The Secret History of the Mongols

The Life and Times of Chinggis Khan

Professor Urgunge Onon, Urgunge Onon

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780700713356
• eBook ISBN: 9781135795566
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Regional Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

There has long been a need for a scholarly English edition of the great 13th century historical epic, The Secret History of the Mongols, the only surviving Mongol source about the empire. The book is mainly about the life and the career of Chinggis Khan, his ancestors and his rise to power.
Chinggis Khan was not only a military genius, but also a great statesman and diplomat. Through a combination of armed force and diplomacy, he managed to merge the complex system of alliances which existed between diverse tribes into a powerful confederacy that swept across most of Eurasia, starting in 1219.
Urgunge Onon's fresh translation brings out the excitement of this epic with its wide-ranging commentaries on military and social conditions, religion and philosophy, while remaining faithful to the original text. This fully annotated edition is prefaced by a 36 page introduction setting the work in its cultural and historical context.

CHAPTER ONE

[1] Chinggis⁶⁹ Qahan was born with his destiny ordained by Heaven above.⁷⁰ He was descended from Börte Chino, whose name means ‘greyish white wolf’,⁷¹ and Qo’ai-maral, the wolf’s spouse, whose name means beautiful doe, who crossed the lake⁷² and settled at the source of the Onon River at Burqan-qaldun,⁷³ where Batachi-qan⁷⁴ was born to them.

[2] The son of Batachi-qan was Tamacha. The son of Tamacha was Qorichar-mergen. The son of Qoricharmergen was A’ujamboro’ul. The son of A’ujam-boro’ul was Sali-qacha’u. The son of Sali-qacha’u was Yeke-nidün. The son of Yeke-nidün was Sem-sochi. The son of Sem-sochi was Qarchu.⁷⁵

[3] The son of Qarchu, Borjiigidai-mergen, had Mongqoljinqo’a as his wife. The son of Borjigidai-mergen, Toroqoljin-bayan, had a wife called Boroqchin-qo’a, a young manservant called Boroldai-suyalbi, and two fine geldings,⁷⁶ Dayir⁷⁷ and Boro.⁷⁸ Toroqoljin had two sons, Duwa-soqor and Dobun-mergen.⁷⁹

[4] Duwa-soqor had a single eye in the middle of his forehead. Through it, he could see for a distance of three journeys.⁸⁰

[5] One day, Duwa-soqor climbed Burqan-qaldun with his younger brother, Dobun-mergen. Looking down from Burqan-qaldun, Duwa-soqor spied a group of people coming downstream along the Tünggelik.⁸¹

[6] He said: ‘Among those people moving camp towards us is a beautiful girl in the front seat of a black-covered wooden cart. If she has not already been given to anyone, let us request her for you, young brother Dobun-mergen.’ He sent his younger brother Dobun-mergen to take a look.

[7] Having reached the group, Dobun-mergen found a girl of true beauty and good reputation. Her name, Alan Qo’a,⁸² was well known; she had not yet been given to any man.

[8] Barqujin-qo’a, the daughter of Barqudai-mergen, Lord of the Köl Barqujin lowland,⁸³ who had been given to Qorilartai-mergen, the Lord of the Qori-Tümeds,⁸⁴ was a member of the group. In the land of the Qori-Tümeds, at Ariq-usun,⁸⁵ Barqujin-qo’a, wife of Qorilartai-mergen, had given birth to the girl Alan Qo’a.

[9] Qorilartai-mergen had fallen out with his people when they banned each other from hunting sable, squirrel, and other wild animals in the Qori-Tümed lands. Because of this ban, they formed the Qorilar⁸⁶ clan. He deemed Burqan-qaldun, rich in wild animals and gazelles, a good place. Shinchi-bayan⁸⁷ established [shamanistic] deities as the spirit-lords⁸⁸ of Burqan-galdun⁸⁹ while he was travelling in the direction of Uri[y]angqai. Alan Qo’a, daughter of the Qori Tümed Qorilartal-mergen born at Ariqusun, was there requested [by Duwa-soqor] in marriage. This is how she came to be the wife of Dobun-mergen.

[10] Having joined Dobun-mergen, Alan Qo’a bore him two sons, Bügünütei and Belgünütei.

[11] Duwa-soqor, the older brother, had four sons. Duwasoqor died soon afterwards. After Duwa-soqor’s death, his four sons no longer looked upon their uncle Dobun-mergen as kin, but despised him and moved away. They split into four clans that became the Four Peoples.⁹⁰

[12] One day, Dobun-mergen set out to go hunting on Toqochaq Peak. In a forest, he met an Uri[y]angqad[ai] man who had killed a three-year-old deer and was roasting its ribs and rectum.

[13] Dobun-mergen said: ‘Friend,⁹¹ give me some of the meat, as my share.’⁹² ‘I will,’ said the hunter. Keeping the lungs, head, and skin,⁹³ he gave [the rest of] the meat of the three-year-old deer to Dobun-mergen.

[14] Dobun-mergen loaded up the three-year-old deer. While continuing on his way, he met a poor man leading his young son.

[15] Dobun-mergen asked: ‘Who are you?’ The man replied: ‘I am a man called Ma’aliq of the Baya’uds and in distress. I will give you this son of mine in exchange for part of that beast’s flesh.’

[16] On hearing those words, Dobun-mergen tore off one of the deer’s hind-legs and gave it to the man. He then took the boy back to his yurt, where the boy worked as a servant.

[17] Not long afterwards, Dobun-mergen died. After his death, despite the loss of her husband, Alan Qo’a bore three more sons called Buqu-qadagi, Buqatu-salji, and Bodonchar-mungqaq.⁹⁴

[18] Belgünütei and Bügünütei, the two sons born earlier to Dobun-mergen, talked together about their mother Alan Qo’a behind her back: This mother of ours has produced three sons, without [our father’s] older brother, younger brother, or cousins⁹⁵ or any husband. Only the Ma’aliq Baya’ud man lives in this yurt. They are probably his three sons.’ Alan Qo’a sensed what they were saying behind her back.

[19] One spring day, after boiling some dried mutton, she made her five sons, Belgünütei, Bügünütei, Buqu-qatagi, Buqatu-salji, and Bodonchar-mungqaq, sit down in a row. She gave each an arrow-shaft, saying: ‘Break it.’ They broke the arrow-shafts easily and threw them aside. Again, she took five arrow-shafts⁹⁶ and bound them together. She gave the five bound shafts to each in turn, saying: ‘Break them.’ Each tried, but none succeeded.

[20] At this, Alan Qo’a said to her two sons Belgünütei and Bügünütei: ‘You have doubted me. You have talked together, saying: “Whose are these three sons that she has borne? Whence did they come?” It is right for you to be suspicious.

[21] Every night, a shining yellow man came into the yurt through the light of the smoke-hole and over the top of the door. He caressed my belly and his light sank into it. He [slunk] sheepishly away like a yellow dog by the light of the sun and moon.’

Why do you talk unwisely?

Evidently it is a sign

that they are sons of Heaven.

Why do you compare them

to the black-haired commoners?⁹⁷

When they become lords of all,

the common people must understand.

[22] Again, Alan Qo’a spoke with her five sons: ‘All five of you were all born of this same belly. Alone, you can be broken easily by anyone. Together and of one mind, like bound arrow-shafts, none can easily vanquish you.’ Not long afterwards, their mother Alan Qo’a passed away.

[23] After Alan Qo’a’s death, the five elder and younger brothers divided the livestock and property among themselves. Four of them—Belgününtei, Bügünütei, Buquqatagi, and Buqatu-salji—each took a share. Only Bodonchar Mungqaq got no share, for they thought him stupid and dull⁹⁸ and therefore did not count him as their kin.

[24] No longer counted as a member of the family, Bodonchar thought to himself: ‘Why have I lived here until now?’ He...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Copyright Page
• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER ONE
• CHAPTER TWO
• CHAPTER THREE
• CHAPTER FOUR
• CHAPTER FIVE
• CHAPTER SIX
• CHAPTER SEVEN
• CHAPTER EIGHT
• CHAPTER NINE
• CHAPTER TEN
• CHAPTER ELEVEN
• CHAPTER TWELVE
• APPENDIX
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• INDEX