Ongin inscription
The Ongin inscription was discovered in 1891 in Mongolia near the Ongi River, 160 km south of the Orkhon inscriptions and 402 km south-west of the Tonyukuk inscriptions.[1]: 177 It was erected in honor of El Etmish Yabgu. Line 12 makes it clear that the author of the inscription erected a memorial to his father.[1]: 183 According to Gerard Clauson, it must have been erected between 716 and 735, during the reign of Bilge Qaghan.[1]: 191 According to Ercilasun it was erected in 719 or 720.[2]
Location
[edit]The Ongin inscription was discovered in 1891, in Outer Mongolia on the Manet mountains, near a tributary of the Ongi River, from which it takes its name, at a point a little north-east of 46° N., 102° E., that is about 100 miles south of the Orkhon Inscriptions and some 250 miles west-southwest of the inscription of Tonyukuk.[1]
Discovery and translation
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Ongi2.jpg/220px-Ongi2.jpg)
Region
[edit]It was found in district Maantyn Burd, the northwest coast of Ongi River in Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia.
Complete text
[edit]Following inscription text transcription and translation derived from latest research made by Osawa Takashi in 2011.[3]
Transcription of original text: |
English translation: |
Notes
[edit]- ^ An expression Ečü+müz : apa+mïz – is often met on literary monuments, means «Ата+мыз –our grand father, үлкен+іміз –our elder». In the Kazakh language, ana means aged woman, mother, elder sister and above mentioned use in ancient turkic language in combination «апа, әже» is still kept. In ancient mongolian language in words «ečige > эцэг» (grand father, father), «abu> аав» (father) the root of the word had been kept. In saryg-yugur language (yellow uygurs) «аба» means әке (father), «абқа»- ата (grand father), «абу»- туыс (relative). Malov S.E. The language of the yellow Uyghurs. Alma-Ata, 1957, p. 11.
- ^ Jаmï : qaγan : Yiamy kagan is often identified as Yìlì Zhēndòu Qǐmín Kěhàn, (Baumer 2016:324) first Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, who ruled from 599-614 or 603-606. W.Radloff identifies Yiamy kagan with Bumyn kagan, founder of the First Turkic Khaganate, basing on similarities of letter signs "b" and "y". (H.N.Orkhun); Bumyn kagan (S.E Malov), G.Aidarov, Yamï qaγan – (T.Tekin), Yamï qaγan – (L.Bold), I.Markwart, Yiamy kagan – is Bumyn//Tumyn, i.e.Ili-khan Tumyn (Il-khan i.e. ruler of people – N.Bichurin). the name of this kagan is not attested on other literary monuments.
- ^ Budun means «бүтін (whole), бой (height), толық (stout), дене (body), тұлға (trunk), ірі кесек (large)» are the derivatives of a morpheme boy-//bod-//bud-//büt. In modern kazakh language is kept in forms «бой (height), бүтін (whole), биік (tall), бұдан (from here)». «Түрік бұдұн» - ethno-cultural word meaning “the whole turkic people with large trunk comparing themselves with small chinese- tabgaches”.
- ^ On ancient turks tradition a door of a yurta was put from the eastern part. The parts of the world people also called facing to the east. Thus the right side (оң) - south (оңтүстік), left side (сол) – north (солтүстік), and behind in the back – west.
- ^ Tabγač – chinese. In IV-Vi centuries AD. “Tabgaches // Tobaces” – nomadic ethnos, which ruled “north chinese” state of Vei (386–534). They are fully mixed with chinese, that is why ancient turks called all chinese people as tabgaches. Also “kidan // china” – the name of a nomadic ethnos, ruled the settled part of “chinese”.
- ^ Qïlïntïm – is usually translated as “was born”, “brought up”, it also has a meaning “served, worked”.
- ^ Yabγu – yabgu – title of a ruler after kagan, responsible for ethno-political power of Turkic El.
- ^ There are scientists, who did not translate the word “at eg” : (in 5-6-lines) marked as (tag?,tig ?- W.Radloff), but some scientists explain «beg» as (begs-oguzes – S.Malov, K.Sartkozha), «teg» as (sraight, before – H.Orkhun), («Atig» ethnic name – T.Tekin), «tig» as (“strong” – A.S.Amanzholov). There is no reason to consider this expression as some ethnic name. The lines on the monument “ekin ara : at eg yaγï : bolmuš : ” (10-line), “at eg : yaγï : ermiš : ” (5,6-lines) probably mean “the horserider was an enemy”.
- ^ The word Аqaŋïm lately is read as qaŋïm (father). In modern kazakh language is kept in forms 1. aqa > ake > father; 2. qaqa > qake > köke > ake > и aqa > elder brother
- ^ ülüi : yïlqa : jetinč ay - ұлу : жылғы : жетiншi ай (the seventh month of a dragon year) – we think that it is 682 – 716. On twelve years animal circle of chronology 631, 643, 655, 667, 679, 691, 703, 716, 728, 740, 752, 764 ... correspond to a dragon year. If pay attention to facts that Ilteris kagan ruled in 682–691, Kapagan kagan – in 691 – 716, then it can be determined, that Ongin monument was established between 682 and 716. Exactly in 703.
- ^ Esbara Tamgan Chur Yoga – (bitikshi) a creator of the monument Ongin. That is why he wrote alp er : edgü qan : Atačïm : ölti : (ұлық алып ер : игi хан : Атачым : өлдi : - a great glorious man : respectful khan : my grandfather : died. These lines in previous researches were translated as külüg er : edgü qan : tačam : ölti : (glorious man, noble khan Tacham died – W.Radloff, S.Malov, H.N.Orkhun (“даңқты ер игi хан аташым өлдi – the glorious man, respectful khan : my grandfather : died”- T.Tekin, G.Aidarov, L.Bold). If to believe the photos taken by N.M.Yadrintzev then is not clear why W.Radloff read the letter signs uluγ alp er : as külüg er : (uluγ alp er – A.S.Amanzholov, K.Sartkozha.)
- ^ There is carved words \'Esbara : Tarqan : balbalï\' on one of balbals of the monument complex. Bilge Esbara Tamgan Tarkhan is brother of late Il Etmish Yabgu, who participated in the process of mourning (yoγï). Here the investigation of the word balbal, which is met not often in texts of turkic written language and it is thought that balbal is a funeral stone of each killed enemy by a dead person some scientists consider, that balbals were purposefully established for tethering horses during funeral procession, mourning and funeral repast. The word balbal consists of repeated words bal+bal > balbal and means straightly put, stuck into the ground stones. The word balbal has similar root with the words as balγa (балға - hammer), balta (балта - axe), bal- (соғу – to beat, қағу – to drive in, ұру – to hit), balïq (1. балшық - clay, батпақ - marsh, лай - mud; 2. қала - city, қорған - fortification, қамал - fortress) and others and has general semantic meaning “to stay in a row, to pierce, to be erected”. There are Ongin lines on a literary monument Alp : erin : balbal : qïsdï : (алып : ердiң : балбалы (н) : көтерді//қадады –glorious man : established// pierces). It should be said here that tamga of kagan’s family on balbals from the Ongin complex means that these are not the funeral stones of killed enemies, in the contrary, people, participated in the process of mourning (yoγï) set these balbals, hoping that they would help the spirit of the late to fly away to the Sky (uča bar – fled away) and set them up one by one towards east.
Further reading
[edit]- Clauson, G. (1957). The Ongin Inscription. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
- Tekin T. (1968). A grammar of Orkhon Turkic.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Gerard Clauson (October 1957). "The Ongin Inscription". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 89 (3–4): 177–192. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00115825. S2CID 163494827.
- ^ Ercilasun, (1985), p. 59
- ^ Takashi Osawa - Revisiting the Ongi inscription of Mongolia from the Second Turkic Qaghanate on the basis of rubbings by G. J. Ramstedt; Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne (Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja); 2011; pp. 183