Baghatur (; Baγatur, Khalkha Mongolian: Баатар Bātar; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical Turkic and Mongol honorific title, in origin a term for "hero" or "valiant warrior". The Papal envoy Plano Carpini (-1252) compared the title with the equivalent of European Knighthood. The word was common among the Mongols and became especially widespread, as an honorific title, in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century; the title persisted in its successor-states, and later came to be adopted also as a regnal title in the Ilkhanate and the Timurid dynasty, among others. The word was also introduced into many non-Turkic languages as a result of the Turco-Mongol conquests, and now exists in different forms such as , , Polish Bohater (meaning "hero"), (meaning "brave"), Persian Bahador, Georgian Bagatur, and Hindi Bahadur. It is also preserved in the modern Turkic and Mongol languages as Altai Баатыр (Baatïr), Turkish Batur/Bahadır, Tatar and Kazakh Батыр (Batyr), Uzbek Batyr and Mongolian Baatar (as in Ulaanbaatar). The concept of the Baghatur has its roots in Turco-Mongol folklore. Like the bogatyrs of Russian traditional tales, Baghaturs were heroes of extraordinary courage, fearlessness, and decisiveness, often portrayed as being descended from heaven and capable of performing extraordinary deeds. Baghatur was the heroic ideal Turco-Mongol warriors strove to live up to, hence its use as a military honorific of glory. Etymology The term was first used by the steppe peoples to the north and west of China proper as early as the 7th century as evidenced in Sui dynasty records. It is attested for the Second Turkic Khaganate in the 8th century, and among the Bulgars of the First Bulgarian Empire in the 9th century. Some authors claim Iranian origin of the word, the first syllable is very likely the Iranian title word *bag "god, lord". According to Gerard Clauson, bağatur by origin almost certainly a Xiongnu (which Clauson proposes to be Hunnic) name, and specifically of the second Xiongnu Chanyu, whose name was transliterated by the Han Chinese as (with -n for foreign -r), now pronounced Mòdùn ~ Màodùn in standard Chinese, List of individuals with this title The term Baghatur and its variants – Bahadur, Bagatur, or Baghadur, was adopted by the following historical individuals: Modun, the founding chanyu of the Xiongnu empire. Tonyukuk, military commander of Second Turkic Khaganate. Bagatur Bagaina Sevar, 9th century commander in First Bulgarian Empire Alogobotur, 10th century commander