Mongol nobles and clergy had declared independence from the Qing empire weeks earlier, after the Chinese revolution of October 1911. They chose the Bogd, a Tibetan-born lama who had lived in Urga since childhood, as head of both religion and state, and a new government with ministries was formed. China did not recognize the independence, and a 1915 agreement with Russia left Mongolia autonomous under nominal Chinese sovereignty. Mongolia now marks December 29 as its Independence Day.
In the last years of the Qing dynasty, the government in Beijing had encouraged Chinese settlement in Mongolia and tried to tighten its control, provoking resentment among Mongol princes. In the summer of 1911 a delegation went to St Petersburg to seek Russian support. When revolution broke out in Wuchang in October, Mongol leaders expelled the Qing governor from Urga and announced on December 1 that Mongolia was independent.
On December 29, 1911, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, then about 41, was enthroned as Bogd Khan, the "Holy Emperor". The reign title chosen, "Elevated by All", reflected the idea that he had been raised to power by the Mongol people. The new state sought recognition from foreign powers and tried to unite all Mongol lands, including Inner Mongolia, but achieved only limited success.
In 1919 Chinese troops reoccupied Urga and ended its autonomy. In 1921 a White Russian force expelled them and restored the Bogd Khan, and then Soviet-backed Mongolian revolutionaries took power. The Bogd Khan remained a figurehead monarch until his death in 1924, after which the Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed. His palace in Ulaanbaatar is now a museum.
Key people: Bogd Khan