An inter-disciplinary study on multi-language inscriptions in Mongolia (August 2006 - April 2007)

The project investigated multi-language stone inscriptions and writings on rocks during the period of the Manchu Qing dynasty (1644 –1911) in comparison to pre/post-Qing in Mongolia. I conducted and extremely fruitful 24 days of fieldwork for the project(11 August – 3 September 2007). Dr Chuluun, a historian (State University of Mongolia) and I conducted a 14 day expedition in the seven provinces (Öbörhanggai, Arhanggai, Hüvsgel, Bulgan, Seleng, Domdgobi and Töv) and two cities (Ulaanbaatar and Ertent) travelling 3,163km (which not including the visits to herdsmen and getting lost). Throughout the fieldwork we travelled by a Russian minibus,with the driver, Ch. Myagmardorj, and with a local assistant as a road guide and for wider information on the sites. We investigated a total of 21 steles and rock writings, took photos of all of them and rubbed 9 inscriptions. In addition to these, we also did surface investigation the remains of six pre-Buddhist cities: Harhuram, Chinggujav-yin balgas, Har-hul Haan-u balgas, Chogtu-yin Chagaan Baishing (White House), Har-buhan Balgas, and several Buddhist monasteries, old and new statues (stone man, deer stone) and oboos. On our way, we also visited five archaeological excavations (two Mongolian and German groups, a Mongolian Russian, a Mongolian Japanese, a Mongolian and Chinese) and had a useful information exchange. We described and located major investigated sites with GPS. We also recorded very rich local histories, myths, legends, religious practice, and other relevant information for each site.

Dr Chuluun and I worked in the Central Archive and Museum in Ulaanbaatar for four days. We found and scanned two original Mongolian texts of the steles (Amarbayahulang monastery in Selengge Province and Dambadarjaling in Ulaanbaatar) and seven important relevant historical documents. In the Central museum, we studied and took photocopies of several steles, including a poem of the Kangxi Emperor inscribed on rock in 1696, a Mongolian Chinese inscription called Möngkhe Khan’s Stele which was set up in 1257), and a Manchu Chinese inscription of the Qianlong Emperor’s edict on a golden plate (1740) which was dedicated to the Kejing Princess (we rubbed the Manchu Chinese inscription of the stele in the temple of the Princess last summer ). I worked with Dr Erdenichilagu in the state archive in Beijing, and found and scanned original texts of three steles (original Chinese text of Amarbayashulang monastery, two poems of the Kangxi emperor which are inscribed on Tonoo Mountain and Jumod), and several lithographical copies of multilingual inscriptions which are useful documents for comparative analysis of our findings in Mongolia. In the field, we recorded wider interesting ethnographies, for example, revival and divergent practices of clan (obog), writing of lineage books (urgiin bichig) and creating a festival called urgiin bayar (festival of lineage). The Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit generously supported Dr Chuluun’s visiting to Cambridge for writing up our findings for three months. This is an additional achievement of our expedition in the summer of 2006. We basically travelled early morning, evening and night, and worked during the day time, cooked for ourselves, slept in our tent (sometimes in the bus when too tired to set up tent). Without Dr Chuluun and Mr Migmerdorji’s careful hard work and patience the safety and achievements of my fieldwork would have been impossible. For these, I use this opportunity to express my special thanks to them. I also express my special thank to Academician J. Boldbaatar and his wife Poet S. Oyunchimeg whose genuine hospitality and warmth supports our work in various ways. Using part of our field work data, we are drafting a small monograph. The following photos illustrate the research work we have undertaken. With thanks to British Academy for generously supporting the project.

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