Jalayir (Mongolian: Жалайр) is one of the Darliqin Mongol tribes according to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's Jami' al-tawarikh. After the Mongol conquest in the 13th century many Jalayirs spread over Central Asia and the Middle East. Jalayirs are one of the founding tribes of Mongolia's largest ethnic group Khalkha. Smaller clans named Jalayir are also found among the Inner Mongolians in China. The Jalayirs who stayed in Central Asia under the rules of Genghis Khan's older sons' descendants eventually adopted Turkic language. They are found among the Kazakhs of the Great Juz; also they are found among the Uzbeks, Karakalpaks, and the Kirghiz. The Jalayirs who went to Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan found the Jalayirid Sultanate in 1330. The state was then taken over by the "Black sheep" Turks or Kara Koyunlu in 1432. Smaller numbers of powerful Jalayir families lived in Khorasan, Iran as well as in the Mughal Empire until the 19th century.
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The Jalayir might be the Chaladi who were recorded in Chinese sources of 910. According to the record, they colonized eastern Inner Mongolia. The Jalayirs fought the Borjigins and defeated them utterly. But Khaidu of the Borjigin conquered and dispersed them among Mongol tribes around 1060. The Jalayir is one of the three core tribes in Khamag Mongol confederation in 12th century. The Jalayirs such as Mukhulai helped Genghis Khan to found his Empire. During the Mongol invasion of Khorazm in 1219-1223, Muqali campaigned in North China as the first prince of the state (guo-wang) and a viceory. The Jalayirs served under Great Khans as steward, chief judge, imperial tutor and advisor. Genghis Khan also gave 1,000 men under Jalayir Moqe noyan to his son Chagatai Khan in Turkestan. And a body of the Jalayir settled in Golden Horde.
When Mongke Khan ordered Hulegu (Alau) to conquer Abbasid caliphate, Ayyubids in Syria and Mamluks in Egypt in 1252, the Jalayirs prepared strong military contingent. Their commander Kok-Elege participated sieges of Persian and Arabian fortresses from 1256–1261 and the battle against Berke's commander Nogai Khan in 1262.
Under Genghis Khan's successors, Muqali's descendants inherited his title and came to be one of the mainstays of Confucian influence in the Yuan Dynasty, or the Empire of Great Khan. The Jalayirs were close to Great Khans in China and Il-khans in Iran. In Il-khanate, Jalayir Buqa revolted against Tekuder Khan and installed Hulegu's grandson Arghun in 1284. But his coup was revealed and executed by his protege later. After the death of Qazan Khan (r. 1343-1346), Chagatai Khanate fell under the control of nomadic Turco-Mongol clans: the Jalayir in the north, the Arlat in the west, the Barlas in the centre, the Qaraunas and the Qa'uchin in the south-west and the Dughlats in the east. Meanwhile, Hasan Buzurg established Jalayirid Dynasty and tried to reunite Turco-Mongol states in the name of his puppet khans in Iraq and western Persia of which fell into political chaos after the death of Il-khan Arpa Ke'un in 1336. When Tamerlane ravaged the Jalayirid Dynasty of Ahmad (1383–1410), Central Asian Jalayirs were one of main clans in both Timurid Empire and Moghulistan. The Jalayirids in Persia were finally overthrown by Kara Koyunlu Turks in 1432. But the Jalayirs in Central Asia were active for two more centuries.
In 16th century, the Jalayirs played important role in Eastern and Central Mongolian politics. They were one of the 14 clans of Khalkha tumen and Dayan Khan's son Gersenj was written in Mongolian chronicles as the prince of Jalayir (Jalaid).
The Jalayirs were brought to Khorasan by Timur and numbered 400 families. They are the inhabitants of Kalat-i-nadiri. Until end of the 19th century, Kalat-i-nadiri had its own hereditary chief of Jalayir tribe who held the fortress as feudatories of Persia.[1] Under Nader Shah Afshar Jalayirs rose to power and held important official positions within government and military:
Hereditary rulers of Kalat-i-nadiri:
There were Jalayirs who served in Mughal Empire as officials.
They are part of the Khalkha people of Mongolia. Also, they are found at present as a clan and a banner in the Jirim and Ordos Leagues as well as Chahar of Inner Mongolia.
Today the Jalayir clans found among the Great Juz Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Karakalpaks, and Kirghiz.
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