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Genghis Khan is not only the most famous - or infamous
- name to have come out of Mongolia, but also a name that
brings to mind a savage and relentless warmonger. However,
to the Mongolian's he is a very different figure, a king and
hero rather than a savage, a force of unity, strength and
order. The national adoration for him is blatant; his face
appears everywhere, on the notes and on posters all around
the capital, a replacement for the pictures of a more modern
hero who has now fallen far from favour, Lenin. So
why is this barbarian so well loved? Because to the Mongolian's
any barbarism in his actions is more than outweighed by his
heroism. He was the man who ruled Mongolia in its greatest
days of glory, and although he led an army that slaughtered
masses of people in a genocide not seen again until the 20th
century, he was known for being just and generous to his own
people, and magnanimous in victory. Undeniably, he was one
of histories greatest rulers and military leaders.
Before the time of Chinggis Khaan (his official name in Mongolia),
the Mongols were simply a loose and almost purely geographically
associated group of warring clans. In the late 12th century,
a young man named Temujin appeared on the historical scene,
and is credited with bringing most of those clans together
as a united force. This young man was then given the honorary
title of 'Chiggis Khan', or 'universal king'. He founded a
cavalry based largely upon the strength of the takhi horses
that was to invade his nearest neighbours, China and Russia,
and consequently to conquer lands to create an empire that
stretched across most of Asia and much of Europe. He died
in 1227, leaving his grandson, Kublai Khan, as leader
of the largest empire the world has ever known.
The downfall
In the years since, the Mongolians have suffered at the hands
of the Manchurians and the Chinese. They managed to gain independence
from the Chinese in 1921 with the collapse of the Qing Dynasty,
but have suffered since from the Russians under Stalin, and
were forced into becoming a Soviet-style republic, from which
they only gained release in 1990. Mongolia is now building
itself up to its full independent strength, but it's unlikely
ever again to see the glory of the days of Genghis Khan.
Genghis' empire capital
During his lifetime, Genghis Khan established his capital
at Karakorum. He had it constructed in 1220, and was
the point from which he ruled his extensive empire. Kublai
Khan abandoned it in favour of a new site, in what is now
Beijing, and the original capital was ransacked and
destroyed in the later Manchurian invasion. All that remains
on this spot today is the Erdene Zuu monastery, built
from the remains of the original structure in the 16th century,
which became the first centre of Lamaism, a derivative
of Buddhism, which has since become the predominant religion
in Mongolia.
About 100 temples and 300 gers were established within the
monastery walls, and 1000 monks would have been in residence
at any one time. Stalin's armies destroyed all but three of
the temples, and innumerable monks were killed in the purges
of the early 20th century.
Visiting Erdene Zuu today
Since the 1990's the monastery has been returned to much of
its former majesty, and is once again in use. There are a
number of sites around the monastery worth seeing - the three
main temples show three stages of life of Buddha - childhood,
adolescence and adulthood, while outside the walls just two
remain of four 'turtle rocks' that were once used to mark
the boundaries of the city.
A little further afield, about one and a half miles away in
the hills above the monastery is a rock with an interesting
myth attached to it. According to legend, all female visitors
to this phallic shaped rock must copulate within twenty-four
hours, though no-one knows what will happen if this prophesy
is or isn't fulfilled! Possibly this would make a lively location
for a first date?...
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