Herders of camels, sheep and horses in the Gobi, living near the wells and in the winter in sheltered ravines (the Gurvan Saikhan range, the Ongi and the Middle Gobi basins).
They are not under a named ruler. The Kereyit claim the northern edge as winter pasture; the road to the Ongud and the Tanguts crosses their country and they probably live partly by guiding and guarding caravans and partly by raiding them (inference from later caravan practice; no source for 1200).
Who holds it
- Title
- Camp and clan heads, no leader named
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
The Gobi has no source of its own for 1200. The herders are the people of the wells and the shallow valleys between the Kereyit on the north, the Naiman on the Gobi-Altai to the west, the Ongud on the Yin Shan to the south-east and the Tangut border to the south.
Overlord
None attested.
What it holds
- Wells, winter ravines and camel herds
- The road south to the Ongud and the Tangut border
How it was acquired
By long use.
Allies and rivals
Kereyit to the north (claim), Ongud to the south-east, the Tangut border commands to the south (Heishui and the Etsina delta lie beyond the sheet).
How things stand that morning
In winter camp at the wells; not pinned.
Wealth
Camels, sheep, salt and soda from the dry lakes, tolls and guiding on the caravan roads (inferred).
Military
Light riders; no numbers.
Threats
- Dzud
- Raiders from the Tangut or Ongud side
Places of note
- Gobi winter camps below the Gurvan Saikhan (approximate): Sheltered ravines at the foot of the Gurvan Saikhan; approximate.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: No source for the Gobi in 1200; the record exists so that the south of the sheet is not left to chance.
On the map: A guess at who uses the ground; the land has no known owner.
Sources and studies
- Igor de Rachewiltz, The Secret History of the Mongols (Brill 2004; abridged ed. ANU/CEDAR 2015). Section numbers quoted from memory of the text; not re-read this session
- Rashid al-Din, Jami al-tawarikh (Thackston translation, 1998-99), Keraites and Merkits chapters. Quoted from memory; not re-read this session
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.