Dayan Khan - Emperor and Mandukhai The Wise

Emperor and Mandukhai The Wise

As a direct descendant of Kublai Khan (r.1260-1294), Mandukhai had him ascend to the throne at the Royal shrine kept by the Chakhar and he became known by the title "Dayan Khan" (meaning the "Great Khan of the Great Yuan", from 大元可汗), although one of the editors of chronicle in the 17th century mis-interpreted the meaning of Dayan of Dayan Khan as "whole" instead of the "Great Yuan"). When he was aged nineteen, she married him, and retained great influence over court and military. They reunified the Mongol retainers of the former eastern region of the Mongol Empire. The Oirats were defeated by the military skill of Mandukhai and control reclaimed over the Eastern Mongols. Batumongke and his queen Mandukhai led Mongol armies in 1483 against Ismayil Taishi who fled after the imperial victory over him to Hami where he was killed by other Muslims and the Turco-Mongols. Dayan Khan's mother Shiker was brought back and given the title taikhu (empress dowager). However, she did not live long enough after that. The imperial power was supported by Unubold (Naybolad), the descendant of Hasar who was the brother of Genghis Khan, and the tribes ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan's brothers were allied. Most of the Four Oirats remained in Mongolia surrendered and provided troops. Only Khoosai of the Tumed rejected to accept Dayan Khan's supremacy but he was then defeated.

The most important achievement of the couple was their defeat of the war-like Oirats who had previously revolted against the rule of the Borjigin Emperors since the 14th century. By 1495, Batumongke won the Three Guards (Doyin Uriankhai, Ujiyed and Fuyu guard), tributaries of the Ming Dynasty, and had them incorporated into his Six tumens.