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Chagatai Khan (Mongolian: Цагадай, Tsagadai) was the second son of Genghis Khan. He inherited most of what are now the five Central Asian states and Northern Iran after the death of his father and ruled until his death in 1241. He was also appointed by Genghis Khan to oversee the execution of the Yassa, the written code of law created by Genghis Khan, though that lasted only until Genghis Khan was crowned Khan of the Mongol Empire. The Empire later came to be known as the Chagatai Khanate, part of the Mongol Empire.

He was considered hot-head and somewhat temperamental by his relatives, because of his attitude of fiercely not accepting Jochi as Great Khan. He was the most vocal about this topic among his relatives.

The real founder of the state was Chagatai's grandson Alghu. He basically took land that is now present day northwest Afghanistan. The state was much less influenced by Islam than the Il-Kanid state to the south east, but there were Muslims within the state and some Chughtai did convert. However, they kept to old nomadic traits much longer. Some historians have said this was a major reason for the decline in urbanism and agriculture in this area which is known to have occurred. The first ruler who actually converted to Islam was Mubarak-Shah (note the Arab name). His conversion occurred in 1256, however this was very problematic because in less than 30 years other rulers would renounce Islam and return to older beliefs, however Tarmarshirin converted to Islam and tried to turn the dynasty back toward Islam. His conversion provoked a huge backlash from nomadic groups in the eastern part of the realm who eventually killed him in 1334. After his death the Chagatai state lost it's status and disintegrated. Tamerlane would later marry into his family. By the early 1500 they had reasserted themselves in present day Uzbekistan and continued a realm there till the 1700s Shaybanid ruling house of the Uzbeks.

He is also the person from whom the Chagatai Turks and the Chughtais of South Asia generally claim descent.

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