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A Survey of Mongols and Their Successors' Beliefs in Persian Context TAWARIKH: International Journal for Historical Studies, 5(1) October 2013 ALI ZAMANI ALAVIJEH A Survey of Mongols and Their Successors' Beliefs in Persian Context ABSTRACT: What distinguishes the Old Mongols is their devotion to and love of Nature, the far-reaching scope of their spiritual awareness, unending mental curiosity and nearly limitless endurance, and quest for excellence in every endeavor. Since Genghis Khan is the founder of the Mongol nation, we use his name as a starting point, and see where we get if we try to compare the qualities of water with those of the Genghis-Khanite Mongols. Afterwards, we shall look more closely on their thoughts and beliefs. Hence, the Mongolian taboos, rules of restrictions, and unwritten law are traditions inherited not only from our ancestors, but also from the teachings of Genghis Khan, contained in the Code of Law of Great Mongolia called "Ikh Zasag", home to customs and traditions of the Mongolian tribes and nationalities. In the present paper, the author aims to clarify what code of conducts and principals did Mongols adhere themselves to and how they reacted in the face of new religions. We will shed light on Mongol's unique respect to other religions and schools. Peerless freedom of religions prevailing in Mongol Empire will surprisingly shock those readers who had always visualized a savage and bloodthirsty picture of Mongols in their minds. The author will also survey their conversion to different religions and how these new systems affected their outlooks. Spiritual path of Mongols is the subject with which the reader will immediately acquaint himself. He/she will also shed light on the significance of symbolism in old Mongolia and their philosophical perspectives. KEY WORDS: Old Mongols, Genghis Khan, code of law, devotion to and love of nature, spiritual path of Mongols, and philosophical perspectives. INTRODUCTION ground that the water is the strongest; the What distinguishes the Old Mongols is their only unconquerable, but, at the same time, the devotion to and love of Nature, the far- most changeable and also the softest of all reaching scope of their spiritual awareness, substances (Bafghi, 2006). Its peaceful, unending mental curiosity and nearly limitless harmonic, imperturbable stillness can in a endurance, and quest for excellence in every moment change into a frenzied daemon of endeavor (May, 2012:477). Since Genghis waves shattering to pieces everything Khan is the founder of the Mongol nation, we standing in its way, this is characteristically use his name as a starting point, and see accomplished by the water's utilizing the where we get if we try to compare the forces existing in its environment. qualities of water with those of the Genghis- The water is also capable of showing Khanite Mongols. Afterwards, we shall look unyielding hardness; even the strongest more closely on their thoughts and beliefs. person will be beaten to death by a single The meaning of "Genghis" is something like blow when falling onto the surface of water "large body of water", "ocean", or "huge from a height of 15 meters (May, 2012:486). quantities of water" (May, 2012:477). In the next second, it shows a new quality: if Considering what we know about the one grabs a sword or an axe to beat the water, symbolism and spiritual universe of the Old it will softly, easily, and graciously withdraw; Mongols, it seems probable that Temuchin the water cannot be beaten. Immediately, chose to call himself by that name on the when the sword is removed, the water is Dr. Ali Zamani Alavijeh is a Lecturer at the Department of Literature and Humanities PNU (Payame Noor University), PO Box 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran. For academic interests, the author is able to be contacted via his e-mail at: [email protected] 1 ALI ZAMANI ALAVIJEH, A Survey of Mongols unscathed. You can burn water, then, it will The Western ideal of manfullness with only temporarily evaporate, and thereupon forced courage, outer demonstrations of rigid infallibly return. If one tries to push away or but ephemeral and false strength, was not shut out the water, it will soon find a new path shared by the people of Genghis Khan; they let and there break every resistance with their opponents deplete their energy in futile multiplied force. The water can withdraw, show-offs and fierce, disorganized charges evade, disappear, but always, indefatigably, it while the Mongols with an almost playful ease returns again and again. followed their opponents' movements in every Nobody and nothing can for long shut out detail, intuitively they without fail knew in or hinder the water; with fleeting advance what their opponent was going to do irresistibleness it circumvents the difficult next, they absorbed and evaded every attempt areas, then it ingeniously, imperceptibly, of attack with a nimbleness and penetrates even the minutest openings. surefootedness bordering on the impossible Thereupon, its changeability and flexibility (Hamedani, 1996:198). Ordinary human enables it to utilize fluctuations in limitations did not apply to the Mongols. When temperature to change its form and even time was right, they would envelop their molecular density, and thus break up and doomed prey, exhaust him and "drown" him. shatter everything that tries to oppose it. Exactly in the same way, as the water would Water dripping down on the hardest rock will envelop and slowly obliterate what it has in the course of millennia relentlessly hollow trapped, the Mongols operated in the same out and pierce it. Through endlessly slow, but manner (Bafghi, 2006:344). mercilessly patient to catalyze corrosion, it This extraordinary intuitive adaptability, penetrates and dissolves even the strongest flexibility, and eerie perspicacity permeated steel. Water, different from all other their whole nature, all their thought and substances, cannot be locked in but is itself actions. All this tells us what water represents; able to surround and envelop, it cannot be simultaneous strength and softness, and it beaten but can retaliate with deadly blows. If possesses indefatigable, invincible strength the water swallows you, death is unavoidable. because it possesses its sensitive, adaptable The water is, thus, invulnerable and softness. The insight in this is a main ubiquitous; it unites within itself all opposing constituent of the secret of the Mongols qualities, hence, it is not limited by any of (Joveini, 2006). them. In this way, it possesses incomparable flexibility, softness, and hardness without THE OLD MONGOL PHILOSOPHY rigidity, it can therefore anywhere, anytime, AND GENGHIS KHAN’S LEGACY adapt itself to any new circumstance, then, in a Regarding their religious beliefs: the Old split-second completely unexpected take on a Mongols have a distinct cosmology, which will new quality. Chances are that Genghis Khan here be outlined from their own point of view. called himself "chingis" for the very reason It is up to us whether or not to actually accept that he wanted himself and his people to their outlook; the point is that it merits adopt and use the unique qualities of water in inclusion here, since it was all-important in their actions (Bafghi, 2006:344). their spiritual universe. And the people of Temuchin did indeed As Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes combine them all in a way hitherto unknown. and raged war on most of Asia, he became In the battlefield, they did not meet hard force known as one of the most ruthless and brutal with rigid resistance; when Western armies warlords of all time. However, one hallmark fought the Mongols, they never answered the during his military conquest was his tolerance attack with rigid force; instead, they yielded of all religions. He embraced diversity and softly, like the smooth, fleeting, and dancing decreed religious freedom for everyone movements of a wave, precisely in a "watery" (Howorth, 1965:357). Genghis Khan’s way (Joveini, 2006). tolerance proved to be beneficial for him. As 2 TAWARIKH: International Journal for Historical Studies, 5(1) October 2013 European princes expelled some of their most Ghazan, and O�ljaitü of the Ilkhanate (Joveini, skilled non-Christian subjects, the Mongols 2006). Berke, who ruled Golden Horde from welcomed these beneficial others, blind to 1257 to 1266, was the first Muslim leader of religion (Joveini, 2006). Genghis Khan any Mongol Khanates. Ghazan was the first continued to use religious persecution to his Muslim Khan to adopt Islam as national benefit. He would use suppressed people as religion of Ilkhanate, followed by Uzbek of the spies in cities such as Baghdad and then take Golden Horde who urged his subjects to accept the land assimilating all those willing (Ebn-e the religion as well (Ebn-e Khavand, 1960). Khavand, 1960). After a failed assassination Ghazan continued his non-Muslim forefathers' attempt, Genghis Khan and 20 of his men fled approach toward religious tolerance. When and nearly starved to death. While on the run Ghazan learned that some Buddhism monks these men swore allegiance to one another feigned conversion to Islam due to their and remarkably these men included Buddhists, temples being earlier destroyed, he granted Christians, Muslims, and animists who permission to all who wish to return to Tibet worshiped the Eternal Blue Sky and the God where they can freely follow their faith and be Mountain of Burkhan Khaldun (Joveini, 2006). among other Buddhists (Shabankareh, When Muslim envoys came from central 1984:211). Asia to seek Genghis Khan’s protection from Though Christianity never achieved a great the religious persecution, they faced under position in the Mongol Empire, many Great their Christian Khan Guchlug, Genghis Khan Khans and lesser leaders were raised by was happy to help. He led a campaign into Christian mothers and educated by Christian Balasagun and killed Guchlug and declared tutors (Ebn-e Khavand, 1960).
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