Taghachar, also spelled Tajir, Ta'achar (, ; died c. 1296) was a commander in the
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...
's army. He was one of the conspirators involved in the overthrow of three
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 ...
khans, and placed the short-lived
Baydu Baydu (Mongolian script:; ) (died 1295) was the sixth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate division in Iran. He was the son of Taraqai, who was in turn the fifth son of Hulagu Khan.Stevens, John. ''The history of Persia. Containing, the lives and ...
on the throne in 1295.
Background
Taghachar was a member of the Suquai'ud branch of the
Baarin
Baarin (, ''Baʿrīn'' or ''Biʿrīn'') is a village in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located in Homs Gap roughly southwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Taunah and Awj to the south, Aqrab and Houla to th ...
tribe. His father was Qutu Buqa, a
tümen commander operated under
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 ...
and
Abaqa and died in battle against
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 ...
. He also had an elder brother called Taiju, who died in infancy. His other relatives, including his grandfather Temüge Noyan who was emir and uncle Jangqun who was head of security force looking after security of roads were all important emirs of Mongol armies.
When
Hulegu entered Persia in 1256, Taghachar commanded a battalion of his western wing. He was mainly stationed in province of
Fars.
Career under Abaqa and Tekuder
His rise to prominence mainly began after the Battle on the Ağsu banks against the
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 ...
on 19–20 July 1265. Although Prince
Yoshmut's army defeated
Nogai, his father Qutu Buqa died in this battle.
Just like
Buqa, as an orphaned person whose father died in battle he was given great importance and care by
Abaqa, later he became his
''inaq'' – a trusted follower and a member of ''
keshig''. In his new position as vizier Majd al-Mulk Yazdi's overseer, he imprisoned
Ata-Malik Juvayni
Ata-Malik Juvayni ; 1226 – 5 March 1283) was a bureaucrat and historian from the Juvayni family who served under the Mongol Empire. He is known for composing the ''Tarikh-i Jahangushay'' ("History of the World Conqueror"), an important account ...
on behalf of Abaqa in 1281, accusing him of embezzling the treasure – a charge that was brought by Majd al-Mulk. Soon after Abaqa's death in 1281, Taghachar was among the commanders who appeared on
Tekuder's election with the new ilkhan's mother, Qutui Khatun. Nevertheless, he supported
Arghun
Arghun Khan ( Mongolian Cyrillic: Аргун; Traditional Mongolian: ; c. 1258 – 10 March 1291) was the fourth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate division, from 1284 to 1291. He was the son of Abaqa Khan, and like his father, was a de ...
later, who believed the Juvayni brothers were responsible for his father Abaqa's death by poisoning. Tekuder, seeing Arghun as a strong rival, seized Taghachar among other emirs who supported Arghun and kept him imprisoned in
Tabriz
Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
. He was released after Tekuder's arrest on 26 July 1284 and became one of the prominent emirs under Arghun.
Under Arghun
Arghun rewarded Taghachar by making him a commander of
Qara'unas and appointing him as
atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic language, Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the ti ...
of his youngest son Khitai-Oghul. Taghachar soon took action against
Buqa in 1289, who harnessed absolute power in his hands. Arghun's first step was to investigate former non-paid
Salghurid
The Salghurids (), also known as the Atabegs of Fars (), were a Persianate society, Persianate dynasty of Salur tribe, Salur Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman origin that ruled Fars province, Fars, first as vassals of the Seljuks then for the Khwara ...
taxes. As a result, he appointed Taghachar to as new head of Fars province inju treasury and gained over 1.5 million dinars from the province. After Buqa's death, his associates including Georgian king
Demetre II were executed. His 16-year-old son,
David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
was put in Taghachar's household. Taghachar's status was so strengthened that he became of the recipients of letters from
Nicholas IV as person of power.
In 1290, he participated in Arghun's army in battles against Golden Horde Emir
Nogai on Caucasus. Moving from capital on 28 March, he arrived on banks of Karasu river (on north of the
Derbent
Derbent, also historically known as Darband, or Derbend, is the southernmost city in Russia. It is situated along the southeastern coast of the Dagestan, Republic of Dagestan, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucas ...
) and was victorious against Nogai's commander Toqay Noyan and Terktay Bahadur.
Following the victory, Taghachar was sent to Khorasan front in April. Towards the end of Arghun's reign, Taghachar allied himself to other powerful emirs like Tugel, Toghan and Qoncuqbal in order to remove powerful vizier
Sa'ad al-Dawla in 1291. Arghun was seriously ill and apparently couldn't speak, which gave Taghachar his allies the opportunity of removing their rivals in court, starting with Sa'ad al-Dawla. He invited the Arghun's senior emirs Orduqiya, Josh, and Qujan to a feast in honor of his ward Khitay's birthday on 4 March, where they were arrested. Sa'ad al-Dawla was found in suburban Tabriz and was executed in Taghachar's house next day.
Under Gaykhatu
After death of Arghun, Taghachar and his allies supported
Baydu Baydu (Mongolian script:; ) (died 1295) was the sixth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate division in Iran. He was the son of Taraqai, who was in turn the fifth son of Hulagu Khan.Stevens, John. ''The history of Persia. Containing, the lives and ...
, feeling the candidate
Gaykhatu
Gaykhatu (Mongolian script:; ) was the fifth Ilkhanate ruler in Iran. He reigned from 1291 to 1295. His Buddhist baghshi gave him the Tibetan name Rinchindorj () which appeared on his paper money.
Early life
He was born to Abaqa and Nukdan K ...
would replace them with his subordinates in
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 ...
, lying him that Baydu was already taken the throne. Suspicious Gaykhatu tortured envoy to learn truth and sent 10.000 men ahead upon learning it, while himself moved to
Arran and
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 ...
. In any case, Baydu refused the throne. Gaykhatu took Taghachar's
tumen and gave it to Shiktur Noyan of
Jalairs in 1291. However, he could stay much in capital and had to leave for Anatolia hearing news of Turcoman rebellion, appointing Shiktur Noyan as regent of the state while confirming Prince Anbarchi (son of
Möngke Temür) as viceroy of East stationed in
Ray. His absence in Iran was followed by a conspiracy led by Taghachar and his follower Sa'ad al-Din Zanjani. They falsely informed viceroy Anbarchi – via Sad al-Din's brother Qutb al-Din, who was Anbarchi's vizier – of Gaykhatu's defeat by Turcomans in Anatolia and called him to take the throne. While ambitious, Anbarchi regarded this news with suspicion. After contacting Shiktur Noyan who was residing near
Karachal, Anbarchi had them imprisoned by Shiktur. Taghachar was only pardoned by Gaykhatu in 1292, even appointing Sa'ad al-Din Zanjani to the post of vizier on 18 November 1292 and his ward
David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
as king of
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 ...
.
After his release, Taghachar continued to serve Gaykhatu. He was mentioned by
Rashid al-Din as Gaykhatu's second-in-command in June 1292 in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and an enforcer of
Jiaochao
Jiaochao () is a Chinese word for banknote first used for the currency of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty and later by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China.
Jin dynasty
The Jurchens swept control over northern China, conquering the Liao dynasty ...
in
Tabriz
Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
. Seeing growing resentment against Gaykhatu, Taghachar changed his allegiance secretly to Baydu again. When Gaykhatu sent Taghachar against Baydu on 17 March 1295, he changed sides openly and led Baydu's armies against Gaykhatu, finally placing former on the throne on 24 March 1295.
Under Baydu
Being a kingmaker of Baydu, Taghachar achieved viceroyalty of
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 ...
and
Diyar Bakr in 1295. However, seeing advances of
Nawruz against Baydu and his protege Sa'ad al-Din Zanjani's loss of vizierate, he against changed sides and joined Ghazan. A civil war ensued, led by
Ghazan Khan, who executed Baydu on the 5 October 1295.
Under Ghazan
Ghazan confirmed Taghachar as viceroy in
Rûm
Rūm ( , collective; singulative: ''Rūmī'' ; plural: ''Arwām'' ; ''Rum'' or ''Rumiyān'', singular ''Rumi''; ), ultimately derived from Greek Ῥωμαῖοι ('' Rhomaioi'', literally 'Romans'), is the endonym of the pre-Islamic inhabi ...
on 9 December because he had concerns over his continued loyalty and thought it safer to keep him at a distance.
Meanwhile, Nawruz became
naib
Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kings of Saxony to the Ge ...
of
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 ...
and headed Ghazan's army against Chagatai khan
Duwa's invasion of Khorasan in 1295. However, Ilkhanid prince Sogai (son of
Yoshmut) refused to join campaign in Khorasan, believing this was Nawruz's plot further deprive nobility of their possessions. Taghachar was thought to have been implicated in the rebellion of Prince Sogai and was declared a rebel.
Taghachar strengthened himself in
Tokat
Tokat is a city of Turkey in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is the seat of Tokat Province and Tokat District. and resisted against Ghazan's commanders Harmanji, Baltu and Arap (son of
Samagar). He was soon arrested by Baltu near
Delice
Delice is a town in Kırıkkale Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Delice District
Delice District is a district of the Kırıkkale Province of Turkey. Its seat is the town of Delice.[Ghazan
Mahmud Ghazan (5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) (, Ghazan Khan, sometimes westernized as Casanus was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of Arghun, grandson of Abaqa K ...]
and
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 ...
.
According to Kazakh researcher Jaqsylyq Sabitov, Jaruq may have fled to
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 ...
where he married a daughter of
Mengu Timur and fathered Golden Horde emirs Khwaja, Saray-Timur and Kutluk-Timur (d.1336).
Notes
References
* Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire''. Facts on File, Inc. .
*
*
*
*{{Cite thesis, last=Muller, first=Maitland, title=A study and translation of the first book of the first volume of the "Compendium of Histories" by Rasid al-Din Fadl Allah concerning the Turkish and Mongol tribes, date=1957, degree=PhD, publisher=University of London, url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/29113/
Generals of the Ilkhanate
1296 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Generals of the Mongol Empire