History of Mongolia

Many empires have ruled modern Mongolia. Many of them were nomadic empires. TheXiongnu (3rd century BC–1st century AD), the Xianbei state ( AD 93–234), the Rouran Khaganate (330–555), the First (552–603) and Second Turkic Khaganates (682–744) are some of the empires in Mongolia. The Khitan people, made the Liao dynasty (916–1125). They ruled in Mongolia and parts of North China, northern Korea, and the present-day Russian Far East.

In 1206, Genghis Khan was able to unite the Mongol tribes. He turned the tribes into a powerful fighting force. Genghis Khan turned this area into the biggest contiguous (not interrupted by water) empire in history. This was the Mongol Empire (1206–1368). After the Mongol Empire fell, Mongolia was ruled by the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). This dynasty was based in Khanbaliq (modern Beijing). The Yuan emperors started Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia.

After the Yuan dynasty collapsed in 1368, the Yuan court went to the Mongolian Plateau. This started the Northern Yuan dynasty (1368–1635). At this time, Mongolians returned to their shamanist traditions. Buddhism reappeared in Mongolia in the 16th and 17th centuries.

At the end of the 17th century, Mongolia became part of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. In the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Mongolia became independent from Qing. They were not fully independent until 1921. In 1945, they were given international recognition. In 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic was formed. Mongolian politics began to be influenced by Soviet politics of the time. After the Revolutions of 1989, the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 led to a multi-party system and a new constitution in 1992. Mongolia eventually started to use a market economy.

## Further reading

- Batbayar, Bat-Erdene. _Twentieth Century Mongolia_ (Global Oriental, 2000).
- Batbayar, Tsedendambyn, and Sharad Kumar Soni. _Modern Mongolia: A concise history_ (Pentagon Press, 2007).
- Bawden, Charles. "Mongolia: Ancient and Modern" _History Today_ (Feb 1959) 9#2 p103-112.
- Bold, Bat-Ochir. _Mongolian Nomadic Society: a reconstruction of the 'medieval' history of Mongolia_ (Routledge, 2013).
- Buyandelgeriyn, Manduhai. "Dealing with uncertainty: shamans, marginal capitalism, and the remaking of history in postsocialist Mongolia." _American Ethnologist_ 34#1 (2007): 127–147. online
- Christian, David. _A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Vol. 1: Inner Eurasia from Prehistory to the Mongol Empire_ (1998) excerpt
- Christian, David. _A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Volume II: Inner Eurasia from the Mongol Empire to Today, 1260-2000_ (John Wiley & Sons, 2018). excerpt
- Kaplonski, Christopher. _Truth, history and politics in Mongolia: Memory of heroes_ (Routledge, 2004).
- Sanders, Alan J. K. (2010). _Historical Dictionary of Mongolia_. Scarecrow Press.
- Volkov, Vitaliĭ Vasil’evich. "Early nomads of Mongolia." in _Nomads of the Eurasian steppes in the Early Iron Age_ ed by Jeannine Davis-Kimball, et al. (1995): 318-332 online.
- Weatherford, Jack. _Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World_ (2005) a best-seller excerpt.

### Other languages

- Walther Heissig, Claudius Müller, _Die Mongolen_ (exhibition catalogue in German), Munich 1989 (as _Mongolen (catalogue)_)

## Other websites

- John Stewart Bowman "Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture"
- Map of the Capital Districts of the Kidan Empire
- Map of the Kidan period
- Kidans and Jurjens
- Dual Manichaeism in Uighuria and Iran
- Realm of the Mongols
- Mongolia – Entry on Mongolia from the 1907 _Catholic Encyclopedia_
- Biography of Zanabazar and history of dissemination of Buddhism in Mongolia by Don Croner
- History of Mongolia : Chronology and details
- Face Music – History: Horsemen – Nomads
- The Xiongnu Empire
- Maps
- History of Mongolia
- PREHISTORY OF MONGOLIA
- Fossils found in Khentii aimag of Mongolia might Prehistoric Rhinoceros
- Dinosaurs from Mongolia as reported in 1924
- Rock Art and Surface Archaeology of Mongolia: Baga Oigor and Tsagaan Salaa
- Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai
- High Altai - Central Asia - Petroglyphs - Prehistoric Rock Paintings
- PREHISTORIC PARK - MYSTERIES OF PREHISTORIC MONGOLIA
- Archeological Sensation: Ancient Mummy Found in Mongolia
- Mongolia and the Altai Mountains: Origins of Genetic Blending Between Europeans and Asians
- Prehistoric bone hats found in Inner Mongolia
- MONGOLIA -- TEN PREHISTORIC SITES DISCOVERED
- Two prehistoric villages found in Mongolia
- 4000-year-old prehistoric portraits discovered in Inner Mongolia New prehistoric discoveries in Alxa League, Inner Mongolia
- New prehistoric discoveries in Alxa League, Inner Mongolia
- Palaeocritti - a guide to prehistoric animals
- Ordos Man And Inner Mongolia
- The Rock Art of Inner Mongolia & Ningxia (China)