Türaqai Güregen (d. 1296–7) and His Lineage: History of a Cross-Asia Journey

The history of the Mongol conquests in Eurasia was not least the history of the numerous migrations of masses of people across the continent. This essay discusses one specific case study, namely that of the Mongol commander and Chinggisid imperial son-in-law Türaqai of the Oyirad tribe and his lineage throughout the thirteenth century. He himself was probably born in Iran or Iraq. His family, however, came from Mongolia to Iran during the Mongol conquests. The article discusses Türaqai’s life, in particular his (and his army’s) flight from the Ilkhanate to the Mamlūk Sultanate in 1296. He also made an unsuccessful attempt to become part of the Mamlūk military, which costed him and his close supporters their lives. Looking through the lenses of this biographical narrative, the essay presents a broader picture of the military nomadic migrations in Chinggisid Eurasia and their mechanisms. The essay also pays special attention to the position of the Chinggisid sons-in-law, who held a highly respected status in the Mongol political architecture. Additionally, it highlights some main issues related to the migration of the nomadic tribes and their resettlement in the newly conquered areas under the Mongol rule, such as assimilation, conversion to Islam and the different dimensions of their relations with the local populations

Reconsidering the Chinggisids’ Sons-in-Laws: Lessons from the United Empire

This paper discusses an important aspect of the Chinggisid matrimonial relations during the United Empire period (1206–1259), namely the phenomenon of the “sons-in-law” (güregens/küregens) of the Golden lineage. The paper provides an overall analysis of all the matrimonial ties with different tribal, ethnic, and political entities from the Mongolian plateau to the Caucasus and suggests that we consider the establishment of such ties as a thought through strategic policy. The güregens of the Golden lineage will, therefore, be analysed as one of the institutions of the Mongol power hierarchy, highlighting its rather unique position vis-a-vis the other power groups in the Mongol political architecture, such as nökers and keshig

From Mongolia to Khwārazm: The Qonggirad Migrations in the Jochid Ulus (13th.-15th. c.)

Abstract: The article discusses the Qonggirad migration to the Jochid ulus in the aftermath of the Mongol conquests as well as the roles the Qonggirad elite played in the Jochid and Khwārazmian political history in the late 13th – early 15th centuries. Based on genealogical and numismatic analyses, this paper, on the one hand, provides insights into the formation and developments of the autonomous Qonggirad power in Khwārazm in the second half of the 14th century and, on the other hand, stresses the importance of the Islamisation for the Mongol tribal elite’s accustomisation to the regional and geopolitical historical setting during the troubled period of 1359-1380s in the Jochid ulus

Reconsidering the Chinggisids’ Sons-in-Laws: Lessons from the United Empire

This paper discusses an important aspect of the Chinggisid matrimonial relations during the United Empire period (1206–1259), namely the phenomenon of the “sons-in-law” (güregens/küregens) of the Golden lineage. The paper provides an overall analysis of all the matrimonial ties with different tribal, ethnic, and political entities from the Mongolian plateau to the Caucasus and suggests that we consider the establishment of such ties as a thought through strategic policy. The güregens of the Golden lineage will, therefore, be analysed as one of the institutions of the Mongol power hierarchy, highlighting its rather unique position vis-a-vis the other power groups in the Mongol political architecture, such as nökers and keshig

New Light on Early Mongol Islamisation: The Case of Arghun Aqa's Family

AbstractThe paper discusses the questions of the alleged conversion of Arghun Aqa, the powerful Mongol governor of great parts of Western Asia in the mid-13thcentury, to Islam, claimed by the famous Armenian historian Kirakos. While in the end dismissing the historicity of this claim, the paper uses a variety of archaeological, numismatic, epigraphic and literary sources in order to highlight the great role the Islamic beliefs and identity of the surrounding Persianised society played in the continuous Islamic acculturation of Arghun Aqa and his family since the earliest phases of their presence in Iran.</jats:p

La Horde d'Or et l'islamisation des steppes eurasiatiques

Les conversions des khans Berke (1257-67) et Özbeg (1312-41) eurent un immense retentissement dans le dār al-islām et au-delà de ses frontières. Les souverains de la Horde d’Or furent les premiers descendants de Gengis Khan à prendre le titre de sultan. Leurs orientations politiques et religieuses eurent des conséquences à long terme en Asie Centrale, en Russie et en Europe, où l’islamisation de nombreuses communautés date de la période mongole. Le passage à l’islam alla de pair avec des rituels et des règles de vie collective, l’acceptation d’un système économique et monétaire, et la construction d’une histoire commune. En milieu nomade, les récits de conversion se substituèrent aux récits d’origine en tant que narration du moment fondateur de la communauté. Quelles furent les conséquences politiques de la tolérance religieuse des Mongols ? Peut-on parler d’un islam des steppes, associé à des pratiques funéraires particulières ? Qui furent les acteurs de la transmission de l’islam et quels étaient leurs modes de prosélytisme au sein de la Horde d’Or ? Les artisans, les lettrés, et les bénéficiaires de privilèges impériaux ont-ils joué un rôle plus important que les soufis? Enfin, doit-on établir un lien entre turquisation et islamisation ? Ce numéro de la Remmm, qui réunit quatorze historiens, historiens d’art et archéologues d’une dizaine de pays, apporte des réponses concrètes à ces questions et propose de nouvelles pistes de recherche à la lumière de sources méconnues. Il offre un éclairage inédit sur un phénomène complexe touchant des régions qui s’étendent de la Chine à la Bulgarie. The conversions of the khans Berke (1257-67) and Özbeg (1312-41) had a major impact on the dār al-islām and beyond its frontiers. The rulers of the Golden Horde were the first descendants of Chinggis Khan to bear the title of ‘sultan’. Their political and religious policies had long-standing consequences in Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, where many communities converted to Islam during the Mongol period. Adopting Islam implied the acceptance of new rituals and rules for collective life, it meant entering into new economic and monetary systems, and building a new common history. In the nomadic world, conversion stories often replaced older legends of origin as the foundational narratives of peoples and communities. What were the political implications of Mongol religious tolerance? Can we discern the “Islamisation of the Steppe” through distinctive burial practices? Who were the agents of Islamisation and how did they proselytize within the Golden Horde? Did craftsmen, literati, and holders of imperial grants play a more important role in the transmission of Islam than Sufis? And, finally, should we see a link between Turkicisation and Islamisation? This volume brings together fourteen historians, art historians, and archaeologists, from ten countries, to discuss these issues. By analysing unpublished and little known sources, they open new paths for research and shed light on a complex phenomenon that spread from China to Bulgaria