Bolad

Bolad (Mongolian: , , , d. 1313), was a Mongol minister of the Yuan dynasty of China, and later served in the Ilkhanate as the representative of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and cultural adviser to the Ilkhans. He also provided valuable information to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani to write about the Mongols. Mongolists consider him a cultural bridge between East and West. He was ennobled by Emperor Renzong of Yuan as Duke of Ze (澤國公) in 1311 and Prince of Yongfeng (永豐郡王) in 1313, posthumously.

Background Bolad was born in the Dörben (or Dörbet) tribe and his father, Jurghi (Yurki), who was a ba'urchi, attached to the palace of Genghis Khan's wife Börte. Since his father's title was prestige of honor, and he was explicitly trusted by Genghis Khan, Jurghi commanded a personal thousand of the guards of the Khagan. In 1248, the prince Kublai ordered the Han scholar Zhang Dehui to tutor Dorji , his eldest son, and Bolad, who was probably a child of seven or eight years. So Bolad became fluent in Chinese in addition to his native Mongolian language.

In China Bolad held the nobility title of a noyan. After Kublai ascended to the throne in 1260, he served as ba’urchi, inheriting his father's title. In addition, he did oral and written translations for the state affairs as one of the intellectuals of the Mongols. Bolad led a military contingent in 1264 to suppress Chinese rebels in Shandong. In the latter capacity, he was instrumental in consolidation Mongol rule in Jiangnan during the Mongol conquest of Song.

Bolad was awarded the Duke of Ze by Ayurbarwada Khan of the Yuan on 6 July 1311. Bolad died on 26 April 1313 in Arran (modern Republic of Azerbaijan). He was posthumously created Prince of Yongfeng (永豐郡王) by Ayurbarwada. He had a son in Ilkhanate, named "Pir Hamid".