Also called "Nianbage" 粘八葛 or "Nianbaen" 粘拔恩, Naima 乃馬, Naiman 奈曼 and others. A people speaking a Turkic language roaming the western part of modern Mongolia, probably relative to the Kirgiz. The Naiman presented tribute to the court of the Liao Dynasty 遼 and became followers of the Liao leader Yelü Dashi 耶律大石 who founded the Western Liao empire 西遼 (Qara-Khitan) in the area of modern Xinjiang province. In 1175 the Naiman chieftains Saliya Yintesi 撒里雅寅特斯 and Bogu 勃古 presented their tributes to the Jin Dynasty 金 that controlled northern China. The Naiman federation also incorporated a Turkish tribe named "Bietieqi 別帖乞" and was one of the mightiest nomad federations of the Mongolian plateau. Their supreme leader was called Narhesh Tayang Qaghan 納兒黑失太陽汗). Nestorian Christianism was widespread among the Naiman. In 1204 the Naiman qaghan submitted to the Mongols, but his son Kücülüg "Quchulü 屈出律" united with Merkit forces and fought against Genghis Qaghan until 1206. He escaped to the Western Liao where he married the daughter of their ruler Yelü Zhilugu 耶律直魯古. In 1211 he attacked Zhilugu and made himself ruler of the Western Liao. He occupied the whole territory controlled by the Qara-Khitan rulers and forced the population to adopt Nestorianism. In 1218 the Mongols conquered his empire, and the Naiman were incorporated into the Mongol federation.