Mongolian Military Commanders Leading Campaigns against Koryŏ in 1218–1260: A Reconstruction of Biographies Based on Historical Sources

In this article, for the first time in Russian Oriental studies, a comprehensive reconstruction of biographies of Mongol military commanders who led campaigns against the state of Koryŏ in 1218–1260 is undertaken. Noting that the general chronology of the military campaigns of this period has been covered in considerable detail in world historiography, the author aims to fill the gap concerning the identities of these commanders, their origins, and their place within the military hierarchy. The source base of the study comprises Korean and Chiŏnese chronicles and historical works: Koryŏsa, Koryŏsa chŏryo, Tongguk pyŏnggam, Yuán shǐ, Yuán shǐ shìzú biǎo, Wén Tíngshì’s Yuán Gāolí jìshì, Kē Shàomín’s Xīn Yuán shǐ, and Huáng yuánshèng wǔ qīnzhēng lù, as well as The Secret History of the Mongols and works of Rashīd al-Dīn and Juvaynī. As a result of a comparative analysis of the source texts and their collation with existing historiographical literature in Russian, English, Korean, and Chinese, the biographies of ten military commanders, who successively or simultaneously led incursions onto the Korean Peninsula, have been reconstructed with varying degrees of reliability: Qachi’un, Saritai, Púlǐ Dàiwán, Tege-Qorči (Díjù), Tangut, Amuqan, Yěgū, Čelodai, Fuboda, and Yesuder. All of them held high command positions, ranging from leaders of embassies and major military campaigns to commanders of thousand-strong units who participated in negotiations. Among other findings, their heterogeneous ethnic composition was revealed: among them were representatives of the Genghisid lineage, the Jürchen nobility, and individuals from various Mongol tribes. The collected information can fill the lacuna regarding the individuals who determined the course of Koryŏ history in the 13th century and make a new contribution to the study of the early stage of Mongol-Koryŏ relations.