Il Khan (also ''il-khan'', ''ilkhan'', ''elkhan'', etc.), in
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages are a language family of over 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and Western Asia. The Turkic l ...
and
Mongolian, is a title of leadership. It combines the title
''khan'' with the prefix ''el/il'', from the word ''ulus'' – 'tribe, clan', 'the people', 'nation', 'homeland', 'state', 'tribal union', etc.
Meaning
The exact meaning depends on context:
*Khan of the nation. The earliest mention of a similar title in this meaning, namely "Illig Qaghan", refers to
Bumin Qaghan and dates to 552 CE. (In fact,
Nikolai Gumilyov transcribes Bumin's title as "ilkhan".)
*More recently, the tribal chief that heads both branches of the
Bakhtiari people, under whom several ''khans'' operate (20th century CE).
In the context of the
Hulaguid dynasty, commonly known as the
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
, the title ''Ilkhan'' was borne by the descendants of Hulagu and later other
Borjigin princes in
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkme ...
, starting from c. 1259-1265. Two interpretations have been proposed:
*'submissive', 'peaceable', 'obedient', or 'subservient' khan, or 'polity prince'. Possibly equivalent to Chinese , and to Islamic ''
sultan''. Here the lesser "khanship" intended to indicate the initial deference of Hulagu to
Möngke Khan and his successor Great Khans of the
Mongol empire
The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe ...
.
*Sovereign khan. From ''ilig khan''. It was possibly equivalent to Chinese ('Emperor with a genuine mandate'). It was to be construed as a power over regional affairs, not in opposition to the Great Khan, yet not conferred by him.
Use in fiction
*In
BattleTech, the IlKhan is the highest leader of The Clans.
See also
*
Elbasy ('Head of the Nation')
References
Further reading
*{{Cite book, last=Doerfer, first=Gerhard, url=https://opendata.uni-halle.de//handle/1981185920/38353, title=Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen , volume=Bd 2. Türkische Elemente im Neupersischen : alif bis tā , date=1965, publisher=Steiner, doi=10.25673/38110 , a
pp. 207-209, language=de
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Turkic words and phrases
Men's social titles