By the Power of Eternal Heaven: The Meaning of Tenggeri to the Government of the Pre-Buddhist Mongols

Abstract

This essay discusses the meaning of heaven (tenggeri) to the government of the Mongol Empire prior to Qubilai khan’s conversion to Buddhism in 1264. It is not the first to do so. However, unlike previous works, which treat Mongolian tenggeri as an abstract religious or political concept, this essay approaches the question from the empirical reality of heaven as given by the science of the day. The essay falls into two parts. The first part discusses primary principles of celestial orientation and the history of heaven’s role in government. The second part applies these principles to the case of the Mongols. The discussion describes the fundamental nature of heaven to the government of the Mongols and demonstrates this nature through a number of examples. It is not intended to be a comprehensive study. The essay shows that reliance on the vault of heaven to govern earth begets symmetry between heaven and earth that needs be expressed through figurative language, allegory. This symmetry between heaven and earth makes heavenly allegory central to the Mongols’government and pervasive in all aspects of their culture.