Kerait
Encyclopedia
The Kereit tribe was one of the five major tribal
confederation
s (khanlig) in Mongolian plateau
in the 12th century, and dominant in the area and, as allies of Genghis Khan
, influential in the rise of the Mongol Empire
. Converted to Nestorian Christianity in the 11th century, they were also a key example of prominent Christians among the Mongols
.
They located between the mountain ranges of Khangai and Khentii
and centered on the site of nowadays city Ulaanbaatar
in the willow groves of the Tuul River
, to the west of the Khamag Mongol
, to the east of the Naiman
.
The last ruler, Toghrul
, gained fame as far away as Europe for his battles with Muslims, and several women from the Kereit clan became influential women in the Mongol court. Sorghaghtani Bekhi, the younger daughter of Toghrul's brother Jakha Khambu, married a son of Genghis Khan
, and their four sons, including Great Khans Kublai Khan
and Mongke Khan
, became prominent leaders of the Empire.
' in Mongolian. Others claim that the Keraits were named so because they originally lived at a place called 'Khereet' meaning 'crow-with' or 'place with crows'. Yet another theory maintains that the name 'Khereed' derives from the Mongolian word 'Kherees' meaning 'cross' and is connected to their Christian religion.
confederacy, a large alliance of tribes that dominated Mongolia in the 11th and 12th centuries and often fought with the Liao Dynasty
of northern China, which controlled much of Mongolia at the time. After the Zubu confederacy broke up, the Keraits retained their dominance on the steppe right up until they were absorbed into Genghis Khan's Mongolian state. They consisted of eight tribes, including the Khereit, Jirkhin, Khonkhoid, Sukhait, Albat, Tumaut, Dunghaid and Khirkh, although some histories say the Kereit had eight tribes.
in 1100. Kurchakus Buyruk Khan was a son and successor of Bayruk Markus, among whose wives was Toreqaimish Khatun, daughter of Korchi Buiruk Khan of the Naiman. Kurchakus's younger brother was Gur Khan. Kurchakus Buyruk Khan had many sons. Notable sons was Toghrul,Yula-Mangus, Tai-Timur, Bukha-Timur.
After Kurchakus Buyruk Khan died, Ilma's servant Eljidai from Tatar was de-facto regent. Thus, since Toghrul was upset and killed younger brothers for claim throne. Then Gur Khan raided Toghrul. Yesugei Baghatur helped Toghrul.
By 13th century, there was a significant Mongolization process among the Kerait people (Khereyid in Mongolian). Although, the ruling aristocray was of Turkic stock, the general population of the khanate was Mongol.
Keraits who joined western khanates became more Turkicized forming Tatars, Kazakhs and Khirgizs while there currently exists Kerayid clan of Mongols in present-day Mongolia
.
Toghrul (Wang Khan
), son of Kurchakus by Ilma Khatun and reigned in 1160s-1204. His palace was located at present-day Ulaanbaatar
and become Blood-brother (ceremonial) of Yesugei. Genghis Khan called him khan etseg ('khan father').
The Tatars already rebelled against the Jin Dynasty in 1195. Jin commander sent a emissary to Temujin. In fight Tatars broken and Kereit-Mongol alliance defeated them. In 1196, Jin awarded the title of the "Wang" (king). Toghrul Khan enjoyed it. Then he is recorded under Wang Khan
title.
In 1203, Temüjin defeated the Kerait, who were distracted by the collapse of their own coalition. Toghrul tried to escape to the Naimans, but was killed by a Naiman warrior who didn't happen to recognize him. The remaining Kerait submitted to Temüjins rule, but out of distrust he dispersed them among the other Mongol tribes.
Toghrul's younger brother was Jakha Khambu,lifelong ally of Genghis Khan and father of Sorghaghtani Bekhi. Tohrul's son was Nilkha Sengum. Sorghaghtani Beki
, daughter of Jakha Khambu becomed the Tolui
's khatun
. She was mother of Great Khans Kublai Khan
, Mongke Khan
, and Ilkhanate-founder Hulagu Khan
. In court of Ilkhanate, Rinchin, protected Christians when Ghazan began to presecute them. But he was executed by Abu Said
when fighting against his custodian Chupan
of the Suldus clan in 1319.
. But as a coalition of many subtribes they seem to have included elements of both Turkic and Mongol ancestries, which makes an unambiguous categorization difficult.
, a sect of Christianity
, early in the 11th century. Other tribes evangelized entirely or to a great extent during the 10th and 11th centuries were the Naiman and the Ongud
.
An account of the conversion of the Kerait is given by the 13th century Jacobite historian Gregory Bar Hebraeus. According to Hebraeus, in early 11th century, a Kereit king lost his way while hunting in the high mountains. When he had abandoned all hope, a saint (Mar Sergius or Saint Sergius) appeared in a vision and said, "If you will believe in Christ, I will lead you lest you perish." He returned home safely. When he met Christian merchants, he remembered the vision and asked them about their faith. At their suggestion, he sent a message to the Metropolitan of Merv
for priests and deacon
s to baptize
him and his tribe. As a result of the mission that followed, the king and 20000 of his people were baptized. Rashid al-Din
says in the Jami al-Tawarikh
that the Kereit "are given over to the worship of Jesus". William of Rubruck
, who encountered many Nestorians during his stay at Mongke Khan
's court and at Karakorum
in 1254-1255, notes that Nestorianism in Mongolia was tainted by shamanism
and Manicheism and very confused in terms of liturgy. He attributes this to the lack of teachers of the faith, power struggles among the clergy and a willingness to make doctrinal concessions in order to win the favour of the Khans.
The legend of Prester John
, otherwise set in India or Ethiopia, was also brought in connection with the Nestorian rulers of the Kerait. In some versions of the legend, Prester John was explicitly identified with Toghrul
. But Mongolian sources say nothing about his religion. The Chinese series "Genghis Khan" depicts Wang Khan Toghrul as a devout Christian, with a cross mounted on top of his royal yurt
which has a Christian altar inside and shows him regularly making the sign of the cross. The Naiman are also depicted similarly, as a literate Christian tribe looking down on the 'filthy Mongols'. Jamukha, politically motivated, hastily receives a baptism from them. A brief scene of the Chinese "Genghis Khan" series on Youtube shows the Khan of the Naiman (with helmet) in front of his cross-crowned royal yurt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUwKspSZwfo). The Japanese-Mongolian film "Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
" also depicts Wang Khan Toghrul of the Kerait as Christian, with a church bell behind his royal yurt and Christian cross signs on his flag, his throne as well as covering his yurt. This can be seen starting from "3:00" minutes on this Youtube video of the film (dubbed Thai) which shows a young Genghis Khan presenting a gift to Wang Khan Toghrul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUlyZDrkHZs[dead link]).
and the Baarin in Inner Mongolia
as well as among northern Khalkha
and Torguud people in Mongolia
.
Another descendants of Kerait are the Karaylar or Kerey tribe within the Middle Juz
of the Kazakhs
.
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
s (khanlig) in Mongolian plateau
Mongolian Plateau
The Mongolian Plateau is part of the larger Central Asian Plateau and has an area of approximately 2,600,000 square kilometres. It is occupied by Mongolia in the north and Inner Mongolia in the south. The plateau includes the Gobi Desert as well as dry steppe regions...
in the 12th century, and dominant in the area and, as allies of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, influential in the rise 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...
. Converted to Nestorian Christianity in the 11th century, they were also a key example of prominent Christians among 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...
.
They located between the mountain ranges of Khangai and Khentii
Khentii Mountains
The Khentii Mountains are a mountain range in the Töv and Khentii Provinces in northern Mongolia. The chain overlaps the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and includes Mongolia's sacred mountain, Burkhan Khaldun, which is associated with the origin of Genghis Khan.The range forms the watershed...
and centered on the site of nowadays city Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
in the willow groves of the Tuul River
Tuul River
Tuul River is a river in central and northern Mongolia considered sacred by the Mongols. It is 704 km long and drains an area 49,840 square km. The river is called the "Duluo river" in the Suishu, a Chinese historical work completed in 636 AD...
, to the west of the Khamag Mongol
Khamag Mongol
Khamag Mongol was a major tribal confederation in Mongolian plateau in 12th century. It is sometimes also considered a predecessor state to the Mongol Empire....
, to the east of the Naiman
Naimans
The Naimans, also Naiman Turks or Naiman Mongols, was a Mongolian name given to a group of people dwelling on the steppe of Central Asia, having diplomatic relations with the Kara-Khitan, and subservient to them until 1177...
.
The last ruler, Toghrul
Wang Khan
Wang Khan, also Ong Khan, was the title given to the Kerait ruler Toghrul by the Jurchen Jin Dynasty of China. Like the rest of their tribe he may have been Nestorian Christian...
, gained fame as far away as Europe for his battles with Muslims, and several women from the Kereit clan became influential women in the Mongol court. Sorghaghtani Bekhi, the younger daughter of Toghrul's brother Jakha Khambu, married a son of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, and their four sons, including Great Khans 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...
and Mongke Khan
Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...
, became prominent leaders of the Empire.
Name
According to Mongol legend there was once an ancient Khan who had seven sons. These seven sons had unusually dark faces. That is why the tribal confederation they founded was called Khereed or 'Crows'. 'Kheree' means 'crowCrow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
' in Mongolian. Others claim that the Keraits were named so because they originally lived at a place called 'Khereet' meaning 'crow-with' or 'place with crows'. Yet another theory maintains that the name 'Khereed' derives from the Mongolian word 'Kherees' meaning 'cross' and is connected to their Christian religion.
Origin
The Keraits first enter into history as the ruling faction of the ZubuZubu
The Zubu were an ethnic group that are known to have existed in northeast Asia from the 10th to 12th centuries...
confederacy, a large alliance of tribes that dominated Mongolia in the 11th and 12th centuries and often fought with the Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
of northern China, which controlled much of Mongolia at the time. After the Zubu confederacy broke up, the Keraits retained their dominance on the steppe right up until they were absorbed into Genghis Khan's Mongolian state. They consisted of eight tribes, including the Khereit, Jirkhin, Khonkhoid, Sukhait, Albat, Tumaut, Dunghaid and Khirkh, although some histories say the Kereit had eight tribes.
Before Wang Khan
Markus Buyruk Khan, Kerait leader who also lead the Zubu confederacy and was eventually killed by the Liao DynastyLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
in 1100. Kurchakus Buyruk Khan was a son and successor of Bayruk Markus, among whose wives was Toreqaimish Khatun, daughter of Korchi Buiruk Khan of the Naiman. Kurchakus's younger brother was Gur Khan. Kurchakus Buyruk Khan had many sons. Notable sons was Toghrul,Yula-Mangus, Tai-Timur, Bukha-Timur.
After Kurchakus Buyruk Khan died, Ilma's servant Eljidai from Tatar was de-facto regent. Thus, since Toghrul was upset and killed younger brothers for claim throne. Then Gur Khan raided Toghrul. Yesugei Baghatur helped Toghrul.
By 13th century, there was a significant Mongolization process among the Kerait people (Khereyid in Mongolian). Although, the ruling aristocray was of Turkic stock, the general population of the khanate was Mongol.
Keraits who joined western khanates became more Turkicized forming Tatars, Kazakhs and Khirgizs while there currently exists Kerayid clan of Mongols in present-day 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...
.
Wang Khan and Kereits in Mongol Empire
Wang Khan
Wang Khan, also Ong Khan, was the title given to the Kerait ruler Toghrul by the Jurchen Jin Dynasty of China. Like the rest of their tribe he may have been Nestorian Christian...
), son of Kurchakus by Ilma Khatun and reigned in 1160s-1204. His palace was located at present-day Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
and become Blood-brother (ceremonial) of Yesugei. Genghis Khan called him khan etseg ('khan father').
The Tatars already rebelled against the Jin Dynasty in 1195. Jin commander sent a emissary to Temujin. In fight Tatars broken and Kereit-Mongol alliance defeated them. In 1196, Jin awarded the title of the "Wang" (king). Toghrul Khan enjoyed it. Then he is recorded under Wang Khan
Wang Khan
Wang Khan, also Ong Khan, was the title given to the Kerait ruler Toghrul by the Jurchen Jin Dynasty of China. Like the rest of their tribe he may have been Nestorian Christian...
title.
In 1203, Temüjin defeated the Kerait, who were distracted by the collapse of their own coalition. Toghrul tried to escape to the Naimans, but was killed by a Naiman warrior who didn't happen to recognize him. The remaining Kerait submitted to Temüjins rule, but out of distrust he dispersed them among the other Mongol tribes.
Toghrul's younger brother was Jakha Khambu,lifelong ally of Genghis Khan and father of Sorghaghtani Bekhi. Tohrul's son was Nilkha Sengum. Sorghaghtani Beki
Sorghaghtani Beki
Sorghaghtani Beki or Bekhi , also written Sorkaktani, Sorkhokhtani, Sorkhogtani, Siyurkuktiti; , a Kereyid princess of the Nestorian Christian faith and daughter-in-law of Temüjin , was one of the most powerful and competent women in the Mongol Empire...
, daughter of Jakha Khambu becomed the Tolui
Tolui
Tolui, was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun Börte...
's khatun
Khatun
Khatun is a female title of nobility and alternative to male "khan" prominently used in the First Turkic Empire and in the subsequent Mongol Empire...
. She was mother of Great Khans 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...
, Mongke Khan
Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...
, and Ilkhanate-founder Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan, also known as Hülegü, Hulegu , was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Southwest Asia...
. In court of Ilkhanate, Rinchin, protected Christians when Ghazan began to presecute them. But he was executed by Abu Said
Abu Sa'id (Ilkhanid dynasty)
Abu Sa'id also Abusaid Bahador Khan, Abu Sayed Behauder , was the ninth ruler of the Ilkhanate state in Iran ....
when fighting against his custodian Chupan
Chupan
Amir Chupan, also known as Choban or Coban , , was a Chupanid noble of the Ilkhanate, and nominal general of the Mongol Empire. His father was named Malek of Mongol Suldus clan...
of the Suldus clan in 1319.
Ethnicity
The Kereit tribe is named both Mongolian and Turkic by different accounts, though names and titles of Kereit rulers imply that they primarily spoke a Turkic languageTurkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
. But as a coalition of many subtribes they seem to have included elements of both Turkic and Mongol ancestries, which makes an unambiguous categorization difficult.
Nestorianism
The Kereit were converted to NestorianismNestorianism
Nestorianism is a Christological doctrine advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428–431. The doctrine, which was informed by Nestorius's studies under Theodore of Mopsuestia at the School of Antioch, emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus...
, a sect of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, early in the 11th century. Other tribes evangelized entirely or to a great extent during the 10th and 11th centuries were the Naiman and the Ongud
Ongud
The Öngüd, or Öngüt, or Ongot were a Mongolic tribe, active in Mongolia around the time of Genghis Khan . Many members were Nestorian Christians. They lived in an area lining the Chinese Great Wall, in the northern part of the Ordos and territories to the northeast of it...
.
An account of the conversion of the Kerait is given by the 13th century Jacobite historian Gregory Bar Hebraeus. According to Hebraeus, in early 11th century, a Kereit king lost his way while hunting in the high mountains. When he had abandoned all hope, a saint (Mar Sergius or Saint Sergius) appeared in a vision and said, "If you will believe in Christ, I will lead you lest you perish." He returned home safely. When he met Christian merchants, he remembered the vision and asked them about their faith. At their suggestion, he sent a message to the Metropolitan of Merv
Merv
Merv , formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana , was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of...
for priests and deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s to baptize
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
him and his tribe. As a result of the mission that followed, the king and 20000 of his people were baptized. Rashid al-Din
Rashid al-Din
Rashīd al-Dīn Tabīb also Rashīd al-Dīn Fadhl-allāh Hamadānī , was a Persian physician of Jewish origin, polymathic writer and historian, who wrote an enormous Islamic history, the Jami al-Tawarikh, in the Persian language, often considered a landmark in intercultural historiography and a key...
says in the Jami al-Tawarikh
Jami al-Tawarikh
The Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh, , or Universal History is an Iranian work of literature and history written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani at the start of the 14th century.-The author:...
that the Kereit "are given over to the worship of Jesus". William of Rubruck
William of Rubruck
William of Rubruck was a Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer. His account is one of the masterpieces of medieval geographical literature comparable to that of Marco Polo....
, who encountered many Nestorians during his stay at Mongke Khan
Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...
's court and at 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...
in 1254-1255, notes that Nestorianism in Mongolia was tainted by shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
and Manicheism and very confused in terms of liturgy. He attributes this to the lack of teachers of the faith, power struggles among the clergy and a willingness to make doctrinal concessions in order to win the favour of the Khans.
The legend of Prester John
Prester John
The legends of Prester John were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval...
, otherwise set in India or Ethiopia, was also brought in connection with the Nestorian rulers of the Kerait. In some versions of the legend, Prester John was explicitly identified with Toghrul
Wang Khan
Wang Khan, also Ong Khan, was the title given to the Kerait ruler Toghrul by the Jurchen Jin Dynasty of China. Like the rest of their tribe he may have been Nestorian Christian...
. But Mongolian sources say nothing about his religion. The Chinese series "Genghis Khan" depicts Wang Khan Toghrul as a devout Christian, with a cross mounted on top of his royal yurt
Yurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
which has a Christian altar inside and shows him regularly making the sign of the cross. The Naiman are also depicted similarly, as a literate Christian tribe looking down on the 'filthy Mongols'. Jamukha, politically motivated, hastily receives a baptism from them. A brief scene of the Chinese "Genghis Khan" series on Youtube shows the Khan of the Naiman (with helmet) in front of his cross-crowned royal yurt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUwKspSZwfo). The Japanese-Mongolian film "Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
is a 2007 Japanese - Mongolian historical drama film depicting the life of Genghis Khan.-Cast:*Takashi Sorimachi as Temüjin/Genghis Khan*Rei Kikukawa as Börte*Mayumi Wakamura as Hoelun*Kenichi Matsuyama as Jochi*Yoshihiko Hakamada as Hasar*Go Ara as Khulan...
" also depicts Wang Khan Toghrul of the Kerait as Christian, with a church bell behind his royal yurt and Christian cross signs on his flag, his throne as well as covering his yurt. This can be seen starting from "3:00" minutes on this Youtube video of the film (dubbed Thai) which shows a young Genghis Khan presenting a gift to Wang Khan Toghrul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUlyZDrkHZs[dead link]).
Descendants in Modern times
People with clan name Khereit are still found among the OrdosOrdos
-Places:*Ordos Loop of the Yellow River, a region of China*Ordos Desert, in Inner Mongolia*Ordos City, city and district in Inner Mongolia*Ordos International Circuit, a race track in Ordos City.-People:...
and the Baarin in Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
as well as among northern 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...
and Torguud people in 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...
.
Another descendants of Kerait are the Karaylar or Kerey tribe within the Middle Juz
Middle Juz
Middle jüz is one of three main traditional divisions of the Kazakh nation. The other two are Great jüz and Little jüz.Middle jüz consists of six tribes. The tribes, in turn, are subdivided into clans, creating a hierarchical pyramid of affiliations. Some historians claim that Middle Juz have...
of the Kazakhs
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
.
See also
- List of medieval Mongolian tribes and clans
- TieleTiele peopleThe Tiele or Tele , were a confederation of nine Turkic peoples living to the north of China and in Central Asia, emerging after the disintegration of the Xiongnu confederacy...
- QaraeiQaraeiThe Qaraei or Kara Tatar are an ethnic group who live between the Altay Mountains and the Black Sea, in Central Asia, the Middle East, Transcaucasia and Eastern Europe....