From the early steppe assemblies of the Xiongnui
The Xiongnu state was a powerful nomadic confederation founded by Modu Chanyu, a brilliant military leader, dominating the eastern Eurasian Steppe until its fragmentation in the first century CE. to the monumental kurultaiiA kurultai was a traditional assembly of Turkic and Mongolic leaders, convened to make key political, military, and strategic decisions, such as electing rulers, declaring war, or forming alliances, playing a crucial role in uniting fragmented groups. of Chinggis Khan, these collective councils shaped the foundations of political legitimacy, determining who could rule, which laws held authority, and how strategic and economic decisions were made. The kurultai, thus, represents a distinctly Eurasian model of governance, one rooted in consent and consensus, where even the most powerful leader was bound to secure the approval of the assembly.
At the start of 2026, within the framework of constitutional reforms and the drafting of a new Basic Law, the Republic of Kazakhstan proposed giving its new unicameral parliament the historic name Kurultai. At this pivotal moment in the nation’s history, Qalam decided to revisit the history of this ancient institution, exploring its origins and tracing how it evolved across the centuries.
The Kurultai of Chinggis Khan and the Mongol Empire
Exactly 820 years ago, on the banks of the Onon River in what is now northeastern Mongolia, the most famous kurultai in history was convened, an event widely regarded as a turning point in world history. The decisions taken there, and the far-reaching consequences that followed, continue to influence political and cultural developments across Eurasia to this day. At this kurultai, representatives of Mongol and Turkic tribes proclaimed the remarkable Temüjin the supreme ruler of all tribes, granting him the honorary title of Chinggis Khan.
Temüjin being proclaimed Genghis Khan in 1206. Illustration from Rashid al-Din’s chronicle (Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh), 15th century / Wikimedia Commons
In accordance with ancient Turko-Mongol tradition, the kurultai’s recognition of Temüjin’s authority brought into force a new legal order. With his elevation, the Great Yassa of Chinggis Khan, often described as the Law of Great Power, was proclaimed, establishing the principles that would govern the emerging empire.
Thus began not only the era of the great Chinggis Khan—world conqueror and founder of the Mongol Empire, which was the largest contiguous empire in world history—but also the history of the word ‘kurultai’. From that moment on, with its Mongolian suffix, the term spread across Eurasia and has survived to the present day, even though the institution itself traces its origins back more than 2000 years.
The Kurultai and Statehood among the Ancient Turks
Timur’s great quriltay. Miniature from a 1533 manuscript of the Zafarnama (Persian chronicle of Timur’s victories) / Wikimedia Commons
Battle of Vâliyân (1221). Illustration from Rashid al-Din’s chronicle (Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh), 15th century / Wikimedia Commons
Mongol Khan (possibly Ghazan Khan) studying the Qur’an. Illustration from Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh by Rashid al-Din, first quarter of the 14th century / Wikimedia Commons
Uyghur General Khojis (d. 1781), governor of Turfan who later settled in Beijing. Portrait painted by a European Jesuit artist at the Chinese court in 1775 / Wikimedia Commons
Enthronization of a Mongol ruler. Double-page illustration from Rashid al-Din’s Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh, early 14th century (first quarter) / Wikimedia Commons
Audience with Möngke. Illustration from Ata-Malik Juvayni’s Tarikh-i Jahangushay, 15th century/ Wikimedia Commons
Sergei Ivanov. Zemsky Sobor. 1908 / Wikimedia Commons
