Chagatai | Central Asian, Turco-Mongol, Conqueror | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Also spelled:

Tsagadai, Jagatai, or Chaghatai

Chagatai (died 1241) was the second son of Genghis Khan who, at his father’s death, received Kashgaria (now the southern part of Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China) and most of Transoxania between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya (ancient Oxus and Jaxartes rivers, respectively) as his vassal kingdom. His capital was at Almarikh near present-day Kuldja (Yining), in western Xinjiang. Chagatai appears to have been a just and energetic ruler for about 14 years. Although it is recorded that he left numerous children, he was succeeded by a grandson, Kara Hülegü.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.