Taking a Very Brief Look at Mongolia

Throughout history the Mongols were viewed negatively, people would view the Mongolians as savages and barbaric people. For example a major scholar of Chinese history wrote: “the Mongols brought violence and destruction...” 1 People during the age of the Mongols would not make word of them ever being civilized, respectful or ever say anything positive about the Mongolians. Even historians have recorded the Mongolians in a negatively view. In the 13th-century a Persian historian wrote of the Mongol campaigns: "With one stroke a world which billowed with fertility was laid desolate, and the regions thereof became a desert, and the greater part of the living, dead, and their skin and bones crumbling dust, and the mighty were humbled and immersed in the calamities of perdition." 2 Viewing the Mongols history through the lens of people who have been affected negatively by the Mongolian campaign only shows one side of the Mongols story. As much as the Mongols have seem to only cause destruction and value little about life, its was quite the opposite. The Mongols were not savages and little did they value spending their time destroying towns; they were people who had governance, order, and hospitality. The Mongols, like many East Asian culture, had the belief and understanding of having respect for their elderly as well as the deceased, in other words their ancestors. In my research paper I plan to explore the broad view of Mongolian funeral practices and as well as the burial construction and the history of Mongolian burials. I want to shed some light to how this act of respecting and taking the time to prepare for the dead makes them more human than society has known to make them as barbaric and uncivilized savages.

In the early 120...

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... after life for that person. Other things that are considered goods are placed to follow the soul to insure to please the deceased. The things can range to armor, weapons, food like milk liquor, lamb meat etc.., gold, silver, jewelry, even horses and slaves were sacrificed for the soul to have a vehicle and servants to help in the after life. Once the ritual practice of burying the body is done, yet again another ritual practice is proceeded, returning to home.

When the ritual has been finished in burying the body the Mongols belief of a certain way to act after burying the body. The Mongols believed of a circumambulation around the grave three times in a clockwise direction. After they had proceed with this act one must not look back nor talk to anyone as proceeding back home. If someone or everyone are riding horses, they should spur their horse to a wild gallop.