Mongolia's
History and Background
During the 15th century, Mongolia was torn apart with dissension and
strife. With the rise of Tibetan Buddhism in the 16th century, a
Living Buddha would be named. It was the son of the Mongol khan of
Urga (Ulaanbaatar). Although the Qing Dynasty had dominion over
Mongolia, the ruling groups of the country were the Buddhists and the
Mongol aristocracy who were allies at this time.
When Mongolia declared it's independence from China during the 1911
Chinese revolution, the Living Buddha still ruled. By 1920, a
puppet government was established by a Russian general but the next year
the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party began a government, with help
from Russian Communists, that usurped the general and those who
supported him. When the last Living Buddha died in 1924, the
Mongolian People's Republic was established, but was not recognized by
China until 1946. Due to Mongolia's alliance with Russia, when
China separated itself from Russia, trade relations were greatly reduced
between China and Mongolia. Russia's influence in Mongolia
remained strong through the 1990's.
In January 1992, a new constitution was instituted by Ponsalmaagiyn
Ochirbat, Mongolia's president. In 1993, a new treaty was signed
by Boris Yeltsin, Russia's president and Ochirbat, and that same year
Ochirbat was reelected as president. With all the changes involved
with reforming to a free-market system, the economy floundered.
High inflation and unemployment caused President Ochirbat to lose the
1997 election to Natsaglin Bagabandi. Bagabandi had promised
slower economic reforms and increased social services.
The Mongols gained
fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they
established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest.
After his death the empire was divided into several
powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the
14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their
original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century
came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence
in 1921 with Soviet backing and a Communist regime was
installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia,
however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical
homeland; more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of
China than in Mongolia. Following a peaceful democratic
revolution, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's
Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and
1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition
(DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. The MPRP won
an overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary
election, but the party lost seats in the 2004 election
and shared power with democratic coalition parties from
2004-08. The MPRP regained a solid majority in the 2008
parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a
coalition government with the Democratic Party. In 2010
the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian
People's Party (MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s.
The prime minister and most cabinet members are MPP
members.
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