In the Step Common Political Interest Was Translated Into Kinship

The clans of Mongolia, such as they were, were constructed then of at least hypothetically related lineages known as Oboch. These general clan structures were further broken down by relational distances as well as class hierarchy. Close lineages of the leadership with whom no intermarriage was allowed were known as white bones. Some more distant relations, or sub lineages within a clan, with whom intermarriage was acceptable and regularly practiced were black bone relations.