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Kurultai
A kurultai (/kʊrʊlˈtaɪ/, lit. 'gathering'), also called a qurultai, was a political and military council of ancient Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans.
According to the Old Turkic–Russian dictionary, the oldest recorded pre-Genghis Khan mention of the root word "Qur" is found in Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk (11th century), where it was used as a verb meaning 'to assemble, to assemble into a formation, to build'. The root word and the word kurultai are currently in use in numerous Turkic languages. According to another hypothesis, the root of the term is from the hypothetical Proto-Mongolic verb *kura-, *kurija- 'to collect, to gather' whence khural 'meeting, assembly' in Mongolic languages. From this same root arises the Mongolian word хурим khurim 'feast', which originally referred to large festive gatherings on the steppe, but it is now used mainly in the sense of 'wedding'.
All Great Khans of the Mongol Empire, were formally elected in a kurultai; khans of subordinate Mongol states, such as the Golden Horde, were elected by a similar regional kurultai.
During the kurultai, Mongol chiefs would convene to choose the next great khan. The kurultai was often, but not always, held in the capital of the Mongol Empire. They were also a time to assign all critical positions of leadership, as well as an opportunity to decide the military direction to be implemented under the new khan and leadership.
After the new khan was elected, an elaborate enthronement procedure followed. Johann Schiltberger, a 15th-century German traveler, described the installation of a new Golden Horde khan as follows:
When they choose a king, they take him and seat him on white felt, and raise him in it three times. Then they lift him up and carry him round the tent, and seat him on a throne, and put a golden sword in his hand. Then he must be sworn as is the custom.
Kurultai were imperial and tribal assemblies convened to determine, strategize and analyze military campaigns and assign individuals to leadership positions and titles. Genghis Khan was declared khan in the kurultai of 1206. Most of the major military campaigns were first planned out at assemblies such as this and there were minor and less significant kurultai under the Mongol Empire under political subordinate leaders and generals.
The kurultai, however, required the presence of the senior members of the tribes participating, who were also military leaders. Thus, the deaths of Ögedei and Möngke in 1241 and 1259, respectively, necessitated the withdrawal of Mongol leaders (and troops) from the outskirts of Vienna and Venice (in 1241) and from Syria (in 1259), hamstringing military operations against the Austrians and Mamluks that might otherwise have continued.
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Kurultai
A kurultai (/kʊrʊlˈtaɪ/, lit. 'gathering'), also called a qurultai, was a political and military council of ancient Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans.
According to the Old Turkic–Russian dictionary, the oldest recorded pre-Genghis Khan mention of the root word "Qur" is found in Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk (11th century), where it was used as a verb meaning 'to assemble, to assemble into a formation, to build'. The root word and the word kurultai are currently in use in numerous Turkic languages. According to another hypothesis, the root of the term is from the hypothetical Proto-Mongolic verb *kura-, *kurija- 'to collect, to gather' whence khural 'meeting, assembly' in Mongolic languages. From this same root arises the Mongolian word хурим khurim 'feast', which originally referred to large festive gatherings on the steppe, but it is now used mainly in the sense of 'wedding'.
All Great Khans of the Mongol Empire, were formally elected in a kurultai; khans of subordinate Mongol states, such as the Golden Horde, were elected by a similar regional kurultai.
During the kurultai, Mongol chiefs would convene to choose the next great khan. The kurultai was often, but not always, held in the capital of the Mongol Empire. They were also a time to assign all critical positions of leadership, as well as an opportunity to decide the military direction to be implemented under the new khan and leadership.
After the new khan was elected, an elaborate enthronement procedure followed. Johann Schiltberger, a 15th-century German traveler, described the installation of a new Golden Horde khan as follows:
When they choose a king, they take him and seat him on white felt, and raise him in it three times. Then they lift him up and carry him round the tent, and seat him on a throne, and put a golden sword in his hand. Then he must be sworn as is the custom.
Kurultai were imperial and tribal assemblies convened to determine, strategize and analyze military campaigns and assign individuals to leadership positions and titles. Genghis Khan was declared khan in the kurultai of 1206. Most of the major military campaigns were first planned out at assemblies such as this and there were minor and less significant kurultai under the Mongol Empire under political subordinate leaders and generals.
The kurultai, however, required the presence of the senior members of the tribes participating, who were also military leaders. Thus, the deaths of Ögedei and Möngke in 1241 and 1259, respectively, necessitated the withdrawal of Mongol leaders (and troops) from the outskirts of Vienna and Venice (in 1241) and from Syria (in 1259), hamstringing military operations against the Austrians and Mamluks that might otherwise have continued.
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