This letter is interesting, because it perhaps preserves for us some details of what took place at the accession of Genghis.  It is well known that the Mongol Khan affected a coy resistance when asked to become chief.  The letter runs thus:  “You conspired to kill me, yet from the beginning did I tell the sons of Bartam Bahadur (i.e., his grandfather), as well as Satcha (his cousin), and Taidju (his uncle).  Why does our territory on the Onon remain without a master?  I tried to persuade you to rule over our tribes.  You refused.  I was troubled.  I said to you, ‘Kudshir, son of Tekun Taishi, be our khan.’  You did not listen to me; and to you, Altun, I said, ’You are the son of Kutluk Khan, who was our ruler.  You be our khan.’  You also refused, and when you pressed it on me, saying, ‘Be you our chief,’ I submitted to your request, and promised to preserve the heritage and customs of our fathers.  Did I intrigue for power?  I was elected unanimously to prevent the country, ruled over by our fathers near the three rivers, passing to strangers.  As chief of a numerous people, I thought it proper to make presents to those attached to me.  I captured many herds, yurts, women, and children, which I gave you.  I enclosed for you the game of the steppe, and drove toward you the mountain game.  You now serve Wang Khan, but you ought to know that he is fickle.  You see how he has treated me.  He will treat you even worse.”

Wang Khan was disposed to treat, but his son Sengun said matters had gone too far, and they must fight it out.  We now find Wang Khan quarrelling with several of his dependents, whom he accused of conspiring against him.  Temudjin’s intrigues were probably at the bottom of the matter.  The result was that Dariti Utshegin, with a tribe of Mongols, and the Sakiat tribe of the Keraits, went over to Temudjin, while Altun and Kudshir, the latter’s relations, who had deserted him, took refuge with the Naimans.

Among the companions of his recent distress, a constant one was his brother Juji Kassar, who had also suffered severely, and had had his camp pillaged by the Keraits.  Temudjin had recourse to a ruse.  He sent two servants who feigned to have come from Juji, and who offered his submission on condition that his wife and children were returned to him.  Wang Khan readily assented, and to prove his sincerity sent back to Juji Kassar some of his blood in a horn, which was to be mixed with koumiss, and drunk when the oath of friendship was sworn.  Wang Khan was completely put off his guard, and Temudjin was thus able to surprise him.  His forces numbered about four thousand six hundred, and he seems to have advanced along the banks of the Kerulon, toward the heights of Jedshir, between the Tula and the Kerulon, and therefore toward the modern Urga, where Wang Khan was posted.  In the battle which followed, and which was fought in the spring of 1203, the latter was defeated; he fled to the Naimans, and was there murdered.  Temudjin was sincerely affected by the death of the old man.