Nikolai Ubushaev, About the Origin of the Torghut

Nikolai talks about the origin and etymology of Torghut:Scholars say that Torghut derive their name from the word ‘turkhavud’ which denotes Chingis Khan’s day-time bodyguards. In the Kazakh language tur/tor means ‘stop’ (turkhavud were those who stopped people). Chingis Khan’s night-time bodyguards were called ‘kevtul’. But I do not agree with this etymology because a whole clan or tribe could not have originated from a couple of daytime bodyguards. Moreover, bodyguards could not leave Chingis Khan. After the shift, they went home, slept, then came back to their post. How could a whole clan originate from them? In my opinion, in the past there was a tribe called Tarkhud. A girl from that tribe was married to Bortan Baatr and bore him a son named Esugey Baatr, who was Chingis Khan’s father. In the past girls from rich families brought their own servants with them, around 200-300 families. Chingis Khan grew up surrounded by those Tarkhud servants and even knew their language. Moreover, Van Khan of the Kereit tribe was also a Tarkhud man. In fact, Van Khan and Chingis Khan were cousins through their mothers. After Esugey Baatr died, Van Khan took Chingis Khan under his protection and looked after him for 4 or so years. Thus, Tarkhuds lived both among the Kereits and the Mongols. Servants who accompanied their mistresses did not serve in the army, and were exempt from taxes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Kereit Tarkhuds became part of the Torghuds who came to the Volga.Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwi