
Mongke temur was sided with Kaidu who was a genius competitor of Great khan Kublai. Golden Horde helped Kaidu to put down the force of Chagatai Khanate. In 1265, Kaidu was defeated by Chagatai army under Baraq. That is why, The khan of Jochid Ulus sent 30,000 men headed by his uncle Berkhchir to support Kaidu's force. Their victory over Chagatai army forced Baraq to initiate peace treaty with them. Together they formed an alliance and demarcated borders of their realms in Talas where Khaidu became a khan of Central Asia. Rashid al-Din claims that the meeting took place in the spring of 1269 in Talas, while Wassaf writes that it took place around 1267 to the south of Samarkand. Though He and Khaidu admonished Baraq to invade Mongol Persia, Mongke temur congratulated Abagha for crushing Chagatai army in order to hide his true intention. They two had been probably fighting with each other until 1270's. But some scholars disaffirm that such battles occured. By the 1270, they had signed a peacy treaty and Abagha allowed Mongke temur to collect tax income from some of workshops in his khanate.
Although, there was not serious war between Ilkhanate and Golden Horde, Mongke temur intended to restore his ancestors authority over Azerbaijan and Caucasus. He sent delegates to Mamluk Sultan Baybars and offered joint attack on Abagha's khanate.
During that time, Kublai dispatched his favorite son Nomukhan against Khaidu to Almaliq. Nomukhan sent letters to Chingisid nobles to reassert their supports. Mongketemur responded that he would protect Kublai from Khaidu if he assaulted with Yuan Dynasty. In 1276, Chingisid princes Shiregi and Tokhtemur defected to Khaidu's side and arrested Kublai's son. Then they sent Nomukhan to Mongketemur and his general to Khaidu. The court of Golden Horde released Nomukhan in 1278 or 10 years later. It seems that Mongke temur hold him to use as a pawn of civil war of Mongol Empire.
He died of the blain on his neck in 1282.
[edit] Family
Mengu-Timur was the father of Tochtu Khan by Oljei Khatan the great granddaughter of Genghis Khan.
Children:
- Tochtu Khan, khan of the Golden Horde from 1291-1312
- Toghrilcha, parent of Ozbeg[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b David Morgan, The Mongols, p. 224
- ^ Rashid al-Din - Universal History, Vol. II, p 102
| Preceded by Berke |
khan of Blue Horde and Golden Horde 1266 – 1282 |
Succeeded by Tuda-Mengu |
