Story 60. The Jin Emperor's assassination attempt, surprised by the fame of "Kabul Khan"

Story 60. The Jin Emperor's assassination attempt, surprised by the fame of "Kabul Khan"

 Going back to the story of Kabul Khan, he was a powerful ruler of the Mongol tribes. Because of this, he was also a threat to the Jin Dynasty, which was established in 1115 to oppose the Liao Dynasty just before the era of Kabul Khan.

At this time, the Jin Dynasty's great founder(太祖), Kagori Da (阿骨打, Agolta), had already passed away, and his younger brother, "Kogori Gai (吳乞買, Wu Jie Mei)," had taken over as the second emperor. It had only been 10 to 20 years since the Jin Dynasty was established.

 Just before Kabul Khan's reign, the Jin Dynasty(金) had already captured Emperor Tianzuo(天祚帝), the last emperor of the Liao Dynasty(遙) of the Khitan, who had Empress Wen Fei(文妃) of Balhae(渤海), and exiled him to Hamgyeong Province in our country (korean Peninsula).

Yelu Dashi(耶律大石), who was believed to be the next emperor of Emperor Tianzuo       (天祚帝) and the 9th generation descendant of Yelu Abaoji(耶律阿保機), was also exiled to Central Asia in the west.

As a result, Yelu Dashi(耶律大石) established the "Kara Khitai", or "Western Liao(西遼)", which would eventually fall to Genghis Khan, the great-grandson of Kabul Khan, three generations later, in what is now southwestern Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

                              museo d'artecinese ed etnografico/google

The Jin Dynasty, which had become so powerful, not only destroyed the Liao Dynasty(遙), which had divided the Chinese Central Plains(天下) into three for 230 years, but also attacked the Southern Song Dynasty(南宋), which had already fled south during the Khitans(契丹, 거란), and captured the two emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty         (南宋)and confined them in Hamgyeong Province in korean penisular.

At this time, the Jin Dynasty(金) had already taken over half of China's "world(天下)" and was bordering the Southern Song Dynasty, which was in the process of further southward expansion.

                         museo d'artecinese ed etnografico/google

Although the Jin Dynasty had grown into such a powerful country, the person whom even its emperor, "Altan Khan(金汗)", feared was none other than Genghis Khan's great-grandfather, Kabul Khan, or "Koguryeo Khan."

 <Tarikh-e Monghul, 集史 History of Mongolia> reports the ruling power and prestige of this Kabul Khan(金汗), which is not included in the <Secret History of the Mongols>. The Jin emperor, who felt threatened by the fame and power of “Kabul Khan,” invited him and welcomed him, and then attempted to kill him at the recommendation of his ministers.

 『His fame was very high among the Mongol tribes, and he was the leader and monarch of the tribes and followers under his command. Their fame reached Altan Khan and his emirs/amirs in the Kitai region, and he was considered an important person in his eyes.

 So Altan Khan sent an envoy to invite him to open the way for peace between the two sides. When Kabul Khan went there, Altan Khan received him courteously and treated him to a sumptuous feast with many sweet drinks.

 However, the Kitai people were notorious for being good at deception and plotting, and were notorious for secretly killing powerful enemies by trickery or adding poison. Because of this, Kabol Khan ∙∙∙∙ would go out during the banquet under the pretext of resting ∙∙∙ and under the pretext of cooling off because the weather was hot ∙∙∙∙ and dive into the water and vomit everything out, and then return to Altan Khan and eat as much food and drink as before.

The Kitai people said that even after eating so much food and drink, he did not get full, get drunk, or vomit.

One day, he got very drunk and went to Altan Khan, clapping his hands and stamping his feet, and grabbed his beard, making the Khan feel embarrassed.

 When the emirs/amirs and the guards saw him acting so fearlessly while drunk, they wanted to kill Kabol Khan for insulting Altan Khan.However, the patient and wise monarch Altan Khan, who knew that Kabol Khan had many tribes and followers, considered his actions as a joke and a joke,

and treated him respectfully and sent him back, giving him gold, jewels, and clothes as big as his height.

However, the amirs advised Altan Khan that 'it is not a good policy to send him back and pretend that his actions did not happen'.

Accordingly, Altan Khan sent messengers to bring Kabol Khan back to the palace.

While Kabol Khan was away, the messengers who reached his place ordered him to return to the Jin court through Kabol Khan's khatuns.

 However, Kabol Khan heard this news and went to the house of his brother-in-law Saljiutai to discuss the matter.

Saljiutai advised him that Altan Khan's order to return to the Jin court was a plot by Altan Khan to kill him, and that he should not return to the Jin court.

When he accepted this advice and returned home, Altan Khan's messenger arrived.

Then Kabol Khan joined forces with his daughter-in-law Matai of the Korras tribe and her servants to kill the Jin envoys and save his own life. His sons were also very brave and bold.』

 Episode. “Altan Khan (金汗)” who tried to kill “Kabul Khan” is the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Taizong Gogorigai (吳乞買, Wu Jie Mei), also known as Goguryeo (高句麗哥/加)

 Then, when did Kabul Khan live, and who exactly was the “Altan Khan (金汗)” who attempted to assassinate him?

To conclude, Kabul Khan was active during the reign of the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Taizong (太宗) Gogorigai (吳乞買, Wu Jie Mei reigned from 1123 to 1135). Therefore, the “Altan Khan” who attempted to assassinate Kabul Khan was also Gogorigai (吳乞買).

 In relation to this fact, Erich Haenisch, a pioneering German scholar of <the Secret History of the Mongols> and Mongolian history in the last century, revealed the identity of Altan Khan who invited Kabul Khan to the Jin court in his German edition of <Die Geheime Geschichte der Mongolen (Secret History of the Mongols)> published in 1948.

Haenisch said that Altan Khan was none other than Emperor Taizong(太宗) Gogorigai (吳乞買, Wu Jiemei), the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty(金) who reigned from 1123 to 1135, and that the year of Kabul Khan's invitation was 1135.

 Haenish also believes that when the Jin dynasty destroyed the Khitan(契丹,거란) in 1125, its remnant, Yelü Dashi(耶律大石), fled to the vicinity of Burkhan Province in the Mongolian in 1132 and established Karakhitai in Western Liao(西遼).      At that time, when the Jin dynasty(金) attacked Yelü Dashi(耶律大石) of the Khitan(契丹, 거란) who were located to the west, Kabul Khan, who was on the way, successfully defended against the Jin dynasty's invasion.

 Dr. Kwon, the author of <Goguryeo People-Balhae People, Genghis Khan>, believes that Haenish's viewpoint is correct.

 This was because the period around 1132, when the Jin dynasty attacked Yelü Dashi(耶律大石) of Western Liao(西遼), was clearly between September 1123 and 1135, during the reign of Emperor Taizong(太宗) of Jin(金), Gogorigai (吳乞買, Wu Jiemei).

 There is a book in the Eastern History that confirms this fact. <Mongdalbirok (夢韃備錄)> is as follows.

 『In the past, there was the Mongolian state (夢古斯國), during the false (僞, Wei) Cheonhui (天會) period of the Jin people (金人) [that is, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Jin (吳乞買) between September 1123 and 1135]

 They once harassed the Jin barbarians (金㢚, Jinlu, or ‘Jin barbarians’ from the perspective of the Song people) and became a source of worry. That is why the Jinlu (金㢚) once fought a war with them. However, they eventually reconciled by giving them a lot of gold and silk.』

 Here, it was exactly the “Cheonhui (天會)” period that says, “The Jinlu (金㢚) once fought a war with them, but eventually reconciled by giving them gold and silk.” This era name was the era name of Emperor Taizong of Jin, Kogolida (阿骨打, Agolta), the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wu Qiguo (吳乞買), whose Korean name was Wan Yansheng (完顔晟).

Therefore, the story that “Kabul Khan” met “Altan Khan (金汗)”, the “Khan of Jin”, was welcomed, and returned with a large amount of gold, silver, and silk as big as his head, was the story of when “Kabul Khan” received an invitation from Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wu Qiguo (吳乞買), and the conclusion was that “Altan Khan” at that time was none other than Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wu Qiguo (吳乞買).

 Immediately after saying, “We gave gold and silk and made peace,” “Altan Khan” Gogogari (吳乞買) changed his mind and attempted to kill the Khan of the Mongolian tribe, Kabul Khan, who would be the cause of trouble in the future. However, Kabul Khan, who heard this message, killed “Altan Khan”’s messenger instead.

 As a side note, Jo Gong (朝珙) of Southern Song (南宋) went to “Great Mongolia (大蒙古國)” as an envoy in 1221, 6 years before the great Genghis Khan returned to heaven (Tenger), and met Genghis Khan (成吉思皇帝) in person. He then wrote down what he saw and heard, and wrote the <Mongdalbirok (蒙韃備錄)> as a policy proposal and report to prepare for a possible Mongol invasion.        This historical book accurately tells us about the era of Kabul Khan and who “Altan Khan” was who attempted to assassinate him.