Arghun Agha, also Arghun Aqa or Arghun the Elder (; ; - 1275) was a

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

noble of the Oirat clan in the 13th century. He was a governor in the Mongol-controlled area of

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

from 1243 to 1255, before the

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...

was created by

Hulagu Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ar ...

. Arghun Agha was in control of the four districts of eastern and central Persia, as decreed by the great khan

Möngke Khan Möngke Khan (also Möngke Khagan or Möngke; 11 January 120911 August 1259) was the fourth khagan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251 to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to im ...

Early life

According to Rashid al-Din, when he was young, his father sold his son Arghun to Qadan of the Jalayir, tutor of Ögedei who passed him to his son Ilüge, while according to Juvayni his father was a mingghan commander. During his years with the Ogedeyid family, he gained reputation among the members of the ruling blood because he was well educated and versed in

Old Uyghur language Old Uyghur () was a Turkic language spoken in Qocho from the 9th–14th centuries as well as in Gansu. History Old Uyghur evolved from Old Turkic, a Siberian Turkic language, after the Uyghur Khaganate broke up and remnants of it migrat ...

. Arghun started his career as ''bitikchi'' (secretary) during the reign of Ögedei. Later on, the latter's consort, Toregene Khatun, appointed him as then governor of Transoxiana - Korguz's ''

basqaq ''Darughachi'' (Mongol form) or ''Basqaq'' (Turkic form) were originally designated officials in the Mongol Empire who were in charge of taxes and administration in a certain province. The singular form of the Mongolian word is ''darugha''. They ...

'' and ultimately overall civil governor after Korguz's execution in .

Career

He was appointed to oversee vast lands from

Oxus The Amu Darya ( ),() also shortened to Amu and historically known as the Oxus ( ), is a major river in Central Asia, which flows through Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Rising in the Pamir Mountains, north of the Hindu Ku ...

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

with Sharaf al-Din Khwarazmi as his secretary, whom he had a distaste in. His position was reaffirmed by

Güyük Khan Güyük Khan or Güyüg Khagan, mononymously Güyüg ( 19 March 1206 – 20 April 1248), was the third Khagan of the Mongol Empire, the eldest son of Ögedei Khan and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He reigned from 1246 to 1248. He started his mili ...

in 1246. Ascelin of Lombardia might have met him while he was at the court of Baiju in . He visited

Karakorum Karakorum (Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian script:, ''Qaraqorum'') was the capital city, capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan, Northern Yuan dynasty in the late 14th and 1 ...

twice after his appointment in 1248 and 1251. On his third voyage, he was upheld by

in Transoxiana and was released after a while. His employees included the famous Juvayni family, Fakr al-Din Bihishti (d. 1256), Husam al-Din Bihishti, Najm al-Din Ali, Turumtai, Naimadai, etc. He made a census in Persia in accordance with the decree of Möngke in 1254 along with Najm al-Din Ali. He participated in Hulagu's campaign against the Nizaris in Persia in 1256.

Georgian campaign

In 1259-61 he directed punitive operations against rebels in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. When in 1260

Hulegu Khan Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ar ...

requested the presence of

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

and

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

for the

Mongol invasions of the Levant Starting in the 1240s, the Mongols made repeated invasions of Syria or attempts thereof. Most failed, but they did have some success in 1260 and 1300, capturing Aleppo and Damascus and destroying the Ayyubid dynasty. The Mongols were forced to r ...

, David Ulu, king of the Eastern Kingdom of Georgia rebelled, remembering the losses of his troops in the 1258

Siege of Baghdad The siege of Baghdad took place in early 1258. A large army commanded by Hulegu, a prince of the Mongol Empire, attacked the historic capital of the Abbasid Caliphate after a series of provocations from its ruler, caliph al-Musta'sim. Within ...

. A large Mongol army led by Arghun Aqa invaded Georgia from the south, inflicted a heavy defeat on David and Sargis I Jaqeli in a battle near Akhaldaba, and then brutally plundered the country. The Mongol campaign continued during the winter, and the following year king David Ulu was forced to flee to

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

, which the Mongols failed to conquer. David's family was captured, and his wife Gvantsa was killed. Peace with the Mongols was achieved in 1262, when David Ulu returned to

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

to reclaim his crown as a Mongol vassal, pledging allegiance to Hulegu, while David Narin nominally recognized Mongol rule in Imereti. Hulegu tolerated the rebel because since 1261, the Il-kan was at war with the

Berke Berke Khan (died 1266/1267; also Birkai; Turki/ Kypchak: برکه خان, , ) was a grandson of Genghis Khan from his son Jochi and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde, a division of the Mongol Empire, who effectively c ...

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

, which was on a larger scale. Arghun Aqa was then sent to Khorasan to fight the

. He is described as faithful servant of the Qaghan in

n sources while the

n and

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n sources say he was cruel and violent overseer. However, one Georgian chronicle says he was a friend of equity, trustful in his language, a deep thinker, and profound in counsel. It also says Arghun conducted the empire-wide census in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

, Alania,

Pontic steppe Pontic, from the Greek ''pontos'' (, ), or "sea", may refer to: The Black Sea Places * The Pontic colonies, on its northern shores * Pontus (region), a region on its southern shores * The Pontic–Caspian steppe, steppelands stretching from n ...

, Georgia, Armenia, and

. Arghun had many political enemies at the headquarters, so he had to visit the ''ordo'' of the Qaghan in

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

often to prove his loyalty. Although, Möngke appointed him to his former position after his accession in 1252, the Emperor summoned Arghun to answer a charge of treason. The

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

noble, Sempad Orpelian, justified Arghun completely and charged his enemy, a Khorazmi lieutenant, with being the real offender. Arghun was released and they returned together.

Under Hulagu

He mainted his administrative tasks under Hulagu and even punished underpaying vassals who owed them taxes, including Gvantsa Kakhaberidze, Hasan Jalal of Khachen, Zakare III Zakarian, Akhsitan II and others in 1261. He accompanied Prince Abaqa in support of Alghu against his struggle with

Under Abaqa

Arghun continued to serve Ilkhanate after death of Hulagu in 1265. His new post was in Khorasan, as deputy of Prince Tubshin. New Chagatai khan Baraq threatened to invade Ilkhanate until they leave

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

to them in 1270. Arghun Aqa fought in left flank under Prince Yoshmut in Battle of Herat on 22 July 1270 which resulted in a decisive victory. He served in Khorasan till his death on 17 June 1275.

Legacy

He appears to have funded Pir Huseyn Khanqah in Qubalıbalaoğlan, modern

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. He is thought to be buried in Radkan, Khorasan.

Family

He had many wives, including a daughter of Yesü Möngke, to whom he married in 1249. Another wife of his was Sürmish, who gave birth to Nawruz. He had at least 14 sons and 4 daughters: * A son (died 1270 in

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...

) * Girai Malik * Tatarji * Nawruz (d. 13 August 1297) * Lagzi Güregen (d. 2 April 1297) — married to Baba Khatun (daughter of

) ** Terjughan Khatun — married to

Öljaitü Öljaitü, also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name 'Öjaitü' means 'blessed' in the Mongolian language and his last name 'Khod ...

* Hajji * Tarkhan Hajji ** A daughter — married Fakhr al-Din ibn Rukn al-Din of Kartids (1295–1308) * Yol Qutlugh * Bulquq * Oiratai * Ertai Ghazan (d. 1297) * Narin Hajji (d. 1297,

Hamadan Hamadan ( ; , ) is a mountainous city in western Iran. It is located in the Central District of Hamadan County in Hamadan province, serving as the capital of the province, county, and district. As of the 2016 Iranian census, it had a po ...

) * Arghun Hajji * Mengli Buqa * Barghun Hajji * Emine Khatun (died and buried in

Salmas Salmas () is a city in the Central District of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey. Etymology The original name of Salmas was ...

) — possibly married to Taj al-Din 'Ali Shah, vizier. * Begi Khatun or Ilkuye Begi — married to Muzaffar al-Din Hajjaj in 1263/4 * A daughter — married to Kingshü, son of Jumghur * Menglitegin — married to Amir Tasu of Eljigin clan of

Khongirad The Khongirad (; ; ; ) was one of the major divisions of the Mongol tribes. Their homeland was located in the vicinity of Hulun Lake, Lake Hulun in Inner Mongolia and Khalkha River in Mongolia,M. Sanjdorj, History of the Mongolian People's Repub ...

** Bulughan Khatun Khorasani — married to Ghazan

Notes

References

* Amitai-Preiss, ''Mongols and Mamluks: the Mamluk-Īlkhānid War, 1260-1281'' * * Rene Grousset, ''The Empire of the Steppes'' {{High-ranking ministers and commanders of the Mongol Empire 1275 deaths People from the Ilkhanate Heads of state of Iran Mongol Empire people Oirats 1210s births Year of birth uncertain