{{Short description|Mongol nobility title}} {{Italic title}} {{other uses}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2019}} '''''Noyan''''' (from Classical Mongolian {{MongolUnicode|ᠨᠣᠶᠠᠨ}} 'lord, master') was a title of authority, which was used to refer to civil-military leaders of noble ancestry in the Central Asian khanates. The title was originally used as a title of authority in the Mongol Empire. In modern times, it is used as a given name or surname in Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charlies-names.com/en/noyan/|title=Noyan}}</ref>
==Pre-Genghisid period== Initially, Noyan was a title for chieftains of Mongolian nomad communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/noyan-SIM_5959?lang=en |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|date=24 April 2012 }}</ref>
==Mongol Empire and successor states== thumb|upright|Shiktur (center), Noyan during the Persian Ilkhanate Under Genghis Khan the term "''Noyon"'' applied to leaders of ''Tumens'' and ''Mingghans'', civil and military units of 10,000 and 1,000 households respectively, each of them with one recruitable soldier. In times of peace the ''Noyons'' ruled as lords over these households and governed the use of the pasture lands. In times of war they led the warriors of their Tumens and Mingghans.<ref name="SneathCambridge)2007">{{cite book|last=Sneath|first=David|title=The Headless State: Aristocratic Orders, Kinship Society, & Misrepresentations of Nomadic Inner Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgLICgAAQBAJ&q=%22the+term+noyan+%28plural+noyad%29+was+considered+equivalent+to+the+Arab+and+Persian+emir%2C+and+the+minggan+were+civil+as+much+as+military+units+ruled+by+their+noyans%22&pg=PT128|year=2007|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-14054-6|page=114}}</ref> During conquests, ''Noyons'' used to receive territories for administration and they effectively became aristocracy, into the 20th century. ''Noyons'' were above the ordinary Mongols in social rank but below the descendants of Genghis Khan. They were sometimes called emir or bey in the Ulus of Jochi, the Ilkhanate and the Chagatai Khanate while historical records of the Yuan dynasty of China gave the equivalent as ''guanren'' (官人).
Usually, "Noyon" followed the name of a person similar to the usage of the title "Khan" or "Bey". {{clear}}
==Qing dynasty== [[File:Namnansuren2.jpg|thumb|140px|Tögs-Ochiryn Namnansüren, also called "Good Noyan Khan Namnansuren" in the Mongolian language]] The Qing dynasty of China, which ruled Mongolia from 1694 to 1911, entrusted rule in Mongolia to the descendants of Genghis Khan, who were also called ''Noyon''. The term ''Noyon'' in this epoch acquired the connotation of nobleman, since Mongolia was mostly at peace. After 1921 the word ''Darga'' (boss) replaced the aristocratic ''Noyon'' as the term for officials.<ref>C.P.Atwood-Encyclopedia of Mongolia, p.412</ref>
==Modern Mongolia== In modern Mongolian, the word is used as a form of address similar to "Mister" or "Monsieur".
==Religious context== In the Mongolian shamanism and folk religion the Noyad are a class of local spirits. They are regarded as descendants of gods or clan elders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/29408/1/10731564.pdf |title=Krystyna Marie Chabros (1991): A Mongol procedure for the management of energy: the 'dalalya' ritual and its texts, p.82|date=1991 |doi=10.25501/SOAS.00029408 |last1=Chabros |first1=Krystyna M. }}</ref>
Noyon is also used as an honorary title in Mongolian Buddhism for the incarnation line of the Noyon Khutagt.
==Notable Noyons== *Qarachar Barlas *Qubilai Barlas *Ichil Barlas *Baiju *Chormaqan *Jebe *Subutai *Dulduityn Danzanravjaa (the Fifth Noyon Khutagt) *Muqali *Boroldai* *Taghachar* *Tygyn Darkhan
==Other meanings== Noyan (Bengali name): A common Bangladeshi variant of the first name Nayan, meaning "eyes".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://angelsname.com/bangladeshi-name/boy/noyan|title=Noyan on angelsname.com}}</ref> The name is of Sanskrit origin (Nayana / नयन). It represents, among other things, wisdom, deep insight and understanding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.onlymyhealth.com/baby-names/meaning-of-name-nayan-1427779939|title=Nayan on onlymyhealth.com}}</ref> Another common spelling in Bangladesh is Noyon.
==Notes== {{reflist}}
Category:Positions of authority Category:Men's social titles Category:Mongol Empire Category:Qing dynasty Category:Military ranks of the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras