Some people will know why I started googling about for a little background information about Mongolia today. There are many, many sites, although I haven't found many newsy ones. Perhaps someone else can do better. This Library of Congress guide looks like a good place for anyone who wants to to begin some research.

Even just looking at the chronology of important events in Mongolian history is fascinating. I have already learned, eg, to write "Chinggis Khan" and "Khubilai Khan."

I also know that the story of the "Golden Horde" has been of major importance in the history of Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, notably.

Over the last year, I have read in both the NY Times and the G&M travel sections, I believe, fascinating travellers' accounts of good times in present-day Mongolia, although, as usual, details are escaping me now. Maybe someone here has visited?

I just finished this: link to book

The parts that were most interesting where where he talked about the decaying cities and vacuum left by the failing communist infrastructure, and travel to Russia/other ex-Republics to sell black market goods. It was interesting because it was unexpected. When I thought of Mongolia I thought of horses and nomads, not drunk teenagers on trains with bundles of stereo equipment and guns.

I've been looking at the photos on that tour site -- what they call the cultural photos. I know that I'm performing exoticism here, but those are so evocative to me, and what they are evoking is freedom.

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Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
Happier than you and me
Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
One chromosome too many
Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
And he wore a hat
And he had a job
And he brought home the bacon
So that no one knew
Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
His friends were unaware
Mongoloid he was a mongoloid
Nobody even cared

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Edit:

I just read the quoted sentence. "Like aspirin scattered over a green bedspread"? Oh dear.

[ 27 July 2005: Message edited by: 'lance ]

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Originally posted by Yukoner:
Anyone rememmber that Devo song; Mongoloid?

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[ 27 July 2005: Message edited by: Cueball ]

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This found its way into the thinking of the early eugenisists whom asserted that mongoloid genetic types originated with the Mongol "barbarians" and was transimitted through ressesive Mongol genes, imported to Euorope during the Mongol invasion of Europe.

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And the designs are so seductive. I couldn't help noticing, in the photos on that travel site, how very pale and bland Western tourists look, set in the midst of all that colour.

Y'know, I think there is something about prairie people that sets them off wandering, looking for other prairies. I'm serious. One of my brothers just went all gooey for the South African veldt, and as soon as I saw pictures, I knew why.

The movie was The Story of the Weeping Camel

Sorry, can't get the link to work.

[ 28 July 2005: Message edited by: brebis noire ]

mongolian hitchhikers were holding up pictures of thumbs!

the train's optician was giving away free ice scrapers with every new pair of eyeglasses!

train pickpockets were sticking their hands in strangers' pockets just to keep them warm!

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Originally posted by Cueball:
However, it seems these lower types were capable of kicking everyones ass, and building the largest empire the world has ever known. The last Khan to claim lineage to Ghengis Khan was removed from power in Bhukara sometime in the 1920's.

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Mongolia Today: Dark Side of Mongolia

It turned out that she was one of the VIPs from the Finance Department in the Mongolian government and was attending IMF meetings in Vienna. All the IMF delegates had gone off for a day of sightseeing in Salzburg, but somehow had left poor Ms. Mongolia behind and they had her ticket. Her plan was to give her camera to the conductor in the hopes that he would accept that as a fare. And I discovered there are no credit cards in Mongolia - they are a cash and barter society.

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Originally posted by Rufus Polson:

Not that that's an especially wonderful thing. I always wonder why it is that *other* people's empires are romantic and full of pageantry, whereas only the current Western ones involve brutality and power-and-wealth-hungry jackals at the top. I mean, sorry, but Ghengis Khan was a much bigger mass murderer than George W. Bush (although admittedly far smarter). So was Alexander. The Mongols depopulated huge areas by the simple expedient of killing everyone and burning everything; this literal scorched earth policy produced territory where Mongol nomads could live but farmers and city folk could not. Eventually, as they got corrupted by their conquests and became what they would have thought of as decadent, they ended up no more objectionable than any other really big boss (that is, still quite objectionable).

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I see your point but mine was a rhetorical illustration, not am statement of advocacy.

While it is the case that Ghenghis Khan was ruthless, and certainly had a huge amount of blood on his hands, his later bigographer, Jack Wethford asserts that many of the tales of gratuitous Mongol slaughter actually shold be traced to Tarmalane not Ghenghis Khan. He credits Ghengis Khan with the ides of diplomatic immunity, among other things.

And interestingly, the scroched earth policy was not simply a gratuitous punishment. It had a direct military purpose, in that by turning large swathes of farm land into grassland steppe, the Mongols created forward base areas for supplying their horses.

They didn't do this everywhere and to everyone, but select areas to support future military operations, according to Wetheford.

[ 05 August 2005: Message edited by: Cueball ]

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Jack Wethford asserts that many of the tales of gratuitous Mongol slaughter actually shold be traced to Tarmalane not Ghenghis Khan. He credits Ghengis Khan with the ides of diplomatic immunity, among other things.

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"mongolism"

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What exactly is it?

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Originally posted by CMOT Dibbler:

Who came first, Ghengis or Tarmalane

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Ditto Attilla the Hun.

All that being said, as a descendent of Atilla's army (like most Hungarians), I find it interesting the effect of the western viewpoint. While most of us are raised to think of Attilla as a big nasty raider (which he certainly was), in Hungarian the closest meaning is 'a Good Father'.