Yagichar

Yagichar (Янгичар, ? – 1309) was a Mongol Ögedei Khanate khan. The name Yagichar means "young person," "man," or "new person" in Mongolian. He was a great-grandson of Ögedei Khan and a son of Kaidu Khan.

Life

He was a fourth-generation descendant of Genghis Khan, a great-grandson of Ögedei Khan, and a son of Kaidu Khan, ruler of the Ögedei Khanate. Chapar and Kutlugh were his brothers. In August 1301, after his father Kaidu Khan was wounded in battle against the Yuan dynasty and died that year or the following year, Yagichar sided with Oros, whom his father Kaidu Khan had named as successor. When Oros was defeated, he fled to Duwa of the Chagatai Khanate.

In 1306, after suffering a series of defeats fighting against Chapar Khan, he was abandoned by his army and nobles. In 1307, Duwa convened a Kurultai and elected Yagichar as the new khan of the Ögedei Khanate. However, real power lay with Duwa of the Chagatai Khanate. Furthermore, Duwa divided part of the Ögedei Khanate and handed it over to Tukme, and Chapar was able to rule only part of the ulus.

Yagichar remained loyal to Duwa until Duwa's death in 1308. Afterwards, he sided with Taliqu, who sought to seize power in the Chagatai Khanate. However, when he came into conflict with another contender for the Chagatai throne, Yagichar cooperated with Chapar and Tukme and fought against the Chagatai Khanate. In 1309, he was defeated in a decisive battle near Almaliq and Yagichar was killed in action.