What loyalty pact followed Temujin's 1203 crisis at Baljuna?

The loyalty pact that followed Temüjin’s 1203 crisis at Baljuna was the Baljuna Covenant.

After defeat by the Kereit ruler Toghrul and his son Senggum, Temüjin retreated with a small, battered force to Baljuna, an unidentified river or lake in southeastern Mongolia. There, he and his companions swore mutual loyalty, promising to share hardship and future glory.

The oath was notable for bringing together people from different clans and backgrounds, including Mongols, Kereits, Naimans, Khitans, Tanguts, Central Asians, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists. Its ideal was personal allegiance to Temüjin rather than loyalty based solely on tribe or kinship.

The covenant’s members became known as the Baljunatu, or “Baljuna men.” After Temüjin defeated the Kereits later in 1203 and established the Mongol Empire, he rewarded many of them with prominent offices. The episode was omitted from the Secret History of the Mongols, leading older historians to question it, but other sources support its historicity.