On the Issue of Determining the Founding Year of the “Great Mongol Nation”

Abstract

Abstract The exact date of creation of the “Great Mongolian Nation” has long been a controversial topic. This article will point out that, according to the history of Mongolia and the Yuan dynasty as described in The History of the Buddha, the name “Great Mongol Nation” was first used in the Xinwei year. Since the source of the historical materials used to compile the Fozu lidai tongzai most likely were related to manuscripts used in the compilation and revision of Taizu shilu earlier in the Yuan dynasty, this should be a fairly trustworthy source. It is therefore possible to infer that Genghis Khan coined the term “Yeke Mongγol Ulus” (i.e., Great Mongol Nation) in 1211. As this was also the year that the Mongols began their war with the Jin dynasty, the creation of the “Great Mongol Nation” was a political move closely related to then ongoing matters of now historical significance and – in terms of the eventual establishment of the Yuan dynasty by the Mongolians – it had both far-reaching political impact and important strategic significance.