khanate

Definition

The polity ruled by a khan, comprising one or more tribes or clans; a state or dominion ruled by this polity; its territory.

Etymology

From khan + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, the concrete charge of it).

Example Sentences

• "By the middle of the nineteenth century Central Asia was rarely out of the headlines, as one by one the ancient caravan towns and khanates of the former Silk Road fell to Russian arms."
• "Sviatoslav had his own imperial ambitions, which led him to take an aggressive interest in the Christian khanate of Bulgaria."

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