At the time Butunchar Munkhag was born (around 900CE) the Mongol tribes were located around Mount Burkhan Khaldun at the source of the Onon River. The Mongols were the Menggu Shiwei (蒙兀室韋) of the larger Shiwei (室韋) confederation, a Mongolic-speaking group closely related to the Khitan people. The paternal (non-biological) great-grandmother of Butunchar was called Mongoljin Gua meaning beautiful Mongoless or fair woman of the Mongol tribe.