The life and times of Temur Oljeitu (Chengzong), the grandson of and successor to Khubilai Khan, the Mongol conqueror of China.
Temur Oljeitu was the grandson of Khubilai Khan and his successor, becoming in 1294 the second emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. He was born in 1265 as the son of Zhen Jin and Kokojin. Zhen Jin had been the son of Khubilai and his favourite wife Chabi and would have probably become emperor himself if he had not died, early, in 1285. Temur Oljeitu ruled until his death in 1307 and then was accorded the temple name of Chengzong or ‘Accomplished Ancestor.’
The period of Mongol rule of China was marked by the constant conflict between Chinese and Mongols. It seemed like every official position of any significance was fought over by factions on either side and this was, inevitably, bloody and inefficient. The court maintained two capital cities and what was in effect two entire governments. Officials back and forth between the different sides and were obliged to have all documents translated into not just Mongolian and Chinese but also Uighur and Persian. The number of translators, scribes and secretaries required for all of this work beggars belief. A fair amount of the work was pretty much wasted because the Mongols had, at the risk of stereotyping, next to no interest in the tedious minutiae of empire-running and instead wanted to spend their time riding, hunting and generally doing what they considered to be the manly virtues. The cost of paying for the hugely swollen bureaucracy fell, as usual, on the stoical and much-abused Chinese peasantry. They were taxed at increasingly high rates and this added to disaffection based on discrimination against Chinese in all public affairs. All of the hard work which provided tax revenue was then undermined by the constant printing of more and more money in the form of paper banknotes: this led to inflation and a breakdown in order. Folk tales and literature from this period often focus on the misery of living under corrupt or uncaring officials and the right that honest people (men, at least) have to rebel if it appears the Mandate of Heaven has been withdrawn.
The situation worsened considerably after Temur Oljeitu’s death when he was succeeded by the unschooled war hero Khaishan Khan, who abandoned all pretence at ruling by law and continued to live the life of a nomad chief. The only concession he made to being emperor seems to be that he spread official titles like confetti, making actors, butchers and anyone else who took his fancy ‘duke’ or some other invented title. Chaos followed.
