Mongolian and Central Asian Studies

Archaeological Jew’s Harps from Ancient Nomadic Cultures of
Eastern Eurasia

Until now only musical instrument from Xiongnu archaeological monuments was a Jew’s harp unearthed by Prof. D.Tseveendorj in 1989 in Morin Tolgoi burial ground, Central Mongolia. This laminare bone instrument was a unqiue piece to the study of the origin and development of not only Xiongnu but also Eurasian ancient nomad’s musical culture. Recent years more examples of similaire musical instrument found in different areas of Eastern Eurasian nomadic cultures which stimule further researches on the origin of this anicent musical instrument.
This article covers 10 pieces of laminare Jew’s harp, in bone or bambou sticks, from early nomads period or Bronze-Early Iron-Xiongnu periods of the Eastern part of Eurasian Steppe. These pieces were discovered in Mongolia, North China, Inner Mongolia, Tannu-Sayan region or Tuva and Minus hollow, all from burial monuments of different archaeological cuiltures. Some of those pieces were identi ed initially by researchers as “bone instrument” or “weaving shuttle” etc.
The oldest known Jew’s harp from nomadic world, and even in the world is a bone instrument from Xiajiadian from late Bronze Age, and the most recent archaeological Jew’s harp comes from Sakhsar burial from Tashtyk culture or Post-Xiongnu period in Minus hollow region. The Morin Tolgoi burial Xiongnu Jew’s harp together with Aimyrlyg (Tuva) played important role in the distribution of this musical instrument throughout Eurasia by the means of Xiongnu (Hun) Great Migration or/and Silk Road.

ХХ зууны Монголын түүхэнд, ялангуяа эрдэм судлалын талбарт өөрийн арилшгүй мөрийг үлдээсэн нэртэй эрдэмтэн, төр нийгмийн зүтгэлтэн Мэргэн гүн Гомбожавын мэндэлсний 110 жилийн ойг 2016 онд Монгол улсад ёслол төгөлдөр тэмдэглэн өнгөрүүлэв. Үүнд, миний бие Монгол улсынхаа ХХ зууны ээдрээт баялаг түүхийг халдан судалж хараахан зүрхлээгүй байгаа тул Мэргэн гүн Гомбожавын ажил үйлс, амьдралын талаар өмнөх судалгааг ахиулж нэмсэн зүйлийг энэ хэр хэлж, хийж чадахгүй, хүчин мөхөсдөх учир харин түүний өвөг дээдэс, ялангуяа манай өмнөх түүх бичлэгт ихээхэн бүдэг бичигдэж ирсэн Манж Чин улсын эрхшээлд орохоос өмнөх үеийн Халхын зүүн гарын Сайн ноёны төрөл ноёд тайж нарын намтар үйл ажиллагаа, тэдний харьяат улс, хошуу нутаг
бүрэлдсэн байдлын тухай бяцхан өгүүлэл өөрийн судалгаан дээр тулгуурлан бэлтгэснээ өргөн олон эрдэмтэн мэргэдийн мэлмийд өргөн толилуулж байна.

In fall 2005, archaeologists followed a lead by the chief geologist D. Garamzhav of Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Inc. and carried out a preliminary examination and documentation of a walled enclosure surrounded by a circular parapet. The walled site is located in the Galbyn Gobi north- west of the cave Gurvan Zeerdiin Agui in Khanbogd sum, Ömnögov’ aimag, about 10 km from the Mongolian-Chinese border1 (Fig. 1). No previous research exists for the site, but brief men- tion is given in the “Short History of Mongolian Weapons” by A. Damdinsüren (1990) to a place called Mangasyn Khuree, “monster circle”. The author cites the existence of the site as in- formation from the famous study of settlements in Mongolia by Kh. Perlee (1961), yet there is no information to be found on Mangasyn Khuree within Perlee’s book. The fortified site of Baian Bulag is mentioned in Perlee’s book, and it can be assumed that Damdinsüren obtained information on a complex called Mangasyn Khuree which he later confused with the ruins of Baian Bulag in the process of providing citations.

Structural functionalism is a social approach to trace out the complex society where all segments work together regarding promoting solidarity and stability. Likewise, cosmopolitanism means a society where people from distinct cultures, ethnicities and religious backgrounds not only live together but interact with each other too. This study aims to highlight that any state and the society can experience both; structural functionalism and cosmopolitanism only when it establishes economic relations with its counterpart. As Iran and Turkmenistan are neighboring states while, Iranian Turkmens (staying at borderland) had dream to get regional autonomy on ethnic bases within Iran (under federal state structure) or amalgamation of Iranian Turkmen-populated region with Turkmenistan. Study proves that railway connectivity between both states regarding trade and cooperation (in different sectors) not only undermined ethnic dilemma at Iran-Turkmenistan border but it has been promoted structural functionalism and cosmopolitanism in major Turkmen-populated cities of Golestan Province, North Khorasan Province and Razavi Khorasan Province in Northeastern Iran.

By examining Mongol and Chinese documents, this article analyses Mongolian official titles from the 14th to the 16th centuries. It shows that there are many historical layers in the set of official titles. The titles inherited from the Mongol-Yuan administration were still used within the ordinary nobility. In the late 15th century, the Mongol royal family suppressed all non-royal warlords. At that moment, it was frequently Chinese captives who suggested the 'updated' official nomenclature to the Mongolian warlords. The official titles recorded in the Mongolian "White History" Chaghan Teuke clearly preserve these historical layers. This proves that the White history was indeed written in the late 16th century, and not during the Yuan era (13-14 centuries).

A BOARD GAME FROM A KHUNNU BURIAL

This article is about the research of a board game, found in the 1st burial at Gol mod’s khunnu cemetery in Khairkhan sum of Arkhangai province, excavated by archaeologists of the Mongolian-French joint expedition.

For Mongols, sharing food is more than just eating meals. Through a process of “opening” and “closing”, on a daily basis or at events, in the family circle or with visitors, sharing food guarantees the proper order of social relations. It also ensures the course of the seasons and the cycle of human life. Through food sharing, humans thus invite happiness to their families and herds. Sandrine Ruhlmann has lived long months, since 2000, in the Mongolian steppe and in the city. She describes and analyses in detail the contemporary food system and recognizes intertwined ideas and values inherited from shamanism, Buddhism and communist ideology. Through meat-on-the-bone, creamy milk skin, dumplings or sole-shaped cakes, she highlights a whole way of thinking and living.

Text revised and expanded by Sandrine Ruhlmann
Translated from the French by Nora Scott

Translated from L’appel du bonheur. Le partage alimentaire mongol by Sandrine Ruhlmann, first published in French in 2016 by the Centre d’Études Mongoles et Sibériennes, as the 5th volume of the series Nord- Asie, the supplement to Études mongoles & sibériennes, centrasiatiques & tibétaines.

ISBN 978-90-04-40965-1
https://brill.com/view/title/54850?lang=en

Full book available at https://brill.com/view/title/32241. In this book, the author offers a complete reconstruction of the Chinese-Mongol vocabulary of the 17th century comprehensive Chinese military work called Lulongsai lüe (盧龍塞略, LLSL), a document of key importance containing one of the last Sino-Mongol glossaries without proper critical reconstruction until now. The work has resulted in a clarification of the earlier sources the compilers of LLSL used in the bilingual part. Apatóczky argues that contrary to what scholars have thought of it until now, the linguistic corpus of the glossary is not homogeneous and does not represent a single linguistic status; it does, however, shed some light on chronological and philological questions concerning the earlier works incorporated in it.

This article examines how Ladakhi songs represent cultural self-images through associated musical, textual, and visual tropes. Many songs of the past, both from the old royal house and the rural Buddhist populations, reflect the socio-political structure of Ladakhi society. Although some songs, past and present, reflect a pan-Tibetan identity, a distinct Ladakhi identity is nevertheless consistently asserted. Situated on the caravan routes between India, Tibet, China, and Central Asia, Ladakhi culture developed distinctive hybrid characteristics, including in its musical styles. The article discusses this tradition of hybridity from the 17th Century to the present day. Ladakhi music has moved into modern media space, portrayed through scholarly works, concerts, mass media, and the internet. The article examines various contemporary representations of “tradition” and ethnic identity in both traditional and popular music. Looking at Ladakhi popular music, we see further hybridity base...

В статье предпринят, а попытка рассмотреть некоторые аспекты взаимоотношений Туркестанского генерал-губернаторства и Китая с российской, советской и постсоветской историографии. На основе анализа публикаций, выходивших на это период, были рассмотрены основные этапы изучения проблемы и и то как понимались, и изучалась проводимая Российской империей политика в этом вопросе.

This article continues the study of ethnic history and ethnic processes that took place in the space of Inner Asia. A comprehensive comparative analysis of the ethnic composition of the Turkic and Mongoliс peoples of Siberia, using sources of Russian administrative management, made it possible to analyze in detail the tribal structure of the Yakut and Buryat communities.
The study of array of Yakut and Buryat ethnonyms made it possible to distinguish four ethnonyms, on the example of which one can clearly trace the difference between ethnic groups in the Baikal and Lensky regions. Ethnonyms reflect the participation of the Buryat stratum in the ethnogenesis of the Yakuts, as indicated by the Buryat form of word formation. At the same time, through the prism of the Buryat stratum in the ethnogenesis of the Yakuts, one can see earlier ties of the ancestors of the Yakuts with the population of the Sayan-Khubsugul region — in Mongolian time (salji'ut). Ethnonyms revealed in the Yakut environment also reveal ties with Oirats. The linguistic reconstruction of the Yakut ethnonyms made it possible to establish the participation in the ethnogenesis of the Yakuts me-dieval Oirat community — ölöt. Relations with other regions of the Mongol Empire are also indirectly revealed — a reflection of these medieval ties, in our opinion, is the presence in the environment of the Buryats of the ethnonym Qangin and Sartul, which is assumed that they are homogenous Kipchaks and population of Central Asia, who merged into the Early Buryat community.
The results of the study reflect the complexity of the ethnic processes that took place among the Mongolian and Turkic nomads of Eurasia. The data obtained help to clarify the ethnic composition of the population of both Mongolia and Buryatia and Yakutia.

Abstract
“Debate epic” custom
The purpose of this research is to contribute to the List of Mongolian Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding Mongolian Epics rituals to narrow rule study and re-presentation of Cultural Heritage and leave a tradition of major.
Therefore the study related the traditional is cisled in UNESKO Mongolian Epic named “Tuuli khayaltsakh” – “Debate epic” whice has not study been the died yet.
This ancient can be considered observedin many other of the Mongolian ethnics, poems.

A Woman Who Ruled An Empire by Ruchika Sharma
Review of the Book - EMPRESS: THE ASTONISHING REIGN OF NUR
JAHAN By Ruby Lal
"The Empress, as the title
suggests, puts the spotlight
on Nur Jahan as a political
figure. The book delineates
itself as creative non-fiction,
and a biography at the
outset, by attempting to also
explore the oral narrative
of ‘what exactly the public
knows (or think it knows)
about Empress Nur’ "

ХХ зуунд Монголын түүхэнд тохиосон олон чухал үйл явдлын дотроос ач холбогдол, цар хэмжээгээрээ товойн тодрох 1921 оны хувьсгалын анхдугаар зорилт нь хятад цэргийн эзэрхийллээс эх орноо чөлөөлөх явдал байв. 1920 оны намар ЗОУ-ын Засгийн газартай хэлэлцээр хийсэн МАН-ын төлөөлөгч С.Данзан нар "хятадын эзэрхийллээс ангижрах тэмцлийг монголчууд өөрийн хүчээр хийх"-ээр тохиролцож зэвсэг, санхүүгийн тусламж авсан билээ. Хиагт хотыг хятадын цэргээс чөлөөлөх байлдаанаас эх орончдын жил гаруй хугацаанд чармайн зүтгэсэн үйл хэргийн амжилт, эрх чөлөөний тэмцлийн өрнөл, ялалт хамаарч байсан нөхцөлд 1921 оны 3 сарын 6-7-нд МАН-ын Төв Хороо, Цэргийн штабын гишүүд Хиагтыг чөлөөлөх асуудлыг ул суурьтайгаар хэлэлцэж, олон тооны цэрэг хамгаалж буй хотыг эзлэн авахад бэрхшээлтэй тул хятад цэргийн эрх баригчидтай харилцан тохиролцох аргыг хэрэглэхээр шийдэж, "... уг хэрэгт Троицкосавск дахь ЗОУ-ын Гадаад хэргийн ардын комиссиаратын төлөөлөгч О.И.Макстенекийг зуучлахыг хүсэх, эл зөвшөөрөн хэлэлцэх явдлыг хятад цэргийн эрх баригчид хэрэгсэхгүй болгох аваас байлдаан үүсгэх" -ээр тогтжээ. Иймээс Хиагтын байлдааны үндсэн зорилт бол тухайн үед хятад цэрэг олноо бөөгнөрсөн Хиагтыг чөлөөлж, монголчуудын эрх чөлөөний тэмцлийн түшиц газрыг бий болгоход оршиж байв. Бүгд ерөнхийлэн захирах жанжин Д.Сүхбаатарын удирдсан Цэргийн штабаас байлдааны төлөвлөгөө боловсруулах, цэргийг шилжүүлэн байрлуулах, зохион байгуулалт хийх, байлдааны бэлтгэлийг хангах ажлыг нэн даруй гүйцэтгэжээ.Штабын гишүүнд түр сонгогдсон С.Данзангийн оронд цэргийн хэрэгт мэдлэг туршлагатай бэйс Л.Сумъяаг томилж, Эрдэнэ вангийн хошуу, Хиагтын зүүн харуулуудаас цэрэг нэмэн элсүүлжээ. 1921 оны 3 сарын 10-нд цоохор цэргийг тэргүүн хороо болгон даргад Б.Пунцагийг, Хиагтын зүүн харуул, Сумъяа бэйс, Эрдэнэ вангийн хошуудын цэргээр 2, 3, 4 дүгээр хороодыг байгуулан О.Цэрэндорж, Ц.Хасбаатар, Ч. Базарсад нарт захируулж, ангийн даргад Нанзад, Сономдаш, Дамдинсүрэн, Бумцэнд, Бальдир, Тогтох нарыг тохоожээ. Тэргүүн хороо 87, 2-р хороо 60, 3-р хороо 100 гаруй, 4-р хороо 130, пулемёт бууны анги 25-30 хүнтэй, нийт 400 орчим цэрэг байв. Мөн "Суртлыг номлогч" тушаалыг буй болгон Ц.Дамбадорж, Х.Чойбалсан нарт хариуцуулж, Цэргийн штабын бүрэлдэхүүнийг өөрчлөн даргад П.И.Литвинцев, туслахад Лятте, Беретти нарыг, дэд жанжинд бэйс Сумъяаг томилон, цэргийг "Ардын журамт цэрэг"гэж нэрлэхээр тогтсон нууц тушаалыг 3 сарын 12-нд хороо ангиудад хүргүүлжээ. Цэргийн нэрийг өөрчилсөн нь монголчуудын эрх чөлөөний тэмцлийг удирдан зохион байгуулах Ардын Түр Засгийн газар 1921 оны 3 сарын 13-нд байгуулагдаж түүнд цэргийг захируулсантай холбоотой.

Da Roma a Mosca, per poi salire a bordo dello «smisurato serpente» della Transiberiana e infine approdare in Mongolia. Transiberiana è il reportage ricco di foto e illustrazioni di un viaggio lungo 13 mila chilometri che valica i confini geografici e culturali che separano Occidente e Oriente. Lo scrittore ci conduce tra le sconfinate terre russe e la civiltà mongolica e ci porta con lui nei vagoni della ferrovia più lunga del mondo, l’infrastruttura faraonica che fu costruita anche grazie al contributo delle maestranze friulane, fatto noto più in Russia che in Italia e rievocato in queste pagine. Luoghi e popoli così distanti non sono mai stati tanto vicini. Un libro dal linguaggio evocativo. Un libro carico di immagini poetiche. Un libro alla scoperta dell’esotico, “selvaggio” e più autentico Oriente.

Applying quasigenetic markers – non-biological traits which are nevertheless inherited in generations – is one of the research fields within human population genetics. For the West European, East European, and Caucasus populations , surnames are typical quasigenetic markers. For Central Asian populations, particularly Kazakh, the clan affiliation serves as a good marker: a set of papers demonstrated that many clans include mainly persons which biologically descent from a recent common ancestor. In this study, we analyzed a large (~4.2 million persons) dataset on quasigenetic markers – the geographic distribution of 50 Kazakh clans at the beginning of the 20th century, and compared the dataset with the direct data of the Y-chro-mosomal diversity in modern Kazakh populations. The analysis included three steps: the isonymy method, which is standard for quasigenetic markers, comparing frequencies of quasigenetic markers, and comparing the quasige-netic and genetic datasets. We constructed 50 maps of frequency of the distribution of each clan and revealed that these maps correlate with the maps of genetic distances. The Mantel test also demonstrated a significant correlation between geographic and quasigenetic distances (r = 0.60; p < 0.05). The analysis of inter-population variability revealed the largest diversity between geographic territories corresponding to the social-territorial groups of the Kazakh Khanate (zhuzes) rather than to other historical groups that existed on the territory of Kazakhstan in preceding and modern epochs. The same is evidenced by the principal components and multidimensional scaling plots, which grouped geographic populations into three clusters corresponding to three zhuzes. This indicates that Использование для изучения генофонда квазигенетических маркеров – признаков небиологической природы (фамилия, род), но четко наследующихся в поколениях, – одно из направ-лений в популяционной генетике человека. Если для популя-ций Западной Европы, европейской части России и Кавказа в роли квазигенетических маркеров выступают фамилии, то для популяций Центральной Азии эффективным квазигенети-ческим маркером является родовая принадлежность. В ряде исследований было показано, что для центральноазиатских популяций, в особенности казахов, во многих родах просле-живается происхождение большинства членов рода от обще-го биологического предка. В настоящей работе представлен анализ большого массива данных о 50 казахских родах у ~4.2 млн человек в начале XX века в сравнении с разнооб-ра зием Y-хромосомы в современных казахских популяциях. Анализ состоял из трех блоков: описание разнообразия ква-зигенетических маркеров стандартным методом изонимии; сравнение популяций по частотам квазигенетических марке-ров; сравнение квазигенетических и генетических данных. По-строено 50 карт частоты представленности каждого рода на территории Казахстана и ряда смежных территорий. Показано, что эти карты частот квазигенетических маркеров оказываются скоррелированы с картами генетических расстояний. О связи генетических и квазигенетических расстояний свидетельствует и тест Мантеля: обнаружена достоверная корреляция между матрицами географических и квазигенетических расстояний (r = 0.60; p < 0.05). Анализ межпопуляционной изменчивости выявляет наибольшее межгрупповое разнообразие между географическими территориями, соответствующими социаль-но-территориальным объединениям казахского хан ства – жузам, нежели другим историческим территориальным объ-единениям (феодальные государства, улусы, области), сущест-вовавшим на территории Казахстана в предшествующие и со-временную эпохи. С этими результатами согласуются графики главных компонент и многомерного шкалирования, на кото-рых географические популяции объединяются в три кластера, соответствующие социально-территориальным объединени-ям – трем жузам. Это указывает на то, что окончательное струк-турирование казахского генофонда могло произойти в эпоху существования казахского ханства.

This paper explores the role of kinship in herder claims for winter shelter ownership in rural Mongolia, where pastureland is currently designated as state-owned property in the national constitution. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted amongst mobile pastoralist households, this article demonstrates how contemporary winter pasture rights take shape within a locus of political relations structured by custodial land-use practices. It highlights the ways that herders negotiate for territorial rights through appeals to established regional families and are how these appeals are mediated by local government administration. From this analysis, I argue that concepts of kinship in the political economy of pastoralism should be reexamined in light of current debates around land-tenure legislation in Mongolia.

Despite Jebe Noyan's importance to the expansion of Chinggis Khan's empire, the Mongol general remains a shadowy figure. In part this stems from the absence of any biography of Jebe in the Yuan Shi and much uncertainly surrounds when, and in what circumstances, he died. Here the argument is made that the Novgorod First Chronicle provides a description of Jebe's capture and death at the hands of the Kipchaks during the 1223 campaign which culminated with the decisive Battle of the Kalka River. The silence and ambiguity surrounding Jebe's fate in pro-Mongol sources of the thirteenth century can perhaps be explained by a taboo surrounding the disgraceful circumstances of his capture and execution.

The paper explores the implications which this identification holds for how we assess the westward campaign of Jebe and Sübe'etei (1220-1224), often perceived as a reconnaissance mission, and how the Mongol leadership viewed enemies west of the Volga in its aftermath. This, in turn, sheds light on the preparations the Mongols made for their return in force to the region in the 1230s. Finally a theory is offered for why Jebe's identification was not made previously which illustrates the challenges facing researchers of the Mongol Empire.