The Telengit (Telengut) are the people of the Altai highlands in later centuries: the Chuya steppe round Kosh-Agach, the upper Katun and the Chulyshman.
The name belongs to the old Tiele family of Turkic tribes and to the Mongol-period lists of the forest peoples; whether the 1207 list of the Secret History carries them (names like Tenleg and Toelos) we have not rechecked. In 1200 the highlands are a poor and cold country of herders and hunters, with the Naiman to the east and south, the Kyrgyz to the north-east and the upper Irtysh Yemek to the west. No chief is named, no tribute is dated.
The people winter in the low valleys of the Chuya, the Katun and the Chulyshman where snow does not lie deep.
Who holds it
- Title
- Elders and clan heads; no chief named
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
See the evidence note.
Overlord
Perhaps the Naiman: not pinned.
What it holds
- Herds on the Chuya steppe and the high valleys
- Hunting grounds in the Altai forests
- Passes to the Naiman country over the Tarkhata and Chuya ranges (not named in any source)
How it was acquired
Inherited ranges.
Allies and rivals
See the summary.
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; the Naiman may have claimed tribute from them (not shown). No raid or war recorded.
Wealth
Herds, hunting and furs.
Military
Hunters and herders; no castles.
Threats
- Dzud (winter of ice), a hard year for the herds
Places of note
- Winter camps in the low valleys of the Katun and Chulyshman (guess): The Chuya steppe is the coldest ground of the Altai, so the people go down to the low valleys. No camp is named.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Later location and name; nothing dated to 1200 found. Included because the regional brief lists them.
On the map: Name and place are inferred from later centuries.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.