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- Mongolian Historical Writings
- CEUS-R 563
- Gyorgy Kara
Evaluation based on oral examination including the interpretation of a short passage from one of
the texts discussed during the semester (30%) and attendance (70%).
The course requires the knowledge of the Classical Mongol language.
Overview of Mongol historical sources, reading and interpretation.
I. Classification of genres: inscriptions, genealogies, histories, biographies. History of research.
II. The Secret History. Its structure, sources, internal genres. Authorship. Date. Transmission. Lost chronicles and their echoes in Islamic and Chinese sources.
III. Mongol and Sino-Mongol inscriptions of the 13th and 14th centuries. Turfan and Kharakhoto documents.
IV. Mongol rulers’ letters to Western Mongol documents in the Early Ming Hua Yi Yiyu.
V. Historical sources of the time of the Buddhist Renaissance. The White Chronicle.
VI. The versified biography of Altan Khan of the Tumet. Historical information in Ligdan’s Kanjur.
VII. Mongol and Oirat princes’ letters in Russian archives.
VIII. Blo-bzang bstan-‘dzin’s Golden Summary. The Anonymous or Shorter Golden Summary. The Yellow History. Asaraltu’s History.
IX. Sagang Sechen’s Jewel Summary, its structure, historical and literary values, manuscripts,Manchu and Chinese translations.
X. The Oirat Zaya Pandita’s biography by Ratnabhadra. Zaya’s colophons. Oirat histories (Gaban Sharab’s chronicle; History of the Four Oirats, etc.). Neichi Toyin’s Vita.
XI.Mongol histories in the Manchu era. Dharma Guushi’s Thousand-Spoked Golden Wheel; Rashipungsug’s Crystal Mirror, etc. Injannashi’s Summary of his novel The Blue Book.
XII. History of the Jebtsundambas. History of Erdeni Juu.
XIII. Buriat chronicles. The Constitution of the Mongol Theocracy. Amar’s Short History.
XIV. The Oath of the People’s Party. History of the National Revolution by Choibalsan, Losol and Demid.
Units II-XIV include reading and interpretation of sources.