Buqa Chīngsāng: Protagonist of Qubilai Khan’s Unsuccessful Coup Attempt against the Hülegüid Dynasty

Abstract

The study examines the coup attempt orchestrated by Qubilai Khan (1260–94), who desired to re-establish the ‘Yeke Mongol Ulus’ and to unify the separated Mongol khanates under the authority of the Yuan Empire. The coup was mounted against the Ilkhan Arghun (1284–91), who was the ruler of the Mongols in Iran, who had been showing signs of separation from the central administration since the time of Aḥmad Tegüder (1282–84). The protagonist of the unsuccessful coup was Amīr Buqa, a loyal commander of the Great Khanate. The article investigates the process, historical background and the results of the attempt in the light of the contemporary sources and the modern studies.