Formation of the Nationhood of the Mongolian-speaking Peoples of Innermost Asia

Abstract

In the article authors describe the process of statehood within the borders of the historical-cultural space of Inner Asia in terms of its consistency and legitimacy, on the basis of the researches and developments of leading Russian and foreign scientists. There is an attempt to highlight the statehood models of the Mongolian peoples. The history of the unified Mongol state development, the process of decay and fate under the rule of the Qing Dynasty are traced. The authors draw attention to the contractual nature of the Manchu imperial power over Mongolia, and conditional voluntary transfer of power, that was used by the Outer Mongolia that proclaimed independence in 1911. Despite the fact that the sovereignty of Khalkha (Outer Mongolia) was not recognized by any state until 1945, it was able, with the support of first imperial and then Soviet Russia, to achieve the de facto independence of the head of the Buddhist Church - Bogd Gegen. He assumed the title of the Great Khan as the continuity of statehood of Genghis Khan. As an example of a failed attempt to achieve independence was the example of Inner Mongolia, which after the Xinhai Revolution tried to get the status of an independent state by repeating it in the years of 1933- 1945. However, in both cases, the actions of the Mongolian aristocracy did not lead to the desired result, and during the Japanese occupation of Northeast China they provoked the dukes for the traitorous act and moved them to the side of the Japanese. It resulted in the creation of the Mongol-Go state or (later) Mengjiang that during the study period claimed the leadership of the Mongolian people in the world and was liquidated in August 1945, by the Soviet Union and Mongolian troops after Japan's defeat in World War II. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s3p46