The Mongols
In a raging path
of plunder, destruction, dominance, and killing, a name would be born and
taught for centuries to come. Campaigning across China, the Mongols made their
mark on a global scale, and proved to be a truly fearful culture. The Mongols
have grown to become a respectable culture over the years as they migrated and inhabited Mongolia. I now invite you to join me on my
journey of discovering what their culture entailed, and what it means to be a
Mongolian.
Environment and Human Adaptation
A peninsula in northern Asia,
between China and Russia, known as Mongolia, is home to the Mongols. This area
covers a total of 1,564,116 sq km, slightly smaller
than the state of Alaska for comparison. Mongolia has a desert climate, with a
wide range of temperatures. Mongolia lies roughly 1500m above sea level, and has
an extreme continental climate. Winter lasts from November through April.
Spring continues May through June, and summer is July through September. The
average summer temperature is +65F, and winter is -13F. Wind averages
1.5/4.5m/s and the average rainfall is 200-220mm. It is said that there are 250
days of sunshine each year, giving Mongolia the name of “Blue Sky”.
There are nearly 2,800,000
inhabitants of Mongolia, 94.9% of which are Mongol. The land consists of
desert, desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in the west and southwest, and
the Gobbi-desert in southcentral. Forests cover roughly 15%. Steppes and
Meadows account for 52%. And Deserts make up around 32% of the land. Some of
the natural resources available to the Mongols include oil, coal, copper,
molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, iron, and
silver. Mongolia is home to many animals, but five have been found in
abundance, earning the name the “five muzzles”. Horses, sheep, goats, camels,
and cows make up the livestock raised by the Mongols. Nearly 34.8 million
cattle are found, in comparison to the 2.8 million people. Wild Fauna, wolves,
and rarely even snow leopards also add to the animal kingdom. Mongolia is home
to a great variety of birds ranging from vultures to eagles, and geese to
pelicans. Fishing is rather scarce in Mongolia, as the fish can rarely be
eaten, though the abundance of livestock ensure the deliverance of food.
Some of the stressors that the
Mongols must deal with include dust storms, grassland and desert fires,
droughts, and harsh winter conditions. Overgrazing, deforestation, and rapid
urbanization have also had an impact on life in Mongolia. Global warming has
had a major impact on Mongolia, and adaptations are in order, if they are to
survive and live healthy lives. Addressing the issues and educating the
civilians is major step for the Mongols, yet some barriers still exist.
Economic difficulties have caused a halt in advancement for the country and
culture. Lack of technology, largely due to the economy, has slowed the Mongols
ability to store, preserve, and advance in agriculture, which they are greatly
dependent on.
The Mongols have undergone several
physical and cultural adaptations to ensure survival and prosperity amongst
their people. One cultural adaptation they have adapted is Nomadism. With this
they can travel around Mongolia without truly settling, in which they can
gather and utilize the resources that are not year round. Another cultural
adaptation they have made is limiting herd sizes and maximizing the necessities
gained from animals. The winters are extremely harsh and shelters can only
support so many animals. The Mongols kill off the weakest of the herd and
freeze the meat gathered for use during winter. With this adaptation, the
Mongols keep a strict limit on the size of herds, and are provided meat in dire
times. Lastly, the Mongols refuse to eat vegetables. Their diet consists of
meat and milk. They claim “Meat for men, leaves for animals”. Due to this
stubborn and strict diet, the Mongols have had to make the adaptation of a
pastoralism system in which they hunt and gather the most necessary meats and
animals. Sheep are seen as basic, horses a luxury for example.
Physical adaptations have also been
made by the Mongols to maintain homeostasis and ensure survival. Earlier I
mentioned the fact that Mongols have reduced their diet to mainly meats and
milk. This is a factor in their tradition of strong, burly men. It isn’t
strange to see a fifteen year-old child already training in the military, a
tradition that has stuck since the days of Ghengis Khan in 1227. The Mongols
have adapted into large muscular men to ensure the safety of their homeland,
and the availability of a deadly militia. Another physical adaptation the
Mongols made was their use of horses. Notorious for their skill on horseback
has been widely spread in the discussion of Mongols. They have always trained
horses whether it be for travel, battle, or agricultural needs. Weapons were
developed to make it easier for Mongols to combat while riding a horse. It isn’t
necessarily a physical adaptation made by the Mongols, as much as a central
training point for use in the culture.
Language
and Gender Roles
Most Mongols speak Khalkha , a
language in the Altaic language family. The language in which is most common to
Khalkha would be Turkish. Russian is a language that the majority of Mongols
can speak decently. English has seen a rapid growth in learning throughout
Mongolia, and almost all of the signs have the traditional language followed by
an English translation. The written language is almost always following their
script, with a rise in English writings. Though there has been an influx of
English, dissecting to spoken tongue can prove difficult, give it a try.
Starting with “Yes”, they say “Tseem”. How about “Goodbye”, they say
“Bye-arsh-te”. If you aren’t confused enough let me end with “I don’t
understand” or as they say “bi oligokhgwee bain”. That’s enough language for
the day, let’s move on. This language is unique in the sense it uses the
Russian alphabet with the addition of two vowels.
Gender roles have a great impact on
Mongolian society, and I was surprised at some of the information I gathered in
my study of this culture. If you were to look through Mongolian history, you
would find all the major political and war figures to be males, but females
were certainly and still are appreciated and admired. It is common for Mongol
men to marry women older than themselves, in means of having someone wiser
guide and influence their actions. In fact, it is a sign of weakness and
immaturity if a Mongol doesn’t listen and follow through with what his female
partner tells him. A great example of this is Chingis Khan and his wife.
Chingis, a famous ruler of the Mongol people, was advised by his wife to
dedicate a successor in the case that he should fall in battle during their
reign of terror. Many people looked in awe at the situation wondering if he
would take this as a sign of disrespect. He went on to agree with his wife and
dedicated a successor shortly after. A common analogy fitting to this culture
is that the man is the head of the house, while the woman is the neck that
turns the head's decision as she pleases.
Men generally dealt with affairs
regarding military, administrative, and trade. They were also responsible for
herding, slaughtering, hunting, gathering, and repairs. Women on the other hand
tended to housekeeping, cooking, raising children, milking animals, and sewing.
Unlike many other countries and cultures, the Mongols have great equality
amongst both sexes. Their status’ are seen as equal. Women earn the same wages
as men for their labor, and enjoy the same freedom as their male counterpart.
The two genders coexist just fine in Mongolia.
Children growing up and developing
their roles begin at a young age. By the age of fifteen, they are quite
familiar with what their cultural responsibilities are. The mothers generally
raise the children and when they reach the appropriate age, engage in their
necessary tasks as a male or female. Biological traits are expressed through
the roles given to the sexes. The men are strong and agile, which can be the
difference in life or death when going out to hunt for the village people.
Women are more gentle and calm, leading to comforting mothers and housekeepers.
Reflecting on “The Blessed Curse”
the protagonist would have her best shot in the Mongolian culture. Under her
odd circumstances her role amongst he people would have to be discovered in
time. Too pretty to be a boy, too strong to be a girl, though this may be, her
ability to contribute would not be hurt. With a culture as gender appreciative
as the Mongols, this person would surely find success and be treated as an
equal.
Subsistence
and Economy
As mentioned earlier, the Mongols
having a constant flow of meat in their diet. The Mongols pattern of
subsistence is Pastoralism, meaning the gathering of large herds for meat. A
great deal of Mongols are pastoral nomads in the sense that they live where
their food is at any given time. A pastoral nomad must also migrate when his
herd of animals requires water or food. They move and create simplistic living
structures frequently to maintain the health of their herd. The Mongols have
strong ties to their animals, and require the nomads to able to defend a herd
at all costs.
With the Pastoralism subsistence
pattern, the Mongols diet is heavy in meats and dairy products. Mongols are
heavy eaters of sheep, lamb, and goats. Some dairy products made include milk
tea, milk wine, and liquid butter. They also domesticate horses, camel, and
cows, but do not generally eat them. Due to their protection and domestication
of these animals, they are available for meals all year long, a major bonus to
their pattern of subsistence in pastoralism. As mentioned earlier, gender roles
play a part in the subsistence of the Mongols. Men are almost always the
herdsmen and hunters, while the women are in charge of cooking and preparing
the meals. Children are for the most part just there to receive their meals
until the age of fifteen or so when they begin to join their gender’s role.
Social class plays little part in the roles in the culture, as it is truly a
team effort to ensure a flourish in their food source.
The strength the Mongols have in
nomadic pastoralism has given them a dependent food source, though a lack of
variety. Their pattern of subsistence wouldn’t work with agriculture as they
are always on the move. They grow strong and healthy lives with the amount of
meats and dairy products they have at their disposal, though the lack of
vegetables can limit anyone’s personal growth. What is beneficial to their
pattern of subsistence is their dependence on a food source in which they have
found great success. Their diet includes foods that aren’t difficult to obtain,
more as maintain. As long as their herd is happy and healthy, so are the
Mongols.
Mongolia’s economy is dependent on
trade. Nomadic pastoralism requires frequent migration of a group, and the Mongol’s
must trade a portion of their herd gatherings for necessary items such as
clothing, grains, silk, and manufactured items. Mongol’s lack a definitive
surplus of any one particular animal, therefore trade what gatherings they have
most at the time. A lack of a permanent home can be the cause for this. If at a
particular time they produce a surplus in a particular resource, most commonly
meat, they will trade it for the items I have previously listed. Specialization
of labor is relevant in this culture. The men are in charge of the herd, big
game hunting, and construction of temporary settlements. The women are in
charge of all the cleaning of animal hides, cooking, harvesting if any,
maintaining the home, and raising the children. The children will help their
mother’s with her responsibilities until they reach an age in which they are
ready to partake in their gender’s role. Due to a high dependence on Russia and
China for trade, the distribution of wealth in Mongolia is unequal. The top 10%
enjoy roughly a fourth of the nations wealth while the bottom 10% gets by on
3%. Mongolia’s form of currency is Togrog, a form of cash similar to ours in
the United States. One U.S. dollar is equivalent to 1,200 Togrog. The Mongols
are heavy traders with countries including China, Japan, Russia, Canada, and
the United States. For example, in 2006 $1.889 billion worth of copper, wool,
apparel, animal products etc. was exported. This same year an estimated $2.117
billion worth of machinery, equipment, fuel, cars etc. was imported. The amount
of trade the Mongols participate in is beneficial in the sense that they have
strong connections with foreign countries and have unique products in demand
from them. These items can be traded for products that not only help them with their
pattern of subsistence, but brings forth a consistent flow of new products the
Mongols are incapable of producing. The drawback to this amount of trade the
Mongols partake in is the dependency. The Mongols culture is somewhat
primitive, and depends on trade with countries like China and Russia to keep up
with todays day and age.
Marriage
and Kinship
The marriage pattern in which the
Mongols practice is Monogamy. They marry outside their family and generally
marry within their social status’. Herders marry herders, gatherers marry
gatherers etc.. Marriages are generally determined by the spouses rather than
by some for of family arrangement. A traditional Mongolian wedding included
gifts from both the bride and groom’s family. A great deal of livestock came
from the groom’s family, while the bride’s family provided jewelry, clothing,
and furnishings. A great feast would be had by both families in celebration of
the families agreement in marriage, as the wedding was seen more as an
agreement rather than a religious ceremony. The exchange between the families
emphasizes the equality and appreciation of both genders. There is equal
contribution, and this shows that there is no superior gender, but more of a
unity amongst all people.
The Mongols are not restricted to any rules regarding endogamy
or exogamy, though it is almost always the case that they will marry within
their cultural group. As stated earlier, they generally marry those with
similar status’ and tasks, herders marry herders for example. Residence
patterns are for the most part the same across the country. A household will
normally consist of parents, their children, and grandparents. There was a
recent spike in birthrates in Mongolia, but for the most part a household will
consist of 5-7 residents.
The Mongols
have slowly adapted the Western Culture of life, and have similar issues that
we have in the U.S.. Homosexuality for example, has become a rising issue in
the U.S. as far as tolerance, and who has the right to get married. In
Mongolia, homosexuality shares similar skepticism as it does here. Some agree
and tolerate it, while others find it unacceptable. In their case however,
there is such a little presence of homosexuality that they needn’t think twice
about it.
The Mongols
pattern of descent is patrilineal. What this means is that the kinship is
traced from father to son. Many interpret this to mean that the Mongols are
proud of their great leaders through the generations and wish to have the war
heroes like Genghis Khan stand out. Other descent lines aren’t ignored, but
lack the emphasis like the men through the generations have received. This may
seem that the Mongols lack appreciation for their women, though as stated
earlier in the gender roles section, this is not the case. Authority in the
household is held by the father. The men are commonly off on hunts or busy
tending to their cultural responsibilities, in this time the women are in
charge of raising the children. When the man comes home he shares authority
with his spouse, but ultimately holds the final say in things.
Social Organization
The social
organization of the Mongols has seen great change over many years. The culture
used to be majorly stratified in the sense that there were nobles, herders,
artisans, and slaves. Today this is not the case. With most cultures there are
still those with wealth and those without. Though there aren’t the differences
they in ancient times when ones wealth was displayed by their horses, clothing,
tribesmen etc.. The culture has become much more egalitarian than it once was.
Though the culture has become more egalitarian it still portrays signs of
social status. People are seen as equals, but their wealth is what separates
them from one another. The rise of Mongolia’s economy has blessed many with
great success, increasing their social status, while others have found
difficulty in financial areas. The political power is not carried through a
family name like it once was, and has become a socialist nation. The culture
still has stratification, just nowhere near the level it once was. As stated
earlier, women are not looked down upon and can achieve most everything a man
can. Status’ aren’t inherited as they once were, and the cross between social
status can be achieved by each and every Mongol. The main component in changing
one’s status is through wealth. It is a goal achievable by everyone, and the
social organization of the Mongols continues to breed success.
Political Structure
Over time the
Mongols adopted a democratic political structure once breaking away from Russia
and China’s inherited communist views. The country operates utilizing three
branches of government including the legislative, executive, and judicial
branch of government. Similarly to the United States form of government,
officials are elected in free elections and serve terms. Taking advantage of
the democracy, the people choose who will run their country, and determine who
fills what position through means of elections. Laws of the country are
regulated by the constitution that was put in place in 1992. Laws are sent
through a supreme court and accepted or rejected by the executive branch of
government. Many levels of the Mongolian court system deal with punishment for
acts of violence and disobedience. The Soum and Aimag courts are a couple of
the ones that would deal with punishing those who have committed acts of
violence and aggression. Major acts of violence in Mongolia include domestic
abuse between spouses. This had become such a problem that a law was instated
in 2005 against it. Mongolian women are raised to be tough, and the fact that
they are seen as equal to men ensures that this issue must be addressed. Lastly,
a transition into democracy was widely accepted, though protests did tend to
take place. Protestors resorted to acts of violence to voice their frustration
and in turn received aggression from the Mongolian police. These protests are
said to have stopped or at least slowed since democracy has taken place, but
they happen every so often. Acting against the law in participation of these
protests receives nothing but the full justice of the law. Both these issues
are majorly rejected by this culture, and have received great attention in
finding a solution.
Religion
Due to an
attack on religion as part of the communist leadership in Mongolia, religion
had seen setbacks. The most tradition Mongolian religion had always been
Shamanism, though currently there are three major religious views. The three
include, Atheism, Shamanism, and Buddhism.
Over time, despite losing all but one Buddhist monastery, Buddhism has
become the most common religion. Buddhism is neither monotheistic nor
polytheistic. There is no God in Buddhism, but merely a way of life one should
choose to follow to attain peace, happiness, and the opportunity of
reincarnation in an afterlife. Buddhism is said to have originated in the 5th
century in India, and has become widely accepted, spreading across the world.
How it came to be adopted by the Mongols is unclear however. Buddhism is not
your traditional religion, and has even been considered more of a philosophy.
Buddhists have guidelines for how they should live their life scripted in “The
Four Truths”.
Different interpretations have been drawn from Buddhism but the
most common include the following beliefs, to live is to suffer, suffering is
caused by desire, one can eliminate suffering by eliminating all attachments,
and success can be achieved by following the eightfold tasks. Nearly 200
Buddhist monasteries have been restored, showing its strength in the Mongol
people. With the loss of this religion, surely the Mongols wouldn’t be doomed,
as it is arguably a philosophy, however, it would restructure the ways that the
Mongols live their lives.
Art
The Mongols
express several forms of art that make their culture unique. Beginning with
typical art, they used to carve Petroglyphs into caves and rocks. These rock
paintings symbolized hunters, animals, trade carts etc. Even today new
Petroglyphs are being discovered and bringing forth a new way to review and
understand the Mongols. Mongolians love their music, and have wonderful
instruments to produce both peaceful and fast paced songs using their drums,
string instruments, flutes etc. One of the most commonly used instruments is
the Khuuchir, which is most relatable to a guitar. Trumpets are among the most
popular, as well as the Yuuchin, another string instrument. Cymbals provide a
great accent to the traditional Mongolian songs, and continues to be widely
used.
Like most cultures, music provides entertainment for events like weddings
and feasts, but is very common in any kind of gathering. Mongolian dancing is
particularly interesting. It began as a way of reliving major battles or events
in the Mongol’s past. Dancer’s would reinact the movements of former heroes,
almost more as a play than a dance. It later split into several forms of
traditional dance, including the ever so popular ballet. Dance continues to be
a major tradition held in Mongolia. The most common form of religious art is
the representation of Buddha. Paintings and sculptures alike, the Mongols
produce a surplus of art representing their religion’s icon. Sculptures and
painters create different body statures and hand gestures to release hidden
meanings within their religious art. These are the most common practices of art
in Mongolia, and continue to strive and be a major impact on their culture and
way of life.
Closure
The Mongols
have seen great influence from both China and Russia, though even India must be
brought into consideration for their relevance in religion. Pros of these
influences is that they have provided Mongolia with a structured society where
it was once mainly nomadic and isolated. Cons include the fact that Mongolia is
more of a product rather than an individual country like it once was. The
Russian and Chinese impact is noticeable in the Mongolian culture today. Mongolia’s
current state isn’t exactly thriving, but stable. Their trade and dependence on
foreign countries is what concerns me most. They haven’t developed, or
showcased their independence as a country. And the Mongol culture, widely known
for nomadic practices, has in time become a dependent culture. The cultural identity
of the Mongols hasn’t been lost, but it has definitely seen noticeable change.
The Mongols have a solid impact on the world. They are a culture of trade, not
only due to their surplus of certain products, but they must trade to acquire
certain resources many cultures take for granted. The Mongols have a strong
trade line with both Russia and China as mentioned in the section regarding the
economy. This trade is what keeps Mongolia current. The Mongols certainly aren’t
known for their groundbreaking inventions, emphasizing the trade necessary with
Russia and China, to remain current. The Mongols are a fascinating culture, the
country as a whole may show dependence, but the people maintain their nomadic
independent ways. They are a strong group of people, with respectable values
and lives. It has been wonderful studying their culture in detail, thank you
for reading.
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