Duwa

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Duwa (also known as D'ua) (d. 1307) was khan of the Chagatai Khanate (1282-1307). He was the second son of Baraq.

In 1282 Kaidu appointed Duwa as head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate, in an effort to gain peace between himself and the sons of Baraq, who had ravaged Central Asia for much of the past ten years. This promotion ensured the loyalty of the Chaghadaids from that point to Kaidu's death. In 1285 Duwa destroyed a force in Uighuria loyal to Kublai Khan, led by the Chaghadaid Ajiki and Kublai's son Ayachi. He then laid siege to Kara Khoja (present Idikut shahri in Turpan) for six months with his brother Buzma by 120,000 troops. The Uyghur commander, idikut Khochkar, managed to have the siege lifted only by giving Duwa his daughter, and probably financial compensation as well. Duwa also may have given assistance to an unsuccessful revolt against Kublai's authority in Tibet. The following year, Kaidu and Duwa launched an expedition against Besh Baliq, defeated the Yuan forces there and captured the city. In 1288 Duwa was reported to have led a raid into Yuan territory.

Kaidu's attempts to spread his power within the Ilkhanate gave Duwa an excuse to invade that Mongol kingdom in early 1295. Supported by Kaidu's son Sarban, he invaded Khurasan and Mazandaran while the Ilkhanid commanders were involved in a succession struggle far to the west. For eight months he stayed in Mazandaran; when he left, he pillaged many cities on the way back. Duwa attempted to convince the Kartids of Herat to defect to his side, but they refused. He attempted to plunder the cities of Kusui, which he failed to do; and Fushang, which he succeeded at, killing many of the inhabitants. A similar attempt on Herat never happened, since Duwa feared he would fail; he soon after was recalled by Kaidu back to Central Asia, and the campaign ended.

Stiffening resistance by the Yuan commanders forced Kaidu and Duwa to pull back several times in 1297. In 1298, Duwa avenged these defeats when he attacked the Yuan garrisons during the winter. Most of the Yuan commanders were eating and drinking and therefore incapable of fighting; the Great Khan Chengzong's brother-in-law Körgüz, who had been more ready, was unable to defeat him by himself. Duwa tried to convince him to abandon the Great Khan's side, but was unsuccessful in doing so. Duwa then withdrew, only to be defeated in battle by the garrison troops in what is today known as Kebuduo. Duwa's brother-in-law was captured in the midst of the defeat. A prisoner exchange was agreed to, and his brother-in-law was returned, but Körgüz died before returning to the Great Khan. In 1298 or 1299 Duwa appointed his son Qutlugh Qocha as head of the Qara'unas, a Mongol group that controlled a large part of Khurasan.

In 1300 Yuan forces launched a large offensive against Kaidu. The latter called on Duwa for assistance, but the Chaghadaid refused, claiming his forces were exhausted. Surprised by the answer, Kaidu sent a command to him, but soon had to turn east to meet the Yuan. Still, Duwa and his men eventually came to help him, and during one battle in 1301 he himself was wounded and defeated. Shortly afterward, Kaidu died and the political situation changed. Duwa ignored Kaidu's choice of successor, Orus, and instead picked Kaidu's firstborn son Chapar to take his father's place. Chapar was enthroned in 1303, thanks to Duwa. Shortly afterward, Duwa sought to end conflict with Chengzong, and around 1304 a general peace among the Mongol states was declared, bringing an end to the conflict between China and Central Asia that had lasted for the better part of a half century. Soon after, he proposed a joint Mongol attack on India, but the campaign did not materialize. The settlement favored Duwa much more than Chapar, a fact which set a rift between the two. Duwa hoped to throw off the mastery of Kaidu's son; he therefore sought to improve relations with Chengzong. He had the advantage of being a legitimate heir to Chagatai's realm, while Chapar did not.

Chapar refused to attend a meeting that Duwa arranged to celebrate the peace, and in 1305 or 1306 fighting broke out between the troops of both sides, probably due to Duwa's attempts to take control of parts of Chapar's lands granted to him by Chengzong. The fighting lasted for a while but was inconclusive; while Chapar's brother Sarban gave up to the Ilkhan and abandoned the Oxus region, but the region around Samarkand continued to be infested with supporters of Kaidu's family. Duwa proposed a peace; Chapar, believing that it was sincere and accepted, withdrawing his brothers. Duwa's forces then struck, defeating Chapar's supporter Baba, plundering Talas and overcoming Chapar's brother Shah. On the eastern front Duwa convinced the Great Khanate border commander, Qaishan, to strike and defeat Chapar's brother Orus in June 1306.

Chapar then mobilized his own troops, but several of his commanders deserted him, and the Great Khan sent a large force to Duwa's assistance. Surrounded by this army, Chapar surrendered. The northeast part of Duwa's realm was ceded to the Great Khan, and Duwa afterwards received gifts from Chengzong, signifying the restored relations between the Chagatai Khanate and the Yuan dynasty for the first time since the mid-thirteenth century. Duwa at first gave Chapar a small domain and pension, but afterwards killed or captured many of his followers, and deposed Chapar in 1307 in place of his brother Yangichar, who had not fought Duwa previously. Part of Yangichar's realm was split off and given to Tügme, a grandson of Güyük Khan. That same year, Duwa died, to be succeeded by his son Könchek.

Duwa's actions went a long way toward freeing the Chagatai Khanate from its subservience to Kaidu and his sons, a situation that had lasted since 1271. Nevertheless, Kaidu's sons continued to pose problems for the Chaghadaid state. Duwa's successes in recreating the Central Asian state also proved to be transitory; less than forty years later, the eastern part of the khanate would split off, and in the 1360s the western khans would be reduced to puppets by Timur.