The Rashīdī History 8.4.5

8.4.5

Rashid-ud-Din has laid special stress on this point in his great work on the Mongols, and has explained the matter in one place as follows: "They [the Tatars] made themselves so powerful and formidable, that the other nations of Turks passed themselves off as Tatars, and regarded as an honour this name, under which they had become famous; just as at the present day the Jalair, Tatar, Uirat, Ungut, Karait, Naiman, Tangut, and others, find glory in the name of Mongol, made illustrious by that of Chingiz Khan and his descendants — a name which, at an earlier date, they would have disdained. The young people of all these nations believe, even now, that their ancestors have always borne the style of Mongol; but it was not so, for formerly the Mongols were only one of the nations of Turks. . . . This name has been extended to such a degree, that nowadays the people of Khitai (Northern China) and of Nan-gyass (Southern China), as well as the Churchi, the Uighur, the Kapchak, the Turkoman, and the Karluk; also the Captives and the Taziks (Muhammadans), who have been brought up among the Mongols are [all of them] called Mongols; and they are all interested in passing for Mongols, in order that they may gain consideration.