khanates

A khanate is a political entity ruled by a khan, a title used by Mongol and Turkic rulers across Eurasia. The term denotes both the ruler and the territory he governs, and it is commonly used to describe successor states that emerged after the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire.

Historically, major khanates included the Golden Horde in the northwest, the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, and the Ilkhanate in Persia. The Yuan regime in China is often treated as a parallel successor rather than a typical khanate. In later centuries, many regional khanates arose in the Volga region and in Central Asia, such as Kazan, Astrakhan, Crimea, Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand.

Governance in a khanate combined Mongol military authority with Turkic and Persian administrative practices. The khan stood at the apex of a hierarchical system, supported by nobles and officials responsible for taxation, tribute, and military affairs. Capitals served as centers of administration and trade, and religious life varied by region, with Islam, Buddhism, and other faiths present among different khanates.

Decline and legacy followed the expansion of neighboring powers. From the 16th to 19th centuries, many khanates were absorbed by expanding states such as Russia or rival empires; others persisted as semi-autonomous polities for longer before dissolution in the early modern era. The khanate as a form of political organization remains a key concept for understanding the medieval and early modern political and cultural landscape of Central Asia and eastern Europe.