Administration Ögedei Khan

portrait of Ögedei khan (the 14th century). recreation of yuan portrait in national palace museum in taipei.

Ögedei began bureaucratization of mongol administration. 3 cultures constituted administration:

the christian eastern turks, represented chinqai, uyghur scribe, , keraites.
the islamic cycle, represented 2 khorazmians, mahumud yalavach, , masud beg.
the north chinese confucian circle, represented yelu chucai, khitan, , nianhe zhong-shan, jurchen.

mahamud yalavach promoted system in government delegate tax collection tax farmers collect payments in silver. yelu chucai encouraged Ögedei institute traditional chinese system of government, taxation in hands of government agents , payment in government issued currency. muslim merchants, working capital supplied mongol aristocrats, loaned @ higher interest silver needed tax payments. @ same time mongols began circulating paper currency backed silver reserves.

Ögedei khan in traditional mongolian script

Ögedei abolished branch departments of state affairs , divided areas of mongol-ruled china ten routes according suggestion of yelü chucai. divided empire beshbalik , yanjing administration, while headquarters in karakorum directly dealt manchuria, mongolia , siberia. late in reign, amu darya administration established. turkestan administered mahamud yalavach, while yelu chucai administered north china 1229 1240. Ögedei appointed shigi khutugh chief judge in china. in iran, Ögedei appointed first chin-temur, kara-kitai, , korguz, uyghur proved honest administrator. later, of yelu chucai s duties transferred mahamud yalavach , taxes handed on abd-ur-rahman, promised double annual payments of silver. ortoq or partner merchants lent Ögedei s money @ exorbitant rates of interest peasants, though Ögedei banned considerably higher rates. despite proving profitable, many people fled homes avoid tax collectors , strong-arm gangs.

Ögedei had imperial princes tutored christian scribe qadaq , taoist priest li zhichang , built schools , academy. Ögedei khan decreed issue paper currency backed silk reserves , founded department responsible destroying old notes. yelu chucai protested Ögedei large-scale distribution of appanages in iran, western , north china, , khorazm lead disintegration of empire. Ögedei decreed mongol nobles appoint overseers in appanages, court appoint other officials , collect taxes.

the khagan proclaimed great yassa integral body of precedents, confirming continuing validity of father s commands , ordinances, while adding own. Ögedei codified rules of dress , conduct during kurultais. throughout empire, in 1234, created postroad stations (yam) permanent staff supply post riders needs. relay stations set every 25 miles , yam staff supplied remounts envoys , served specified rations. attached households exempt other taxes, had pay qubchuri tax supply goods. Ögedei ordered chagatai , batu control yams separately. khagan prohibited nobility issuing paizas (tablets gave bearer authority demand goods , services civilian populations) , jarliqs. Ögedei decreed within decimal units 1 out of every 100 sheep of well-off should levied poor of unit, , 1 sheep , 1 mare every herd should forwarded form herd imperial table.