Yesugei

Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei (Traditional Mongolian: ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, Yesukhei baatar, ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as Genghis Khan. He was from the Borjigin family, and his name means "like nine", meaning he had the auspicious qualities of the number nine, a lucky number to the Mongols. Life Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the second son of Khabul Khan. Khabul was recognized as a khagan by the Jin Dynasty. Khabul Khan was, in turn, the great grandson of the Mongol chief Khaidu, the first to try to unite the Mongols. Yesügei's first and chief wife, Hoelun, a daughter of the Olkhunut forest people, was abducted by Yesügei with the help of his elder brother Negün Taishi and younger brother Daritai Otchigin, from her newlywed husband Chiledu of Merkits. Yesügei abducted Hoelun because of her beauty and indications of fertility. After the Khamag Mongol confederation khan Hotula died, the confederation had no elected king, but de facto Yesügei ruled the confederation. Yesügei had a bloodbrother, or anda, Toghrul Khan (later known as Wang Khan and Ong Khan). Yesügei helped Toghrul to defeat his uncle Gurkhan. After Yesügei's death, Toghrul initially helped Temüjin in arranging his marriage to Börte and uniting the tribes, but later defected to Genghis' anda and rival, Jamukha.