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| The '''Keraits''' or '''Kereyids''' ({{lang-mn|Кэрэйд}}, ''Kereyd'') were a cluster of tribes in central ] before the rise of the ]. They lived in the area between the ] and the ] rivers, to the east of the ]. | |||
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| The '''Keraits''' or '''Kereyits''' (]: Керейлер ''Kereiler'') is a ]{{fact}} tribe of a ] origin. Several hundreds of thousands of Keraits constitute a considerable population in ], ], ], ] regions of ]{{fact}}, ] province of ] and ] of ]. They lived along the upper reaches of the ] west of the Tula River and north of the ]. According to the ]n ], the Kerait were converted to ], a sect of ], about the year ]. They lived to the east of the ]. The area around ], the present capital city of ], was inhabited by the Kerait. | |||
| The Kerait are most often classified as a Turkic tribe, but there are also sources that count them as ]. Names and titles of Kerait rulers imply that they primarily spoke a Turkic language. But as a coalition of many subtribes they seem to have included elements of both ancestries, which makes an unambiguous categorization difficult.<ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| , Department of Asian Pacific Studies, San Diego State University | |||
| </ref><ref name="grousset"> | |||
| R. Grousset, ''The Empire of the Steppes'', New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press, 1970, p191. | |||
| </ref> | |||
| == Nestorianism == | |||
| During the ] and ] centuries, due to ] ] activities, several Turkic tribes were entirely or to a great extent ], notably the Kerait, ], ] and ]. They were a cluster of hunting tribes east and south of ]. The principal tribes evangelized there by the Nestorians were the Naiman, the Merkit, and the Kerait. The Kerait ] at this time was ], where ] later found a ]. | |||
| The Kerait were converted to ], a sect of ], early in the 11th century. Other tribes evangelized entirely or to a great extent during the 10th and 11th centuries were the ] and the ]. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | An account of the conversion of the Kerait is given by the 13th century ] historian Gregory ]. According to Hebraeus, in early 11th century, a Kerait king lost his way while hunting in the high mountains. When he had abandoned all hope, a saint 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 ]s to ] him and his tribe. As a result of the mission that followed, the king and 20000 of his people were baptized.<ref name="grousset" /><ref> | ||
| The ] legend was connected to the Christian rulers of the Kerait ("The history of this race of Christian kings, afterward so celebrated in Europe under the name of Prester John, is properly referable to the two succeeding centuries." (Asahel Grant, op. cit., p. 376)). At one point in the legend, Prester John was explicitly identified with Wang Khan. | |||
| Moffett, ''A History of Christianity in Asia'' pp. 400-401. | |||
| </ref> | |||
| The legend of ], otherwise set in India or Ethopia, 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. | |||
| The Kerait organized themselves into a confederation and thus influenced the later political organization among the Mongols. They also had religious influence over the Mongols through royal marriage. Genghis Khan’s eldest daughter-in-law was a Nestorian Kerait princess called ] (or Sorghaghtani). | |||
| == Wang Khan == | |||
| Now the Keraits are ] ]. | |||
| ⚫ | The Kerait khan Toghrul was granted the title of ] (King) by the ] Emperor in 1183. Toghrul is best known as foster-father to ] (later ]) and one of his early allies, until they fell into disagreement over Temüüjins growing power. | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| In 1203, Temüüjin 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 Temüüjins rule, but out of distrust he dispersed them among the other Mongol tribes. | |||
| Other ]{{fact}} tribes include | |||
| Individual figures still managed to get into influential positions, sometimes through marriage. Genghis Khan's eldest daughter-in-law was the Nestorian Kerait princess ]. Four of her sons, most prominently ], became ]s at some time, founding several dynasties. | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| == References == | |||
| *] | |||
| <references /> | |||
| *] * | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 19:58, 29 June 2007
The Keraits or Kereyids (Template:Lang-mn, Kereyd) were a cluster of tribes in central Mongolia before the rise of the Mongol Empire. They lived in the area between the Orkhon and the Kherlen rivers, to the east of the Naimans.
The Kerait are most often classified as a Turkic tribe, but there are also sources that count them as Mongols. Names and titles of Kerait rulers imply that they primarily spoke a Turkic language. But as a coalition of many subtribes they seem to have included elements of both ancestries, which makes an unambiguous categorization difficult.
Nestorianism
The Kerait were converted to Nestorianism, 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 Merkit.
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 Kerait king lost his way while hunting in the high mountains. When he had abandoned all hope, a saint 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 deacons to baptize him and his tribe. As a result of the mission that followed, the king and 20000 of his people were baptized.
The legend of Prester John, otherwise set in India or Ethopia, 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
The Kerait khan Toghrul was granted the title of Wang Khan (King) by the Jin Emperor in 1183. Toghrul is best known as foster-father to Temüjin (later Genghis Khan) and one of his early allies, until they fell into disagreement over Temüüjins growing power.
In 1203, Temüüjin 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 Temüüjins rule, but out of distrust he dispersed them among the other Mongol tribes.
Individual figures still managed to get into influential positions, sometimes through marriage. Genghis Khan's eldest daughter-in-law was the Nestorian Kerait princess Sorghaghtani Beki. Four of her sons, most prominently Kublai Khan, became Great Khans at some time, founding several dynasties.
References
- The Mongol Century, Department of Asian Pacific Studies, San Diego State University
- ^ R. Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes, New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press, 1970, p191.
- Moffett, A History of Christianity in Asia pp. 400-401.