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Wang Baobao
Late Yuan general, nephew and adopted son of Chaghan Temur, who inherited his army, fought rival Yuan commanders and then held out against the Ming in the steppe until his death in 1375
At dusk on a hilltop, a large tent stands open with a table holding a map marked with small stones inside, a saddled horse tethered outside, and fire stands burning; campfires dot the river plain below, and one tiny sentry stands on the slope.
Also known as Koke Temur
- Roles
- Commanders
Wang Baobao, whose childhood name was Baobao, came from Shenqiu in present-day Henan; he was a nephew and adopted son of the Yuan general Chaghan Temur, and Emperor Shundi gave him the Mongol name Kokotemur. When Chaghan Temur was assassinated by the surrendered rebels Tian Feng and Wang Shicheng during the siege of Yidu in 1362, Wang took over his army, captured the city and executed the two men. He then fought Bolad Temur for control of the court, escorting the crown prince into Dadu in 1365 after Bolad was killed, and was made Prince of Henan, but his wars with Li Siqi and other commanders led the court to strip him of command. When Ming armies took Dadu in 1368 he fell back on Shanxi and Gansu; beaten by Xu Da at Shen'eryu in 1370, he withdrew to Karakorum and in 1372 defeated Xu Da in the steppe. He died at Qara Nayur in 1375. The History of Ming records Zhu Yuanzhang calling him a rare man.
Life and times
Dates Birth unknown–1375 CE