View source for IlKhan of the Clans

{{Update Needed|[[The Wars of Reaving]]|[[Wolf Clan Sourcebook]]}}

{{quote|'''Q:''' ''Do you swear upon the words of the [[Aleksandr Kerensky|Great Kerensky]] that you will follow the ordained trail through the black firmament of space, the trail that will ultimately lead us back to [[Terra]] to restore all that was good and pure in the [[Star League]]?''<br />'''A:''' [[Aff]]. ''I swear my [[Bloodright|blood future]] upon it.''

&mdash; From the ilKhan oath-taking ceremony}}

==Description==
The '''ilKhan''' is the "Khan of Khans" within the [[Clans|Clan]] political structure.  This [[Khan]] serves as the supreme leader of the Clans. 

When the Clans face a time of crisis or all need to coordinate their efforts towards a common objective, each Clan forms a ''[[kurultai]]'' and the Khans from each Clan then form a Grand Kurultai.  The Grand Kurultai then internally elects a Khan to become the ilKhan who serves as an arbiter between Clans during the time of his or her mandate, acting with the power of the [[Grand Council]]. The ilKhan enjoys wide-ranging but not absolute power, as he or she is accountable to the Grand Council. When the Martial code is in effect, however, the ilKhan may operate virtually unhindered.

In theory the ilKhan may not interfere with matters that are internal to a specific Clan or privilege their former Clan over others. In practice some ilKhans have failed in this regard, most notably former [[Clan Cloud Cobra|Cloud Cobra]] Khan [[Tobias Khatib]], who with increasing brazenness favored his former Clan at the expense of the others before his deposition, and [[Lincoln Osis]], who even after his election as ilKhan apparently remained Khan of [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] as well and acted as such, attempting to use the other Clans to bolster the failing Jaguars before their annihilation. [[Brett Andrews]] similarly retained his position as Khan of [[Clan Steel Viper]], and had his motives and legitimacy called into question as well. 

After [[Nicholas Kerensky|Nicholas Kerensky's]] death the position of ilKhan became less powerful and less prestigious over time, and following Tobias Khatib's indictment and execution in [[2947]] lapsed completely for a century. The arrival of the ''[[Outbound Light]]'' in Clan space in [[3048]] and resulting [[Operation REVIVAL|invasion of the Inner Sphere]] led to a revival of the role from 3049 to c. 3075, first to lead the invasion itself and then to handle the [[Wars of Reaving|crises]] resulting from that invasion's failure. 

The power of the position also eroded due to increasingly complex political situation among the Clans. When [[Leo Showers]] was voted ilKhan in 3048, he presided over sixteen Clans. Less than 20 years later, when [[Hannibal Banacek]] of the Star Adders stepped down following the Annihilation of [[Clan Steel Viper]], the number of Clans following him numbered only six.<ref >''Wars of Reaving'', p. 151</ref> Similarly, when [[Alaric Ward]] claimed Terra and the title of ilKhan in [[3151]], no Clans broke the silence coming from the Kerensky Cluster to acknowledge his claims, only those who had been driven from the Clan Homeworlds and formed the [[Council of Six]].

By [[3250]] an unnamed individual held the position once more.<ref >''Technical Readout: Succession Wars'', p. 4</ref>

== Roll of ilKhans ==
{| align="center" border="1" cellpadding="5" style="border-color:#BDB76B; border-collapse:collapse; width:80%"
|- style="background-color:#EEE8AA"
! &nbsp;
! Name
! Original Clan
! Years
! Notes
|-
| 1.
| [[Nicholas Kerensky]]
| [[Clan Wolf|Wolf]]
| style="white-space:nowrap" | [[2815]] &ndash; [[2834]]
| Founder of the Clans.
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 2.
| [[Jerome Winson]]
| Wolf
| [[2834]]<ref name="EDGC9"> ''Era Digest: Golden Century'', p. 9</ref> &ndash; [[2851]]
| Provided unity for the nascent Clans after Nicholas Kerensky's murder and oversaw dawn of the [[Golden Century]].
|- 
| 3.
| [[Zenos Danforth]]
| [[Clan Burrock|Burrock]]
| [[2858]]<ref name="EDGC10"> ''Era Digest: Golden Century'', p. 10</ref> &ndash; [[2870]]
| Oversaw the [[Trial of Possession|Trials of Possession]] over [[OmniMech]] technology and the [[Trial of Absorption|Absorption]] of [[Clan Mongoose]] by [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]].
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 4.
| [[Victoria Ward]]<ref name=EDGC10/>
| Wolf
| [[2873]] &ndash; [[2891]]
| Elected to counter a rise in inter-Clan strife. Provided eighteen years of stability before stepping down.
|-
| 5.
| [[Corian Tchernovkov]]<ref name=EDGC10/>
| [[Clan Coyote|Coyote]]
| [[2920]] &ndash; [[2934]]
| Elected to improve inter-Clan relations after [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bear]]-[[Clan Hell's Horses|Hell's Horses]] feud erupted, but died in a 'testing accident' before accomplishing this.
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 6.
| [[Tobias Khatib]]
| [[Clan Cloud Cobra|Cloud Cobra]]
| [[2935]]<ref name=EDGC10/> &ndash; [[2947]]
| Charged with continuing Corian Tchernovkov's mandate but favored his own Clan's goals above the Clans as a whole. When evidence was revealed linking him to Tchernovkov's death Khatib was stripped of rank and executed.
|-
| 7.
| [[Leo Showers]]
| style="white-space:nowrap" | [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Smoke Jaguar]]
| [[3048]] &ndash; [[3051]]
| Led the [[Clan Invasion]] of the [[Inner Sphere]] before being killed over [[Radstadt]].
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 8.
| [[Ulric Kerensky]]
| Wolf
| [[3051]] &ndash; [[3058]]
| ilKhan during the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]] and subsequent [[Truce of Tukayyid|truce period]]. Murdered in an ambush during [[Refusal War]].
|-
| 9.
| [[Elias Crichell]]
| [[Clan Jade Falcon|Jade Falcon]]
| [[3058]]
| Elected in the field and immediately killed by Clan Wolf Khan [[Vlad Ward]] in a [[Trial of Grievance]] over his warrior qualifications.
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 10.
| [[Lincoln Osis]]
| Smoke Jaguar
| [[3058]] &ndash; [[3060]]
| Elected to lead a renewed invasion, but instead forced to deal with the [[Trial of Annihilation|Annihilation]] of Clan Smoke Jaguar and the loss of the [[Great Refusal]]. Killed during the latter.
|-
| 11.
| [[Garrett Sainze]]
| [[Clan Fire Mandrill|Fire Mandrill]]
| [[3071]]
| Elected to lead a new invasion of the Inner Sphere, but was soon killed in a [[Trial of Refusal]] over his lackluster leadership.
|- style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 12.
| [[Brett Andrews]]<ref name=TWoRp181-182>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 181–182: "Brett Andrews"</ref>
| [[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Viper]]
| [[3071]] &ndash; [[3075]]
| Intended to lead new assault against Inner Sphere, but instead triggered the [[Wars of Reaving]] and [[The Society|The Society's]] revolt. Killed by Hannibal Banacek due to his honorless behavior.
|-
| 13.
| [[Hannibal Banacek]]
| [[Clan Star Adder|Star Adder]]
| [[3075]] &ndash; [[3076]]
| Oversaw the Steel Viper [[Trial of Annihilation|Annihilation]], then resigned.
|-style="background-color:#FFFFE0"
| 14.
| [[Alaric Ward]] 
| [[Clan Wolf|Wolf]]
| [[3151]]
| Won the [[ilClan Trial|ilClan Trials]] for [[Terra]] against the Jade Falcons. Became ilKhan of the [[Third Star League|reborn Star League]] after the end of the [[Dark Age Era]]
|-
| ?
| Unnamed individual 
| Unknown Clan
| [[3250]]
| ilKhan of the reborn Star League a century after its foundation.
|}

== References ==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
* ''[[Hour of the Wolf]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Technical Readout: Succession Wars]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''

[[Category:Political and Government Posts]]
[[Category:Military Ranks]]