Mongols

Mongols, pastoral people now found predominantly in East Asia, as well as parts of eastern Russia, who speak one of the Altaic languages. Their written language, Mongolian, dates from at least as early as the 11th century.

The Mongols are thought to have been a loose confederation of tribes until the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan united them into one formidable nation in the early 13th century. Under his leadership, they developed a powerful army that swept west into Europe and east into China, eventually forming a widespread Eurasian empire. The descendants of Genghis Khan ruled large areas of China, East Asia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey for long periods of time. The Mongols were subsequently overcome, and they returned to relative political obscurity.

The Mongols now number approximately 6 million, with most of the population practicing Buddhism and the remainder embracing shamanism. The Mongols are still largely a nomadic people, and their wealth consists of sheep, horses, cattle, camels, and goats. See Mongolian; Mongolia (country).