Baghatur: Difference between revisions

▲The word was common among the Mongols and became especially widespread, as an honorific title, in [[Genghis Khan]]'s [[Mongol Empire]] in the 13th century; the title persisted in its successor-states, and later came to be adopted also as a [[regnal title]] in the [[Ilkhanate]], in [[Timurid dynasty| Timurid]] dynasties, etc.

▲The concept of the Baghatur has its roots in Turco-Mongolian folklore. Like the [[bogatyrs]] of Russian traditional tales, Baghaturs were heroes of extraordinary courage, fearlessness, and decisiveness, often portrayed as being descended from heaven and capable of performing extraordinary deeds. Baghatur was the heroic ideal Turco-Mongolian warriors strove to live up to, hence its use as a military honorific of glory.

▲==Etymology==

▲{{expand section|date=January 2021}}

▲The term was first used by the steppe peoples to the north and west ([[Mongolia]]) of China as early as the 7th century as evidenced in [[Sui dynasty]] records.<ref>C. Fleischer, ''"Bahādor"'', in ''[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]''</ref><ref>Grousset 194.</ref> It is attested for the [[Second Turkic Khaganate]] in the 8th century, and among the [[Bulgars]] of the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] in the 9th century. Some authors claim Iranian origin of the word, the first syllable is very likely the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]] title word [[Bey|*bag]] "god, lord".<ref name="Beckwith3872">{{harvnb|Beckwith|2009|p=387}}</ref> According to [[Gerard Clauson]], ''bağatur'' by origin almost certainly a Xiongnu (which Clauson proposes to be [[Hunnic language|Hunnic]]) name, and specifically of the second Xiongnu Chanyu, whose name was transliterated by Han Chinese as {{zh|s=冒頓|labels=no}} (with ''-n'' for foreign ''-r''), now pronounced [[Modun Chanyu|''Mòdùn'' ~ ''Màodùn'']] in [[standard Chinese]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Sir Gerard Clauson|title=An Etymological Dictionary of Pre-Thirteenth-Century Turkish|pages=301–400|year=1972}}</ref><ref>[[Edwin G. Pulleyblank|Pulleyblank, E.G.]] (1999). [https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=161177 "The Peoples of the Steppe Frontier in Early Chinese Sources"] ''Migracijske teme'' 15 1-2. footnote 3 on p. 45 of pp. 35-61</ref>