Jöchi Khasar

Jöchi Khasar (or Qasar) was one of Genghis Khan's three full brothers. According to the "Jami' al-Tawarikh", his given name was Jöchi and he got the nickname Khasar after his distinguished bravery. He was also called Khabutu Khasar ("Khasar the Archer") because he was a skillful archer.

Khasar, as a child, when he was thrown out of the Borjigin tribe along with the rest of the family by Tarkhutai-kiriltukh, food was sparse and Bekter, his older brother stole food, and so Khasar and Temüjin killed him as he returned from a fresh hunt.

Being given the people and territories by the khan, Genghis Khan's full brothers Khasar, Khachiun and Temüge Odchigin formed the Left Wing of the Mongol Empire in the eastern edge of Greater Mongolia while Genghis Khan's three sons Jochi, Chaghatai and Ögedei made up the Right Wing in the western edge. The Right Wing saw a significant expansion to the west but the Left Wing did not have so much land to be conquered.

Unlike the Right Wing where properties were equally divided, Odchigin was favored over Khasar and Khachiun in the Left Wing. Khasar's ulus (people and secondarily, territory) was significantly smaller than Odchigin's. His original territory was located to the west of the Khingan Mountains and was surrounded by the Argun (Ergüne) and Khayilar Rivers, and the Külün Mountain. After the conquest of China, Khasarid princes had at least two additional territories in Shandong and Jiangxi respectively.

Descendants

The princely houses of Khasar, Khachiun and Odchigin tended to coordinate with the five powerful clans Jalayir, Khunggirad, Ikires, Uruud and Mangghud. They were usually led by princes from Odchigin's house. At Arigh Bukha's rebellion, the three princely houses supported Khubilai under leadership of Odchigin's grandson Ta'achar.

Among Khasarid princes, the third family head Yesüngge is probably the most famous. He was a son of Khasar and succeeded his brother Yegü. He is the hero of the Yesüngge Inscription (formerly known as the Genghis Stone). The princely house was succeeded by Yesüngge's son Esen Emügen and then Emügen's son Shigdür. Although Shigdür joined the rebellion against Khubilai led by Odchigin's great-great-grandson Nayan, the princely house survived without confusion. The sixth head Babusha was given the title of Qi Wang (齊王) by Khayishan Külüg Khan in 1307. It seems that Khasarid princes continued to hold the title even after the empire retreated from China. Khasar's descendants were effective in other parts of Mongol Empire. For example, we can say Togha Temür who was a last powerful claimant to the throne of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century. It is also claimed that one prince from House of Khasar killed in order to protect last Great khan Togan temur from Ming rebels around 1368.

It is unknown what happened to Khasarid princes from the late Yuan Dynasty to the middle 15th century because of the confusion caused by the Mongols' withdrawal from China. Mongolian chronicles compiled from the 17th century to the early 18th century contain some records on Khasar's descendants but they are considered mostly unhistorical by historians. In particular, "Altan Tobchi" by Mergen Gegen (not to be confused with Lubsandanjin's "Altan Tobchi") exaggerated the influence of Khasarid princes as the author himself descended from Khasar.

It is widely accepted that Khasar's descendant Bolunai was a historical figure since his existence is confirmed in contemporary Chinese sources of 1463, 1467 and 1470. Mongolian chronicles say that Bolunai's brother Ünebalad killed Muulikhai of the Ongliud, a descendant of Genghis's half brother Belgütei. Another famous story about Ünebalad tells that he proposed to Mandukhai Khatun, a widow of Manduulun Khan but that she chose the Genghisid infant Batu Möngke (Dayan Khan) over him.

Bolunai led the Khorchin Mongols. His descendants ruled the Khorchin, Jalayid, Dörbed and Ghorlus of the Jirim League, the Aru Khorchin of the Juu Uda League and the Dörben Keüked, Muu Mingghan and Urad of the Ulaanchab League in the Manchu Qing Empire's administration. Among them, Khorchin princes established matrimonial relationship with the imperial family of Aisin Gioro at the early stage of the Manchu rise to power, and held top-ranking princely titles ("hošoi cin wang") throughout the Qing Dynasty.

References

*Sugiyama Masaaki 杉山正明: "Mongoru teikoku no genzō" モンゴル帝国の原像, Mongoru teikoku to Daigen urusu モンゴル帝国と大元ウルス (The Mongol Empire and Dai-ön Ulus), pp.28-61, 2004.
*Sugiyama Masaaki 杉山正明: "Babusha no reiji yori" 八不沙の令旨より, Mongoru teikoku to Daigen urusu モンゴル帝国と大元ウルス (The Mongol Empire and Dai-ön Ulus), pp.187-240, 2004.
*Okada, Hidehiro 岡田英弘: "The Descendants of Jöchi Khasar in Altan Tobchi of Mergen Gegen" 墨爾根格根所撰『黄金史綱』中之拙赤合撒兒世系, Ya-chou tsu-p'u hsüeh-shu yen-t'ao-hui hui-i chi-lu 亞洲族譜學術研討會會議記錄, No.6, pp.45-57, 1993.
*Чулууны Далай - Монголын түүх 1260 - 1388. Хуудас 142.