Shigi Qutuqu

Shigi Qutuqu (c. 1178–1260) was a high-ranking official during the first decades of the Mongol Empire. The adopted son of the empire's founder Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) and his wife Börte, Shigi Qutuqu played an important role in the codification of Mongol law, serving with distinction as an administrator in North China. He may also have been the author of the Secret History of the Mongols, which alters and augments his position in early Mongol society.

Although the Secret History states that Shigi Qutuqu was adopted by Hoelun, Temüjin's mother, chronological difficulties rule this account out. The foundling was brought up in Temüjin's household and was one of the first Mongols to become literate. The Secret History exaggerates his role during the 1206 kurultai, but Shigi Qutuqu was nevertheless appointed to several high-ranking legal positions; he served in this capacity during the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty. He was however the commander during the only Mongol defeat of the western campaign against Khwarazmia, being defeated by Jalal al-Din at the Battle of Parwan.

During the reign of his adopted brother Ögedei Khan, Shigi Qutuqu continued his career as an official. He executed a census of North China in 1235–6 which allowed the Mongol administration to overhaul its fiscal policies soon after. While some found his decrees and judgements oppressive and biased, other sources praise his qualities of honesty and judicial integrity. Having survived the reigns of Güyük and Möngke, Shigi Qutuqu died at the age of 81 during the Toluid Civil War.