Genghis Khan

December 15, 2003 1:36 AM

Modern Mongolia: Reclaiming Genghis Khan. How views of the Mongol leader have altered with political changes throughout history: Manchurian domination, Communism and democracy. After the transition from Communism to democracy in Mongolia, interest in Genghis Khan seems to have enjoyed something of a comeback. More on the artistic legacy of the Mongols across Asia in this online exhibit; or take a look at the Great Mongol Shahnama, or Book of Kings.
Related :- a potted history of Mongolian Buddhism.
posted by plep (7 comments total)

Great links, plep.

Here's another. Apparently, our Ghengis was as adept at the art of love as he was at war: Nearly 8 percent of the men living in the region of the former Mongol empire carry y-chromosomes that are nearly identical [to Ghengis Khan's]. That translates to... roughly 16 million descendants living today.
posted by jack_mo at 6:28 AM on December 15, 2003

Cool - I'm always happy to see more information about Mongolia. The place is experiencing a gold rush right now, and I think there will be a lot of changes over the next decade or so...
posted by Mars Saxman at 8:02 AM on December 15, 2003

Mongolia's cult of the great Khan

Mongolia's return to religion
posted by homunculus at 10:34 AM on December 15, 2003

Nomadism in Mongolia

Daily threat for Mongolia nomads

Mongolian nomadism 'to die out'
posted by homunculus at 10:36 AM on December 15, 2003

"Apparently, our Ghengis was as adept at the art of love as he was at war..." - Or, if not adept, at least very direct and forceful. And so with others in his hord as well. I've heard talk that the Mongols perfected the art of rape on horseback - a rather tricky thing, if you think about it.
posted by troutfishing at 6:49 PM on December 15, 2003

fwiw, SDB wrote a nice informative piece on the "mongol horde" :D

The Mongol Horde has long been vilified and misunderstood in the west. Even the name was chosen badly; the term horde suggests an armed mob with no internal organization which blindly attacks whatever is nearby, like a plague of locusts.

The reality was much different. At the time that Genghis Khan lived, the army he created was in fact the most disciplined and well organized and armed force in the world. It was an extraordinary force capable of amazing things.

also ian wright describes mongolian marmot hunting!
posted by kliuless at 9:00 PM on December 15, 2003

That translates to... roughly 16 million descendants living today.

That's not really too surprising. If you go far enough back, everyone is related to everyone else. See this Atlantic Monthly article.
posted by Utilitaritron at 9:38 PM on December 15, 2003