Early career

He was the first son of Darmabala and Dagi of the influential Khunggirad clan, and the full brother of Ayurbarwada. He was sent to Mongolia to assume an army that defended the western front of the Yuan against Kaidu, de facto ruler of the Chagatai Khanate, and other princes in Central Asia under him. In 1289, Khayishan's force was nearly routed and the Kipchak commander, Tutugh, rescued him from capture by Kaidu's army. In 1301 he clashed with Kaidu, who died from a battle wound. In recognition of the great success, Külüg Khan was given the title of Prince Huaining (懷寧王) in 1304.

When Chapar attacked Duwa, Temür helped the latter and sent an army under Khayishan. In 1306 Khayishan forced Melig Temür, a son of Ariq Böke, who was aligned himself with Kaidu to accept a surrender in the Altai Mountains and pushed Kaidu's successor Chapar westward. For these military achievements he gained a high reputation among Mongol princes and non-Mongol corps. Since his uncle Temür Khan did not have a male heir, he was considered a major candidate for the emperor.

Enthronement

In 1307 when Temür Khan died, he returned eastward to Karakorum and watched the situation. Temür's widow Bulugan of the Bayaud tribe had kept away the Khunggirad-mothered brothers of Khayishan and Ayurbarwada and attempted to set up Ananda, a Muslim cousin of Temür, who was the prince of An-hsi. Her alliance was supported by some senior officials of the Secretariat under Aqutai. They made Bulugan regent and intended to put Ananda on the throne. Ananda was a popular prince who successfully protected the province of the Yuan against the Ögedeid and Chaghatayid armies and had a bulk of the imperial army under him in An-hsi. But he lacked of military power in the imperial capital city and was a Muslim opposed to the majority of the Yuan Mongols.

The Darkhan Harghasun, Tura, a great-great grandson of Chagatai Khan, and Yakhutu, a descendant of Tolui, fought for the candidacy of Darmabala's sons against them. The pro-Darmabala faction arrested Ananda and Bulghan by coup and recalled Ayurbarwada and Dagi from Henan. Then, Khayishan decided to hold the coronation ceremony in Shangdu just as his great-grandfather Kublai Khan did, and advanced southward with thirty thousand soldiers from Mongolia. He was welcomed by Ayurbarwada, who gave up emperorship, and ascended to the throne. He had executed Ananda and Bulughan before succession. Ariq Böke's son, Melig-Temür, was also executed because of his support for Ananda.

Khayishan's enthronement at Shangdu on June 21, 1307 was performed properly at a kurultai. After that he made his younger brother Ayurbarwada the heir apparent and they promised that their descendants would succeed each other on relay.

Reign

Soon after Khayishan's accession the Classic of Filial Piety (Xiao Jing), one of the works attributed to Confucius, having been translated into the Mongolian language, was distributed in the empire. He granted the princes and officials who attended his ceremony lavish gifts in accordance with amounts set by the previous khan. Huge amounts, moreover, were spent on the construction of Buddhist temples at Dadu and Shangdu. Fresh honors were decreed to the memory of the old sage, and the characters Ta ching were added to his titles.

His administration was founded on the unstable balance between Khayishan, his younger brother Ayurbarwada and their mother Dagi of the Khunggirad clan. Khayishan appointed Ayurbarwada as Crown Prince on the condition that he would pass the status to Khayishan's son after succession. He generously gave bonus to imperial princes and Mongol aristocrats, and enjoyed popularity among them. Khayishan Külüg Khan freely gave away noble and official titles and filled the government with supernumeraries. Having little regard for the unwritten law of Kublai Khan that only sons of Khagans could be made princes of the first rank, he granted the Genghisids and the non-Borjigins many princely titles. Meanwhile, he was plagued by financial difficulties which was caused by free-spending policies and longstanding military spending. So he brought back the Department of State Affairs (Shangshu Sheng) for financial affairs in parallel with the Central Secretariat (Zhongshu Sheng) for administrative affairs. He changed branch offices of Zhongshu Sheng to those of Shangshu Sheng to strengthen monopoly in salt and other goods. He issued new bills (Jiaochao) called Zhida-yinchao (至大銀鈔) to replace Zhiyuan-chao (至元鈔). His anti-inflation plans did not achieve adequate results in his short reign, and dissatisfied Han Chinese officers and commoners. He attempted to push through a new nonconvertible silver currency but was defeated by public resistance.

Although, he first shared with Ayurbarwada the tutorship of the Confucian scholar Li Meng, he apparently was little affected by Confucian culture. He transferred Harghasun to Mongolia as the grand councillor of the left wing of Branch secretariat of Lin-pei despite his great contribution. Khayishan heavily relied on his retainers and commanders he had brought from Mongolia. He gave key posts to them and favored non-Mongol corps including the Kipchak, the Asud (Alans) and the Qanglï. In contrast, he did not reward abundantly the Khunggirad faction who had carried out a coup against Bulughan. Because Tula said something suspicious in rage, Khayishan suspected that he had a further object, and had him tried and put to death.

Khayishan greatly favored Buddhism, so that he ordered the Tibetan Lama Chogdi Osor to translate the sacred books of Buddha. When the Buddhist monks made mistakes except in cases affecting the Yuan dynasty, he refused to punish them. A law was passed that whoever struck a Lama should lose his tongue, but Ayurbarwada repealed it as entirely contrary to precedent. However, Khayishan was the first Khagan to tax the lands held by the Buddhist monks and the followers of Taoism, hitherto exempt.

In order to reduce the cost of supporting the Yuan bureaucracy, he issued an order in 1307 to dismiss the supernumeraries and to bring total number of officials in line with the quota that had been set by his uncle Temür Khan. The order produced no practical results; the number of bureau's chief officials jumped from 6 in Kublai's reign to 32. He also had the building of court officials and a new palace city built at Dadu and Zhongdu (the ruins of Zhongdu in Zhangbei County can be seen until today).

In 1308 the Goryeo king Chungnyeol of Korea died, and Khayishan sent a patent for his successor Chungseon. That year Chapar and other princes of the Khanate of Ögedei came to Khayishan with their submission, permanently ending the threat against the Chagatai Khanate and the Yuan dynasty by Khaidu's sons. During his reign, the Yuan completed the subjugation of Sakhalin, forcing its Ainu people to accept their supremacy in 1308.

The paper became so depreciated in value that in 1309 there was a fresh issue, made to replace that which was the discredited paper, but this also sank rapidly in value, and at length the Emperor, Khaissan, determined upon a recurrence to the ancient money, and accordingly, in 1310, there were struck two kinds of copper coins, having Mongol characters upon them. Some with the inscription, precious money of the Zhida period; and others with this legend, precious money of the Great Yuan. These copper coins were of three sizes: 1 of the value of one li; 2 of the value of ten li; and 3 of coins worth several of those of the dynasties Tang and Song dynasties. Khayishan's court encountered financial difficulties. For example, the total government expenditure for the year 1307 was 10 million ting of paper notes and 3 million dan of grains. By 1310, 10,603,100 ting had been borrowed from the reserves for current expenditures.

Tula's son Kokechu conspired against the Emperor with the high court officials and Buddhist monks in 1310; but their plans were discovered, the monks were duly executed, and Kokechu was exiled to Korea. Arslan, the governor of Dadu and commander of the kheshig, shared same fate with the conspirators. He was executed with several of his companions.

During Khayishan's reign, all Branch Secretariats were renamed Branch Departments of State Affairs. The new major department of state affairs came under Toghta, the grand councillor of the left, Sanpanu and Yueh shi, managers of the government affairs, and Paopa, the assistant administrator of the right.

The selling price of salt licences issued under the state monopoly was raised by 35 percent over the price in 1307. A grain tax surcharge of 2 percent was imposed on the wealthy families of Chiang-nan. The merits of tax collectors were evaluated on the basis of the percentage increase in the taxes they collected the tax quota at the end of Temür's reign. To fight against inflation, Khayishan's administration established granaries in localities and drastically increased the quota for the maritime shipment of grain from Yangtze valley, reaching 2.9 million shih in 1310. Khayishan reduced the number of chief officials in the Secreatariat, the Censorate, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Bureau of Transmission as well as supernumeraries in various offices.

Death

After a reign of less than 4 years, Khayishan suddenly died on January 27, 1311. Immediately after his death and Ayurbarwada's succession in 1311, the unsatisfactory Khunggirad faction came together under his mother Dagi and purged pro-Khayishan officials. It also broke Ayurbarwada's promise to appoint Khayishan's son as Crown Prince. His court drove Khayishan's sons Kuśala and Tugh Temür out of the central government. Pro-Khayishan generals cherished grievances until they managed to set up Tugh Temür in 1328 after overthrowing another of Khayishan's relatives, Ragibagh.

Family

Parents

• Darmabala, posthumously Shunzong (順宗 答剌麻八剌; 1264 – 1292)

• Dagi (答己; 1266 – 1 November 1322)

Wives, concubines, and children

• Empress Xuancihuisheng (宣慈惠圣皇后; d. 1327), personal name Zhenge (真哥)

• Empress Sugeshili (速哥失里皇后), cousin of Zhenge

• Concubine Yiqilie (亦乞烈妃子), posthumously Empress Renxianzhangsheng (仁献章圣皇后)

　• Khutughtu, Emperor Mingzong (明宗 忽都篤; 22 December 1300 – 29 August 1329)

• Concubine Tangwu (唐兀妃子, of the Tanguts), posthumously Empress Wenxianzhaosheng (文献昭圣皇后)

　• Jayaatu, Emperor Wenzong (文宗 札牙笃; 16 February 1304 – 2 September 1332)

生平

武宗為真金次子答剌麻八剌之次子，嫡長子，1299年，海山接受元成宗的命令統兵漠北，負責同西北窩闊台汗國的君主海都和察合台汗國君主篤哇作戰，多立戰功，為元朝結束和西北宗王的戰爭，以及1303年四大汗國全部承認元朝宗主地位做出了重要貢獻。因為戰功被封為懷寧王。

大德十一年正月初八（1307年2月10日），元成宗鐵穆耳病逝，儲位虛懸。成宗的卜魯罕皇后下命垂簾聽政，命安西王阿難答輔政。海山回大都奔喪，其弟愛育黎拔力八達與右丞相哈剌哈孫合謀發動政變，囚禁卜魯罕皇后和安西王阿難答，宣布擁立在外擁有重兵的海山為帝，是為元武宗，海山即位後追封其父答剌麻八剌為元順宗。

大德十一年五月二十一日（1307年6月21日），武宗在上都大安閣即位，之後處死伯牙吾·卜魯罕皇后和阿難答，並更換了成宗時期的大臣，封其弟愛育黎拔力八達為皇太弟。在位只得四年，其間大興土木，建築中都城，派軍士千餘人及大量民工修建五台山華佛寺，又令喇嘛翻譯佛經，並曾想規定凡毆打西僧者截其手，罵西僧者斷其舌，但在其弟愛育黎拔力八達勸告下取消。

大德十一年七月十九日（1307年8月17日），元武宗下詔加封「至聖文宣王」孔子為「大成至聖文宣王」。

至大元年（1308年）五月，白蓮教被禁止。

至大元年（1308年），元武宗派遣月魯出使欽察汗國，冊封欽察汗脫脫為寧肅王。

至大二年（1309年），元朝和察合台汗國聯手滅亡窩闊台汗國，元朝取得窩闊台汗國北部，察合台汗國取得窩闊台汗國南部。

至大二年（1309年）九月，武宗為擺脫財政危機，印發至大銀鈔，導致至元鈔大為貶值。元廷將銀鈔從二釐到二兩分為十三等，並在各路、府、州、縣設常平倉平抑物價，又將中書省宣敕、用人的權力劃歸尚書省。

至大四年正月初八日（1311年1月27日），因沉耽淫樂、酗酒過度，武宗病逝於大都玉德殿，年僅三十歲，葬於起輦谷。

至大四年三月十八日（1311年4月7日），其弟愛育黎拔力八達（元仁宗）以皇太弟身份即位，廢除一切新政。

至大四年六月二十四日（1311年7月10日），元仁宗為海山上謚號仁惠宣孝皇帝，廟號武宗，蒙古語稱號曲律皇帝。

尊號

至大二年正月初七日（1309年2月17日），皇太子、諸王、百官為元武宗上尊號統天繼聖欽文英武大章孝皇帝。

《皇帝尊號玉冊文》，內容如下：

武宗實錄

至大四年五月初五日（1311年5月23日），元仁宗命翰林國史院纂修先帝（元武宗）實錄及累朝皇后、功臣列傳，俾百司悉上事跡。

皇慶元年十月二十六日（1312年11月25日），翰林學士承旨玉連赤不花等向元仁宗進呈《順宗實錄》、《成宗實錄》、《武宗實錄》。其中，《武宗實錄》包括《武宗皇帝實錄》50卷，《事目》7卷，《制詔錄》3卷，總計60卷。明朝初年史官修《元史》，參照實錄修成《武宗本紀》2卷，《武宗實錄》今已失傳，其主幹內容保存在《武宗本紀》中。

玉連赤不花等《進三朝實錄表》，內容如下：

武備廢弛

由于日本拒絕向元朝稱臣，元朝下令增加日貨稅收，日本不滿，後來雖然減少關稅，但仍然對日商檢查甚嚴。

至大元年（1308年）日本商船焚掠慶元，官軍不能敵。

至大四年（1311年）十月，以江浙省嘗言：「兩浙沿海瀕江隘口，地接諸番，海寇出沒，兼收附江南之後，三十餘年，承平日久，將驕卒情，帥領不得其人，軍馬安量不當，乞斟酌衝要去處，遷調鎮遏。「樞密院官議：「慶元與日本相接，且為倭商焚毀，宜如所請，其餘遷調軍馬，事關機務，別議行之。」。

家庭

父母

• 答剌麻八剌，1286年真金太子去世後元世祖本打算立為皇太子，但因病1292年去世，1307年元武宗追尊為皇帝，為答剌麻八剌上廟號順宗，漢文諡號昭聖衍孝皇帝。

• 答己王妃，1307年元武宗登基後尊為皇太后，1311年元仁宗登基後繼續尊為皇太后，1320年元英宗登基後尊為太皇太后，1322年病逝，1323年元英宗上謚號昭獻元聖皇后

兄弟姐妹

• 魏王阿木哥，郭妃所生，1307年元武宗即位，封為魏王，賜獸紐金印。1311年元仁宗賜鈔二萬錠，1312年，賜慶元路定海縣六萬五千戶為食邑。不久因為獲罪貶謫到高麗耽羅島，後來貶謫到高麗大青島，後來因涉嫌謀反被貶謫到山西大同。1324年，元泰定帝將阿木哥召回京師，1324年六月去世。長子阿魯，1330年被元文宗封為西靖王，出鎮陝西；次子孛羅帖木兒，1324年襲封魏王，1353年在河南因為疏于防範被紅巾軍所殺。

• 三弟：元仁宗愛育黎拔力八達，生母答己王妃，1311年即位稱帝，1320年去世

• 魯國公主 祥哥剌吉（約1283-1331年），生母答己王妃，下嫁碉阿不拉，1307年元武宗即位，封魯國大長公主，1311年元仁宗即位，進號皇姐大長公主。熱衷書畫收藏，有「皇姊圖書」印，中國曆史上第一位女收藏家。

妻妾

• 真哥皇后，1327年元泰定帝追謚宣慈惠聖皇后

• 速哥失里皇后，元世祖察必皇后之父按陳的從孫哈兒只之女，是真哥皇后的從妹

• 亦乞烈妃子，1329年元明宗追謚仁獻章聖皇后

• 唐兀妃子，1329年元文宗追謚文獻昭聖皇后

兒子

• 元明宗和世㻋，生母是亦乞烈妃子

• 元文宗圖帖睦爾，生母是唐兀妃子

相關史料

• 《大元聖政國朝典章》，簡稱《元典章》，元英宗在位後期（1322年—1323年）官修政書，收錄1234年—1322年元朝各地地方官吏會抄的有關政治、經濟、軍事、法律等方面的聖旨條畫、律令格例以及司法部門所判案例的匯編，分為前集和新集，史實多為《元史》所不載。

• 《大元通制》，1323年元英宗頒布的元朝第二部法律，現存殘本收錄1234年—1316年元朝官方頒布的關于法律方面的聖旨條畫、律令格例以及司法部門所判案例的匯編，史實多為《元史》所不載。

• 《至正條格》，1346年元惠宗頒布的元朝第三部法律，現存殘本收錄1260年—1344年元朝官方頒布的關于法律方面的聖旨條畫、律令格例以及司法部門所判案例的匯編，史實多為《元史》所不載。

• 《元史·武宗本紀》 ，明朝官修正史

• 《新元史·武宗本紀》 ，民國官修正史

• 《續資治通鑑》 ，清朝史學家畢沅撰寫。

• 《元史類編》，清朝史學家邵遠平撰寫。

• 《元史新編》，清朝史學家魏源撰寫。

• 《元書》，清朝史學家曾廉撰寫。

• 《蒙兀兒史記》，清末民初史學家屠寄撰寫。

評價

• 明朝官修正史《元史》宋濂等的評價是：「武宗當富有之大業，慨然欲創治改法而有為，故其封爵太盛，而遙授之官眾，錫賚太隆，而泛賞之恩溥，至元、大德之政，于是稍有變更雲。」

• 清朝史學家邵遠平《元史類編》的評價是：「冊曰：北藩入嗣，三宮協和；慨然創治，爵濫賞阿；貳省亂政，令教繁訛；有為何裨，變政已多。」

• 清朝史學家畢沅《續資治通鑑》的評價是：「帝承世祖、成宗承平之業，慨然欲創製改法；而封爵太盛，多遙授之官，錫賚太優，泛賞無節。至元、大德之政，于是乎變。」

• 清朝史學家魏源《元史新編》的評價是：「武宗始以懷寧王總兵漠北和林，與叛王海都勁敵對壘，屢摧其鋒，中間幾瀕險危，披堅陷陣，威震遐荒，可謂天潢之傑出，天授之雄武矣。入紹大統，謂有宏圖，而始終誤聽宵人，以立尚書省為營利之府，何哉？夫世祖立制，以天下大政歸于中書省，任相任賢，責無旁貸。故小人慾變法，忌中書不便于己，則必別立尚書省以奪其權。阿合馬、桑哥之徒相繼亂政，毒流海內，是以世祖深戒前轍，不複再蹈。乃當席豐履厚之餘，慨然欲變更至元、大德之舊。封爵太盛，而遙授之官多；錫賚太侈，而濫賞之卮漏。母后市恩左右，撓其恭儉，于是言利之臣迎合攘袂，以爭利權。雖柄操自上，不至如阿合馬、桑哥之甚，而仁心仁聞漸蔽于功利，幾同于宋之熙、豐。故仁宗紹統，翻然誅殛，盡複舊章。蓋變法不得其人，則不如勿薬之尚得中醫也。又攷陶九儀《元氏掖庭記》，則瓊島水嬉之華，月殿霓裳之豔，亦自帝大濫其觴，而《本紀》諱之，不載一字，亦英雄酒色之通病歟！惟授受之際，堅守金匱傳弟之盟，雖有內侍李邦寧，慫恿離間，帝言：『朕志已定，汝自往東宮言之。』斯則磊落光明，勝宋太宗萬萬。綜計始末，固不失為一代之英主焉。」

• 清朝史學家曾廉《元書》的評價是：「論曰：武宗擐甲臨邊，至登大位，宜有雄武之風，而頹然晏安，惟鞠蘗薌澤之為樂，元業自是衰矣。遂至鼎鼐充庭，名器之賤如履。而欲後人惜其敝褲，得乎？易日負且乘致寇至，武宗啟之矣。」

• 民國史學家屠寄《蒙兀兒史記》的評價是：「海山汗濫賞淫威，非恭儉之主也。明知尚書省貳政病民，排眾議而立之。更鈔鑄錢，將以理財，而財政愈紊，前史稱其慨然欲有所為，然郊天、祀孔、親享太廟，諸虛文外，無足紀者。惟終身遠鐵木迭兒，雖以母后之命，不使得預朝政。由後校之，殆有所先見矣。若乃三宮協和，始終不受讒慝。其自處骨肉之間，蓋亦有道焉爾。」

• 民國官修正史《新元史》柯劭忞的評價是：「武宗舍其子而立仁宗。與宋宣公舍與夷而立穆公無以異。公羊子曰：朱之亂，宣公為之。然則英宗之弒，文宗之篡奪，亦帝為之歟！《春秋》貴讓而不貴爭，公羊子之言過矣。帝享國日淺，濫恩幸賞無一善之可書。獨傳位仁宗，不愧孝友。其流祚于子孫宜哉。」

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