After camping together for a year and a half and reinforcing their anda pact, tensions between Temüjin and Jamukha led to their separation, possibly influenced by Börte's ambitions. While Jamukha retained the support of major tribal rulers, Temüjin attracted forty-one leaders and numerous followers, including notable figures like Subutai from various tribes.

Temüjin's followers declared him khan of the Mongols, pleasing Toghrul but inciting Jamukha's resentment. This tension led to a battle at Dalan Baljut around 1187, where Temüjin faced defeat against Jamukha's forces, despite conflicting accounts from later historians like Rashid al-Din, who suggest Temüjin emerged victorious