Altan Khan
Encyclopedia
Altan Khan whose given name was Anda (ᠠᠨᠳᠠ in Mongolian language
), was the ruler of the Tümet Mongols and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols
. He was the grandson of Dayan Khan
(1464–1543), a descendant of Kublai Khan
(1215–1294), who had managed to unite a tribal league between the Khalkha
Mongols in the north and the Chahars (Tsakhars) to the south. His name means "Golden Khan
" in the Mongolian language.
, and a grandson of Batumongke Dayan Khan who had re-unified the Mongolian nobility in an attempt to regain the glory of the Yuan Dynasty
. Altan Khan ruled the Tümed
and belonged to the Right Wing of the Mongols along with his elder brother Gün Bilig, who ruled the Ordos
. After Gün Bilig's death in 1542, Altan became the de facto leader of the whole of the Right Wing and was given the title, "Tösheetü Sechen Khan."
When Bodi Alagh Khan
, the Khagan
of the Mongols from the Chahar, died in 1547, Altan forced Bodi Alagh's successor Darayisung Küdeng Khan
to flee eastward. In 1551 Darayisung made a compromise with Altan in exchange for giving the title "Gegeen Khan" to him.
Altan Khan, who controlled the Ordos tumen
of the Huang He or Yellow River
was well placed to keep pressure on the Chinese and the Oirat
Mongols in Tibet while developing both agriculture and trade.
In 1571, Altan Khan was granted the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from the Longqing Emperor
(March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty).
Altan Khan also founded the city of Köke Khota (Hohhot
, lit. 'The Blue City'), now the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
.
order. Altan Khan first invited Sonam Gyatso to Tumet in 1569, but apparently he refused to go and sent a disciple instead, who reported back to him about the great opportunity to spread Buddhist teachings throughout Mongolia
. In 1571, Altan Khan got the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from Longqing Emperor (March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty). In 1573, Altan Khan took some Tibetan Buddhist monks prisoner.
Sonam Gyatso accepted Altan Khan's invitation to Tumet in 1577. Altan Khan later had Thegchen Chonkhor, Mongolia's first monastery, built at the place of the meeting. Also, the ruler of the Khalkha
Mongols, Abtai Sain Khan, rushed to Tumet to meet the Dalai Lama. The Erdene Zuu monastery
was built by him in 1586, at the site of the former Mongol capital of Karakorum
following his adoption of Buddhism as the state religion. This monastery is also often (wrongly) referred to as the first monastery in Mongolia and it grew into a massive establishment. In 1792, it contained 62 temples and some 10,000 lamas.
Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan Sakya
monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa
(1235–1280) who converted Kublai Khan
, while Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan
(1215–1294), the famous ruler of the Mongol Empire
and Emperor of China, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating the Buddhist religion.
Altan Khan designated Sonam Gyatso as "Dalai" (a translation into Mongolian of the name Gyatso, meaning "ocean"). As a result, Sonam Gyatso became known as the Dalai Lama
which, since then, has been used as a title - frequently translated into English as "Ocean of Wisdom". The title was also posthumously given to Gendun Drup and Gendun Gyatso, who were considered Sonam Gyatso's previous incarnations. Thus, Sonam Gyatso was recognized as being already the 3rd Dalai Lama.
Sonam Gyatso never returned to Tibet but remained proselytizing among the Mongols. The Tumed Mongols and their allies were brought into the Gelug
tradition, which was to become the main spiritual orientation of the Mongols in the ensuing centuries.
Sonam Gyatso's message was that the time had come for Mongolia to embrace Buddhism, that from that time on there should be no more animal sacrifices, the images of the old gods were to be destroyed, there must be no taking of life, animal or human, military action must be given up and the immolation of women on the funeral pyres of their husbands must be abolished. He also secured an edict abolishing the Mongol custom of blood-sacrifices. "These and many other such laws were set forth by Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso and were instituted by Altan Khan."
A massive program of translating Tibetan (and Sanskrit) texts into Mongolian was commenced, with letters written in silver and gold and paid for by the Dalai Lama's Mongolian devotees. Within 50 years virtually all Mongols had become Buddhist, with tens of thousands of monks, who were members of the Gelug
order, loyal to the Dalai Lama.
When Sonam Gyatso died in 1588, his incarnation - and thus, the new Dalai Lama - was "found" to be Altan Khan's great-grandson.
China
. He led raids into China in 1529, 1530 and 1542 returning with plunder and livestock. In 1550 he crossed the Great Wall and besieged Beijing
setting the suburbs on fire. In 1552 Altan Khan gained control of the remains of Karakorum, the old Mongol capital. The Chinese emperor was forced to grant special trading rights to the khanate
, after signing a peace treaty with him in 1571, allowing it to trade horses for silks, which further strengthened it economically. The Chinese also granted him the title of Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King"). During his reign he made several successful military campaigns to the west against rebellious Oirats, Kazakhs,and Kyrgizs bringing them back under his rule.
.
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
), was the ruler of the Tümet Mongols and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
. He was the grandson of Dayan Khan
Dayan Khan
Dayan Khan , was a Mongol khan who reunited the Mongols under Chinggisid supremacy in the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia...
(1464–1543), a descendant of Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
(1215–1294), who had managed to unite a tribal league between the Khalkha
Khalkha
Khalkha is the largest subgroup of Mongol people in Mongolia since 15th century. The Khalkha together with Tsahar, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by the Altan Urag Khans until the 20th century; unlike the Oirat people who were ruled by the Dzungar nobles or the Khorchins who were ruled by...
Mongols in the north and the Chahars (Tsakhars) to the south. His name means "Golden Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
" in the Mongolian language.
Consolidation of power
Borjigin Barsboladiin Altan was the second son of Bars Bolud JinongBars Bolud Jinong
Barsbolad Jinong was a Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia. Barsbolad Jinong was the third son of Dayan Khan, who appointed his grandson , Bodi Alagh Khan as his successor...
, and a grandson of Batumongke Dayan Khan who had re-unified the Mongolian nobility in an attempt to regain the glory of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
. Altan Khan ruled the Tümed
Tümed
The Tümed are a Mongol subgroup. Most engage in sedentary agriculture, living in mixed communities in the suburbs of Huhhot. Part of them live along Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia...
and belonged to the Right Wing of the Mongols along with his elder brother Gün Bilig, who ruled the Ordos
Ordos Desert
The Ordos Desert is a desert and steppe region lying on a plateau in the south of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China . The soil of the Ordos is a mixture of clay and sand and, as a result, is poorly suited for agriculture. It extends over an area of...
. After Gün Bilig's death in 1542, Altan became the de facto leader of the whole of the Right Wing and was given the title, "Tösheetü Sechen Khan."
When Bodi Alagh Khan
Bodi Alagh Khan
Bodi Alagh Khan was the Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia. Bodi Alagh Khan was Dayan Khan’s second son’s eldest son and was handpicked by Dayan Khan as his successor...
, the Khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
of the Mongols from the Chahar, died in 1547, Altan forced Bodi Alagh's successor Darayisung Küdeng Khan
Darayisung Küdeng Khan
Darayisung Khan , was the Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia. Darayisung Khan was the eldest son of Bodi Alagh Khan whom he succeeded as khan. During his rule, Altan Khan became stronger and more disrespectful of the power of the Great Khan and Darayisung Khan was unable to...
to flee eastward. In 1551 Darayisung made a compromise with Altan in exchange for giving the title "Gegeen Khan" to him.
Altan Khan, who controlled the Ordos tumen
Ordos Mongols
The Ordos are a Mongol subgroup that live in Uushin district, Inner Mongolia. Ordos literally means plural of Ordo....
of the Huang He or Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
was well placed to keep pressure on the Chinese and the Oirat
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
Mongols in Tibet while developing both agriculture and trade.
In 1571, Altan Khan was granted the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from the Longqing Emperor
Longqing Emperor
The Longqing Emperor was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty in China between 1567-1572. His era name means "Great celebration". His name at birth was Zhu Zaihou and he was born during the reign of his father Emperor Jiajing, at the Forbidden City at the Ming Dynasty capital Beijing....
(March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty).
Altan Khan also founded the city of Köke Khota (Hohhot
Hohhot
Hohhot , is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....
, lit. 'The Blue City'), now the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Alliance with the Gelug
Altan Khan is particularly remembered for re-establishing ties between Mongolia and the religious leaders of the Tibetan GelugGelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
order. Altan Khan first invited Sonam Gyatso to Tumet in 1569, but apparently he refused to go and sent a disciple instead, who reported back to him about the great opportunity to spread Buddhist teachings throughout Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. In 1571, Altan Khan got the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from Longqing Emperor (March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty). In 1573, Altan Khan took some Tibetan Buddhist monks prisoner.
Sonam Gyatso accepted Altan Khan's invitation to Tumet in 1577. Altan Khan later had Thegchen Chonkhor, Mongolia's first monastery, built at the place of the meeting. Also, the ruler of the Khalkha
Khalkha
Khalkha is the largest subgroup of Mongol people in Mongolia since 15th century. The Khalkha together with Tsahar, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by the Altan Urag Khans until the 20th century; unlike the Oirat people who were ruled by the Dzungar nobles or the Khorchins who were ruled by...
Mongols, Abtai Sain Khan, rushed to Tumet to meet the Dalai Lama. The Erdene Zuu monastery
Erdene Zuu monastery
The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the most ancient surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. It is in Övörkhangai Province, near the town of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum...
was built by him in 1586, at the site of the former Mongol capital of Karakorum
Karakorum
Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery...
following his adoption of Buddhism as the state religion. This monastery is also often (wrongly) referred to as the first monastery in Mongolia and it grew into a massive establishment. In 1792, it contained 62 temples and some 10,000 lamas.
Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan Sakya
Sakya
The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa
Drogön Chögyal Phagpa
Zhogön Qögyä Pagba, Zhogoin Qoigyai Phagspa or Drogön Chögyal Phagpa , born Lochö Gyäcän or Lochoi Gyaicain , was the fifth leader of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He became the first vice-king of Tibet and played an important political role...
(1235–1280) who converted Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
, while Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
(1215–1294), the famous ruler of the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
and Emperor of China, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating the Buddhist religion.
Altan Khan designated Sonam Gyatso as "Dalai" (a translation into Mongolian of the name Gyatso, meaning "ocean"). As a result, Sonam Gyatso became known as the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
which, since then, has been used as a title - frequently translated into English as "Ocean of Wisdom". The title was also posthumously given to Gendun Drup and Gendun Gyatso, who were considered Sonam Gyatso's previous incarnations. Thus, Sonam Gyatso was recognized as being already the 3rd Dalai Lama.
Sonam Gyatso never returned to Tibet but remained proselytizing among the Mongols. The Tumed Mongols and their allies were brought into the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
tradition, which was to become the main spiritual orientation of the Mongols in the ensuing centuries.
Sonam Gyatso's message was that the time had come for Mongolia to embrace Buddhism, that from that time on there should be no more animal sacrifices, the images of the old gods were to be destroyed, there must be no taking of life, animal or human, military action must be given up and the immolation of women on the funeral pyres of their husbands must be abolished. He also secured an edict abolishing the Mongol custom of blood-sacrifices. "These and many other such laws were set forth by Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso and were instituted by Altan Khan."
A massive program of translating Tibetan (and Sanskrit) texts into Mongolian was commenced, with letters written in silver and gold and paid for by the Dalai Lama's Mongolian devotees. Within 50 years virtually all Mongols had become Buddhist, with tens of thousands of monks, who were members of the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
order, loyal to the Dalai Lama.
When Sonam Gyatso died in 1588, his incarnation - and thus, the new Dalai Lama - was "found" to be Altan Khan's great-grandson.
Military exploits
Altan Khan used his military strength to threaten the Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He led raids into China in 1529, 1530 and 1542 returning with plunder and livestock. In 1550 he crossed the Great Wall and besieged Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
setting the suburbs on fire. In 1552 Altan Khan gained control of the remains of Karakorum, the old Mongol capital. The Chinese emperor was forced to grant special trading rights to the khanate
Khanate
Khanate, or Chanat, is a Turco-Mongol-originated word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. In modern Turkish, the word used is kağanlık, and in modern Azeri of the republic of Azerbaijan, xanlıq. In Mongolian the word khanlig is used, as in "Khereidiin Khanlig" meaning the Khanate...
, after signing a peace treaty with him in 1571, allowing it to trade horses for silks, which further strengthened it economically. The Chinese also granted him the title of Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King"). During his reign he made several successful military campaigns to the west against rebellious Oirats, Kazakhs,and Kyrgizs bringing them back under his rule.
Death
Altan Khan died in 1582, only four years after meeting with the Third Dalai Lama. He was 74 or 75 years old at the time.Succession
Altan Khan was succeeded by his son Sengge Düüreng. Altan Khan's great-grandson, Yonten Gyatso, was selected as the 4th Dalai LamaDalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
.