INFORMATION ABOUT THE KANGARATS IN MEDIEVAL SOURCES

Abstract

This article examines the historical trajectory, ethnography, and political influence of the Qon’irat (Khongirad) tribe based on medieval primary sources. The formation of the Qon’irats as a distinct ancient Turkic-Mongol entity traces back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Through a comparative analysis of seminal historical texts—including The Secret History of the Mongols, Yuan Shi, Rashid al-Din’s Jami' al-Tawarikh, Juvayni’s Tarikh-i Jahangushay, Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi’s Zafarnama, and Ibn Arabshah’s Aja'ib al-Maqdur—this study explores the tribe's evolution. It details their complex genealogical branches, cultural traditions, and their strategic use of matrimonial diplomacy, which ultimately secured them high-ranking positions across the Mongol Empire, the Golden Horde, Khwarazm, and the Timurid realm.