Khagan

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Khagan or Great Khan (Old Turkic kaɣan ^[1]; Mongolian: хаган; Chinese: 可汗; pinyin: kèhán; alternatively spelled Chagan, Khaghan, Kagan, Kağan, Qagan, Qaghan), is a title of imperial rank in the Turkic and Mongolian languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a Khaganate (empire, greater than an ordinary Khanate, but often referred to as such in western languages). It may also be translated as Khan of Khans, equivalent to King of Kings. In modern Mongolian, the title became Khaan with the 'g' sound becoming almost silent or non-existent (i.e., a very light voiceless velar fricative); the ğ in modern Turkish Kağan is also silent. This is probably partly because "khagan" is a political term used to refer to an emperor. After the effective breakup of the Mongol Empire, there was no official khagan and all of the sections were broken up into areas ruled by just a regular ruler or Khan who didn't have to answer to any Khagan therefore making the term obsolete. Kağan is a common Turkish name in Turkey

The common western rendering as Great Khan or Grand Khan, notably in the case of the Mongol Empire, is translation of Yekhe Khagan (Great Emperor or Их Хаан).

Contents 1 Origin 2 Mongol Khagans 3 Among Turkic peoples 4 Chinese Khagans 5 Among the Norsemen and Slavs 6 Notes 7 Sources and references 8 See also:

[edit] Origin

The title was first seen in a speech between 283 and 289, when the Xianbei chief Murong Tuyuhun tried to escape from his younger stepbrother Murong Hui, and began his route from Liaodong to the areas of Ordos Desert. In the speech one of the Murong's general named Yinalou addressed him as kehan (可寒, later as 可汗), some sources suggests that Tuyuhun might also have used the title after settling at Koko Nor in the 3rd century.^[2]

The first to adopt the title for the state was the nomadic Juan Juan confederacy (4th–6th century AD) or the Xianbei, on China's northern border.

The Avars, who may have included Juan Juan elements after the Göktürks crushed the Juan Juan who ruled Mongolia, also used this title. The Avars invaded Europe, and for over a century ruled the Hungarian region. Westerners Latinized the title "Khagan" into "Gaganus" or Cagan et Iugurro principibus Hunorum.

[edit] Mongol Khagans

The Secret History of the Mongols, written for that very dynasty, clearly distinguishes Khagan and Khan: only Genghis and his ruling descendants are called Khagan, while other rulers are referred to as Khan. The g sound in "Khagan" later weakened and disappeared becoming Khaan in modern Mongolian. Khagan or Khaan refers Emperor or King in Mongolian language, however, Yekhe Khagan means Great Khagan or Grand Emperor.

The Mongol Empire began to politically split with the civil war in 1260-1264 and the death of Kublai Khan in 1294, but the term Ikh Khagan (Great Khan, or Emperor) was still used by the Chingisid rulers of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), who assumed the role of Chinese emperors, and after 1368 it continued to be used in Post-imperial Mongolia.^[3] Thus, the Yuan is usually referred to as the Empire of the Great Khan, coexisting with the de facto independent Mongol khanates in the west, including the Chagatai Khanate and Golden Horde. Only the Ilkhanate truly recognized the Yuan's overlordship as allies. Because Kublai founded the Yuan Dynasty, the members of the other branches of the Borjigin could take part in the election of a new Khagan as the supporters of one or other of the contestants, but they could not enter the contest as candidates themselves.^[4] In 1304 Temur Khan (r. 1294-1307),^[5] the grandson of Kublai, made peace with the three western khanates of the Mongol Empire and was recognized as suzerain of the Empire.^[6] The tradition that western khans presented tributes to Khagans lasted until the end of the Yuan's regime in China. Thus, Mongol Emperors of the Yuan held the title of Great Khan of all Mongol Khanates (of the Mongol Empire). Mongolian last Khagan Ligdan of Chahar died in 1634 while fighting the Qing Dynasty founded by the Manchus.

The Khagans of the Mongol Empire were:

• Genghis Khan (1206-1227)
• Ögedei Khan (1229-1241)
• Güyük Khan (1246-1248)
• Möngke Khan (1251-1259)

Following Khagans had the title of Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty along with their original office of the Great Khan of the Mongols:

• Kublai Khan (1260-1271)- Late Mongolian title: Setsen (Сэцэн); Chinese title: Shizu- 1271-1294 Zhiyuan 1264-1294
• Temür Khân - Mongolian title: Oljeitu (Өлзийт); Chinese title Chengzong; 1294-1307; Yuanzhen 1295-1297;Dade 1297-1307
• Khaiysan- Mongolian title: Khülük (Хүлэг); Chinese title: Wuzong - 1308-1311; Zhida 1308-1311
• Ayurparibhadra - Chinese title: Renzong (仁宗)-1311-1320; Huangqing 1312-1313;Yanyou 1314-1320
• Suddhipala - Mongolian title: Gegeen (Гэгээн); Chinese title: Yingzong- 1321-1323; Zhizhi 1321-1323; Jinzong
• Yesün-Temür-Chinese title:Taiding Di - 1323-1328;Taiding 1321-1328;Zhihe 1328
• Arigaba - Tianshun Di; Tianshun 1328
• Toq-Temür - Mongolian title: Zayaghatu (Заяат); Chinese titles: Wenzong; 1328-1329 and 1329-1332; Tianli 1328-1330 Zhìshùn 1330-1332
• Qutuqtu Mongolian title: Khuslen (Хүслэн); Chinese title: Mingzong - 1329;
• Irinchibal 1332; Chinese title: Ningzong; Zhishun 1332
• Toghan-Temür Mongolian title: Ukhaantu (Ухаант хаан); Chinese title: Huizong ; Shundi - 1333-1370; Zhishun 1333;Yuantong 1333-1335; Zhiyuan 1335-1340; Zhizheng 1341-1368; Zhiyuan 1368-1370

[edit] Among Turkic peoples

The title became associated with the Ashina rulers of the Göktürks and their dynastic successors among such peoples as the Khazars (cf. the compound military title Khagan Bek). Minor rulers were rather relegated to the lower title of Khan.

Interestingly, both Khakhan as such and the Turkish form Hakan, with the specification in Arabic al-Barrayn wa al-Bahrayn (meaning literally "of both lands and both seas"), or rather fully in Ottoman Turkish Hakan ül-Berreyn vel-Bahreyn, were among the titles in the official full style of the Great Sultan (and later Caliph) of the Ottoman Empire (Sultan Hân N.N., Padishah, Hünkar, Sovereign of the House of Osman, Sultan of Sultans, Khan of Khans, Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the Universe; next followed a series of specifical 'regional' titles, starting with Protector of the Holy Cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem), reflecting the historical legitimation of the dynasty's rule as political successor to various conquered (often Islamised) states.

[edit] Chinese Khagans

Emperor Taizong of Tang was crowned Tian Kehan, or "heavenly Khagan" after defeating the Tujue (Göktürks).^[7] The Tang Dynasty Chinese Emperors were recognized as Khagans of the Turks from 665-705. However, we have two appeal letters from the Turkic hybrid rulers, Ashina Qutluγ Ton Tardu in 727, the Yabgu of Tokharistan, and Yina Tudun Qule in 741, the king of Tashkent, addressing Emperor Xuanzong of Tang as Tian Kehan during the Umayyad expansion.^[8][9]

[edit] Among the Norsemen and Slavs

In the early 10th century, the Rus' people employed the title of kagan (or qaghan), reported by the Arab geographer Ibn Rusta writing between 903 and 913. This tradition endured in the eleventh century, as the metropolitan of Ukraine-Rus Hilarion calls both grand prince Vladimir (978–1015) and grand prince Iaroslav (1019–1054) by the title of kagan, while a graffito on the walls of the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev gives the same title to the son of Iaroslav, grand prince Sviatoslav II (1073–1076).

[edit] Notes

[edit] Sources and references

• Mark Whittow, The Making of Byzantium, 600–1025, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, 1996.
• Zhou, Weizhou [1985] (2006). A History of Tuyuhun. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press. ISBN 7-5633-6044-1.
• Fairbank, John King. The Cambridge History of China . Cambridge University Press, 1978. web page

v • d • e Mongol Empire (1206–1368)
Politics, organization and daily life	Some campaigns and battles		People		Terms
Organization of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan Mongol military tactics and organization Society of the Mongol Empire Christianity among the Mongols Franco-Mongol alliance Armeno-Mongol alliance Timeline of the Mongol Empire Timeline of Mongol conquests List of Tatar and Mongol raids against Russian states Mongol and Tatar states in Europe Flag of the Mongols Destruction under the Mongol Empire Khanates Ilkhanate Chagatai Khanate Golden Horde Yuan Dynasty Notable cities Karakorum Samarkand Sarai Batu Sarai Berke Tabriz Maragheh Dadu Bolghar Soltaniyeh Shangdu Qarshi Almalik Bukhara Ukek Majar Azaq Saray-Jük Xacitarxan		Asia Conquest of Central Asia Conquest of East Asia 1207 Siberia 1205–1209 Western China 1211–1234 Northern China Manchuria 1218–1221 Khwarezmia and Eastern Iran 1235–1276 Southern China 1231–1260 Korea 1277–1287 Burma 1274–1281 Japan 1257, 1284–1288 Vietnam 1227–1327 India 1293 Java Invasion of Middle East Battle of Köse Dag Battle of Baghdad (1258) Mongol invasions of Syria Mongol raids into Palestine Invasion of Europe Mongol conquest of Georgia and Armenia Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria Mongol invasion of Rus Mongol invasion of Poland Battle of Mohi		Emperors and rulers Genghis Khan Börte Tolui Khan Ögedei Khan Töregene Khatun Güyük Khan Oghul Qaimish Möngke Khan Kublai Khan The Yuan Khagans Prominent viceroys (khans) Jochi Batu Khan Orda Khan Berke Toqta Uzbeg Khan Chagatai Khan Duwa Kebek Hulegu Abagha Arghun Ghazan Prominent military generals Subutai Jebe Muqali Negudar Bo'orchu Guo Kan Borokhul Jelme Chilaun Khubilai Aju Bayan of the Baarin Kadan Burundai Nogai Khan		Titles Khagan Khan and Khatun Khanum Jinong Khong Tayiji Noyan Political and military terms Yam Pax Mongolica Yassa Kurultai Nerge Mangudai Tumen Kheshig

v • d • e Khagans of the Mongol Empire (1206-1370)
Genghis Khan (1206–1227) · Tolui Khan (regent) (1227–1229) · Ögedei Khan (1229–1241) · Töregene Khatun (regent) (1241–1245) · Güyük Khan (1246–1248) · Oghul Qaimish (regent) (1248-1251) · Möngke Khan (1251–1259) · Kublai Khan (1260–1294)
The Kublaid Great Khans
Oljei Temur Khagan (1294-1307) · Khayisan Khulug (1308-1311) · Buyantu Ayurbarwada (1311-1320) · Gegeen Khagan Shidebala(1321-1323) · Yesün Temür Khagan (1323-1328) · Ragibagh Khan (1328) · Jayaatu Khagan Tugh-Temur (1328;1329-1332) · Khutughtu Khagan Quselan (1329) · Rinchinbal (1332) · Ukhaantu Khan Toghan-Temur (1333-1370)

[edit] See also:

• Mongolian nobility