khanate · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Keraite Khanate

1000 CE – 1203 CE (approx.) · capital Orkhon valley

A powerful Christian steppe khanate in central Mongolia, whose ruler Toghrul was Genghis Khan's patron and rival, and later the model for legends of Prester John.

Origins

The Keraites were a large tribal union living along the Orkhon and Tuul rivers in central Mongolia, probably of Mongolic speech with strong Turkic influences. Syriac sources record that their ruler converted to the Church of the East around 1007, together with many of his people.

Rule and society

The khanate was a confederation of clans under a ruling family, with Christian priests and Nestorian practices alongside steppe customs. Its rulers, among them Marghuz Buyruk, fought the Tatars, Naimans and Merkits. Toghrul, sworn brother of Temüjin's father, became the most powerful khan of central Mongolia and received the title Ong Khan from the Jin dynasty (1115-1234) in 1196 after the campaign against the Tatars.

Decline and legacy

Toghrul helped the young Temüjin rise but turned against him; in 1203 Temüjin defeated the Keraites, and Toghrul was killed by Naimans while fleeing. The Keraites joined the Mongol Empire; the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki was mother of Möngke, Kublai and Hülegü.

Connections (2)

More states of China, Tibet and Mongolia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Keraite Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/keraite-khanate
MLA
“Keraite Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/keraite-khanate. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Keraite Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/keraite-khanate.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Keraite Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/keraite-khanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻