#chinggisids

[avetruth]

[irithnova]

Timurid Empire: I AM CHINGGISID I HAVE CHINGGISID LINEAGE!

Mongolia: I have no idea who the hell you are

Timurid Empire: TAMERLANE IS A DESCENDANT OF THE GREAT CHINGGIS KHAN UKHAII (please believe me) 💪💪

Mongolia: Leave my bathroom

[natalieironside]

Weigh this decision carefully; the future of the empire is at stake. Potential successors should be judged according to a variety of factors, including personal acumen, ambitions of territorial expansion, overall "wow" factor, and how well they performed in the talent show.

[thejackmeister-mongolhistory]

THE MONGOL WOMAN WARRIOR AT MARAGHA, 1221

Ibn al-Athir is one of our key sources on the Mongol invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire. Writing in the 1220s in Mosul, northern Iraq, he was not an eyewitness to the invasion, but was a contemporary who received almost daily reports of Mongol movements and all manner of rumours.

He reports for us a short tale of a Mongol woman who partook in the sack of Maragha in 1221:

"I was told that a Tatar woman entered a house and killed several of its inhabitants, who thought that she was a man. She put down her arms and armour and - there was a woman! A man whom she had taken prisoner killed her." (Ibn al-Athir/D.S. Richards, vol. III, pg. 378.

We have no other clues to the identity of this woman, or if this is anything more than a rumour. A few things broadly support it though;

1) evidently, this woman was so well-armoured that it covered most of her body. Maragha was sacked by Jebe and Subedei; Jebe is in other sources like Zhao Gong (writing around 1221, almost exactly contemporary to the event) noted as "supervising Chinggis' heaviest troops," and was often left in charge of the heavily-armoured vanguard (manglai).

2) In general, the sources note that well-armoured Mongols were the wealthier parts of the army. When Mongol women are noted taking part in combat in some form in these sources, they are almost all Chinggisid princesses and other high-ranking women (Qutulun of course being the most famous example). It seems a privilege allowed to elite women, and it would support her also affording good equipment that almost entirely covered her.

Are we any closer to identifying her? No. If the story is even true (which it might not be!), we might suspect this was a woman of some relative status; not high enough that she would be reported as missing in a chronicle like Juvaini's, but perhaps a daughter of some Noyan who accompanied Jebe in his pursuit of Muhammad Khwarezmshah? As the Mongols would say, only Tengri knows.

I talk about Mongol heavy cavalry in the war against Khwarezm in my latest video:

[eruverse]

(Now reblogging with my own commentary ahah)

To see ppl perpetuating 19th century retarded takes in 2k23 is…. 😳

Maybe bc I’m an outsider that I don’t rly get the focus on Moscow as a particular successor of Mongol Empire. Bc you see, historically most (if not all) of the Rus Principalities at some point really operated under Mongol/Golden Horde rule and influences (esp the more Eastern it went as we all know). Saying Moscow was being nursed or nurtured by Golden Horde as if there was a ‘certain special status’ is weird to me bc Golden Horde also favored and played other Principalities off each other depending on who would benefit it the most. Sometimes it was Moscow, sometimes it was its rival Tver, sometimes it was others. Moscow only stood apart bc it was the smartest and most ambitious (most cunning, you might say). But at several points Golden Horde also removed its favors from Moscow and punished it.

Calling Moscow/Russia a thief is also weird bc by ancestry alone Moscow had much bigger claim to Rus compared to Mongol Empire (as I covered, practically nada). Meaning basically Moscow only had claim to Rus. I think you can criticize its or modern Russia’s imperialistic tendencies without twisting and reconstructing its history but people have weird minds like that.

I think I need to keep reiterating: Russia/Moscow isn’t Mongol isn’t Golden Horde isn’t Chinggisid bc there is simply nothing to claim! Russia/Moscow has at no point in history ever been Chinggisid. All other reasonings sound simply like cope to me. I’m also not denying Mongol influences in for example Moscow but these days I think they’re damn exaggerated. And being under influences of something does not equal being its successor. You can get influences from basically anything you are in contact with. But state building typically needs firmer claims than just that.

As for the inhabitants of Moscow: people have LEGS. They MOVE. Moscow had already existed prior to the Mongols coming but it only made sense if Mongol Empire caused even more waves of migration due to the massive changes in all circumstances. Another popular example is Oghuz Turks migrating to Anatolia during Ilkhanate period. They were more confined to Asia back then, originating in Central Asia.

Hiya, as a Russian and an actual historian yourself, perhaps it would be a good idea to make a post on Russian history primer, just to disperse some gross misunderstanding of Russian history including why it’s wrong to call Russia ‘a successor state of Mongol Empire’ for ex? I KEEP thinking it might be because most Russians are chill abt these depictions in fandom that foreigners just keep using these disastrously misleading depictions. To the point where I think ‘oh it would be nice if Russians would speak up themselves’.

Ofc this is wholly up to you tho!!

You know, I could write a long comment with explanation, why Russia can't be called the successor state of Mongol Empire: the short answer is that there's no evidence that Russia adopted any institutions from Mongol empire or from Golden Horde and that there's no evidence of the fact that the (in)famous russian autocracy and vertical of power trace roots back to the administrative structure of the Golden Horde, which was nomadic clan state and was constantly plunged in internal strife because of its succession system. But, first of all, i have too little time and, secondly, I have a better idea: why don't anyone who holds the view that Russia was a sucessor of Mongol empire comes and gives us some justification?) Because I have never seen anything convincing.)

[eruverse]

More headcanons on Mongol Empire-Post Mongol Empire era:

I LOVE depicting Mongolia as a father and grandpa of many offpsring, and he did have many. So there were Golden Horde/Jochid Ulus (which was actually a combined force of Blue Horde and White Horde given to Jochi’s sons Batu and Orda, because Jochi died before Golden Horde was consolidated), Chagatai Khanate (of Chagatayids), Ilkhanate (of Hulagu), and Yuan (of Kublai). Now, rather than going with ‘Mongolia = Yuan’ like I used to, I decided to give Yuan its own personification. Why tho? For one, while Yuan’s territory did comprise of Mongolia proper and Kublai as its founder presented his state as core Mongol Empire (or, simply Mongol Empire) with his grandfather Chinggis Khan as its founder, sketchy things surrounded Kublai’s ascension as a Khagan; he was enthroned during a quriltai that was held not in Karakorum but in his own city Kaiping (in China), and it was without the votes of all four Chinggisid branches who at the time supported Kublai’s youngest brother Ariq Boke as a Khagan. All of this made his ascension illegal. What’s more, Kublai who was pretty much an usurper proclaimed himself as a ruler in a distinctly Chinese style and Yuan dynasty was established with all the legitimacy of a Chinese dynasty. Yuan therefore looked more like a breakaway/successor state just like the other Khanates than simply a continuation of the Mongol Empire that Chinggis Khan built. It stands to reason for me that I should make a distinction between Yuan and Mongolia then, since Mongolia the dude in my head represents the core of Mongols so he should be purely Mongolian with pure Mongol/nomadic characteristics. For legitimacy with the Mongolian side, Yuan would latch onto Mongolia and they would rule both China and Mongolia together. The link below is an interesting read of which I based my theory off on the separation between personifications of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty:

Besides, I just want funny family moments between Mongolia and his kids and grandkids, and the more the merrier!!

Golden Horde is a Hater and he’s so valid for it. He hates people and nothing he likes more than going to his mancave (of wide steppe) and ignoring all other kinds of existence including his own siblings by Mongolia, though he of course is loyal to his princes and princesses and would do everything for them. His rivalry with Chagatai (Khanate) reflects Jochi’s with Chagatai. Also despises Ilkhanate bc they have feuds over territories and trades. Only slightly more okay with Yuan bc Yuan is really far away and cannot bother him much though he still doesn’t want to acknowledge him because why should he. Perpetual virgin until he met chaotic deranged dumbass Timurid. Anyway, he’s a child between Mongolia and Polovtsy/Qipchak. The Polovtsy were Turkic nomads whom the Jochids subjugated and entered into their ranks (or got scattered all over the area as they fled the Mongols). They had a confederate before the Mongols came.

Mongolia: “Horde, now be good and have dinner together with me and your brothers!”

Horde: “Fuck you all now let me go back to my mancave.”

Mongolia: *spanks Horde*

Maybe I should give Blue Horde and White Horde personifications too and they are the ones who do the actual ruling while the most Golden Horde does is frolicking around, bullying little hare Russia, or being fussed over by his princesses. Anyway, they love to braid his long hair like a maiden and put beads and rings on it.

Russia sometimes mistakes Horde as a Mongol Princess because of it and Horde is so NOT amused. Cue Horde chasing Russia around.

Russia and Horde coincidentally bond over not liking studying and reading, and as kids they were illiterate. Their princes/advisors were this 👌 close to giving up teaching them to read. Horde says he’s an all powerful warrior of the steppe and he already has everything he wants and needs so why should he even study?? Meh.

At some point Horde also tried to shoot Russia’s cat because he was curious if it tasted good and that was the first time Russia smacked him. Horde was secretly impressed because apparently little hare could pack up a good punch.

Chagatai is rivals with Horde and he’s salty because his desire to make daddy Mongolia happy by besting that fucker-with-his illegitimate-Khans Horde results in Mongolia disinheriting their respective khans from the throne of Khagan altogether through Chinggis Khan. Eventually, Chagatai becomes estranged much like Horde did. His personality is serious and ruthless to a fault. Chagatai is a child of Mongolia and Qara-Khitai, who was a Khitan-ruled state in Central Asia. Khitans were a nomadic group related to Mongols as they were all similarly descended from Xianbei. Qara-Khitai however wasn’t purely Khitan because most of its subjects were Central Asian Turco-Persian Muslims under Karakhanids who then became vassal to the Khitans. Therefore by characteristics Chagatai was very much Central Asian and not Khitan… maybe Karakhanid was his actual second dad? Only Mongolia knows.

Ilkhanate is the child of Mongolia and Khwarazmian Empire (another Turco-Persian state, also both Karakhanid and Khwarezmia were descendants of Gokturks). His relationship to Mongolia is second to best, but even in time he’s more concerned with his own gains than being a filial son to Mongolia. He’s an excitable dude who’s also a wildman.

Yuan (Monchu love(hate)child) is possibly Mongolia’s favorite kid because he’s best behaved to him (including paying homage to him unlike his other hopeless brats). Has an ultra high self esteem because he’s most favored by Mongolia and because he lords over the mighty China. Lots wholesome moments between daddy Mongolia and Yuan with China totally NOT having a good time.

Yuan: “I am Great Yuan, bow down to me and my Father!!”

Horde, Chagatai, Ilkhanate: *leave*

Yuan: “No, come back here!!!!”

Except for China, Mongolia obliterated his kids’ second dads they are no more 💔 maybe he tried to do that to China too (like with Song whom Kublai subjugated) but too bad for him, China is eternal.

Yes, basically the other dads of Mongolia’s brats were the countries he subjugated and took over. He killed their personifications and gave the territories to his own.

I decided to not make Timurid a direct descendant of Mongolia, however he kinda larps as Mongol Empire following Tamerlane’s massive ambition (lol good luck). He also got important territory off Chagatai and he did it by cannibalizing parts of him (!!!). Timurid is a simpleton brute with singleminded focus who’s also a poet of many vulgar poems depicting his lover Horde. Also, I guess by the time Moghulistan happened there would be another personification in place (which means Chagatai would be dead by then) but idk yet.

Initially Horde and Timurid had it SO good but Horde had to betray him following the orders of his prince Tokhtamysh, and it made Timurid so livid he got batshit insane as if possessed. He chased after Horde and burnt his important cities when he couldn’t find him, further weakening Horde when he was already weakened from civil war and conflicts. They met one last time shortly before Horde’s death, though Horde’s death wasn’t actually by Timurid’s hands.

Mongolia finds it quite tragic that he lives on while his kids and many descendants couldn’t, but such is fate. He wouldn’t actually want to switch places with them tho (for nationverses, only one’s own survival really matters), but it would be nice to have his large family around him. He would love having his dining table brimming full with his offspring and relatives during Tsagaan Sar. Mongolia misses them sometimes even though their relationship wasn’t always so good.

Mongolia himself isn’t always a good father, and while he’s pretty attentive to his kids (the ones he had in the past or the ones he has had pretty recently) he’s an emotionally independent person and likes to encourage his brats to be independent sooner. Therefore, sometimes he can be quite neglectful, and it is even more the case these days though part of it is because he himself cannot support them much in many ways. Not saying he’s a 100% chill parent though, because like any kind of patriarch he expects and could demand proper filial piety from his brats, but these days perhaps following the pattern of chill urbanized fathers who are more of good friends to their kids than just reigning patriarchs, Mongolia is much more chill (in an egalitarian sense) with his remaining kids and relatives. Spanking your kids is bad, so he no longer does it.

[dwellordream]

“It is told in The Secret History of the Mongols how the first Mongol (Batachiqan) was born of a blue-grey wolf and a fallow doe. Eleven generations after this first human ancestor, a descendant of his called Dobun Mergen married a woman named Alan Qo’a and they had two sons, Bugunutei and Belgunutei. Dobun Mergen died soon afterwards leaving Alan Qo’a without brothers-in-law and male relatives, and without a husband.

Yet, after the death of her husband, she conceived three more sons from a ‘resplendent yellow man’ who ‘entered by the light of the smoke-hole or the door top of the tent’. This supernatural being, as Thomas T. Allsen has described it, rubbed the woman’s belly every night and penetrated her womb with light. The youngest of the three sons (Bodonchar) born from Alan Qo’a and the ‘man of light’ was the founder of the Borjigin lineage, from which Chinggis Khan was later born.

Despite the combination of legend and myth contained in this story, it is relevant to highlight the fact that in the Mongol conception of their own ancestry, the mythical past and the historical presence of the Chinggisids were linked by a woman, and it is described in the source that this was the Mongols’ own ‘official’ accounting.”

“The relevance of women in the legendary past of the Mongols was not restricted to a single character. It is remarkable that The Secret History of the Mongols mentions the names of different women related to Chinggis Khan’s ancestors. For example, the grandmother of Alan Qo’a (Barqujin Qo’a) and both her mother-in-law (Boroqchin Qo’a) and grandmother-in-law (Mongqoljin Qo’a) are mentioned at the beginning of the story. No information other than their names is provided, yet it seems to be enough to establish the genealogical link between the direct descendants of Batachiqan and Alan Qo’a’s family.”

“...This foundation myth of the Turks as well as the Mongols has a strong component of female involvement. As we will see later on in the case of Chinggis Khan, the mother and chief wife play crucial roles in the early development of nomadic heroes. In the case above, the first two people in the tribe to ‘believe in God’ after Oghuz are his mother and favorite wife. Later on, the confrontation between father and son is generated by women, who betray him by telling his father about his beliefs. Finally, his favorite wife sends another woman to alert him of his father’s intentions. This last action is frequently re-enacted in traditional Mongol society, with women advising rulers and protecting them from the treachery of other members of the family.”

- Bruno De Nicola, “Women and Politics from Steppes to the World Empire.” in Women in Mongol Iran: The Khatuns, 1206-1335

[fierce-little-miana]

Khatun (qatun, khatan): the term khatun is used in Mongolian for the wife of any sovereign or noble; it thus combines the meanings of “empress,” “queen,” and “lady” without distinction. The term khatun first appeared as qasun among the Xianbi, a people in Inner Mongolia, from the second century B.C.E. to the fourth century C.E. It appears to be etymologically related to the titles qaghan/qan, “Khan, sovereign,” which appear alongside it. It is found subsequently among virtually all the Turkic and Mongolic peoples. In contemporary Turkish hatun means simply “lady” or “wife, woman.” During the Mongol Empire qatun (later pronounced khatun and written khatan today) was reserved for the wife of the sovereign or emperor, while princesses (whether daughters of khans or wives of princes) were called beki. (For reasons that are obscure, this term is the same as that for shaman or chief.) Under the Qing dynasty (1636–1912) the title khatun was extended to wives of all the Chinggisid nobility (Taiji), no matter how poor. This usage continued until the 20th century.

Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire - Christopher P. Atwood

[newhistorybooks]

"David Robinson's fascinating new book locates the Ming dynasty firmly in its full Eurasian context. Focusing on the early Ming relations with the Mongols - their subjects, rivals and allies - he illuminates both the early Ming emperors - their policies, personalities and concepts of rulership - and the post-Chinggisid world within which they operated. Meticulously researched, and stressing the Ming's Inner Asian identity, the book offers a new interpretation of China's place in the early modern world. A must for anyone interested in Late Imperial China, the legacy of the Mongol Empire, and early modern history."

[cambodianfunkyodeler]

it’s titled as a monarchist song because there’s an entire youtube account that just uploads monarchist songs. with translations! the monarchist international... i believe in the monarchist international. restore the stuarts and also the chinggisids

[muslmanaaa]

𝕋op: 𝑨𝒃𝒖𝒍-𝑲𝒉𝒂𝒚𝒓 Khan (𝕕.1468) a descendent of Genghis Khan's grandson Shiban (𝕕.1248).

𝔹ottom: Abul Khayr's grandson 𝑴𝒖𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒊 (𝕕.1510). He founded the Uzbek Shaybanid dynasty.

He was a rival of Babur (a Chinggisid from his mother's side).

[avetruth]

[irithnova]

What I think of Mongolia and Religion

I have spoken to Mongolians and heard the same kinda conclusions. Older generations, like boomers, are often a lot more religious. Millenials are less religious, but still a higher percentage compared to Gen Z. Millenials and Gen Z, of course whether they're religious or not depends on who you ask and there can definitely be very religious Gen Z but I hear that a lot of religious ritual for younger and younger generations become more symbolic and cultural rather than genuinely subscribing to those beliefs. This is pretty typical in many countries to be honest (by religion I am talking about mainly buddhism/tengrism).

With Mongolian religion, it started of with what is known as "Tengrism" which was not exclusive to Mongolia but was practiced throughout Central Asia as well. It was an animistic religion that centred around the sky God - Tengri, and reverence of ancestor spirits and nature. Tengrism in the modern day still is a deep rooted part of Mongolian culture, though a lot of Mongolians may not necessarily call themselves Tengrists or subscribe to that belief officially, it has always been a major part of Mongolian culture. For example, there are ovoos throughout the Mongolian countryside that are essentially cairns that are made that are put in place in order to be used as shrines or places of worship, for both Tengrist practices and buddhist, which are still used to this day. I think even wrestlers do some sort of ritual which involves circling around the ovoo.

So Tengrism really is an all pervasing part of Mongolian culture, even if Mongolians these days won't outright say "I believe in Tengrism/I'm a Tengrist."

Obviously Mongolia was Tengrist for the period of time before the conversion to buddhism during the Yuan dynasty, however the conversion to Buddhism in the Yuan did not exactly stop the Mongols belief in Tengrism, if anything they believed to something that could be described as a mixture between (vajrayana) Buddhism and Tengrism. This is similar to what happened in the other Khanates of the Mongol Empire. The Golden Horde, Chagatai Khanate and Ilkahante all eventually converted to Islam in their own times, however this kind of coexistence of their original Tengrist beliefs and Islam still prevailed, just like the Mongols of the Yuan dynasty and Buddhism. If anything, to the Mongols who converted to Islam, Islam was yet another path towards Tengri for them.

If anything, Tibetan Buddhism itself is a result of a similar kind of intertwining between folk religion and a major religion. Before Tibet converted to Buddhism, Tibetans followed a folk religion called "Bon", which is speculated to have been a similar religion to the Mongols Tengrism, perhaps because of the animistic aspects and reverence of ancestors. It was easier for the Mongols to accept this form of buddhism that was the result of a neighbour from a similar culture and climate rather than a more Sinitic version of Buddhism from an agricultural society and with a very different culture.

This history between Tibet and Mongolia is why I love Tibmon so much but I digress haha.

Tibetan lamas and Mongol Khans had something of a symbiotic relationship. The Khans would provide protection to Tibet through the use of their military and in turn the Lamas gave the Khans spiritual legitimacy to rule. This is quite funny seeing as Mongolia initially invaded Tibet in the 1240's under Godan Khan but gradually began to realise that Mongolia lacked the spiritual leadership that Tibet had.

After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, many Mongols went back to subscribing to mainly Tengrism rather than Buddhism-Tengrist mix that was around during the Yuan, however all was not lost. There was still a lot of Mongol interference with Tibetan politics, however now ti was the Oirat Mongols turn to convert. I feel as if lots of people make the mistake of crediting the actions of Oirat Mongol factions onto the Chinggisid/Khalkha Mongols (the Modern Mongolia we know now), however "Oirat" and "Mongol" during this time were seen as seperate groups by both parties - enemies even!

The last Khan of the Nothern Yuan dynasty - Koshugtu, followed the Karmapa school of Buddhism, and tried to suppress the Gelug school of Buddhism in Tibet along with the help of the Choghtu Mongol clan. The Oirat Khushut faction however won this war, allowing for the Gelug school of buddhism to reign supreme in Tibet, and in 1642 the fifth Dalai Lama was installed. In fact "Dalai lama" is a term that was a result of the Oirat Mongols - not the Chinggisid !

I don't think Mongolia stopped being a buddhist completely after the fall of the Yuan, as I said, Mongol Khans still followed Buddhism and there was still a lot of Mongol influence and intereference in Tibetan politics. I certainly believe that he was upset at the Oirat Mongol victory, less so because his preferred school of Tibetan Buddhism was defeated but more so that it meant that trying to re-establish a strong influence in Tibet has failed and was instead won over by his enemies, the Oirats, who began to act more rebelliously once the Yuan dynasty fell. I do think Mongolia retained his buddhist belief and it still influenced Mongolian culture and politics (again, literally tried to suppress Gelug Buddhism), but I think the ratio between Buddhist belief and Tengrist belief favoured the Tengrist side during this time.

When Mongolia was occupied during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty a few decades later, is when I think his Buddhist faith became stronger. In fact the Manchu rulers installed many lamas throughout Mongolia and seemingly encouraged the Mongols to take buddhism more seriously again, however this was not all just because Manchuria wanted Mongolia to escape samsara because of his great compassion for him or something. It is said that quite a few of these lamas were installed specifically by Manchuria to "pacify" the Mongol population, hinting that they may have had pro-Qing beliefs and were put there to discourage rebellion. In fact, some Mongol ultranationalists to this day will argue that Tibetan Buddhism was used by the Manchus to suppress and pacify the Mongols. And to be fair, a good portion of Mongolian men chose to become monks during this time, however this may have had more to do with escaping certain duties expected of male citizens.

Many years later in the 1930s, Buddhism went through a dark age in Mongolia. Purges of Buddhist monasteries and monks took place under the orders of Stalin. If a monk did not disrobe, they would be killed. I think this event only really strengthened Monglia's belief in Buddhism to be honest. He can be quite proud and stubborn (saying this in the nicest way possible) and so seeing a major aspect of his culture get destroyed would only embolden him to cling onto those aspects even hearder in defiance, even if he had to do so privately. His communication with Tibet was also limited during this time because of everything going on so it was also a sense of doing it out of respect/love for him (yeah sorry Tibmon is canon in my heart).

Another timeskip, but with the downfall of the USSR and Mongolia's transition to a market economy in the 90s and early 2000s. This era, though promising, was extremely hard on Mongolia. Unemployment was high, and alcoholism increased due to the uncertainty and stresses of Mongolia trying to navigate itself in this new era after being communist for so long. I heard from Mongolians that this was kind of like a "wild west" time, the country felt chaotic and lawless. I think the stressors of this time along with the decades after the purges meant that Mongolia was very much preoccupied with picking up the pieces and get his nation afoot economically. This isn't to say that Mongolia did not jump on the idea after the democratic revoluton of the 90's, he most certainly did. A kind of neo-Shamanism began during this time and many buddhist monasteries reopened, there was even around 70 churches built in Mongolia by 2002!

However during the time after that, I feel as if Mongolia became more... protective of his religion. There was intially a lot of enthusiam post 1990 and a welcoming of many curious visitors, howeer in the years to come, Mongolian shamans/shaman associations became more weary of Western neo-pagans who were seemingly interested in Mongolian shamanism however would only study this ancient belief from outside sources and who were generally very appropriative in their approach. So religion opened up again during this time and he was certainly pleased as Monglia was never one in believing in suppressing religion, however after so many years of being repressed, you can understand why he would become pretty protective and weary of outsiders taking interest, especially Western neo-pagan types.

Nowadays, I think religion wise, it's not as if he goes to a temple or a shaman every week and goes out of his way to be extremely devout, simply because I think he doesn't need to. Buddhism, Buddhism-Tengrism and Tengrism are all pervasive in Mongolian culture, in the mofits of their art and in the lyrics of their music and during major holidays. There is no huge force that's stopping him from practicing or destroying his monasteries.

Whilst a lot of Mongolians these days, especially younger generations, would call themselves atheists or agnostic, there is no doubt that religion is a major part of Mongolian culture in which it cannot be divorced from. I wouldn't say Mongolia would call himself an atheist because the very existence of nation-personfication-avatar-being-things means that there is definitely something mystical about this world (as in, the hetalia universe) but I would say that as a baseline, if anyone asks him, he will say he is a buddhist, and if you ask him to elaborate he'll explain the Tengrism part of his culture. He may shake his head a bit at the loss of religion in younger generations (I make him more on the boomer-ish side sorry) though he acknolwedges that he himself is a little hypocritical in this regard because he isn't exactly devout in general (unless Tibet visits -) but he would never reject those beliefs, moreso they're just ticking along in the background and once in a while especially during major holidays he will go to a monastery or visit a shaman and when he is travelling in the country and sees an ovoo he'll always stop and pay his respects.

[theseventhoffrostfall]

Well that's not extremely uncommon in history. The Babylonians had a transactional prayer relationship with some less-benevolent gods and spirits, both to ward off their displeasure and for them to protect mankind from outright malevolent ones. Similar to the Greeks' relationship to Hades or the Egyptians to Set before real life politics turned him into their Satan. Eastern and Central Asia is already interesting for their permissive attitudes toward religious syncretism, but the Mongols under the Chinggisids stand out for basically allowing anyone to pray or participating in religious ceremonies themselves somewhat indiscriminately so long as they were praying for victory in battle.

Not to WoW post again but on the topic of paladins I really liked their idea of the prelates in troll society. Functionally paladins (same class for in-game purposes) but instead of the pseudocatholic worship of the Light they’re holy warriors that draw power from the various Loa spirits they venerate, and really focus more on the “fist of the king” aspect of the class. Since I assume your fantasy settings are polytheistic you could have different orders of paladins wielding holy magic based on what deities they’ve sworn allegiance to.

I don't mind your wowposting, you filter out the good ideas from the vast morass of WoW for me.

Anyway, yeah, you have different varieties and "types" of Paladins based on which god they serve, but I also think they're kind of too rare to have Paladin 'orders'. You might have an order of religious knights but only very, very rarely does a legit Paladin show up. This is exacerbated by the fact that the various lesser gods that would be inclined to annoint a Paladin have to not-quite-sneak one past Thurakanda, who not only doesn't give his followers any cleric magic or Paladin powers at all, but spends a modest amount of effort keeping mortals free from the overt interference of the gods he hasn't killed yet.

Net effect is that all Paladins are probably in the single digits, total, at any one time

[thejackmeister-mongolhistory]

Yet more wonderful Work by Buren Erdene, this time depicting components of the Mongol army. Not Mine!

http://www.burenerdene.com

[greatestwarriors]

Timur Lang

Timur, Tarmashirin Khan, Emir Timur (Persian: تیمور‎ Timūr, Chagatai: Temür "iron"; 9 April 1336 – 18 February 1405), historically known as Tamerlane[1] (Persian: تيمور لنگ‎ Timūr(-e) Lang, "Timur the Lame"), was a Turko-Mongol ruler of Barlas lineage.[2][3][4] He conquered West, South and Central Asia and founded the Timurid dynasty. He was the grandfather of Ulugh Beg, who ruled Central Asia from 1411 to 1449,[5][6][7] and the great-great-great-grandfather of Babur Beg, founder of the Mughal Empire, which ruled parts of South Asia for around four centuries, from 1526 until 1857.[8][9][10][11][12]

Timur envisioned the restoration of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan.[13] As a means of legitimating his conquests, Timur relied on Islamic symbols and language, referring to himself as the Sword of Islam and patronizing educational and religious institutions. He converted nearly all the Borjigin leaders to Islam during his lifetime.[14] His armies were inclusively multi-ethnic. During his lifetime Timur emerged as the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world after defeating the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, the emerging Ottoman Empire and the declining Sultanate of Delhi. Timur also decisively defeated the Christian Knights Hospitaller at Smyrna, styling himself a Ghazi.[15] By the end of his reign Timur had also gained complete control over all the remnants of the Chagatai Khanate, Ilkhanate, Golden Horde and even attempted to restore the Yuan dynasty.[citation needed]

 Timur's armies were feared throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe,[16] sizable parts of which were laid waste by his campaigns.[17] Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people, amounting to about 5% of the world population,[18][19] leading to a predominantly barbaric legacy. Timur is also recognized as a great patron of art and architecture, as he interacted with Muslim intellectuals such as Ibn Khaldun and Hafiz-i Abru Timur was born in Transoxiana, near the City of Kesh (an area now better known as Shahrisabz, "the green city"), some fifty miles south of Samarkand in modern day Uzbekistan, part of the Chagatai Khanate. [21] His father, Taraqai, was a minor noble belonging to the Barlas tribe.[22] The Barlas, who were originally a Mongol tribe[23][24] that became Turkified.[25][26][27] According to Gérard Chaliand, Timur was a Muslim[28] but he saw himself as Genghis Khan's heir.[28] Though not a Chinggisid,[29] he clearly sought to invoke the legacy of Genghis Khan's conquests during his lifetime.[30]

 At the age of eight or nine, Timur and his mother and brothers were carried as prisoners to Samarkand by an invading Mongol army.[31]In his childhood, Timur and a small band of followers raided travelers for goods, especially animals such as sheep, horses, and cattle.[32] At around 1363, it is believed that Timur tried to steal a sheep from a shepherd but was shot by two arrows, one in his right leg and another in his right hand, where he lost two fingers. Both injuries caused him to be crippled for life. Some believe that Timur suffered his crippling injuries while serving as a mercenary to the khan of Sistan in Khorasan in what is known today as Dasht-i Margo (Desert of Death) in south-west Afghanistan. Timur's injuries have given him the name of Timur the Lame or Tamerlane by Europeans.[33]

 Timur was a Muslim,[34] but while his chief official religious counsellor and advisor was the Hanafi scholar 'Abdu 'l-Jabbar Khwarazmi, his particular persuasion is not known. In Tirmidh, he had come under the influence of his spiritual mentor Sayyid Barakah, a leader from Balkh who is buried alongside Timur in Gur-e Amir.[35][36][37] Timur was known to hold Ali and the Ahlul Bayt in high regard and has been noted by various scholars for his "pro-Alid" stance.[38]Despite this, Timur was noted for attacking Shiites on Sunni grounds and therefore his own religious inclinations remain unclear.[39]

Personality

Timur is regarded as a military genius and a tactician, with an uncanny ability to work within a highly fluid political structure to win and maintain a loyal following of nomads during his rule in Central Asia. He was also considered extraordinarily intelligent- not only intuitively but also intellectually.[40] In Samarkand and his many travels, Timur, under the guidance of distinguished scholars was able to learn Persian, Mongolian, and Turkic languages.[41] More importantly, Timur was characterized as an opportunist. Taking advantage of his Turco-Mongolian heritage, Timur frequently used either the Islamic religion or the law and traditions of the Mongol Empire to achieve his military goals or domestic political aims.[42][43]

Military leader

 In about 1360 Timur gained prominence as a military leader whose troops were mostly Turkic tribesmen of the region.[28][44] He took part in campaigns in Transoxiana with the Khan of Chagatai. His career for the next ten or eleven years may be thus briefly summarized from the Memoirs. Allying himself both in cause and by family connection with Kurgan, the dethroner and destroyer of Volga Bulgaria, he was to invade Khorasan at the head of a thousand horsemen. This was the second military expedition that he led, and its success led to further operations, among them the subjugation of Khorezm and Urganj.

 Following Kurgan's murder, disputes arose among the many claimants to sovereign power; this infighting was halted by the invasion of the energetic Chagtaid Tughlugh Timur of Kashgar, another descendant of Genghis Khan. Timur was dispatched on a mission to the invader's camp, which resulted in his own appointment to the head of his own tribe, the Barlas, in place of its former leader, Hajji Beg. The exigencies of Timur's quasi-sovereign position compelled him to have recourse to his formidable patron, whose reappearance on the banks of the Syr Darya created a consternation not easily allayed. One of Tughlugh's sons was entrusted with the Barlas's territory, along with the rest of Mawarannahr (Transoxiana), but he was defeated in battle by the bold warrior he had replaced, at the head of a numerically far inferior force.

Rise to power

It was in this period that Timur reduced the Chagatai khans to the position of figureheads while he ruled in their name. During this period, Timur and his brother-in-law Husayn, who were at first fellow fugitives and wanderers in joint adventures, became rivals and antagonists. The relationship between them began to become strained after Husayn abandoned efforts to carry out Timur's orders to finish off Ilya Khoja (former governor of Mawarannah) close to Tishnet.[45]

Timur began to gain a following of people in Balkh that consisted of merchants, fellow tribesmen, Muslim clergy, aristocracy and agricultural workers because of his kindness in sharing his belongings with them, as contrasted with Husayn, who alienated these people, took many possessions from them via his heavy tax laws and selfishly spent the tax money building elaborate structures.[46] At around 1370 Husayn surrendered to Timur and was later assassinated by a chief of a tribe, which allowed Timur to be formally proclaimed sovereign at Balkh. He married Husayn's wife Saray Mulk Khanum, a descendant of Genghis Khan, allowing him to become imperial ruler of the Chaghatay tribe.[47]

One day Aksak Temür spoke thusly:

"Khan Züdei (in China) rules over the city. We now number fifty to sixty men, so let us elect a leader." So they drove a stake into the ground and said: "We shall run thither and he among us who is the first to reach the stake, may he become our leader". So they ran and Aksak Timur, as he was lame, lagged behind, but before the others reached the stake he threw his cap onto it. Those who arrived first said: "We are the leaders." ["But,"] Aksak Timur said: "My head came in first, I am the leader." Meanwhile, an old man arrived and said: "The leadership should belong to Aksak Timur; your feet have arrived but, before then, his head reached the goal." So they made Aksak Timur their prince.[48][49]

Legitimization of Timur's rule

Timur's Turco-Mongolian heritage provided opportunities and challenges as he sought to rule the Mongol Empire and the Muslim world. According to the Mongol traditions, Timur could not claim the title of khan or rule the Mongol Empire because he was not a descendant of Genghis Khan. Therefore, Timur set up a puppet Chaghatay khan, Suyurghatmish, as the nominal ruler of Balkh as he pretended to act as a "protector of the member of a Chinggisid line, that of Chinggis Khan's eldest son, Jochi."[50]

 As a result, Timur never used the title of khan because the name khan could only be used by those who come from the same lineage as Genghis Khan himself. Timur instead used the title of amir meaning general, and acting in the name of the Chagatai ruler of Transoxania.[51]To reinforce his position in the Mongol Empire, Timur managed to acquire the royal title of son-in-law when he married a princess of Chinggisid descent.[52]Likewise, Tamerlane could not claim the supreme title of the Islamic world, caliph, because the “office was limited to the Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad.”[53] Therefore, Tamerlane reacted to the challenge by creating a myth and image of himself as a “supernatural personal power””[53] ordained by God. Since Tamerlane had a successful career as a conqueror, it was easy to justify his rule as ordained and favored by God since no ordinary man could be a possessor of such good fortune that resistance would be seen as opposing the will of Allah. Moreover, the Islamic notion that military and political success was the result of Allah’s favor had long been successfully exploited by earlier rulers. Therefore, Tamerlane’s assertions would not have seemed unbelievable to his fellow Islamic people.