Esen Taiji

Esen Taiji (died 1455, Mongolia) was a Mongol chief who succeeded in temporarily reviving Mongol power in Central Asia by descending on China and capturing the Ming emperor Yingzong (reigning as Zhengtong, 1435–49). In 1439 Esen became the chief of the Oirat Mongols, living in the remote mountainous region in western Mongolia near Lake Baikal, from which had come some of Genghis Khan’s most ferocious warriors. Esen began to follow in Genghis’ footsteps, subjugating other...