Early Mongolian refers to the period of Mongolian history that occurred before the Mongol Empire was established in 1206. During this period, two major ethnic groups were present in Mongolia: the Tatars and the Uigurs. The Tatars were a Turkic-speaking people who lived in the region of modern-day Mongolia and parts of Russia. The Uigurs were a Turkic-speaking people who lived in the region of modern-day Xinjiang, China. Both of these ethnic groups had a significant influence on the culture and history of Early Mongolian society.