Darkhad
Encyclopedia
The Darkhad is a subgroup of Mongol
people living mainly in northern Mongolia
. They living mainly in the Bayanzürkh
, Ulaan-Uul
, Renchinlkhümbe, and Tsagaannuur sums of Khövsgöl Province. The Darkhad valley
is named after them. The regional variant of Mongol language
is the Darkhad dialect.
The Darkhad were originally part of the Oirat or Khotgoid
tribes. Between 1549 and 1686, they were subjects of Zasagt Khan aimag and the Khotgoid Altan Khan. In 1786 they became part of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu
's shabi otog. At roughly the same time they became known as Black Darkhad.
Many Darkhad practise shamanism
. In the 2000 census, 16,268 people identified themselves as Darkhad.
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
people living mainly in northern Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. They living mainly in the Bayanzürkh
Bayanzürkh, Khövsgöl
Bayanzürkh is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag . The area is about 4,300 km², of which 2,600 km² are pasture.. In 2000, the sum had 4202 inhabitants, mainly Darkhad...
, Ulaan-Uul
Ulaan-Uul, Khövsgöl
Ulaan-Uul is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is close to 10,000 km². In 2000, Ulaan-Uul had a population of 3,726 people, mainly Darkhad. The sum center, officially named Tögöl , is located 171 km north-northwest of Mörön and 942 km from Ulaanbaatar....
, Renchinlkhümbe, and Tsagaannuur sums of Khövsgöl Province. The Darkhad valley
Darkhad valley
The Darkhad valley is a large valley in northwestern Khövsgöl aimag, Mongolia. It is situated between the Ulaan Taiga and Khoridol Saridag ranges at an altitude of about 1600 m, about 160 km long and 40 km wide. The area is 4270 km²...
is named after them. The regional variant of Mongol language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
is the Darkhad dialect.
The Darkhad were originally part of the Oirat or Khotgoid
Khotgoid
Khotogoid is a subgroup of Mongol people in northwestern Mongolia. The Khotogoid people live roughly between Uvs Lake to the west and the Delgermörön river to the east...
tribes. Between 1549 and 1686, they were subjects of Zasagt Khan aimag and the Khotgoid Altan Khan. In 1786 they became part of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu
Jebtsundamba
The Khalkha Jebtsundamba Khutuktus were the spiritual heads of the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. They also held the title of Bogd Gegeen, making them the top-ranked lamas in Mongolia.- History :...
's shabi otog. At roughly the same time they became known as Black Darkhad.
Many Darkhad practise shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. In the 2000 census, 16,268 people identified themselves as Darkhad.