Person

Altan Khan

1507–1582 · 16th century

Altan Khan was leader of the Tümed Mongols, a grandson of Dayan Khan who raided Ming China for decades. In 1571 he made peace with the Ming, gaining trade and a royal title, and he founded the city of Hohhot. In 1578 he met the Tibetan lama Sonam Gyatso and gave him the title Dalai Lama, beginning the conversion of the Mongols to Gelug Buddhism.

Altan Khan — Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Northern Yuan Four Oirat Tumed (Altan Khan)

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Altan Khan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/altan-khan
MLA: “Altan Khan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/altan-khan. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Altan Khan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/altan-khan.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Altan Khan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/altan-khan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻