生平

延祐三年（1316年），仁宗打破叔侄相傳的誓約，立自己兒子碩德八剌為皇太子，將和世㻋徙居雲南，導致關陝之變，和世㻋西逃察合台汗國，又引起脫火赤之亂等爭亂。

根據《元史》，天曆二年正月丙戌（儒略曆1329年2月27日），和世琜在漠北草原的和寧之北即位，繼續使用年號「天曆」，是為元明宗，1329年4月3日，元文宗圖帖睦爾派人將皇帝寶璽獻給明宗，正式禪讓帝位，5月15日，元明宗正式立圖帖睦爾為皇太子，8月16日，圖帖睦爾受皇太子寶，8月25日，元明宗抵達元武宗時建為中都的王忽察都，8月26日，皇太子圖帖睦爾入見，兩兄弟會面，元明宗宴請皇太子及諸王、大臣于行殿。

天曆二年八月六日（1329年8月30日），元明宗和世㻋被燕帖木兒毒死，明宗去世時享年30歲。

1329年9月8日，燕帖木兒重新擁戴元文宗復闢，因為1329年的年號是天曆，史稱天曆之變。

尊謚廟號

天曆二年十月十三日（1329年11月4日），元文宗為兄長和世㻋上謚號翼獻景孝皇帝，廟號明宗，蒙古文稱忽都篤皇帝。

《明宗皇帝謚冊文》，內容如下：

尊號

元明宗的兩個兒子元寧宗懿璘質班和元惠宗妥懽帖睦爾在1332年9月2日元文宗去世後相繼登基稱帝。

至元六年十月四日（1340年10月25日），元惠宗給元明宗上尊號順天立道睿文智武大聖孝皇帝。

家庭

根據《元史》，元明宗的妻子包括以下七人。

妻妾

• 邁來迪皇后，罕祿魯氏，1320年去世，1336年，元惠宗追封她謚號貞裕徽聖皇后

• 按出罕皇后

• 月魯沙皇后

• 不顏忽魯都皇后

• 野蘇皇后

• 脫忽思皇后

• 八不沙皇后

兒子

• 長子：元惠宗妥懽帖睦爾，生母是邁來迪皇后）

• 次子：元寧宗懿璘質班，生母是八不沙皇后

女兒

• 昌國公主 月魯 下嫁昌王沙藍朵兒只

• 明慧貞懿公主不答昔你

相關史料

• 《至正條格》，1346年元惠宗頒布的元朝第三部法律，現存殘本收錄1260年—1344年元朝官方頒布的關于法律方面的聖旨條畫、律令格例以及司法部門所判案例的匯編，史實多為《元史》所不載。

• 《元史·明宗本紀》 ，明朝官修正史

• 《新元史·明宗本紀》 ，民國官修正史

• 《續資治通鑑》 ，清朝史學家畢沅撰寫。

• 《元史類編》，清朝史學家邵遠平撰寫。

• 《元史新編》，清朝史學家魏源撰寫。

• 《元書》，清朝史學家曾廉撰寫。

• 《蒙兀兒史記》，清末民初史學家屠寄撰寫。

評價

• 清朝史學家邵遠平《元史類編》的評價是：「冊曰：艱艱備嘗，人望所屬；何嫌何疑，推肝置腹；人心不同，天命反覆；論定千秋，此直彼曲。」

• 清朝史學家曾廉《元書》的評價是：「論曰：昔曹子臧、吳季札，賢者也。其君國子民也宜哉！然而義不受者，非獨遠情，亦知負飛及光之不厭，其欲將無以善其後也，闇哉明宗！焉有人披袞執玉，穆穆然位乎天位而肯北面俯首為人臣者乎？嗚呼！此唐明皇不敢以望肅宗，父子且然，況兄弟哉!文宗蓋懼北陲，複有海都、篤哇之流，託名擁戴，其言也順而為患也。深抑亦私心，竊望周王之效法晉邸也。己則非夷，而以齊期人。不亦難乎？悠悠南行，甘咽其餌，悲夫！」

• 清末民初史學家屠寄《蒙兀兒史記》的評價是：「和世㻋汗年未弱冠，遠遜金山，耕牧十有三年。所謂舊勞于外，知民情偽者也。觀其論台綱，諭百司，斤斤于先世成憲，是殆有心救弊者乎？然以此言論風採，自曝于風塵道路之間，致令傲弟權相聞而生心，遂有旺兀察都之變。《易》曰：『君不密，則失臣。』此之謂矣。懷抱盛意，未見設施，惜哉！」

• 民國官修正史《新元史》柯劭忞的評價是：「燕鐵木兒立文宗，文宗固讓于兄，猶仁宗之奉武宗也。明宗之弒，蓋出于燕鐵木兒，非文宗之本意。然與聞乎弒，是亦文宗弒之而已。」

注釋

Early life and exile

He was the eldest son of Khayishan (Külüg Khan or Emperor Wuzong) and a Mongol-Ikhires woman. Since the Khayishan administration was founded on the unstable balance between Khayishan, his younger brother Ayurbarwada and their mother Dagi of the Khunggirad clan, Khayishan appointed Ayurbarwada as Crown Prince on the condition that he would pass the status to Kuśala after succession.

However, after Khayishan's death Ayurbarwada succeeded to the throne in 1311. In 1320, Dagi, Temüder and other members of the Khunggirad faction installed Ayurbarwada's son Shidebala as the new ruler instead of Kuśala, because his mother came from the Ikhires clan, not the Khunggirad clan.

To ensure Shidebala's succession, Kuśala was rewarded with the title of king of Chou and relegated to Yunnan in 1316; but fled to Esen Bukha-ruled Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, as a pro-Khayishan official advised, after a failed revolt in Shaanxi. When the Chagatayid Khan Esen bukha heard that Kuśala was living near his realm, he came to greet him. After that, Kusala was backed by the Chagatayid princes. While in exile in Central Asia, he married Mailaiti, a daughter of Temuder of the Qarluq.

Brief accession and sudden death

Although the rival faction was purged by Yesün Temür Khan (Emperor Taiding) when Shidibala Khan (Emperor Yingzong) was assassinated, he remained in Central Asia. He extended his influence in his stronghold, which was located to the west of Altai Mountains.

In 1328, when Yesün Temür Khan died, a civil war known as the War of the Two Capitals erupted between Shangdu-based Ragibagh and Dadu-based Tugh Temür. The former was a son of Yesün Temür and was backed up the former Yesün Temür administration led by Dawlat Shah, and the latter was Kuśala's younger brother who was supported by the former Khayishan faction led by the Qipchaq commander El Temür and the Merkit commander Bayan, a governor in Henan. This ended in the victory of Tugh Temür since he secured support from most of the princes, aristocrats and warlords in the south of the Gobi Desert. Tugh Temür summoned his brother to come to Dadu.

At the same time, Kuśala, with support from the Chaghadayid leaders Eljigidey and Duwa Temür, entered Mongolia from the Tarbagatai region (in the Khangai Mountains). He also got support from princes and generals of Mongolia, and with overwhelming military power in the background, put pressure on Tugh Temür, who had already ascended the throne. Kuśala enthroned himself on February 27, 1329, north of Karakorum.

Tugh Temür abdicated on April 3 the same year, and a month later El Temür brought the imperial seal to Kuśala in Mongolia, announcing Dadu's intent to welcome him. Kuśala responded by making Tugh Temür his heir apparent on May 15. Kuśala had proceeded to appoint his own loyal followers to important posts in the Secretariat, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Censorate.

Taking 1,800 men with him, Kuśala set out for Dadu. On August 26, he met with Tugh Temür in Ongghuchad (Onggachatu), where Tugh Temur had built the city of Zhongdu. He suddenly died only 4 days after a banquet with Tugh Temür. The Yuan shi states that the luckless Kuśala Khan died of violence. It seems that Kuśala was poisoned by El Temür, who feared losing power to princes and officers of the Chagatai Khanate and Mongolia, who followed Kuśala. Tugh Temür was restored to the throne on September 8.

Family

Khutughtu Khan had two wives who were Mailaiti, a descendant of the famous Qarluq chief, Arslan, who submitted to Genghis Khan and Babusha of the Naiman. They gave birth to two Mongol emperors, including Toghon Temür, the last Mongolian emperor who ruled China.

• Parents:

　• Külüg, Wuzong (武宗 曲律汗; 4 August 1281 – 27 January 1311)

　• Concubine Shoutong (寿童妃子)

• Wives and children:

　• Mailaiti (迈来迪; 1290's – 1320)

　　• Toghon Temür, Huizong (惠宗 妥懽帖睦爾; 25 May 1320 – 23 May 1370), first son

　• Anchuhan (按出罕)

　• Yuelusha (月魯沙)

　　• Princess Changguo (昌国公主)

　• Buyanhuludou (不顏忽鲁都)

　• Yesu (野蘇)

　• Tuohusi (脫忽思)

　• Babusha (八不沙; d. 1330)

　　• Rinchinbal, Ningzong (寧宗 懿璘质班; 1 May 1326 – 14 December 1332), second son

　• Unknown

　　• Princess Minghui Zhenyi (明慧貞懿公主), personal name Budaxini (不答昔你)