The Battle of Dalan Baljut in 1187 marked a pivotal conflict between Temüjin (future Genghis Khan) and his once close friend, Jamukha. Diverging political ideologies—Jamukha's support for traditional Mongol aristocracy vs. Temüjin's preference for meritocracy—fueled their separation. Despite Temüjin's broad support base, successful campaigns, and being declared Khan in 1186, Jamukha's attack with 30,000 troops led to Temüjin's defeat and his subsequent disappearance for a decade. Jamukha's harsh treatment of captives post-battle, including boiling 70 youths alive, repelled potential allies.

Following the Battle of Dalan Baljut, historians Ratchnevsky and Timothy May suggest Temüjin likely served the Jurchen Jin dynasty in North China for a significant period, a claim supported by Zhao Hong's records of Temüjin's enslavement by the Jin. This notion, once dismissed as nationalistic exaggeration, is now considered plausible, filling a gap in Temüjin's known activities up to around 1195. His successful return with considerable power hints at a beneficial period with the Jin, despite the episode's absence from Mongol historical accounts, likely due to its potential to tarnish Mongol prestige.