Khong Tayiji
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Khong Tayiji (also spelled Qong Tayiji; in Manchu: Hong Taiji) is a title of the Mongols.
Khong Tayiji derives from Chinese Huangtaizi (皇太子; crown prince). At first it also meant crown prince in Mongolian. It was given only to descendants of Genghis Khan. In the Mongol tradition, a khan was unable to appoint the successor, instead the successor was elected in the kurultai after the khan's death. However Kublai Khan broke this tradition, and installed his second son Chingem as Crown Prince. After Chingem died in 1284, the position was taken over by Chingem's third son Temür, in 1293. However, the Crown Prince was not the definite successor. He was also elected in a kurultai.
The Khong Tayiji became sub-Khan when Altan Khan of the Tümed tümen installed the Khong Tayiji as assistant khan. This convention of a sub-khan spread throughout the Mongol world.
In 1630s the head of the Dzungars was given the title of Baatur Khong Tayiji by the Dalai Lama. Since then the title of Khong Tayiji was taken over by the Dzungar chiefs. As the Dzungars got stronger, the title became higher. In the mid-18th century it became higher than khan among the Oirats, because too many chiefs were appointed khan by the Qing Dynasty.
