Jamuqa (could also be spelled
Jamuka,
Djamugha or
Yamuqa or similar) was a Mongol military and political leader and the chief rival to
Temüjin, later
Genghis Khan, in the unification of the
Mongol tribes. Born in the
Jadirat, a sub-tribe of the Mongols, Jamuqa was a childhood friend and a
blood brother to Temüjin.
When Borte, wife of Temüjin, was abducted by the Merkit tribe, Wang Khan, Jamuqa and Temüjin combined forces against the Merkits to recover her.
In 1201, a kurultai elected Jamuqa as Gur Khan, universal ruler, a title used by the rulers of the Kara-Khitan Khanate. Jamuqa's assumption of this title was the final breach between Temüjin and Jamuqa, leading Temüjin to form a coalition of tribes to oppose him.
Jamuqa was less successful in coalition-building because, unlike Temüjin, he maintained traditional divisions between tribes in his forces and assigned commands by hereditary rank rather than merit. In particular, Jamuqa did not recruit shepherds who lacked tribal status in the Mongol tradition. This allowed Temüjin to recover from a series of military defeats inflicted by Jamuqa and to emerge victorious.
