Ariq Boke In The Mongol Empire

Ariq Boke normally can be viewed as a controversial figure in Mongol history. Often times he is portrayed negatively through the primary sources of his era, especially those of Rashid Al-Din. However, despite his controversial background, Ariq Boke was an important figure in the Mongol empire because he represented the conflicting internal conflicts of the Mongol imperium, as well as demonstrated the turbulence of the time. The war between Ariq Boke and his older brother Khubulai, is normally viewed as a struggle for succession, as well as the physical confrontation between nomadic and settled life. Thus, Ariq Boke’s life in the Mongol Empire, not only demonstrated the poor succession procedures because he held greater credibility as a candidate

First, in order to understand how Ariq Boke was a viable candidate for Mongol rule as well as how he fit into the broader category of Mongol life, it is first imperative to understand the broad concept of his story. Ariq Boke was the fourth and youngest son of Tolui and Sorghaghtani, and thus was a grandson of Chingis Khan (Rossabi, 1988, page 19). Although the year of his birth is unknown, historians have confirmed that he died shortly after his failed attempt at gaining the Mongol throne (Boyle, 1971, page 310). Furthermore, as a result of being the youngest son of Tolui, when Mongke left to conquer China, Ariq Boke was left in the Mongol homeland and placed in charge of the Mongol ulus (Boyle, 1971, page 224). Here, Ariq Boke became used to nomadic life, unlike his older brothers that were used to traveling and saw the benefits of settled life (Rossabi, 1988, page 47). Furthermore, during the time of Mongke’s death, Ariq Boke was in the heart of the Mongol homeland, and was essentially in control of not only the army that was left behind, but also was in charge of running the country while his eldest brother was away. Therefore, in June of 1260, after the death of Monke, Ariq Boke challenged the succession of Khubulai and he was