Shangdu, popularly known in English as Xanadu, was the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty of China before Kublai moved his throne to the former Jin dynasty capital of Zhōngdū which was renamed Khanbaliq. Shangdu is located in the present-day Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia. In June 2012, under its popular English name Xanadu, it was made a World Heritage Site for its historical importance and for the unique blending of Mongolian and Chinese culture.
Articles related to Mongolia include:
Börte Üjin, better known as Börte, was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. She was betrothed to Genghis at a young age, married at seventeen, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. Her husband's rescue of her is considered one of the key events that started him on his path to becoming a conqueror. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the primary bloodline in the expansion of the Mongol Empire.
The Secret History of the Mongols is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. Written for the Mongol royal family some time after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, it recounts his life and conquests, and partially the reign of his successor Ögedei Khan.
The Erdeniin Tobchi is a national chronicle of the Mongols written by Saghang Sechen in 1662.
Buddhism is the largest religion in Mongolia practiced by 51.7% of Mongolia's population, according to the 2020 Mongolia census. Buddhism in Mongolia derives much of its recent characteristics from Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelug and Kagyu lineages, but is distinct and presents its own unique characteristics.
Khasar, was one of the three full brothers of the legendary Genghis Khan. According to the Jami' al-Tawarikh, his given name was Jochi and he got the nickname Khasar after his distinguished bravery. He was also called Khabht Khasar because he was skilled with a bow.
Khutugtu Khan, born Ligdan, (1588–1634) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1604 to 1634. During his reign, he vigorously attempted to reunify the divided Mongol Empire, achieving moderate levels of success. However, his unpopular reign generated violent opposition due to his harsh restrictions over the Mongol tribes as he attempted to centralize the state. His alliance with the Ming dynasty, sponsorship of Tibetan Buddhism in Chakhar and the reorganization of Mongol political divisions were ineffective when the Later Jin dynasty became the major power in East Asia.
The Altan Debter, Golden Book is an early, now lost history of the Mongols. Rashid-al-Din Hamadani had access to it when writing his Chronicles, Jami al-Tawarikh. Some believe that The Secret History of the Mongols is based on it, though the historian David Morgan argues that the two sources, though in agreement on broad facts and events, are "clearly quite independent of each other." It also inspired the still-extant Shengwu qinzheng lu.
Nigülesügchi Khan, born Elbeg, (1362–1399) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1394 to 1399. Erdeniin Tobchi claimed that Elbeg was the younger brother of the Jorightu Khan, while other historians testify that he was a son of the Biligtü Khan. He ruled for seven years. His regnal title "Nigülesügchi Khagan" means "Merciful Emperor" in the Mongolian language. Border skirmishes with the Ming dynasty and Oirat rebellion plagued his reign.
Gün Temür, regnal name Toqoqan Khan, (1377–1402) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1399 to 1402. Erdeniin Tobchi claimed that Gün Temür was the eldest son of Elbeg Nigülesügchi Khan, but records in Habib al-siyar and Zafarnama he as other Genghizid. His name, Gün Temür, means "Deep (intellectually) Iron" in the Mongolian language.
Delbeg, (1395–1415) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1412 to 1415. Delbeg was installed by the Oirats in 1411 as a puppet ruler, but this was not recognized by most of Mongol clans in the central and eastern Mongol territories.
Genghis Khan, also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns, conquering large parts of China and Central Asia.
The Northern Yuan was a dynastic state ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty in 1635. The Northern Yuan dynasty began with the retreat of the Yuan imperial court led by Toghon Temür to the Mongolian steppe. This period featured factional struggles and the often only nominal role of the Great Khan.
The Four Oirats, formerly known as the Eleuths and alternatively known as the Alliance of the Four Oirat Tribes or the Oirat Confederation, was the confederation of the Oirat tribes which marked the rise of the Western Mongols in the history of the Mongolian Plateau.
Various nomadic empires, including the Xiongnu, the Xianbei state, the Rouran Khaganate (330–555), the First (552–603) and Second Turkic Khaganates (682–744) and others, ruled the area of present-day Mongolia. The Khitan people, who used a para-Mongolic language, founded an empire known as the Liao dynasty (916–1125), and ruled Mongolia and portions of North China, northern Korea, and the present-day Russian Far East.
Mongolian literature is literature written in Mongolia and/or in the Mongolian language. It was greatly influenced by and evolved from its nomadic oral storytelling traditions, and it originated in the 13th century. The "three peaks" of Mongol literature, The Secret History of the Mongols, Epic of King Gesar and Epic of Jangar, all reflect the age-long tradition of heroic epics on the Eurasian Steppe. Mongol literature has also been a reflection of the society of the given time, its level of political, economic and social development as well as leading intellectual trends.
Saghang Sechen was an ethnic Mongol writer, historian, and prince from the Borjigin clan.
Guush Luvsandanzan was a Mongolian historian and writer.
The Shengwu qinzheng lu is a Chinese translation of a Mongolian chronicle describing the lives of Genghis Khan and his son Ögedei Khan. Much of the chronicle was derived from the Altan Debter, a now-lost state history of the Mongol Empire. Both the Persian Jami' al-tawarikh, written by Rashid al-Din at the start of the 14th century, and the Chinese Yuán Shǐ, drew upon the Altan Debter. By combining the three extant works, historians are able to adequately reconstruct the Altan Debter's original content.
