Qara Del

Kara Del
c. 1389–1513
Location of Kara Del
Capital		Hami
Languages		Mongolian, Old Uyghur language
Government		Monarchy
Khan		Gunashiri
Historical era		Post-classical
•	Gunashiri breaks away from Northern Yuan dynasty	c. 1389
•	Kara Del accepts Ming supremacy	1404
•	Conquered by Esen of the Northern Yuan dynasty based in Mongolia proper	1430s
•	Coup staged by pro-Mongol faction	1463
•	Ming restores Gunashiri dynasty	1467
•	Mansur Khan from the Chagatai Khanate overthrew the Gunashiri dynasty and the region's conversion to Islam	1513
Preceded by Succeeded by Chagatai Khanate Northern Yuan dynasty Moghulistan
Today part of		China

Kara Del or Qara Del was a Mongol kingdom that existed in Hami in present-day Xinjiang. It was founded by the Yuan prince Gunashiri, a descendant of Chagatai Khan, in the late 14th century (c.1389), and ruled by the Chagatayids thereafter until 1463. It was destroyed as a result of the wars between Ming China and Oirat Mongols and dynastic succession struggles in 1513. Kara Del means "Black chest" in the Mongolian language.

After the demise of the Northern Yuan emperor Tögüs Temür, Kublai Khan's (r. 1260-1294) descendant, the throne of Mongolia passed into the hands of Jorightu Khan Yesüder, an Arib-Bokid prince, in 1388. With the anarchy after the Mongol Emperor's death, Chagatai Khan's descendant, Gunashiri, who followed the Yuan court's retreat into Mongolia, attempted to break away from the new Khan's rule. By 1390, Gunashiri, himself Buddhist, successfully established himself in Hami where the Uighurs lived.

Buddhism survived in Uyghurstan (Turfan and Qocho). during the Ming dynasty.

The Kara Del accepted the Ming supremacy to save its existence in 1404, and came under Ming control as Hami Prefecture. The Kara Del ruler Enke-temur was granted the title Zhongshunwang (meaning the obedient prince) by the Ming court. However, they were threatened by Mongolian Emperors, particularly during the reign of Yesüder, from the north. The Oirats from Western Mongolia pressured into the kingdom from 15th century on. Their leader and Yuan taishi, Esen, (future Emperor of the Mongols) forced the Kara Del khan to submit in 1430s. The kingdom was one of two Chagatyid realms conquered by Esen, other one being Moghulistan (c. 1432). He extensively supported the rivalry between successor of Gunashiri and intervened in their dynastic struggles. The Ming Dynasty was trying to place their puppet on the throne to secure their claim at the time.