Muslim mosque in a rural centre in Bayan-Ölgii aimag. September 2003

Islam in Mongolia is mainly practised by the Kazakhs of Bayan-Ölgii aimag in western Mongolia along with some Mongols in various cities. The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар qɑzɑqtɑr Russian: Казахи the English name is transliterated Bayan-Ölgii (Баян-Өлгий Баян Өлгей (Alternately spelled Olgiy Ulgii etc The U.S. Department of State estimates that Muslims form 6% of the population, or roughly 150,000 people. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[1]

History

When the Mongol Empire broke up into four khanates, three of the four khanates became Muslim. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion These were the Golden Horde, Hulagu's Ulus and Chagatai's Ulus. This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in The Chagatai Khanate was a Mongol and later more Turko-Islamic in language and culture Khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan The Yuan Empire also embraced Muslim peoples such as the Uyghurs. The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia.

Although the court of the Yuan Empire adopted Tibetan Buddhism as the official religion, the majority of the ordinary Mongols, especially those who continued living in Mongolia proper, remained Shamanists. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including After the decline of the Yuan Dynasty, Shamanism once again became the dominant religion. The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai To varying degrees, political and economic relations with Muslim nations such as Mughalistan and the Uyghurs continued. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Mughalistan was the name given to the Eastern Chaghatai Khanate by the Islamized society of Western Chaghatai Khanate and other Islamic societies

The Muslim Kazakhs began to settle in Jungaria and Altai regions since the late nineteenth century. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Dzungaria is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. The majority of these Kazakhs were the Kerei and Naiman clans, many of them escaping the persecution of the Czarist Russia. When independent Bogdo Khan Mongolia was established on 29 December of 1911, the Kazakhs in Xinjian and Altai regions sought patronage of the restored Khanate. The Government of Bogdo Khan admitted them and settled them in the western region of the Mongolia's Kobdo territory. The Bogd Khan ( Mongolian mn Богд хаан 1869-1924 was enthroned as the Emperor ( Khan) of Mongolia on 29 December 1911 when the country declared

Bayan-Ölgii aimag was established as part of the administrative reforms of the Mongolian People's Republic in 1940. The Mongolian People's Republic ( Mongolian: Бүгд Найрамдах Монгол Ард Улс (БНМАУ Bügd Nairamdakh Mongol Ard Uls (BNMAU) was a Islam is freely practised by the Kazakhs and Mongols since Mongolia became a democracy in 1990.

Notes