- Altan Khan
Infobox Monarch
name =Altan Khan
title =Khan of Tumet
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father =Bars Bolud Jinong
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date of birth =1507
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date of death =1582
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place of burial =|Altan Khan (1507-1582; Mongolian: Алтан хан), whose given name was Anda, was the ruler of the
Tumed Mongols [Stein, R. A. (1972). "Tibetan Civilization", pp. 81-82. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper).] [Richardson, Hugh E. (1984). "Tibet & its History. Second Edition, Revised and Updated", p. 41. Shambhala, Boston & London. ISBN 0-87773-376-7 (pbk).] and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of theMongols . He was the grandson ofDayan Khan (1464-1543), a descendant ofKublai Khan (1215-1294), who had managed to unite a tribal league between theKhalkha Mongols in the north and the Chahars (Tsakhars) to the south.Consolidation of power
Borjigin Barsboladiin Altan was the second son of
Bars Bolud Jinong , who had re-unified the Mongolian nobility in an attempt to regain the glory ofYuan Dynasty . Altan Khan ruled theTümed and belonged to the Right Wing of the Mongols along with his elder brotherGün 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 legitimate ruler of the Mongols from the Chahar, died in 1547, Altan forced Bodi Alagh's successorDarayisung 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 region of the great loop of the Huang He or
Yellow River was well placed to keep pressure on the Chinese and theOirat Mongols in Tibet while developing both agriculture and trade. ["The New Encyclopædia Britannica", 15th Edition (1977), Vol. 12, p. 373.]In 1571, Altan Khan was granted the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from the
Longqing Emperor (March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty).Altan Khan also founded the city of Köke Khota (
Hohhot , lit. 'The Blue City'), now the capital of theInner Mongolia Autonomous Region of thePeople's Republic of China . ["The New Encyclopædia Britannica", 15th Edition (1977), Vol. I, p. 275.]Altan Khan, Buddhism and the Sonam Gyatso, the 3rd Dalai Lama
Altan Khan is particularly remembered for re-establishing ties between Mongolia and the religious leaders of
Tibet . Altan Khan first invited theSonam Gyatso to Tumet 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 throughoutMongolia . [Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin M. (1968). "Tibet: An account of the history, religion and the people of Tibet", p. 218. Touchstone Books, New York. ISBN 0-671-20099-2 (hbk); ISBN 0-671-20559-5 (pbk).] In 1571, Altan Khan got the title Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King") from Longqing Emperor (March 4, 1537- July 5, 1572), the 12th emperor of China (Ming dynasty). In 1573, Altan Khan took some Tibetan Buddhist monks prisoner. [Stein, R. A. (1972). "Tibetan Civilization", p. 81. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper).]Altan Khan invited
Sonam Gyatso to Tumet again in 1571 and this time he accepted the invitation, after some hesitation, although followers begged him not to go. Sonam Gyatso's party was met at Ahrik Karpatang in Mongolia where a specially prepared camp had been set up to receive them. Thousands of animals were given to him as offerings and five hundred horsemen had been sent to escort him to Altan Khan's court at Altan Khan's new capital, Koke Khota (modernHohot ). When they arrived there, they were greeted by over ten thousand people including Altan Khan dressed in a white robe to symolize his devotion to theDharma . [Mullin, Glen H. (2001). "The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation", pp. 143-145. Clear Light Publishers, Santa Fe, New Mexico. ISBN 1-57416-092-3.] Altan Khan had Thegchen Chonkhor, Mongolia's first monastery, built there. [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 144. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.] Also, the ruler of theKhalkha Mongols, Abtai Sain Khan, rushed to Tumet to meet the Dalai Lama. The Erdene Zuu monastery ( _mn. Эрдэнэ Зуу) was built by him in 1586, at the site of the former Mongol capital ofKarakorum following his adoption of Buddhism as the state religion. ["Erdene Zuu Monastery" [http://www.mandal.ca/mongolia/e/Erdene_Zuu_Monastery.html] accessed 7th December, 2007.] 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 62 temples and some 10,000 lamas. [ [http://www.discover.mn/mongolia/visit.html] Accessed 7th Dec., 2007.]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 the letters beautifully 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
Gelug order, loyal to the Dalai Lama. [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 144. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.]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, the images of the old gods were to be destroyed, there must be no taking of life, animal or human, military action must be given up and the immolation of women on the funeral pyres of their husbands must be abolished. [Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin M. (1968). "Tibet: An account of the history, religion and the people of Tibet", p. 219. Touchstone Books, New York. ISBN 0-671-20099-2 (hbk); ISBN 0-671-20559-5 (pbk).] He also secured an edict abolishing the Mongol custom of blood-sacrifices. [Stein, R. A. (1972). Tibetan Civilization, p. 82. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper).] "These and many other such laws were set forth by Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso and were instituted by Altan Khan." [Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). "The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation," p. 146. Clear Light Publishers, Santa Fe, New Mexico. ISBN 1-57416-092-3.]
Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan
Sakya monkDrogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235-1280) who convertedKublai Khan , while Altan Khan was a reincarnation ofKublai Khan (1215-1294), the famous ruler of the Mongols 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. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.]It was Altan Khan who first translated the second part of the name of Sonam Gyatso (Gyatso means 'Ocean') into the Mongolian word 'Dalai', which also means 'Ocean'. As a result, Sonam Gyatso became known as the 'Dalai Lama' which, since then, has been used as a title - frequently (and wrongly) translated into English as "Ocean of Wisdom". However, according to
Tenzin Gyatso , the 14th Dalai Lama, it was originally just a simple translation of a name. [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 143. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.] The title was applied retrospectively to the first twoDalai Lama s, making Sonam Gyatso the third in the lineage, and he is commonly referred to as the Third Dalai Lama.Military exploits
Altan Khan used his military strength to threaten the
Ming Dynasty China . He led raids into China in 1529, 1530 and 1542 returning with plunder and livestock. In 1550 he crossed the Great Wall and besiegedBeijing setting the suburbs on fire. [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 141. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.] In 1552 Altan Khan gained control of the remains of Karakorum, the old Mongol capital. ["The New Encyclopædia Britannica", 15th Edition (1977), Vol. 9, p. 601.] The Chinese emperor was forced to grant special trading rights to thekhanate , after signing a peace treaty with him in 1571, allowing it to trade horses for silks, which further strengthened it economically. The Chinese also granted him the title of Shunyi Wang ("Obedient and Righteous King"). ["The New Encyclopædia Britannica", 15th Edition (1977), Vol. I, p. 275.] [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 143. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.]Death
Altan Khan died in 1582, only four years after meeting with the Third Dalai Lama. He was 74 or 75 years old at the time. [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", p. 146. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.]
uccession
Altan Khan was succeeded by his son
Sengge Düüreng who continued to diligently support Buddhism, and two years later the 3rd Dalai Lama made another visit to Mongolia. On his way, he founded the monastery ofKumbum at the birthplace of the great teacher and reformer,Tsongkhapa . By 1585 he was back in Mongolia and converted more Mongol princes and their tribes. The Dalai Lama was again invited to visit the Ming emperor and this time he accepted but fell ill and died in Mongolia while returning to Tibet. [Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin M. (1968). "Tibet: An account of the history, religion and the people of Tibet", p. 220. Touchstone Books, New York. ISBN 0-671-20099-2 (hbk); ISBN 0-671-20559-5 (pbk).] [Laird, Thomas (2006). "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama", pp. 146-147. Grove Press, N.Y. ISBN 978-0-8021-827-1.]Altan Khan's grandson,
Yonten Gyatso , was selected as the 4thDalai Lama .See also:
Altan Khan of the Khalkha ("Altan" in this instance is a title) refers to a later set of Mongolian rulers who possessed a smaller area in the northwest of Mongolia about a century later.Footnotes
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