Mongolians have had a long and rich history with several unusual
genealogy twists. More than sixty years ago, the population was ordered to stop
using family surnames. The Communist rulers proclaimed that each person was
to use only their given names. A few years ago, the new generation of leaders
reversed the older rule and ordered everyone to again start using surnames.
A lot of confusion resulted, as many families had been dispersed in sixty years
of war and turmoil. Many people did not know what surname to use. You can read
about this in the 13 July 1998 edition of this newsletter.
Now, in a unique turnabout, newly-discovered Mongolian genealogy
records are providing insights into the history of Mongolia and China. In fact,
the records are correcting errors found in many history books. The studies of
the newly-discovered Mongol genealogy may help unveil some mysteries in Chinese
history, such as the whereabouts of the remains of Genghis Khan (1167-1227),
the great Mongol emperor whose grandson founded the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368),
and the fate of his descendants.
The 25-foot-long genealogy, the largest Mongolian genealogy ever
found, lists 14 generations of over 1,900 Mongols of the family, most of whom
served as high-ranking officials between 1635 and the early 1900s. On top of
the family tree was Tulin Gujen, a man who lived in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
and whose forefather, Djelme, contributed tremendously to Genghis Khan's unification
of Mongolian tribes.
"Genghis Khan therefore decreed that his family ally with
the Djelme's, and his own daughter was married to Djelme's son," said Hu
Guozhi, a Mongolian scholar in the Harqin Left Wing Mongolian Autonomous County,
west of Liaoning Province, northeast China, where the genealogy was found. Since
then, the two families have been closely linked by marriage between their offspring.
Tulin Gujen, like his forefathers, married an offspring of Genghis Khan. In
history books, Tulin Gujen was referred to as the last "fuma," or
son-in-law of Genghis Khan.
Dick Eastman Online
