Illustration: Chinggis Khan with his sons wearing Kyrgyz ak-kalpaks on the banks of the Syr Darya (from the book Tarikhi Abulkhayr Khani by Masud ibn Osmani Kuhistani, 16th century).
"The Bulagachin Tribes (In the 17th century, the Bulgachi tribe was mentioned in Eastern Turkestan as one of the Kyrgyz clans) and Keremuchin. Both resided within the same locality, Bargujin-Tokum, and on the very edge of Kyrgyz lands. They lived close to one another. In this state (Iran), none of them are well-known; likewise, no emir or notable from these tribes is famous or prominent.
The Tribes of Urasut, Telengut, and Kushtemi (Kishtyms—tributaries of the Kyrgyz). These tribes are similar to the Mongols: it is known that they are well-versed in Mongolian medicine and treat using Mongolian methods. They are also called forest tribes because they inhabit forests within the Kyrgyz lands and the lands of the Kem-Kemjiut people.
The Mongols from the forest tribes are numerous, and their diversity misled outsiders, as any tribe whose yurts were in forested areas was called a forest tribe. For example, the Taijut tribe was considered forest due to their settlements being located between the lands of the Mongols, Kyrgyz, and Barguts.
The lands of these tribes (Urasut, Telengut, and Kushtemi) were located beyond the Kyrgyz, approximately a month’s journey away.
After the Kyrgyz submitted but later rebelled, Chinggis Khan sent his son, Jochi Khan, to subdue these tribes. Jochi crossed the frozen Selenga River and other rivers and seized the Kyrgyz lands.
Chana (sleds) are known in most regions of Turkestan and Moghulistan. They are especially common in the regions of Bargujin-Tokum among the tribes of Kori, Kyrgyz, Urasut, Telengut, and Tumat, as this mode of transportation is widely used there.
The Kyrgyz Tribe. Kyrgyz and Kem-Kemjiut (two neighboring regions; together they form one state). Kem-Kemjiut is a large river that borders the Mongols (Moghulistan) on one side, with one of its boundaries near the Selenga River, where the Taijut tribes reside. Another boundary touches the basin of the great river called Ankara-Muren, reaching the borders of the lands of Ibir-Sibir.
Another boundary of Kem-Kemjiut borders the regions and mountains where the Naiman tribes reside. The tribes of Kori, Bargu, Tumat, and Bayaut, some of which are Mongols and inhabit the Bargujin-Tokum region, are also close to this area. These regions are rich with cities, villages, and numerous nomads.
The title of their rulers, even if they have other names, is “Inal,” and the clan name of those who are respected and prominent is “Idi.” Their ruler was… (omission). Another region is called Edi-Orun, and its ruler was called Urus-Inal.
In the year Tolai, the Year of the Hare (corresponding to 603 AH, August 1206–June 1207 CE), Chinggis Khan sent envoys to the rulers of these two regions, Altan and Bukra, inviting them to submit. They sent back three of their emirs—Urut-Utudju, Elik-Timur, and Atkirak—along with a white falcon as a gesture of respect from the junior to the senior, and submitted.
Twelve years later, in the Year of the Tiger, one of the Tumat tribes residing in Bargujin-Tokum and Bayluk rebelled. Due to its proximity to the Kyrgyz, the Mongols demanded military assistance (charyk) from the Kyrgyz, who refused and rebelled. Chinggis Khan sent his son Jochi with an army.
The Kyrgyz leader was Kurlun; the Mongol vanguard, led by Pokha, defeated the Kyrgyz and returned from the eighth river. When Jochi arrived, the ice had already frozen over the Kem-Kemjiut River. He crossed the ice and subdued the Kyrgyz before returning.
On the Submission of the Kyrgyz Emirs and Their Region.
In the aforementioned Year of the Hare, Chinggis Khan sent two envoys to the Kyrgyz emirs and governors: Altai and Bura. They first arrived in a region named…, where the emir was called…. They then proceeded to another region called Edi-Orun, where the emir was called Urus-Inal.
Both emirs showed great respect to the envoys, sending their own envoys—Elik-Timur and Atkirak—along with them and a white falcon as a gift, thereby submitting to Chinggis Khan.
That same year, Chinggis Khan, due to the repeated unrest in the Kashin region, waged war there and subdued the entire area. During that year, he also sent envoys to the Kyrgyz, demanding their submission. They complied and sent their envoys with the Mongol representatives, along with a white falcon as a gift.” - Rashid al-Din
Rashid al-Din (1247–1318) served as vizier to several Mongol khans in Iran and had access to their treasury, which preserved the official Mongol chronicles. Alongside this primary source, his informants included experts in Mongol traditions and oral histories. Rashid al-Din and his collaborators also utilized information from numerous books written in various languages. His monumental work, Jami’ al-Tawarikh (The Compendium of Chronicles), was completed in 1310–1311.
Comments and Notes
1. These Mongolian tribes lived east of the Yenisei Kyrgyz in the region of Bargujin-Tokum. In the 17th century, the Bulgachi tribe was mentioned in Eastern Turkestan as one of the Kyrgyz clans.
2. Bargujin-Tokum, the region of Bargu, is likely modern-day Barguzin, a tributary of Lake Baikal, along with the Barguzin Steppe.
3. The territory inhabited by these tribes appears to have been the area between the upper reaches of the Ob and Yenisei rivers.
4. The name of the Kem-Kemjiut tribe undoubtedly derives from “Kem,” which refers to the upper Yenisei River, formed by the confluence of the Biya-Khem and Ka-Khem rivers.
5. The Taijut tribes were nomadic along the banks of the Selenga River.
6. The settlement of the Barguts (or Bargu) is identified with Bargujin-Tokum (see note 2).
7. The Kyrgyz submitted to Chinggis Khan in 1207 but rebelled against the Mongols in either 1218 or 1219.
8. The Turkic word Chana refers to sleds.
9. The territory corresponds to modern-day Khakassia and Tuva.
10. Regarding the Kem-Kemjiut River, see note 4.
11. The Angara River.
12. Ibir-Sibir was a term used in medieval times in the East to denote the distant northeastern regions of Asia, corresponding to modern-day Siberia.
13. The Naiman tribes lived to the south of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, in western Mongolia.
14. Inal was the title of the ruler of the Yenisei Kyrgyz.
15. The region referred to as Edi-Orun likely corresponds to the Minusinsk Basin.
16. The year 603 AH (Hijri calendar) began on August 8, 1206 CE, and ended on June 27, 1207 CE.
17. The gesture of submission involved kneeling on one knee, placing a hand on the head, approaching the honored figure, and kissing their knee.
18. This paragraph briefly repeats the account of the subjugation of the Yenisei Kyrgyz by Chinggis Khan.
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