Darughachi or Basqaq were originally designated officials in the Mongol Empire that were in charge of taxes and administration in a certain province. The plural form of the Mongolian word is darugha. They were sometimes referred to as governors. The term corresponds to dārugheh and basqaq or baskak in Turkic, dálǔhuāchì in Pinyin or ta lu hua ch'ih in Wade–Giles in Chinese.

The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, extending northward into parts of the Arctic; eastward and southward into parts of the Indian subcontinent, attempted invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquered the Iranian Plateau; and westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains.