Yesugei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yesugei Baghatur (Yesügei, Yesükhei) was Genghis Khan's father. Yesügei was the son of Bartan-Baghatur, who was the son of Qabul Khan, who was recognized as a Khagan by the Jin Dynasty. Qabul Khagan was, in turn, the grandson of the Mongol chief Qaidu, the first to try to unite all of the Mongols.

Yesugei was chief of the Kiyad clan. He had four sons and one daughter by his chief wife, Hoelun: Temüjin (son, later known as Genghis Khan), Khasar (son), Khajiun (son), Temüge (son), and Temulin (daughter). He also had two sons by a lesser wife: Bekhter and Belgutei. When Temüjin was nine years old, Yesügei was poisoned by Tatars while sharing a meal on the way home from finding his son, (Genghis Khan/Temüjin), a wife.

Yesugei's wife was Hoelun (Oelun, Ho’elun, Oyelun), a daughter of the Olkhunut forest tribe. Hoelun had been abducted by Yesugei and his brothers from her newlywed husband of the Merkit tribe as she and her husband were traveling back to the Merkit camp. Yesugei then made Hoelun his chief wife, an honor since only one of his wives could bear his heirs.