# Yesugei > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yesugei > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yesugei.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesugei > Source revision: 1357054835 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Father of Genghis Khan (c. 1134–1171) Yesugei Bagatur ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠭᠡᠢ ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ De facto ruler of Khamag Mongol Reign c. 1160 – 1171 Predecessor Hotula Khan Successor Genghis Khan Born c. 1134 Mongolian Plateau Died c. 1171 (aged 36–37) Mongolian Plateau Spouse Hö'elün Sochigel Issue Genghis Khan Qasar Hachiun Temüge Belgutei Behter Father Bartan Bagatur Mother Aicigel Religion Tengrism **Yesugei**[a] or **Yesükhei Baghatur**[b] (c. 1134–1171) was a major chief of the [Khamag Mongol](/source/Khamag_Mongol) confederation and the father of Temüjin, who later became known as [Genghis Khan](/source/Genghis_Khan). Yesügei was from the [Borjigin](/source/Borjigin) family, and his name means "like nine", meaning he had the auspicious qualities of the number nine, a lucky number to the [Mongols](/source/Mongols). ## Life Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the second son of [Khabul Khan](/source/Khabul_Khan). Khabul was recognized as a [khagan](/source/Khagan) by the [Jin Dynasty](/source/Jin_Dynasty_(1115-1234)). Khabul Khan was, in turn, the great-grandson of the Mongol chief [Khaidu](/source/Khaidu_Khan), the first to try to unite the Mongols. Yesügei abducted his chief wife, [Hö'elün](/source/H%C3%B6'el%C3%BCn), a daughter of the [Olkhunut](/source/Olkhunut) forest people, with the help of his elder brother Negün Taishi and younger brother Daritai Otchigin, from her newlywed husband Chiledu of [Merkits](/source/Merkit).[1] Yesügei [abducted](/source/Bride_kidnapping) Hoelun because of her beauty and indications of fertility.[2] After the Khamag Mongol confederation khan [Hotula](/source/Hotula_Khan) died, the confederation had no elected king, but *de facto* Yesügei ruled the confederation. Yesügei had a bloodbrother, or *[anda](/source/Anda_(Mongol))*, [Toghrul Khan](/source/Toghrul) (later known as Wang Khan and Ong Khan). Yesügei helped Toghrul to defeat his uncle Gurkhan. After Yesügei's death, Toghrul initially helped Temüjin in arranging his marriage to [Börte](/source/B%C3%B6rte) and uniting the tribes but later defected to Genghis' *anda* and rival, [Jamukha](/source/Jamukha). In 1171 Yesügei died when his son Temüjin was nine years old. *[The Secret History of the Mongols](/source/Secret_History_of_the_Mongols)* records that Yesügei left Temüjin at the home of Dai Setsen, a noble man of the [Khongirad](/source/Khongirad) tribe, after Yesügei and Dai Setsen had agreed that their children, Temüjin and Börte, would marry. When Yesügei was on his way home, he noticed an encampment where some Tatars were having a wedding feast.[3] Yesügei wanted to join the celebration, but he knew he could not reveal his identity, since he was known among the Tatars as the person who killed their relative (called Temüjin Uge) in a battle eight years earlier. The Secret History of the Mongols records that Temüjin was named after Temüjin Uge in commemoration of this victory.[4] Yesügei tried his luck, but the Tatars recognized him and poisoned his food. Although ill, Yesügei managed to escape back to his family's camp.[4] Yesügei died three days later at home.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Legacy During the reign of the [Yuan dynasty](/source/Yuan_dynasty), he was given the temple name of Liezu ([Chinese](/source/Chinese_language): 烈祖; lit. 'Ardent Founder') and the posthumous name Shenyuan Huangdi ([Chinese](/source/Chinese_language): 神元皇帝; lit. 'Supernaturally Prime Emperor').[5] ## Family See also: [Family tree of Genghis Khan](/source/Family_tree_of_Genghis_Khan) Yesügei and [Hoelun](/source/Hoelun) had four sons [Temüjin](/source/Tem%C3%BCjin), (later known as Genghis Khan), [Hasar](/source/Hasar), [Hachiun](/source/Hachiun), [Temüge](/source/Tem%C3%BCge) and a daughter, [Temülen](/source/Tem%C3%BClen). Yesugei had two sons by his second wife [Sochigel](/source/Sochigel): [Behter](/source/Behter) and [Belgutei](/source/Belgutei). The *[Secret History of the Mongols](/source/Secret_History_of_the_Mongols)* records that in his youth Temüjin killed his brother Behter in a fight for food. His other half-brother, Belgutei, however was a good friend, and later became a general under Genghis. Hoelun Yesugei Börte Temujin (Genghis Khan) Qasar Hachiun Temüge Belgutei Behter Jochi Chagatai Ögedei Tolui ## See also - [Bride kidnapping](/source/Bride_kidnapping) - [Yesu](/source/Yesu_(disambiguation)) – several people of that name - [Yesü Möngke](/source/Yes%C3%BC_M%C3%B6ngke) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Chinese](/source/Traditional_Chinese_characters): 也速該; [pinyin](/source/Pinyin): *Yěsùgāi* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Mongolian](/source/Mongolian_language): ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠭᠡᠢ ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ, [cyrillized](/source/Mongolian_Cyrillic_alphabet): Есүхэй баатар, pronounced [\[jesykʰei̯ b̥aɢatʰur\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Mongolian) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Waley, Arthur (13 May 2013). [*The Secret History of the Mongols: And Other Pieces*](https://books.google.com/books?id=WIz5vdjhAvUC). Routledge. pp. 222–225. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-136-74824-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-136-74824-0). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Broadbridge, Anne F. (18 July 2018). [*Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire*](https://books.google.com/books?id=RHOFDwAAQBAJ). Cambridge University Press. p. 45. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-108-63662-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-108-63662-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_5-0)** Cleaves, Francis Woodman (1982). [*The Secret History of the Mongols: Translation*](https://books.google.com/books?id=qnc_AQAAIAAJ). Harvard-Yenching Institute. p. 17. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-674-79670-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-79670-6). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) Weatherford, Jack (2005). *Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World*. [Crown Publishing Group](/source/Crown_Publishing_Group). p. 18. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Atwood, Christopher P. (2012). ["Six Pre-Chinggisid Genealogies in the Mongol Empire"](https://www.academia.edu/4633601). *Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi* (19): 5–58. ## External links - Media related to [Yesugei](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Yesugei) at Wikimedia Commons --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Yesugei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesugei) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesugei?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.