Taiji (originally from zh, 太子) was a title of the nobility among the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

from the 16th century. (It is not to be confused with

taishi Taishi may refer to: Names *Taishi (surname), Chinese family name *Taishi (given name), Japanese given name Ranks * Grand Preceptor, ancient Chinese top civilian position: ''taishi'' () in Chinese *Taishi, an alternate name of the Japanese Daij� ...

, which was always given to non-royal blood nobles.) The title originated from Chinese

Taizi Taizi () was the title of the crown prince of imperial China. Succession Traditional Confucian political theory favored strict agnatic primogeniture, with younger sons displaying filial obedience to the eldest upon the passing of the father. Th ...

(heir apparent son of the emperor) and was first used for the proliferating

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At t ...

composed of sons and descendants of Batu-Möngke Dayan Khan (1480?–1517?).Junko Miyawaki, “Birth of the Khung-Tayiji Viceroyalty in the Mongol-Oyirad World,”in Altaica Berolinensia: The Concept of Sovereignty in the Altaic World, ed. Barbara Kellner-Heinkele (Wiesbaden:Otto Harrassowitz, 1993), pp.150 This is the same as Khung Tayji and after the 15th century, the Mongolians used its short form Taiji and, unlike the previous period, princes of the Oirats held the title as well at the same time.

References

{{reflist Mongolian nobility Noble titles category:Chinese royal titles Yuan dynasty