Ligdan Khan

Khutugtu Khan, born Ligden (Mongolian: Лигдэн; Chinese: 林丹), lived from 1588 to 1634. He was a Mongolian khan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1604 until his death in 1634. His reign was characterized by efforts to reunify the fragmented Mongol Empire and centralize political authority among the Mongol tribes.

Ligden was the son of Mangghus Mergen Taiji and the grandson of Buyan Sechen Khan, who ruled from 1593 to 1603. Following the early death of his father, Ligden succeeded his grandfather as khan in 1603, assuming the title Khutugtu. During the initial phase of his rule, Ligden commanded the loyalty of various Mongol tümens. He divided the Chakhar Mongols, his appanage, into right and left wings, establishing Chaghan city near the Abaga Khara Mountain.

Early in his reign, Ligden maintained alliances with princes of the Southern Khalkha (Baarin and Jarud) and engaged in military campaigns against the Ming dynasty. In 1612, Mongol leaders allied with the rising Manchu-led Later Jin dynasty, deteriorating relations with Ligden, especially after diplomatic exchanges in 1620 led to a break with Nurhaci, the ruler of the Later Jin. By the early 1620s, many Mongol tribes shifted allegiance to Nurhaci, weakening Ligden’s authority.

In efforts to strengthen his position, Ligden promoted Tibetan Buddhism, relocating the central religious practices to Chakhar and declaring himself a religious and political leader with the support of Tibetan religious authorities. He revived the old Saskyapa order, inviting its Sharba pandita as his preceptor in 1617, and established temples such as Küriye. In 1618, he signed a treaty with the Ming dynasty to defend against the Manchus, which included annual subsidies.

Throughout his reign, Ligden faced internal opposition and tribal revolts. In 1627, alliances among the tribes of Sunid, Uzemchin, and Abaga, along with others, challenged him militarily. Despite his military efforts, including attacking the Khorchin and Tümed tribes and demanding increased subsidies from the Ming, opposition continued to build. During this period, various Mongol tribes formed coalitions against him, culminating in a significant alliance of Khorchin, Tümed, Yungshiyebu, Ordos, and Abaga, which defeated Chahar militias in Hohhot.

Further conflicts with the emerging Qing dynasty intensified after 1632, when Hong Taiji and Mongol allies launched a campaign against Ligden. He evaded confrontation initially but eventually retreated across the Khinggan Range to Kokenuur. He became increasingly unpopular, notably after seizing the wife of Erinchin jinong and seeking refuge in the Eight White Yurts of Genghis Khan in Kokenuur. Ligden opposed the Dalai Lama V and the Banchin Erdene IV, aligning with Tibetan monarchs.

Ligden died in 1634 of smallpox while leading a campaign to Tibet against the dGe-lugs-pa sect. After his death, his son Ejei Khan was handed over to the Qing dynasty, which soon established control over Inner Mongolia.

His name, Ligden, is derived from a borrowed Tibetan term "legs-ldan" and has various transcriptions in Mongolian and Chinese sources. In Chinese, it is written as 林丹, with the Pinyin transcription being Líndān.

Ligden Khan's family included his consorts and children, notably his first son Ejei, who succeeded him as the Khagan of the Northern Yuan. His consorts included the Empress Dowager of the Yehe Nara clan, Sutai, his second consort of the Borjigin clan, Empress Dowager Erjei, and others such as Batmadzoo and Gortumen.