Battle of Kherlen

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Battle of Kherlen
DateSeptember 23, 1409
Location
Result Northern Yuan victory
Belligerents
Northern Yuan Ming dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Bunyashiri
Arughtai
Qiu Fu 
Strength
Unknown 20,000 cavalry

The Battle of Kherlen (Chinese: 臚朐河之戰) took place between the Northern Yuan and Ming dynasties that took place at the banks of Kherlen River (Kerulen) in the Mongolian Plateau on 23 September 1409.[1]

After Bunyashiri had been crowned with the regnal title of Öljei Temür Khan in 1403, the Yongle Emperor sent an envoy to congratulate him and demand his submission in 1409. Öljei Temür Khan detained the Ming envoy to say he was not willing to join the tributary relationship with the Ming dynasty.[2] The leader Arughtai beheaded another envoy of the Yongle Emperor in the same year and declared his allegiance to the Khagan. The Eastern Mongols had been routed to the Kerulen River by recent attacks of the Oyirad Mongols, thus the Yongle Emperor took the opportunity for a punitive expedition. He sent a force of 1,000 cavalry against the Eastern Mongols.[3]

Lured deep into the Mongolian steppe, the Ming army was completely routed. The elite Ming general Qiu Fu, with several other commanders, was killed by Arughtai west of Onohu.

In the aftermath of this battle, the Yongle Emperor would personally lead a punitive expedition against the Eastern Mongols, annihilating large proportions of their Mongol forces.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shih-Shan Henry Tsai-Perpetual Happiness: The Ming Emperor Yongle, p.167
  2. ^ Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis, eds. (1988). The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2.
  3. ^ Rossabi, Morris (1998). "The Ming and Inner Asia". In Twitchett, Dennis; Mote, Frederick W. (eds.). The Cambridge History of China, Volume 8: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 227–228. ISBN 978-0-521-24333-9.
  4. ^ Chan, Hok-lam (1988). "The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te reigns, 1399–1435". In Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis (eds.). The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2.