Genghis Khan's Sülde (spirit banner) contained his vital force and led his armies into battle. After his death, the white and black banners became primary objects of ancestral worship, believed to hold his continuing spiritual presence.
Sulde, the war spirit embodied in military banners, derives its power from Tengri's mandate. The Mongol tuq (spirit banner) channeled Tengri's authority into battle, and Genghis Khan's black sulde banner was believed to house a portion of Tengri's power.
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