30 Facts About Kaidu

Kaidu was a grandson of the Mongol khagan Ogedei and thus leader of the House of Ogedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate, a division of the Mongol Empire.

Kaidu ruled parts of modern-day Xinjiang and Central Asia during the 13th century, and actively opposed his uncle, Kublai, who established the Yuan dynasty.

Medieval chroniclers often mistranslated Kadan as Kaidu, mistakenly placing Kaidu at the Battle of Legnica.

Kaidu's mother was Sebkine Khatun from the Bekrin tribe of mountaineers, who were "neither Mongols, nor Uighurs".

At any rate, excluded from Kublai's partition of the Mongol territories among the princes, Kaidu would enter into protracted conflict with Kublai and his Ilkhanid allies.

Kaidu needed to free up his army for a potential conflict with Kublai.

Kaidu did, and peace was declared at a kurultai, although sources disagree on the time and location.

Kaidu defeated the challenge and Negubei fled, only to be murdered by a cousin, Buqa Temur, in 1272.

Kaidu now rewarded Buqa Temur by making him khan of the Ulus of Chagatai.

Greater stability ensued only after Kaidu appointed Baraq's able and cooperative son Duwa the new khan of the Ulus of Chagatai in 1282.

In 1268, Kaidu had been defeated by the forces of the great khan Kublai in the area of Almaliq, and was forced to regroup in the west, round Talas.

Nevertheless, prioritizing his troubles in the west, Kaidu refused to support the rebel princes.

Kaidu benefited from the princes' revolt against Kublai, as it left him free to deal with opposition from within the Ulus of Chaghatai.

However, by now Kaidu was stronger than before, and he and his underlings raided across Kublai's line of stations from 1280.

From his newly gained lands, Kaidu could threaten areas within Kublai's area of control, like Qumul and Tibet.

Undaunted, Kaidu exploited Kublai's preoccupation in Manchuria to raid into northwestern Mongolia proper in 1288, defeating Kublai's grandson Kammala and capturing the old capital Karakorum in 1289.

Kaidu's retreat was quickly followed by reverses at the hands of Kublai's commanders, especially Bayan and Tuq Tuqa.

Tuq Tuqa's successes are credited with discouraging Kaidu from trying to take advantage of Kublai's death in 1294.

The attack came in 1300, with Qayishan defeating Kaidu and advancing west of the Altai Mountains.

The final battle of the conflict was effectively a draw: both Qayshan and Kaidu had to retreat to their power bases after it.

Kaidu had weathered the storm, for the time being; but his forces were badly battered, he himself had been wounded, and he died shortly afterwards, late in 1301.

Sometimes considered to have aimed at nothing less than the position of great khan, Kaidu seems to have been concerned with reestablishing the Ulus of Ogedei and asserting its control over that of Chagatai.

Kaidu had asserted his domination over the Ulus of Chagatai by force, and only found significant cooperation, which lasted for two decades, once he installed Duwa as khan in 1282.

The Jochid rulers of Qipchaq, the so-called Golden Horde, Berke and Mongke Temur, were instrumental in Kaidu's rise to power.

Kaidu had perhaps intended for his youngest son by his chief wife Dorbejin, Orus, to succeed him as ruler of the Ulus of Ogedei.

Kaidu's heirs were divided and marginalized, Yangichar and Chapar both submitting to Qayishan, now Kulug Khan in 1310.

Kaidu was the posthumous son of Qashi, the fifth son of Ogedei Khan.

Kaidu is often portrayed in historical fiction or dramatic works.

Kaidu was an antagonist in The Journeyer, a novel by Gary Jennings published in 1984.

The character of Kaidu was portrayed by Rick Yune in the Netflix original series, Marco Polo.