Bogd Khanate of Mongolia (1911–1924)

Bogd Khanate of Mongolia ᠪᠣᠭᠳᠠ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨᠲᠤ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ Богд хаант Монгол Улс
1911–1924
Flag Coat of arms
Capital	Niislel Khüree
Common languages	Mongolian
Dominant mode of production	Feudalism
Government	Theocratic monarchy
• Khan	Bogd Khan

The Khanate of Mongolia was a theocratic feudal state that existed between the 1911 national liberation revolution and the 1921 socialist revolution in Mongolia.

Background

Following the 1904–5 Russo-Japanese War, Inner Mongolia fell under Japan's sphere of influence while Outer Mongolia fell under Russia's influence. The Russian Empire sought to control Mongolia in order to gain an advantage against imperialist Japan. Between 1891 and 1908, Russian exports to Mongolia increased by 22% while Mongolian exports to Russia increased by 566%.^:232–3

In early 1911, Colonel Tan from the declining Qing dynasty arrived in Mongolia and ordered barracks to be built in Örgöö (now Ulaanbaatar). The Mongol nobility held a secret meeting in July planning to break away from the Qing and notified the Russian ambassador to Mongolia. In October, the collapsing Qing agreed not to do any reforms in Outer Mongolia without Russian approval.^:234–7

1911 revolution

Mongolia declared independence on 1911 December 1, and the Chinese garrison returned to China under the protection of Russian Cossacks. The Qing official in Khovd sealed himself inside a fort with many soldiers and supplies and requested reinforcements from Xinjiang, which Russia prevented from arriving. On 1912 August 6, the peasants stormed the fortress and destroyed debt records. After the Qing was overthrown, the feudal nobility led by the Bogd Khan took power. Yuan Shikai, the new ruler of China, refused to recognize Mongolia's independence.^:237–40

While the revolution freed the peasants (arat) from debt held by Chinese usurers and prevented them from having to fund the Qing garrison, it did not weaken the exploitation by the domestic nobility.^:253

Foreign relations

In 1912 November, Russia signed a treaty with Mongolia giving Russian capitalists unlimited rights to trade and travel in Mongolia with no tariffs. The Bogd Khan sent Tserenchimed to Japan and requested a Japanese protectorate over Mongolia, which Japan refused in order to avoid angering Russia. In 1913 February, Mongolia formed a brigade of the Russian army with 1,900 soldiers. Mongolia tried to establish diplomatic relations with other imperialist countries but failed. Yuan Shikai's forces attacked Mongolia in early 1913 and made peace in November, recognizing Mongolia as autonomous but not fully independent. The Bogd Khan withdrew his troops from Inner Mongolia in 1913, and Russia withdrew its troops from Outer Mongolia in 1914.^:240–7

The secular nobility generally favored Russia while the lamas, who formed the Bogd Khan's inner circle, favored Japan. The lamas poisoned the pro-Russian prime minister and foreign minister.^:253

Economy

Class structure

Nobles (hoshun dzasak) had absolute power over their serfs, who were divided into three categories: hamjlaga, shav', and albat.^:251 The albat were the largest group of serfs and had to serve the nobility with corvée labor and pay them rent in kind. The hamjlaga had to follow their lords everywhere and often did domestic labor. The shav' were forced to serve the clergy (lam) instead of the other nobles. The number of shavinar increased from 55,479 to 89,362 during the Bogd Khanate, reaching a total of a third of the population.^:252

The Bogd Khan confiscated the Qing royalty's herds and gave them to princes and lamas. Many peasants owned no or few livestock and a large proportion were beggars, including a majority in Erdenedalai. Monasteries and princes often owned more livestock than hundreds of peasant families combined.^:251–4

Trade

Mongolia had a budget deficit because of loans from the Russian Empire. Trade with Russia had no tariffs, and over 70% of the state's budget came from internal customs imposed on transportation of goods between different regions of Mongolia.^:257

Government

The Bogd Khanate was an absolute monarchy with the Bogd Khan as head of church and state. In 1914, the Bogd Khan created two houses to advise him, but they had no power to make laws and could be dissolved at will. The upper house was made up of high-ranking feudal lords, and the lower house was made up of low-ranking lords and officials. The nobility and peasants were tried in separate courts as they had been under the Qing.^:250–1