The conqueror of the Naimans, Genghis Khan, who relied on an alliance with the Keraite king, whom he had saved from certain death, seemed now able to establish his authority over all the peoples of present-day Upper Mongolia. In reality, the hour of his final triumph was far away. Even the Mongol tribes themselves were not all inclined to accept the suzerainty of Yesugaev’s son and put forward an anti-Caesar against him, his enemy, the Jardaran chieftain Zhamukha.
Temujin’s former anda, who became his sworn enemy, Zhamukha, was an interesting personality. The chroniclers, as one person, point to the instability of his nature, a tendency to intrigue, treachery, as well as immense ambition, which suddenly gives way to bouts of self-abasement and remorse. As we have just seen, it was he who almost caused the rift between Genghis Khan and Wang Khan. Now that, despite his machinations, they had reconciled and the whole of Upper Mongolia was to stand under their united sceptre, he formed an intertribal alliance against them.
This coalition included all of the Conqueror’s former enemies: the Tatars from lower Kerulen, the Merkits from lower Selenga, the Taichiud from lower Onon, the forest Oirats from the western coast of Lake Baikal, as well as many minor tribes — the Khatagins, Saljiuts, Dorbens, Ikeres, Gorlos, even the Buir Ungirats (the tribe to which Temujin’s wife’s relatives belonged). At least some of the western Naimans also joined this league of discontented tribes. In addition to Zhamukha, it was led by the ancient enemies of Genghis Khan: Tokhtoa, the leader of the Naimans.; Targutai is a Kiriltukh and finally a Bully who has just tried to face off with Yesugaev’s son.
As can be seen from the above list, the coalition encompassed the whole of Mongolia, including Tatars from Eastern Mongolia, who inhabited the slopes of Khingan, and Oirats from the northern taiga, and Naimans from the Great Altai.
…The year was 1201. The tribes met near the source of the Olkhoi River, from where they went to the Arguni Valley. Where Kan merges with Argun,[31] the procedure of elevation to the royal dignity of Zhamukhi, who received the title of Gur Khan, took place. It was accompanied by ritual shamanic practices. The Confederate leaders sacrificed a stallion and a mare. Swearing allegiance to each other, they shouted in one voice:
«Whoever betrays the common cause, may he be cast down like this earth and cut down like these trees!»
After saying the words of the oath, the participants of the ceremony threw a clod of earth into the river and cut off branches from a nearby tree with sabers.
The Allies began preparations for an attack on Yesugaev’s son. However, the secret was not kept. A certain gorlos named Khoridai hastened to notify Genghis Khan, who at that time was in the vicinity of the sources of Kerulen, at the foot of the Burkhan-Khaldun massif.
Horidai flew on a «greyhound horse, like a bird.» Night had already fallen when he encountered a mixed encampment of Taichiud and his own tribesmen. Having changed horses at the last, he rode on and, almost falling into the hands of the confederates who were carrying a white tent for the new Gur Khan, arrived unharmed to Genghis Khan.
Temujin turned to Tooril for help. He answered without hesitation. The combined army of the «Khan the father» and his «son» entered the Kerulen valley. Temujin sent his cousins, Altan and Khuchar, as well as his uncle Daritai, ahead to reconnoiter. Wang Khan dispatched Jah’s brother Gamba and his closest assistant Bilge beki for the same purpose. The scouts’ route lay to the mountains of Chikhurkhu and Chekcher, as well as to Ko-ten, lying south of the confluence of Kerulen with Lake Kolen, more precisely, between the latter and Buir-nor.
The enemy army was moving up the Arguni Valley. It was led by the Taichiud chieftain Auchu-baatur, the Naiman chieftain Buirukh, the son of the Merkit chieftain Tokhtoa named Hutu, and the Oirat chieftain Hutuha. All of them were led by the anti-Caesar Zhamukha. When they came to the lake of the Knees and stood in front of the army of Genghis Khan and Wang Khan, night fell. It was decided to postpone the battle for another day.
When dawn broke, Buirukh and Hutukha-beks, who were shamans, began to bring bad weather, «howling and throwing stones into the water» to blind the enemy. But Tengri turned the snow and rain against the confederates themselves, and the people of Zhamukha fled under the blows of Genghis Khan. Many of their horses fell into the abyss. The survivors frostbitten their hands and feet.
The coalition collapsed. The Naimans went to the Great Altai, the Oirats to the Baikal forests, the Merkits to the lower Selenga, and the Taichiud to the lower reaches of the Onon. Zhamukha returned to Argun and, like a true steppe savage, remaining true to himself, attacked his own allies, who had just proclaimed him Gur Khan. This reckless act robbed him of the last like-minded people and put an end to his ephemeral kingdom.[32]