Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei (Traditional Mongolian: ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠭᠡᠢᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, Yesukhei baatar, [ˈjosuxɛːˈbaːtər]; Chinese: 也速該; pinyin: Yěsùgāi) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, who later became known as Genghis Khan. Yesügei was from the Borjigin family, and his name means "like nine", meaning he had the auspicious qualities of the number nine, a lucky number to the Mongols.
Life
Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the second son of Khabul Khan. Khabul was recognized as a khagan by the Jin Dynasty. Khabul Khan was, in turn, the great-grandson of the Mongol chief Khaidu, the first to try to unite the Mongols. Yesügei abducted his chief wife, Hö'elün, a daughter of the Olkhunut forest people, with the help of his elder brother Negün Taishi and younger brother Daritai Otchigin, from her newlywed husband Chiledu of Merkits.[1] Yesügei abducted Hoelun because of her beauty and indications of fertility.[2]
After the Khamag Mongol confederation khan Hotula died, the confederation had no elected king, but de facto Yesügei ruled the confederation. Yesügei had a bloodbrother, or anda, Toghrul Khan (later known as Wang Khan and Ong Khan). Yesügei helped Toghrul to defeat his uncle Gurkhan. After Yesügei's death, Toghrul initially helped Temüjin in arranging his marriage to Börte and uniting the tribes, but later defected to Genghis' anda and rival, Jamukha.
In 1171 Yesügei died when his son Temüjin was nine years old. The Secret History of the Mongols records that he was poisoned by Tatars while sharing a meal at a wedding[3] on the way home after leaving Temüjin at the home of Dai Setsen, a noble man of Khongirad tribe, when two fathers, Yesügei and Dai Setsen, agreed that their kids, Temüjin and Börte, would marry.[3]
When Yesügei was on his way home after leaving Temüjin with Börte's family, he noticed an encampment where the Tatars were celebrating a feast. The Secret History explains that he wanted to join their feast, but he knew he could not reveal his identity since he was known among the Tatars as the person who killed their relative (called Temüjin Uge) in a battle eight years earlier.[4] Yesügei tried his luck but someone recognized him and offered him poisoned food under the guise of hospitality. Although ill, Yesügei managed to escape back to his family's camp.[4]
Yesügei died three days later at home.
Legacy
During the reign of the Yuan dynasty, he was given the temple name of Liezu (Chinese: 烈祖; lit. 'Ardent Founder') and the posthumous name Shenyuan Huangdi (Chinese: 神元皇帝; lit. 'Supernaturally Prime Emperor').[5]
Yesügei and Hoelun had four sons Temüjin, (later known as Genghis Khan), Hasar, Hachiun, Temüge and a daughter, Temülen. Yesugei had two sons by his second wife Sochigel: Behter and Belgutei. The Secret History of the Mongols records that in his youth Temüjin killed his brother Behter in a fight for food. His other half-brother, Belgutei, however was a good friend, and later became a general under Genghis.
