Mongols

Lore & Background

The ethnogenesis of Mongolic peoples is largely linked with the expansion of Ancient Northeast Asians. The Mongolian pastoralist lifestyle may in part be derived from the Western Steppe Herders, but without much geneflow between these two groups, suggesting cultural transmission. Ancient genomic evidence indicates that the Mongolian Plateau, the Amur River basin, and the West Liao River region were connected by population movements thousands of years before the appearance of historically recorded peoples such as the Donghu, Xiongnu, and Xianbei.

Based on Chinese historical texts, the ancestry of the Mongolic peoples can be traced back to the Donghu, a nomadic confederation occupying eastern Mongolia and Manchuria. The Donghu neighbored the Xiongnu, whose identity is still debated. The Xianbei formed part of the Donghu confederation, and three prominent groups split from the Xianbei state: the Rouran, the Khitan people, and the Shiwei—a subtribe called the 'Shiwei Menggu' is held to be the origin of the Genghisid Mongols. The designation 'Mongol' first appeared in the mid-10th century Chinese Old Book of Tang to describe a tribe of the Shiwei who resided in the Argun River basin in the 9th century.

Reader's Guide

The Mongols are significant as the principal members of the Mongolic peoples and the founders of the Mongol Empire, which united a large group of Mongolic-speaking tribes under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Their legacy includes the spread of the Mongolian language and the establishment of the Mongol heartland as a historical and cultural region. The ethnonym 'Mongol' grew into an umbrella term for these tribes, though they were also known in Central Asia, Western Asia, and Europe as 'Tatars,' after a tribal confederation active on the Mongolian Steppes in the 12th century. The Mongols' deep history involves interactions among populations of the Mongolian Plateau, the Amur River basin, and the West Liao River region, with ancient genomic evidence showing connections thousands of years before recorded peoples. Their pastoralist lifestyle and cultural transmission from the Western Steppe Herders, without significant geneflow, highlight a unique cultural evolution. The Oirats and Buryats are classified either as distinct ethno-linguistic groups or as subgroups of Mongols, reflecting the diversity within the broader Mongolic family.