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Toghrul ( mn, Тоорил хан ''Tooril han''; ), also known as Wang Khan or Ong Khan ( ''Wan han''; ; died 1203) was a
khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
of the
Keraites The Keraites (also ''Kerait, Kereit, Khereid''; ; ) were one of the five dominant Mongol or Turkic tribal confederations ( khanates) in the Altai-Sayan region during the 12th century. They had converted to the Church of the East ( Nestorianism) ...
. He was the blood brother ( anda) of the
Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
chief
Yesugei Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei ( Traditional Mongolian: ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, ''Yesukhei baatar'', ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as ...
and served as an important early patron and ally to Yesugei's son Temüjin, later known as
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
. The main source on his life is '' The Secret History of Mongols''.


Name

"Wang Khan" was the name given to Toghrul by the
Jurchen Jurchen may refer to: * Jurchen people, Tungusic people who inhabited the region of Manchuria until the 17th century ** Haixi Jurchens, a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty ** Jianzhou Jurchens, a grouping of ...
-led Jin dynasty of China; ''
Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thaila ...
'' means king or prince. During the 13th century, Toghrul was one of several Asian leaders who was identified with the legend of
Prester John Prester John ( la, Presbyter Ioannes) was a legendary Christian patriarch, presbyter, and king. Stories popular in Europe in the 12th to the 17th centuries told of a Nestorian patriarch and king who was said to rule over a Christian nation lost ...
, but also King David, a brother to John. There's no credible proof that he was Christian.


Early life

He was born around 1130, to
Nestorian Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinarily distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian theologian ...
family of
Keraites The Keraites (also ''Kerait, Kereit, Khereid''; ; ) were one of the five dominant Mongol or Turkic tribal confederations ( khanates) in the Altai-Sayan region during the 12th century. They had converted to the Church of the East ( Nestorianism) ...
. His father was Cyriacus Buyruk Khan, the leader of Keraites. Toghrul had a very difficult youth. The
Merkit The Merkit (literally ''"skillful/wise ones"''; mn, ᠮᠡᠷᠬᠢᠳ ; Мэргид, translit=, Mergid; ) was one of the five major tribal confederations (''khanlig'') of probably Mongol
s captured him during his childhood and he was reduced to slavery. It is possible that he left the Merkit after being freed by a ransom or simply escaped. However, according to the Secret History, he was again abducted at the age of thirteen by the
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different Turki ...
, who also took his own mother. When Toghrul returned to the Keraites later, his father was near death. Toghrul took his place and commanded the Keraites around 1165.


Reign

In order to eliminate potential rivals, he started by killing his brothers between 1165 and 1171. One of them, namely Erke Qara managed to escape and fled to the
Naimans The Naiman ( Mongolian: Найман, Naiman, "eight"; ; Kazakh: Найман, Naiman; Uzbek: Nayman) were a medieval tribe originating in the territory of modern Western Mongolia (possibly during the time of the Uyghur Khaganate), and are one o ...
, who were a neighboring tribe to the west of the Keraites. The two other brothers, Buqa-Timur and Tai-Timur Taïshi were executed. However, Toghrul's success was brief because his uncle only known with the title
Gurkhan Gurkhan () was a Mongol title meaning "Universal Ruler" and roughly equivalent to the older term ''khagan''. It was held by the rulers of the Western Liao dynasty in the 13th century. The title was first adopted by Yelü Dashi (Emperor Dezong of W ...
overthrew him. Toghrul fled with his daughter and a handful of faithful. He tried to get the help of the
Merkit The Merkit (literally ''"skillful/wise ones"''; mn, ᠮᠡᠷᠬᠢᠳ ; Мэргид, translit=, Mergid; ) was one of the five major tribal confederations (''khanlig'') of probably Mongol
s to overthrow Gurkhan in turn, but their leader, Toqto'a Beki, refused despite the fact that Toghrul offered him his daughter because the Keraites were very numerous. Being unsuccessful, Toghrul went to see the father of Temujin,
Yesugei Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei ( Traditional Mongolian: ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, ''Yesukhei baatar'', ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as ...
. He chose to help Toghrul because he had previously fought a battle with the Keraites against the Tatars. The Keraites were surprised when Yesugei attacked without having time to prepare. Despite the fact that the Keraits were much more numerous, their forces were dispersed throughout Central Mongolia. Toghrul resumed the command of the Keraites, and Gurkhan fled.


Relationship with Temujin

Toghrul was, like
Jamukha Jamukha ( mn, Жамуха; ) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) in the unification of the Mongol tribes. Biography Jamukha was born in the Jadaran, a sub-tribe of the Khamag Mongol ...
, blood-brother of Temujin. He led the coalition against Merkits when Temujin's wife
Börte Börte (simply Borte, also Börte Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Бөртэ үжин; c. 1161–1230) was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis ...
was abducted in 1183, joined by his brother Jakha Gambhu,
Jamukha Jamukha ( mn, Жамуха; ) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) in the unification of the Mongol tribes. Biography Jamukha was born in the Jadaran, a sub-tribe of the Khamag Mongol ...
and Temujin. Two of the tribal chiefs, Dair Usun and Toqto'a fled the camp, probably informed by people who had seen the army move. The coalition easily won the fight that followed and about 300 Merkit perished. The chiefs distributed the booty among themselves and gave the Merkit wives to the warriors. The children became slaves. Börte was found later in the evening. Toghrul returned to the Kerait camp with his men, proud of an easy victory. Temujin, intending to attack the
Tatar Confederation Middle Mongol: , conventional_long_name = TatarNine Tatars , common_name = Tatar , , era = High Middle Ages , status = Nomadic confederation , empire = Turkic Khaganate , status_text = , today = MongoliaCh ...
who had long caused him problems, including the murder of his father, asked for help from Toghrul in 1194; he willingly accepted, still satisfied with the victory he had had before. Toghrul's grandfather Marcus Buyruk Khan had also been assassinated by the Tatar, which gave him a similar reason to fight them. He joined Temujin with a few thousand Keraits. The Jurkhin, a Mongolic tribe, were also invited, but declined the offer because they were somewhat hostile with the Borjigin tribe. They eventually found allies in Wanyan Xiang ( 完顏襄), minister of Emperor Zhangzong of the
Jurchen Jurchen may refer to: * Jurchen people, Tungusic people who inhabited the region of Manchuria until the 17th century ** Haixi Jurchens, a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty ** Jianzhou Jurchens, a grouping of ...
-led Jin dynasty of China. The Tatars were considered by the Jurchens to be harmful and the opportunity was perfect to exterminate them. When the combined forces of Toghrul and Genghis Khan attacked the Tatars, they were caught in a vice as the Jurchen warriors behind them easily encircled the enemy tribe. The men were slaughtered, the women were taken as concubines and the children were adopted or became servants and slaves. Some thousands of Tatar who had resisted and then escaped entrenched themselves. This was the time when he was given the name Wang Khan (). Later that year he was overthrown by Erke Qara, whom he had not been able to assassinate and returned with the Naiman army. Many Keraites who were dissatisfied with the command of Toghrul probably also helped to drive Toghrul out. He fled to
Yelü Zhilugu Yelü Zhilugu () was the third emperor of the Western Liao dynasty, ruling from 1177 to 1211. As the final ruler from the House of Yelü, he is considered by traditional Chinese sources to be the last monarch of the Western Liao dynasty. Reign ...
without even going to seek the help of Temujin. He stayed there a year according to the Secret History. It was after leaving the Qara-Khitai that he finally decided to join Genghis Khan. According to Rashid al-Din, he would have reached Genghis Khan's encampment by 1196. Toghrul became his guest for about two years.


Second reign

Living in exile, Toghrul was aided by Temujin who undertook an attack to the Merkits for a second time and gave a large part of the booty to Toghrul who gifted it to different Kerait chiefs to consolidate allies with his tribe of origin. Temujin then allegedly attacked a Kerait clan, the Tumen Tubegen, and a large part of the survivors became Toghrul's followers. The Keraites returned fully to Toghrul around 1198. The Naimans remained neutral and offered no help to Erke Qara because the Naiman people were then divided between two kings.
Buyruq khan Buyruq khan () — was the younger son of Inanch Bilge and a brother of Tayang khan. Reign After his father's death, he split off with a faction of Naimans to rule just south of the Altai Mountains, near the source of the Ulungur river, while h ...
took the southern part and Tayang khan inherited the northern part of the Naiman lands. Erke Qara fled for the second time, this time to Buyruq khan. To reward the Kerait who had remained faithful to him, Toghrul ordered them to plunder the weakened Merkits for the third time. Significant Merkits, including two sons of Toqto'a-beki, were captured while another was murdered. Meanwhile, Toghrul's brother, Jakha Gambhu became blood brothers by Temujin.


Relationship with Naimans

Around 1199, Toghrul wanted to finish once and for all with the Naimans and the dispute between the two kings of this tribe was a useful chance to attack. If he attacked one of the brothers, it was almost certain that the other would do nothing and he could destroy them one after the other without having to confront the two tribes together, which could have formed a formidable alliance. He succeeded in bringing together Temujin and
Jamukha Jamukha ( mn, Жамуха; ) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) in the unification of the Mongol tribes. Biography Jamukha was born in the Jadaran, a sub-tribe of the Khamag Mongol ...
, chief of the tribe of the Jadaran, and forced them to become allies again, for they had hitherto become enemies. They did so, but with a distrust of one another. When the forces of coalition came together to fight Buyruq's army, they quickly realized that the Naiman lands were conducive to a long pursuit. Indeed, Toghrul had a hard time chasing his enemies because they had plenty of ground to escape. After a hike of a few hundred kilometers, Toghrul realized that he could never catch them and came back. Buyruq's general Kökse Sabraq attacked Toghrul who moved away from Temujin, defeated Toghrul's son Senggüm, capturing his son and wife in process. However they were beaten back thanks to aid from Temujin. In 1200, Toghrul aided Temujin, who was attacked by an alliance formed by the
Taichiud The Tayichiud (Mongolian Cyrillic: Тайчууд, Taichuud) was one of the three core tribes of the Khamag Mongol confederation on the Mongolian Plateau during the 12th century, founded by Ambaghai Khan in 1148 CE, and finally ended with Sultan H ...
, commanded by Targhutai Kiriltuk, an old enemy of Temujin, and Merkit led by Toqto'a Beki, who had recently recovered his son on the banks of the
Onon River The Onon (, ''Onon gol''; ) is a river in Mongolia and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Онон
.


Relationship with Jamukha

In 1201,
Jamukha Jamukha ( mn, Жамуха; ) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) in the unification of the Mongol tribes. Biography Jamukha was born in the Jadaran, a sub-tribe of the Khamag Mongol ...
had resumed hostilities against Temujin. An impressive coalition of Mongol tribes of
Taichiud The Tayichiud (Mongolian Cyrillic: Тайчууд, Taichuud) was one of the three core tribes of the Khamag Mongol confederation on the Mongolian Plateau during the 12th century, founded by Ambaghai Khan in 1148 CE, and finally ended with Sultan H ...
, Ikires, Qorolas, Salji'ut, Dörbet,
Suldus The Tayichiud (Mongolian Cyrillic: Тайчууд, Taichuud) was one of the three core tribes of the Khamag Mongol confederation on the Mongolian Plateau during the 12th century, founded by Ambaghai Khan in 1148 CE, and finally ended with Sultan ...
, Qatagin, Besud, Merkit, Oirat and finally Tatars recognized Jamukha as "Khan Universal" (
Gurkhan Gurkhan () was a Mongol title meaning "Universal Ruler" and roughly equivalent to the older term ''khagan''. It was held by the rulers of the Western Liao dynasty in the 13th century. The title was first adopted by Yelü Dashi (Emperor Dezong of W ...
). Toghrul decided to back Temujin in order to oppose growing power of Jamukha. Toghrul, Jakha Gambu and Temujin went into the valley called the Kerulen Valley with 15000 men. When they saw the enemy, they climbed the mountains because they were shorthanded against the enemy. It was also when
Buyruq khan Buyruq khan () — was the younger son of Inanch Bilge and a brother of Tayang khan. Reign After his father's death, he split off with a faction of Naimans to rule just south of the Altai Mountains, near the source of the Ulungur river, while h ...
joined Jamukha. Toghrul and Temujin fought a defensive battle which was very difficult and perilous. Torrential rain made the rolling hills and mountains men fell from the top to finish in crevices and ravines. After the enemy had withdrawn his forces, Toghrul left to return to
Tula river The Tula River ( es, Río Tula) is a river in Hidalgo State in central Mexico, and a tributary of the Moctezuma River. Geography It runs through the city of Tula de Allende and begins as a drainage channel for the Valley of Mexico, which contai ...
with his warriors. Temujin took advantage of the flight of his enemies to finish several on horseback. Targhutai was reportedly wounded to death as a result of the fight. Jamukha had fared badly during the first attack and
Buyruq khan Buyruq khan () — was the younger son of Inanch Bilge and a brother of Tayang khan. Reign After his father's death, he split off with a faction of Naimans to rule just south of the Altai Mountains, near the source of the Ulungur river, while h ...
took command of the armies in 1202. Temujin took the initiative to make a massacre among the Tatar, which dramatically reduced their numbers. Genghis and Toghrul returned to the mountains, but this time in the southern portion and faced the newly-commanding Kuchuguden's men, among them were Merkit, South Naiman, Oirats and tribes following Jamukha. Six tribes had left Jamukha and there were only four. Again, steep slopes, trees and various natural obstacles greatly slowed down the enemies of Toghrul and Temujin and the fight gradually grew favorable.


Death

Toghrul became very old by 1203. He was more than 70 years old and did not have the same reflexes as in his youth. His son Ilga Senggüm took command of the Kerait armies and Toghrul became a figurehead. Ambitious Ilga joined forces with Jamukha, Altan and Qutchar, who persuaded him to eliminate Temujin. Ilga attempted to assassinate him, failed, and then confronted the hordes of Temujin in a fierce battle in which he was wounded. Toghrul was present and assumed command, but he was more or less unable to fight himself given his advanced age and withdrew his men from the fight. Some of Keraist joined the forces with Temujin during and after the battle. After this battle, which was called "Battle of the Burning Sands", Temujin received the help of the Qonggirats who had confronted him during the first battle of Kerulen and then fled to Jamukha. Toghrul and Ilga, however, were still more numerous. Temujin sent ambassadors to demand peace, as he wished to renew his friendship with Toghrul. Ilga, now choosing for his father, rejected the request. Other tribes joined Temujin during that year. He was then in possession of eleven tribes, which formed a third of the whole population of Mongolia. As the enemy increased in number, Jamukha, Qutchar and Altan conspired against Toghrul, but eventually left the Kerait to take refuge with the Naimans of the North. The Tayitchi'ut, Dorbed, Qatagin and Salji'ut followed them. He died after Temujin attacked the Keraits by surprise. 8000 Mongol horsemen faced Keraits for three days but eventually Kerait surrendered. Toghrul fled to Tayang Khan but was killed by a Naiman soldier named Qori Sübeči who did not recognize him. The majority of the Keraits allied themselves with Temujin. Toghrul's head was later noticed by Tayang who was panicked and then stepped on it, crushing it.


Family

He was married to a Khitan woman and had at least two sons – Ilga Senggüm and Uyku. According to ''
Jami' al-Tawarikh The ''Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh'' ( Persian/Arabic: , ) is a work of literature and history, produced in the Mongol Ilkhanate. Written by Rashid al-Din Hamadani (1247–1318 AD) at the start of the 14th century, the breadth of coverage of the work ...
'',
Doquz Khatun Doquz Khatun (also spelled Dokuz Khatun) (d. 1265) was a 13th-century princess of the Keraites who was married to Hulagu Khan, founder of the Ilkhanate. Life Doquz Khatun was a granddaughter of the Keraite khan Toghrul, through his son Uyku or A ...
was a daughter of Uyku.


Legacy

Starting from 15th century,
Torghut The Torghut ( Mongolian: Торгууд, , Torguud), , "Guardsman" are one of the four major subgroups of the Four Oirats. The Torghut nobles traced its descent to the Keraite ruler Tooril; also many Torghuts descended from the Keraites. Hist ...
nobles claimed descent from Toghrul.


Wang Khan's character in primary sources

In Paragraphs 150-151 of the ''Secret History of the Mongols'' (written in 1240): In Paragraph 152 of the ''Secret History'': In Paragraph 164 of the ''Secret History'': In Paragraph 178 of the ''Secret History'': In Paragraph 189 of the ''Secret History'': In
Bar Hebraeus Gregory Bar Hebraeus ( syc, ܓܪܝܓܘܪܝܘܣ ܒܪ ܥܒܪܝܐ, b. 1226 - d. 30 July 1286), known by his Syriac ancestral surname as Bar Ebraya or Bar Ebroyo, and also by a Latinized name Abulpharagius, was an Aramean Maphrian (regional primat ...
' ''Ecclesiastical History'' written in the 13th century: In the ''Travels of Marco Polo'' Book 1, Chapter 47:


References

{{reflist Nestorians Genghis Khan 1130s births 1203 deaths Kerait people Mongolian Christians