Delbeg (

Mongolian script The classical or traditional Mongolian script, also known as the , was the first Mongolian alphabet, writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most widespread until the introduction of Cyrillic script, Cyrillic ...

: mn, Дэлбэг; ), (1395–1415) was a khagan of the

Northern Yuan dynasty The Northern Yuan () was a dynastic regime ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Ji ...

, reigning from 1412 to 1415. Delbeg was installed by the

Oirats Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...

in 1412 as a puppet ruler, but this was not recognized by most of Mongol clans in the central and eastern Mongol territories. According to Saghan Secen, Delbeg was a son of Öljei Temür Khan (Buyanshir) who had instructed the Oriat leader Bahamu to make Delbeg the new Khan. Delbeg became

Khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...

in 1412. However records in ''Shajrat Ul Atrak'' and '' Habib al-siyar'', Delbeg was a direct descendant of

Ariq Böke Ariq Böke (after 1219–1266), the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka ( mn, Аригбөх, Arigböh, ; ), was the seventh and youngest son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the ...

, and this blood lineage able to rally some support from

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 ...

populace in west. But his authority only prevailed in less than a third of Mongol territory, the western parts, while the eastern and central parts were under the control of

Arughtai Arughtai, also known as Alutai (; d. 1434), was a chingsang of the Northern Yuan dynasty who fought against the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty and the Four Oirats. According to the Mongolian and Chinese chronicles, there are similar named figu ...

, and the two sides fought continuously for more than two decades. The Oirats forced Arughtai to seek refuge in the lands bordering the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

in 1414. In 1415, the western Mongols led by Bahamu, Delbeg and Bolad were defeated by the Ming army which penetrated as far as

Tuul River , , "to wade through" , nickname = Queen Tuul , image = Tuul River Mongolia.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Tuul flowing through the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park , map = Toula (riv ...

. However, it was a

pyrrhic victory A Pyrrhic victory ( ) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. The phrase originates from a quote from ...

and the number of killed was about the same on both sides.Sir Henry Hoyle Howorth, ''History of the Mongols: from the 9th to the 19th century'', Volume 4, p. 367. The Ming Emperor was persuaded to return by his followers while the Mongols retired northwards. Although Adai Khan did not proclaim the throne of Great Khan until 1425, he was able to first unify the eastern part and then the central part of the Mongol territory while denouncing the legitimacy of Delbeg Khan, and carried on campaigns against Delbeg, eventually succeeding in defeating and killing Delbeg Khan in 1415, along with many of his

supporters. Delbeg Khan was succeeded by another direct descendant of

, Oyiradai Khan, chosen by the

to boost the legitimacy of their rule.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delbeg Khan 1395 births 1415 deaths Mongol khans Northern Yuan rulers 15th-century Mongol rulers 15th-century Chinese monarchs

See also

References