Franco-Mongol allianceSeveral attempts at a Franco-Mongol alliance against the Islamic caliphates, their common enemy, were made by various leaders among the Frankish Crusaders and the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Such an alliance might have seemed an obvious choice: the Mongols were already sympathetic to Christianity, given the presence of many influential Nestorian Christians in the Mongol court.
Bayan (khan)Bayan (or Buyan; Naiyan) (Баян хан) (r. 1302–1309) was one of the most famous khans of White Horde. "Bayan" means "rich" and "buyan" means "good deed/act" (as in religion or belief) in the Mongolian language. When Bayan became the khan, his cousin and relatives revolted against him. The latter, under his cousin Kobluk, were supported by Khaidu and Duwa. Bayan fought his rebel cousin, Koblek, and Kaidu's forces several times. He asked help from Tokhta, ruler of the Golden Horde and the Blue Horde.
ManghudThe Manghud, or Manghit (Мангуд, Mangud), (Mangʻit) were a Turkic tribe who traced their origins back to the Mongol tribe of the Mangkits. They established the Nogai Horde in the 14th century and the Manghit dynasty to rule the Emirate of Bukhara in 1785. They took the Islamic title of Emir instead of the title of Khan, since they were not descendants of Genghis Khan and rather based their legitimacy as rulers on Islam. The clan name was used for Mongol vanguards as well.
ÖljaitüÖljaitü (Öljaitü Qaghan, اولجایتو), also known as Mohammad-e Khodabande (محمد خدابنده, khodābande from Persian meaning the "slave of God" or "servant of God"; 24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name means "blessed" in the Mongolian language. He was the son of the Ilkhan ruler Arghun, brother and successor of Mahmud Ghazan (5th successor of Genghis Khan), and great-grandson of the Ilkhanate founder Hulagu.
KhongiradThe Khongirad (Mongolian: ᠬᠣᠩᠭᠢᠷᠠᠳ; Хонгирад; Khonghirad; ), also known as Qongirat (Qoñğyrat/Қоңғырат), was one of the major divisions of the Mongol tribes. Variations on the name include Onggirat, Ongirat, Qongrat, Khungirat, Kungrad,Central Asia: Foundations of Change, by R. D. McChesney, pub Darwin Press, 1996, p202. Qunghrãt, Wangjila (王紀剌), Yongjilie (雍吉烈), Qungrat, and Guangjila (廣吉剌) in Chinese sources.
Kublai KhanKublai (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, although after the division of the empire this was a nominal position. He proclaimed the dynastic name "Great Yuan" in 1271, and ruled Yuan China until his death in 1294. Kublai was the second son of Tolui by his chief wife Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan.
GaykhatuGaykhatu (Mongolian script:; Гайхат) was the fifth Ilkhanate ruler in Iran. He reigned from 1291 to 1295. His Buddhist baghshi gave him the Tibetan name Rinchindorj (རིན་ཆེན་རྡོ་རྗེ) which appeared on his paper money. He was born to Abaqa and Martai khatun (daughter of Chigu Noyan of Khongirad and Tümelün bekhi, sister of Musa) in c.1259. He was living in Jazira during Tekuder's reign and had to flee to Arghun in Khorasan after Qonqurtai's execution in 1284.
GhazanMahmud Ghazan (5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) (غازان خان, Ghazan Khan, sometimes archaically spelled as Casanus by the Westerners) was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of Arghun, grandson of Abaqa Khan and great-grandson of Hulagu Khan, continuing a long line of rulers who were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
Yuan dynastyThe Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian: , Yeke Yuwan Ulus, literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai (Emperor Shizu or Setsen Khan), the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from the Borjigin clan, and lasted from 1271 to 1368. In Chinese history, the Yuan dynasty followed the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty.
BorjiginA 'Borjigin' is a member of the Mongol sub-clan that started with Bodonchar Munkhag of the Kiyat clan. Yesugei's descendants were thus said to be Kiyat-Borjigin. The senior Borjigids provided ruling princes for Mongolia and Inner Mongolia until the 20th century. The clan formed the ruling class among the Mongols and some other peoples of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Today, the Borjigid are found in most of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, and additionally genetic research has shown that descent from Genghis Khan and Timur is common throughout Central Asia and other regions.
