Who was Bogd Khan and what role did he play in Mongolia’s independence movement?

The Bogd Khan (1869–1924), also known as the Bogd Gegeen Khan, was the "Living Buddha" and the spiritual leader of the Dge-lugs-pa (Yellow Hat) sect of Buddhism in Mongolia.1

He played a central role in Mongolia’s independence movement at the start of the 20th century. In December 1911, following the outbreak of the Chinese Revolution, he was proclaimed the "Holy King" and declared Mongolia independent from Qing dynasty rule. Although he sought to unite Inner and Outer Mongolia, his government was forced to accept autonomy under Chinese suzerainty following international treaties in 1913 and 1915.2

Throughout the subsequent period of political turbulence, the Bogd Khan was deposed by Chinese forces in 1919, briefly restored by Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg in 1921, and eventually reinstated as a constitutional monarch with limited powers following the establishment of a "people's government" by Mongolian revolutionaries. He remained the head of state until his death in 1924, shortly before the country was officially renamed the Mongolian People’s Republic.21