Biligtü Khan

Biligtü Khan Ayushridar
Emperor Zhaozong of Yuan

Khagan of the Mongols or Great Yuan

Emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty

Reign

23 May 1370 – between 28 April 1378 and 26 May 1378

Coronation

23 May 1370

Predecessor

Toghon Temür

Successor

Tögüs Temür

Born

23 January 1340

Died

between 28 April 1378 and 26 May 1378 (aged 38–39)
Karakorum

Consort

Empress Gwon

Full name
Mongolian: ᠠᠶᠣᠱᠷᠢᠳᠠᠷ Chinese: 愛猷識里答臘 Biligtü Khan Ayushiridara
Era dates
Xuanguang (宣光) 1371–1378
Posthumous name
unknow
Temple name
Zhaozong (昭宗)

Father

Mother

Full name
Mongolian: ᠠᠶᠣᠱᠷᠢᠳᠠᠷ Chinese: 愛猷識里答臘 Biligtü Khan Ayushiridara
Era dates
Xuanguang (宣光) 1371–1378
Posthumous name
unknow
Temple name
Zhaozong (昭宗)

Biligtü Khan or The Emperor Zhaozong of Yuan, born Ayushiridara (Билигт хаан Аюушридар) (temple name: 昭宗, Zhaozong; r. 1370–1378), was a ruler of the Northern Yuan dynasty based in Mongolia. Ascended to the throne after the death of his father who was the last Yuan emperor, he defeated the invading Ming army in 1372 and recaptured some Chinese borderlands that were previously lost to the newly founded Ming dynasty.

Ayushiridara was the eldest son of Toghun Temür Khan and Öljei Khutughu Khatun in 1338. He was given his earliest tuition in Chinese at the house of his father's minister, Toqto'a, at age ten. Toghun Temür's principal empress, Danashri, bore only one son who died in infancy. The Mongol noyans mostly preferred another Borjigin (Mongol noble) heir, rather than Ayushiridara, as his mother was a former palace maid and tea server of Korean nationality. Only after the purge of Danashri's family and the death of Bayan of the Merkid, were he and his mother accepted at the Mongolian court. Induced by his Korean empress, Öljei Khutughu, the Yuan Emperor Toghun Temür scheduled to elect his heir apparent in 1353. However, Toqto'a delayed the schedule for some unknown reason. This aroused the anger of the latter's political enemies. The chief minister and his former protégé, Hama of the Qangli, and Ayushiridara, with the support of his mother, the empress Öljei Khutughu, accused Toqto'a of corruption and violation of law while he was fighting the Red Turban Rebellion in 1354. This situation halted Toqto'a, who had been successful in defeating the rebellion, and he was stripped of his dignities and sent to Hoai-nan into exile.

Hama was made first minister and all power was then in his hands. Elated by this success, Hama decided to raise Ayushiridara to the throne. This plot was discovered, Hama was sentenced to exile and strangled by his enemies there in 1356, and Ayushiridara was pardoned. When he became crown prince in 1353, it caused internal strife between his supporters and opponents. Seven years later he and Öljei Khutughu wished the first minister, Tai ping, to convince the Khagan to resign and leave Ayushiridara dominion. When Tai ping refused, they poisoned the minister's partisans and forced him to resign. Power passed to a eunuch, Papuhwa, and to Cho sekin, two weak men. An opposition leader, Bolad-Temür, occupied the capital in 1364. Ayushiridara was ordered back by his father to Dadu. Feeling himself not powerful enough to resist Bolad-Temür's large army, Ayushiridara fled to the Yuan general, Köke Temür. When Bolad-Temür learned that Ayushiridara was advancing with troops, he arrested Öljei Khutughu and forced her to recall her son to the capital. However, Bolad-Temür's commanders deserted to Köke Temür. Toghun Temür secretly ordered Ho chang, son of the prince of Wei chun, to murder Bolad-Temür. After the latter's death, Köke Temür defeated Bolad-Temür's commander Tukiel in 1365. Ayushiridara forced Köke Temür to persuade the Emperor to resign in his favor. The Emperor was unwilling to abdicate, but he appointed his son lieutenant in the Yuan. Köke Temür tried to prevent it, but failed and was stripped of his dignities.

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Wikipedia