Mesmerising Mongolia

Valsala Rajan writes about Mongolia’s vast history, wild landscapes and living traditions

"A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings”, is a traditional Mongolian proverb. 

On a recent trip abroad, we met a young woman from Mongolia. She was travelling alone; she seemed a feisty, outgoing sort of person and meeting her made us aware how little we know of a country so close to home. 

Mongolia was the biggest contiguous (single land mass) empire in history, covering well over 9 million square miles at its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries. Of course, the one Mongolian name that we have all heard of is that of Genghis Khan — a name that arouses fear and awe in most readers of history. He was ruthless when it came to his empire. The nations he took over had two options: either submit to him or be slaughtered! Khan was a military and political genius, revered in Mongolia as a national hero and founding father, but he was also a bloodthirsty terror. 

Apart from terrorising most of Mongolia’s neighbouring nations, Genghis Khan did a lot for his people. He united the Mongol tribes and founded an empire. He created a legal code and the first ‘postal system’ in the world. Messages were carried swiftly on horseback from one place to another, enabling control and communication. Even travellers like Marco Polo used this service. Khan abolished the torture of prisoners but effectively used psychological warfare and speed in his conquests. He promoted meritocracy rather than class or ancestry. Thanks to the Silk Route that he established, cultural exchange between the East and the West was made possible.

Despite the incredible power and success of this national hero, Genghis Khan’s final resting place remains a mystery to this day. Khan reportedly never wanted his body to be found. The statue of Genghis Khan riding a horse is the largest equestrian statue in the world. Standing at 130 feet, this enormous monument is made of stainless steel, and it towers over the Genghis Khan Statue Complex in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. 

Mongolia has the Gobi desert in the south and high mountains in the west. Clear blue skies dominate the horizon. The climate is dry with barely any rain. Like Australia, it has some unique wildlife like the Siberian ibex, snow leopard, Gobi bear, and the wild bactrian camel (two humped). The Gobi desert is famous for its dinosaur fossil sites. The world first discovered dinosaur eggs there. Bogd Khan Uul National Park is the world’s first national park and was established by the Mongolian government in 1778.

Mongolia had a peaceful revolution in 1990. Today, its Constitution supports a parliamentary republic. The system is partly presidential, but the president’s powers are limited, and authority rests with parliament. Wedged between Russia and China, it is remarkable that Mongolia is ranked among the top 25% globally for its democratic system. Though the country covers about 1.5 million sq kms, the population is just 35 lakh. The Mongolian government gives medals and cash prizes to actively encourage having more children. 

In Mongolia, ice cream is a common street snack in winter. The vendors do not need a freezer, as the temperature drops to minus 30 degrees celsius, they just need paper boxes! One legend has it that the Mongolian riders would carry milk in containers while on horseback, and the churning caused it to turn into ice cream!

Apart from Genghis Khan, the other fact inseparable from the Mongol identity is that this is predominantly a nomadic race, as comfortable on horseback as they are on the land. There are about as many horses in the country as people! More than a quarter of the total population is nomadic — historically, their dominant profession is herding and agriculture. The nomads live in tune with nature and move with their animals according to the seasons. Their yurts (tents) are open and welcoming to strangers. Apart from agriculture, the service sector and mining are major employers.

In Genghis Khan’s time, the religion was a polytheistic one called Tengrism, which focused on the worship of the sky God, Tengri and on various other nature spirits. Genghis Khan himself was a Tengri worshipper, but he was also tolerant of other religions and curious to learn more about them. 

 After the empire fractured, three of the four main branches of the Mongol rulers converted to Islam, while the branch that went into China converted to Buddhism. Today, Mongolia’s dominant religion is Buddhism.

Fermented mare’s milk (airag) is a popular drink (perhaps similar to our buttermilk?). Traditional cuisine has meat and dairy products.

The Naadam festival takes place every summer in all major cities in Mongolia. The most important sports events are archery, horse riding and wrestling, called the three sports of men. Women now also participate in the horse racing and archery events. The festival also includes traditional Mongolian music and dance. For locals, this is one of the most important social and sporting events of the year. 

The Mughals were descendants of Genghis Khan on their mother’s side. Babur’s mother was a descendant of Genghis Khan, while his father was a descendant of Timur.  It is probable that many people in India and across Asia are related to Genghis Khan through his genetic legacy — his Y chromosome is found in a significant number of Asian men today.