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{{Short description|Mongol and Turkic term for a political council}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Contains special characters|Mongolian}}
[[File:Timur's great 'quriltay', a miniature painting from a 1533 manuscript of the Zafarnama.jpg|thumb|right|Timur's great 'kurultai', from a 16th century copy of [[Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi]]'s ''[[Zafarnama (Yazdi biography)|Zafarnama]]'']]
A '''kurultai''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ʊ|r|ʊ|l|ˈ|t|aɪ}}, {{lit|gathering}}),<ref group="dn">Derived from [[Russian language|Russian]] {{lang|ru|хурултай}} {{IPA|ru|kʊrʊɫˈtaj|}}, ultimately from [[Middle Mongol]] {{lang|mn|{{MongolUnicode|ᠬᠤᠷᠠᠯᠲᠠᠢ}}}} {{translit|mn|Qurŭldai}} {{IPA|mn|ˌq͡χʊɾʊ̆ɬˈtaɪ̯|}} ({{small|[[Mongolian language|Modern Mongol]]:}} {{IPA|mn|ˌχʊɾə̆ɬˈtæː|}}), whence [[Chinese language|Chinese]] 忽里勒台 ''Hūlǐlēitái'' ({{langx|dng|Хўрылтэ}}); {{langx|ky|Курултай / Qurultay / قۇرۇلتاي}}; {{langx|kk|Құрылтай / Qūryltai / قۇرىلتاي}}; {{langx|tt|Корылтай / Qorıltay}}; {{langx|ba|Qoroltay / Ҡоролтай}}; {{langx|sah|Курултаай / Kurultây}}; {{langx|az|Qurultay / Гурултай / قرلتای|italic=no}}; {{langx|tk|Gurultaý / Гурултай|italic=no}}; {{langx|crh|Qurultay / Къурултай}}; {{langx|tr|Kurultay}} ({{langx|ota|قورلتای}}).</ref> also called a '''qurultai''', was a political and military council of ancient [[Mongols|Mongol]] and [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] chiefs and [[Khan (title)|khans]].

==Etymology==
According to the {{ill|Old Turkic Dictionary|ru|Древнетюркский словарь|lt=Old Turkic–Russian dictionary}}, the oldest recorded pre-[[Genghis Khan]] mention of the root word "Qur" is found in ''[[Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk]]'' (11th century), where it was used as a verb meaning 'to assemble, to assemble into a formation, to build'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Наделяев |first=В.М. |title=Древнетюркский словарь |date=1969 |publisher=Наука Ленинградское отделение |location=Ленинград |publication-date=1969 |pages=467 |language=Ru |trans-title=Old-Turkic dictionary}}</ref> The root word and the word kurultai are currently in use in numerous Turkic languages. According to another hypothesis, the root of the term is from the hypothetical [[Proto-Mongolic language|Proto-Mongolic]] verb *''kura-'', *''kurija-'' 'to collect, to gather'<ref>Starostin, Dybo, & Mudrak. (2003) ''Etymological Dictionary of the Altaic Languages'' "Proto-Mongolian root *kura-, *kurija-"</ref> whence ''khural'' 'meeting, assembly' in [[Mongolic languages]]. From this same root arises the [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] word {{lang|mn-Cyrl|хурим}} {{lang|mn-Latn|khurim}} 'feast', which originally referred to large festive gatherings on the steppe, but it is now used mainly in the sense of 'wedding'.

==Mongol Empire==
[[File:DiezAlbumsEnthronization3.jpg|thumb|Enthronement of a Mongol khan, 14th century]]
All [[List of Mongol rulers#Great Khans and Yuan dynasty|Great Khans]] of the [[Mongol Empire]], were formally elected in a kurultai; khans of subordinate Mongol states, such as the [[Golden Horde]], were elected by a similar regional kurultai.

During the kurultai, Mongol chiefs would convene to choose the next great khan. The kurultai was often, but not always, held in the capital of the Mongol Empire. They were also a time to assign all critical positions of leadership, as well as an opportunity to decide the military direction to be implemented under the new khan and leadership.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dynastic China : an elementary history|author=Tan, Koon San|isbn=978-9839541885|location=Kuala Lumpur|oclc=898313910|date = 15 August 2014}}</ref>

After the new khan was elected, an elaborate enthronement procedure followed. [[Johann Schiltberger]], a 15th-century German traveler, described the installation of a new Golden Horde khan as follows:<ref name="Schiltberger">Commander J. Buchan Telfer, "The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger". (London, [[Hakluyt Society]], 1879{{Page needed|date=June 2011}})</ref><ref name="Vernadsky">[[George Vernadsky]], "The Mongols and Russia". (Yale University Press, 1953){{Page needed|date=June 2011}}</ref>
{{cquote|
When they choose a king, they take him and seat him on white [[felt]], and raise him in it three times. Then they lift him up and carry him round the tent, and seat him on a throne, and put a golden sword in his hand. Then he must be sworn as is the custom.}}

Kurultai were imperial and tribal assemblies convened to determine, strategize and analyze military campaigns and assign individuals to leadership positions and titles. Genghis Khan was declared khan in the kurultai of 1206. Most of the major military campaigns were first planned out at assemblies such as this and there were minor and less significant kurultai under the Mongol Empire under political subordinate leaders and generals.

The kurultai, however, required the presence of the senior members of the tribes participating, who were also military leaders. Thus, the deaths of [[Ögedei Khan|Ögedei]] and [[Möngke Khan|Möngke]] in 1241 and 1259, respectively, necessitated the withdrawal of Mongol leaders (and troops) from the outskirts of [[Vienna]] and [[Venice]] (in 1241) and from [[Syria]] (in 1259), hamstringing military operations against the Austrians and [[Mamluk]]s that might otherwise have continued.

Although the kurultai was a serious political event in the Mongol world, it was also a festival of sorts including great feasting and various traditional games. Many of these traditions have been carried on in the modern-day Mongolian event [[Naadam]], which includes [[Mongolian wrestling]], horse racing and archery competitions.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Empire of the Mongols|last=Michael.|first=Burgan|date=2009|publisher=Chelsea House|isbn=9781604131635|edition=Rev.|location=New York|oclc=276930428}}</ref>

==Modern usage==
===Politics===
[[File:Kurultáj - Magyar Törzsi Gyűlés, Bugac, 2014.08.09 (1).JPG|thumb|Kurultai in Hungary]]   
Various modern [[Mongols|Mongol]] and [[Turkic peoples]] use it in the political or administrative sense, as a synonym for [[parliament]], [[congress]], [[Meeting|conference]], [[Local Government|council]], [[Deliberative assembly|assembly]], [[Convention (meeting)|convention]], gathering. Examples include the {{Ill|Kese Qoroltay|ru|Малый курултай}} ({{Literal translation|Lesser Kurultai}}), the [[The World Qoroltai of the Bashkirs|World Qoroltai of the Bashkirs]], the [[Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People]], the [[National Kurultai|National Kurultai of Kazakhstan]],<ref>{{cite news | url=https://astanatimes.com/2022/06/first-national-kurultai-outlines-priorities-seeks-to-strengthen-national-unity-and-encourage-broader-public-involvement-in-decision-making/ | title=First National Kurultai Outlines Priorities, Seeks to Strengthen National Unity and Encourage Broader Public Involvement in Decision-Making | newspaper=The Astana Times | date=16 June 2022 | last1=Шаяхметова | first1=Жанна }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://jjtv.kz/en/news/society/21371-national-kurultai-established-in-kazakhstan | title=National Kurultai established in Kazakhstan - Kazakh culture and traditions, Nature, Kazakh food, Nomads, Kazakhstan, Qazaqstan &#124; Jibek Joly | date=15 June 2022 | access-date=16 December 2022 | archive-date=26 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326022108/https://jjtv.kz/en/news/society/21371-national-kurultai-established-in-kazakhstan | url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[People's Kurultai of Kyrgyzstan]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.president.kg/ru/apparat_prezidenta/zakonoproekty/konstitucionnyy_zakon_kyrgyzskoy_respubliki_o_narodnom_kurultae | title=КОНСТИТУЦИОННЫЙ ЗАКОН КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ О Народном Курултае - Официальный сайт Президента Кыргызской Республики }}</ref> the [[State Great Khural|State Great Khural of Mongolia]], the [[State Assembly of the Republic of Bashkortostan|State Assembly — Kurultai of Bashkortostan]], the [[People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia|People's Khural of Buryatia]], [[State Assembly of the Altai Republic|El Kurultai of Altai Republic]] and [[Great Kurultáj|Kurultáj]] held today in Hungary.

===Language===
In Mongolian, the following forms of the word are still in use today: ''khuraldai'', ''khuraldaan'' and ''khural''. ''Ulsin Deed Shuukhiin Khuraldaan'' means "session of the [[Supreme Court of Mongolia|National Supreme Court]]".

Other spellings include: ''kurultay'', ''qurultay'', ''qurıltai'', ''qorıltay'', and ''qoroltay''.

The word has several modern usages in the modern [[Turkish language]] as well, e.g. ''Yükseköğretim Kurulu'' "[[Council of Higher Education (Turkey)|Higher Education Council]]", ''genel kurul toplantısı'' "general board meeting". ''Kurultay'' is also a commonly used word in modern Turkish meaning "general assembly", such as for organisations, committees etc. ''Kurmak''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.turkishdictionary.net/?word=kurmak|title=Turkish Dictionary for Language Learners and Travelers to Turkey|website=www.turkishdictionary.net}}</ref> is also a verb in Turkish meaning "to set up, assemble, put together". It is also used for "extraordinary conventions" ({{langx|tr|Olağanüstü Kurultay}}) of political parties.

==See also==
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order  ♦♦♦--->
* [[Great Kurultáj]]
* [[Legislature]]
* [[Loya Jirga]]
* [[State Great Khural]]
* [[Thing (assembly)]]
* [[Veche]]
* [[Witenagemot]]
* [[World Nomad Games]]
* [[World Turks Qurultai]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=dn}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.qurultay.org Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people]
* [http://bashklip.ru/load/4-1-0-77 A video (in the Bashkir language) about the Second World Qoroltay of the Bashkirs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914121823/http://bashklip.ru/load/4-1-0-77 |date=14 September 2009 }}
{{Göktürks}}
{{Mongol Empire}}
{{Turco-Mongol}}

[[Category:Mongolian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Historical legislatures]]
[[Category:History of the Turkic peoples]]
[[Category:Mongol Empire]]
[[Category:Elective monarchy]]