Northern Yuan dynasty

Mongolia, 1368–1691. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Northern Yuan was a dynastic state ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty in 1635, which was later renamed as the Qing dynasty. Dayan Khan and Mandukhai Khatun reunited most Mongol tribes in the late 15th century. This period featured factional struggles and the often only nominal role of the Great Khan.

Seat of power: Xanadu

Rulers

Culture

• Abtai Sain Khan, ruler of the Khalkha Mongols and grandfather of Zanabazar, the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, ordered construction of the Erdene Zuu monastery in 1585 after his meeting with the 3rd Dalai Lama and the declaration of Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion of Mongolia.
• The last sixty years of this period featured the intensive penetration of Tibetan Buddhism into Mongol society.
• Stones from the nearby ruins of the thirteenth century Mongol capital of Karakorum were used in its construction.

Picture

The Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in 1585, is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.

Image: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sources

• Northern Yuan (Wikipedia)
• Northern Yuan dynasty (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.