# Jamukha elected Gur Khan; Battle of the Thirteen Sides (1201)

URL: https://allhistories.com/mongolia/timeline/1201-jamukha-elected-gur-khan-battle-of-the-thirteen-sides
Location: Ergune valley, Mongolia-China border
Themes: ruler-change

In 1201 leaders of thirteen tribes hostile to Temüjin elected Jamukha Gur Khan at a kurultai. The title had previously been used by the Kara-Khitan rulers. In the fall of 1201 the coalition fought Temüjin in the Battle of the Thirteen Sides in the Ergune valley. Temüjin won. The coalition was an attempt by the older tribal elites to check a rising war leader. Jamukha's own men betrayed and captured him after the defeat, and Temüjin had the betrayers executed. Jamukha then chose to die at the hands of his anda 'without spilling blood'. The article does not date his execution. The victory made Temüjin the leading figure among the Mongol tribes and cleared the way for the destruction of the Tatars in 1202. It also set a pattern of Temüjin punishing those who betrayed their own lords, even when the betrayal had benefited him, a policy that later helped to win him the loyalty of the tribes. At this point in the timeline (1201), Temüjin (1189 – 1206) led the Mongols as khan of the Khamag Mongol (the date of his election, commonly given as 1189, is uncertain) before being proclaimed Genghis Khan in 1206; Toghrul, Khan of the Kereit (c. 1175 – c. 1203), ruled a rival steppe power in Central Mongolia; Tayang Khan, Khan of the Naiman (c. 1198 – c. 1204), ruled a rival steppe power in Western Mongolia; Jamukha, Gur Khan (1201 – 1206), ruled a rival steppe power in Central Mongolia. Reign dates for this ruler are disputed between sources.

## Why it matters
The coalition's defeat left Temüjin without a serious Mongol rival and established his reputation for justice to loyalty.

Ruler at the Time: [Temüjin (Khan of the Khamag Mongol)](https://allhistories.com/mongolia/rulers/temujin-khan-of-the-khamag-mongol)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Jamukha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamukha)
- [Wikipedia — Genghis Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan)