Mukhali of the Ca'at Jalair was one of the top generals of Chinggis Khan, and one of the greatest generals in military history. Born around 1170, after the defeat of the Jurkin tribes in the 1190s by the rising warlord Temujin, Mukhali was given as a slave by his father to the Mongol leader. Mukhali's ability and loyalty quickly made him stand out among Temujin's followers, and he partook in the campaigns leading up to Temujin's unification of the Mongols in 1206. Along with Bo'orchu, Boroqul and Cila'un, Mukhali was one of the "Four Steeds," of the Great Khan, ( while Jebe, Subutai, Jelme and Qubilai (no relation to the later Kublai Khan) were Chinggis' Four Dogs of War). In the 1206 Kurultai and declaration of the Mongol Empire, Mukhali was handsomely reworded, made Myriach of the Left Wing and granted immunity to up to nine breaches of the law.
Mukhali was a major figure in the initial Mongol invasions of the Jin Empire beginning in 1211, often being given autonomy to take his forces vast distances from the main army. In 1217, as Chinggis' attention began to be drawn west with the Kara-Khitai and later the Khwarezmians, Mukhali was given his ultimate command: Viceroy of Mongol China, to take full control of the continued war effort against the Jin while Chinggis Khan was absent in Central Asia. From 1217 until 1223, Mukhali operated on his own with an army of Mongols, Onggud, Tangut, Khitans, Jurchens and Chinese against the Jin while his sovereign was a thousand kilometres away. The mutual and trust between Chinggis and his generals was clear, for Chinggis never doubted that Mukhali would try to declare independence or abandon his duty, which the rival empires of the period suffered routinely with their generals. Ultimately, it was only death itself which forced Mukhali from his post: the general died in early 1223 of illness, his final words lamenting his failure to take the Jin capital, Kaifeng, for Chinggis Khan.
To learn more about the campaigns of Mukhali in China from 1217-1223, check out my latest video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxdgFtng-g&lc=z22hir4bixjdfltjd04t1aokgkk5cljahvolcyslw22cbk0h00410