Altan Khan of the Tümed (2 January 1508 – 13 January 1582; ; Chinese: 阿勒坦汗), whose given name was Anda ( Mongolian: Алтан (Аньда); Chinese: 俺答), was the leader of the Tümed Mongols de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

, and the first Ming Shunyi King (順義王). He was the grandson of

Dayan Khan Dayan Khan (; ), born Batumöngke ( , ; ''Bātúméngkè''; 1472–1517) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1480 to 1517. During his rule, he reunited the Mongols under Chinggisid supremacy. His reigning title, "Dayan" ...

(1464–1543), a descendant of

Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...

(1215–1294), who had managed to unite a tribal league between the

Khalkha Mongols The Khalkha (; ) have been the largest subgroup of the Mongols in modern Mongolia since the 15th century. The Khalkha, together with Chahars, Ordos Mongols, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by Borjigin khans until the 20th century. In cont ...

in the north and the Chahars (Tsakhars) to the south. His name means "Golden Khan" in the Mongolian language.

Consolidation of power

Borjigin Barsboladiin Altan was the second son of Bars Bolud Jinong, 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 The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

. 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 Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...

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 The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...

was well placed to keep pressure on the Chinese and the Oirat Mongols in Tibet while developing both agriculture and trade. Altan Khan also founded the city of Köke Khota (

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the Capital (political), capital of Inner Mongolia in the North China, north of the China, People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrativ ...

, meaning "The Blue City"), now the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

.''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'', 15th Edition (1977), Vol. I, p. 275. There is an impressive statue of him in one of the city's main squares.

Relations with Ming China

Altan Khan led raids into the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

in 1529, 1530 and 1542 returning with plunder and livestock. In 1550 he crossed the

Great Wall The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection agains ...

and besieged

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, setting the suburbs on fire. In 1552 Altan Khan gained control of the remains of

Karakorum Karakorum (Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian script:, ''Qaraqorum'') was the capital city, capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan, Northern Yuan dynasty in the late 14th and 1 ...

, the old Mongol capital.

Longqing Emperor The Longqing Emperor (4March 15375July 1572), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Muzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Zaiji, art name Shunzhai, was the 13th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1567 to 1572. He was initially known ...

, the reigning emperor of the Ming dynasty, was forced to grant special trading rights to the

khanate A khanate ( ) or khaganate refers to historic polity, polities ruled by a Khan (title), khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. Khanates were typically nomadic Mongol and Turkic peoples, Turkic or Tatars, Tatar societies located on the Eurasian Steppe, ...

, which allowed it to trade horses for silks, further strengthening it economically. After grandson Bǎhànnàjí (把汉那吉) was surrenderred to the Ming, wife of Altan Khan, Khatun (克哈屯) was afraid that Bǎhànnàjí would be killed by the Ming. Han official Zhao Quan (赵全) under Altan Khan suggested to attack Ming to get Bǎhànnàjí back. After verifying the fact that Bǎhànnàjí was appointed as a commander of the Ming, Altan Khan told Bao Chongde (鲍崇德) that if he was betowed as a king of the Ming, he would become official and follow order of the Ming, and never betray. He also broke an arrow as a pledge, saying if he broke his promise, he would be broken like the arrow. In 1570 (fourth year of the Longqing era), event Anda Feng Gong (Chinese:俺答封贡) occurred after Grandson Bǎhànnàjí returned to Altan Khan, and Han officials including Zhao Quan under Altan Khan were executed the next day by the Ming. In 1571, Altan Khan agreed to pay tribute to the Ming, and the title Shunyi King ("king who conforms to righteousness") and seal of authority were granted to him by the

(March 4, 1537 – July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(

). The emperor also gave Altan Khan's new capital a new name, Guihua, meaning "return to civilization".Laird, Thomas (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', p. 143. Grove Press, N.Y. . More than 60 other people including Altan Khan's brother and nephew were also assigned with high official positions of the Ming. As requested by Altan Khan, his son Sengge Düüreng was also granted official position from Ming. Grandson Bǎhànnàjí was appointed as General by the Ming and continued to command as before. Altan Khan's submission to the Ming dynasty in 1570 was largely nominal, as he retained significant autonomy. While he acknowledged Ming authority and paid tribute, the arrangement was mutually beneficial, with the Ming offering trade privileges. In reality, the Ming had little control over Altan Khan's actions or policies.

Alliance with the Gelug

Altan Khan is particularly remembered for establishing ties between Mongolia and the religious leaders of the Tibetan

Gelug file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India) The Gelug (, also Geluk; 'virtuous' ...

order. He became very interested in the Gelug, and Beijing was happy to provide him with Tibetan lamas (teachers), Tibetan scriptures, and translations. Altan Khan first invited Sonam Gyatso to Tümed 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 is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

. In 1573, Altan Khan took some Tibetan Buddhist monks prisoner. Sonam Gyatso accepted Altan Khan's invitation to Tümed in 1577.McKay 2003, p. 18 Altan Khan later had Thegchen Chonkhor, Mongolia's first monastery, built at the place of the meeting.Laird, Thomas (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', p. 144. Grove Press, N.Y. . Also, the ruler of the

, Abtai Sain Khan, rushed to Tümed to meet the Dalai Lama. The Erdene Zuu Monastery was built by him in 1586, at the site of the former Mongol capital of

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 68 temples and some 15,000 lamas. Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan

Sakya The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu. Origins Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...

monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235–1280) who had converted

. He also claimed Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan (1215–1294), the famous ruler of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

and Emperor of China, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating the Buddhist religion.Laird, Thomas (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', p. 146. Grove Press, N.Y. . Altan Khan designated Sonam Gyatso as "Dalai" (a translation into Mongolian of the name Gyatso, meaning "ocean") in 1578, and in October 1587, as requested by the family of Altan Khan, Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso was promoted to Duǒ Er Zhǐ Chàng (Chinese:朵儿只唱) by the emperor of China, seal of authority and golden sheets were granted. As a result, Sonam Gyatso became known as the

Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣识一切瓦齐尔达喇达赖喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...

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 The 1st Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa (; 1391–1474) was a student of Je Tsongkhapa, and became his first Khenpo (Abbott) at Ganden Monastery. He also founded Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigaste. He was posthumously awarded the spiritual title of Dal ...

and Gendun Gyatso, who were considered Sonam Gyatso's previous incarnations.McKay 2003, p. 19 Thus, Sonam Gyatso was recognized as being already the 3rd Dalai Lama. Sonam Gyatso never returned to Tibet but remained proselytizing among the Mongols.McKay 2003, p. 19 The Tümed Mongols and their allies were brought into the

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, there must be no taking of life, animal or human, military action must be pursued only with purpose 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)''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'', 15th Edition (1977), Vol. 12, p. 374. 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

order, loyal to the Dalai Lama. When Sonam Gyatso died in 1588, his incarnation – and thus, the new Dalai Lama – was Altan Khan's great-grandson.

Death

Altan Khan died in 13 January 1582, only eleven years after becoming Shunyi King of Ming China, and only four years after meeting with the Third Dalai Lama. He was 74 or 75 years old at the time.

Succession

Altan Khan's title Shunyi Wang (順義王) was succeeded by his son Sengge Düüreng who was supported by the Ming court of China. Altan Khan's great-grandson, Yonten Gyatso, was selected as the 4th Dalai Lama.

Altan Khan Plaza

In order to commemorate Altan Khan's great contribution to

, in September 2011, a seated statue of Altan Khan donated by an enterprise was completed in the square in front of the Dazhao Temple. The heroic achievements of Altan Khan are recorded under the bronze statue. Everyone who comes to Hohhot will see the seated statue of Altan Khan.

References

Sources

* McKay, A. (editor) (2003)
History of Tibet
Publisher: RoutledgeCurzon. {{Use dmy dates, date=October 2021 16th-century Mongol khans Tibetan Buddhists from Mongolia Converts to Buddhism Converts to Buddhism from Islam Mongolian Buddhists 1507 births 1582 deaths Mongolian Buddhist monarchs