The site of the last refuge of the legendary Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan for several centuries has been the subject of endless searches and disputes by archaeologists, historians and ordinary researchers from all over the world. While experts from Mongolia, relying on their sources, suggest that the tomb of the great khan was hidden in a mountainous area north of the city of Ulan Bator, their Chinese colleagues convince that the tomb is located in a completely different place. The death and burial of the Mongol commander is increasingly surrounded by myths and fables. The mystery of where Genghis Khan is buried and what was behind his death remains unresolved.
Genghis Khan's personality
Chronicles and annals, which contain any data on the life and formation of the great khan, were mainly written after his death. And there was not so much reliable information in them. Information about where Genghis Khan was born, his character and appearance is often contradictory. As it turned out, several Asian peoples aspire to be related to him at once. Researchers say that everything is doubtful in the history of the khan, and additional archaeological data and sources are required.
Obviously, the Mongol khan left the society, where there was no written language and any developed state institutions. Nevertheless, the lack of book education was compensated by excellent organizational skills, inexorable will and enviable self-control. He was known to his close associates as a generous and quite friendly person. Possessing all the blessings of life, Genghis Khan avoided excesses and excessive luxury, which he considered incompatible with his rule. He lived to an advanced old age, retaining his mental abilities in full strength and sobriety.
End of the way
The mystery associated with the great conqueror is not limited to the question of his lost tomb, puzzles begin even before his burial. To date, historians have not come to a consensus on the circumstances and how Genghis Khan died. The records of the famous Portuguese Marco Polo say that, according to ancient eastern manuscripts, the Mongol khan was wounded during the siege of the capital of the Tangut kingdom in 1227. The enemy's arrow hit the knee and entailed blood poisoning, which led to death.
According to another version related to Chinese sources, the death of Genghis Khan occurred due to poisoning, accompanied by prolonged fever. The malaise began during the siege of Zhongxin: the infected air was very saturated with the vapors of decaying corpses, city sewage and garbage.
The most exotic version of how Genghis Khan died was the narrative in medieval Tatar chronicles. According to this option, the khan was killed by the Tangut queen, who was either the daughter or wife of the ruler of the Tangut kingdom. Once in the harem of the commander, the proud beauty during the wedding night decides to avenge her plundered homeland and gnaws her teeth at the treacherous invader. But this hypothesis lacks confirmation in other annals, so it does not cause much confidence.
Secret funeral
Excerpts from various sources helped to compile a general picture of Genghis Khan's funeral. According to the legends, the funeral procession with the body of the ruler secretly left the bend of the Yellow River and went to Karakorum, where the Mongol nobility and the heads of clans gathered. During the journey, the khan’s associates mercilessly exterminated those who could somehow be aware of his death. Upon arrival in their native lands, the remains were dressed in ceremonial clothes and laid in a coffin, they were taken to the Burkhan-Khaldun hill. In order to avoid disturbing the peace of Genghis Khan, all the slaves and soldiers who performed the funeral work were killed. No one should have known the burial place.
Many years later, shrubs and trees reliably hid the slopes of the Khentei Highlands, and it became impossible to determine which of the mountains was called Burkhan-Khaldun. However, most versions of the whereabouts of the grave in one way or another lead to the Khentei mountain range.
Search for the grave
For centuries, historians and treasure hunters have been trying to find the place where Genghis Khan is buried, but this mystery remains unsolved. In 1923-1926, the expedition of the geographer P.K. Kozlov, traveling around Altai, came across an interesting find. In the Khangai mountains, at the foot of Khan-Kokshun, the ruins of a Chinese town were discovered, which, judging by the inscription on the slab, was built in 1275 by the troops of Khubilai (grandson of Genghis Khan). Among the large stones was hidden the tomb, where 13 generations of descendants of the Mongol khan were buried, but he himself was not there.
In 1989, the Mongol local historian Sir-Odzhav conducted an in-depth study of the historiographic monument "The Secret Legend of the Mongols." As a result of the work done, he suggested that the ashes of the great khan rest in "Their Gazar" (from the Mongolian "Great Cemetery"), located in the area of the Burkhan-Khaldun Upland. Based on many years of work, the professor named two places where the remains of Genghis Khan could be buried: the southern side of the Khan-Khentei mountain and the foot of the Nogoong-nuruu mountain. The expedition of the German archaeologist Schubert, relying on these data, explored the Khan-Khentei ridges, but found nothing there.
The search for the grave continues, researchers and historians, despite a string of mistakes, do not think to give up. To this day, various versions of the burial place of Genghis Khan are being developed, and some of them are quite worthy of attention.
Legends of Transbaikalia
In Russia, the prevailing hypothesis about the location of the grave of Genghis Khan, where his ashes truly rests, is Onon. It should be noted that the region of Transbaikalia is very rich in legends about the Mongol ruler, and in many of them there are popular stories that his remains lie on the bottom of the Onon River, near the village of Kubuhai. It is believed that during the burial, the river was set aside, and then returned to its original course. In legends, the burial of a khan is often associated with innumerable riches, and, according to some versions, he is buried only in a golden boat.
Zhigzhitzhab Dorzhiev, a respected Agin historian, speaks of the existence of one legend that has survived to this day. It is also worth paying attention to. It says that Genghis Khan himself determined the place of his burial - the tract Delun-Boldok, where he was born.
Tomb at the bottom of the river Selenga
Another legend says that the tomb of Genghis Khan was placed at the bottom of the Selenga River. The emperor’s close circle drove many slaves into the river valley to build a dam and change the course of the water. The coffin with ashes was placed in a niche, hollowed out on the drained bottom of the reservoir. At night, the dam was deliberately destroyed, and all those who were in the valley (slaves, masons, warriors) died. Those who managed to survive fell victim to the sword of the sent detachment, which, in turn, was also destroyed. As a result, none of those who could tell where Genghis Khan was buried was left.
To preserve the secrecy of the location of the grave along the banks of the Selenga herds of horses were repeatedly driven away. Then the rites of the burial of the commander were demonstratively held in several different places, completely confusing all sorts of traces.
A find near Binder
In the fall of 2001, the American archaeologist Mori Kravitz with professor John Woods from the University of Chicago 360 kilometers from the city of Ulaanbaatar, in the aimak Khenty (near Mount Binder), discovered graves protected by high stone walls. Using technology, it was found that the remains of more than 60 people were buried in the burial place and, judging by the value of the armor, these soldiers belonged to the Mongol nobility. American researchers told the world community that the tomb found, perhaps, is the very haven where Genghis Khan is buried. However, a month later, information was received refuting this statement.
50 kilometers from the excavations, a new burial place was found with hundreds of soldiers buried in the remains. But a detailed study of the grave could not be done. The onset of drought and the invasion of silkworms were regarded by the Mongols as a punishment for the disturbed peace of the leaders. The expedition had to be curtailed.
Ruins in the area of Avraga
In 2001, a Mongol-Japanese group of archaeologists, following the annals, began exploring the territory of the Avraga area, located in the eastern aimak of Mongolia. Excavations discovered the remains of an ancient settlement, which stretches from west to east for more than 1,500 meters, and from north to south - for 500 meters. Three years later, archaeologists stumbled upon the foundation of a building dating from the 13th-15th centuries. The imposing structure was in the form of a square with sides 25 by 25 meters. Separate fragments of walls 1.5 meters thick with holes for bearing supports were preserved in it.
In addition to valuable things, during excavations were discovered: a stone altar, vessels for incense, incense burners. The image of the dragon on the latter was a symbol of supreme power. In deep pits discovered nearby, ash was found, the remains of pets and ashes of silk fabrics. New finds have given reason to believe that the ancient building may well be the memorial mausoleum of Genghis Khan. Japanese researcher Noriyuki Shiraishi believes that, based on these data, the grave of Genghis Khan is within a radius of 12 kilometers from the work, given the distance between the tombs and mausoleums of that time.
Chinese claims
Among the active researchers trying to find the place where Genghis Khan is buried, there are Chinese. They believe that the legendary emperor is buried in the territory of modern China. Lubsan Danzana published a book on this topic. In it, he stated that all places claiming to be a genuine burial of the khan, be it Burkhan Khaldun, the northern slope of Altai Khan, the southern slope of Kentei Khan or the area of Yehe-Utek, belong to the territory of the People’s Republic of China.
It is interesting to note that the Japanese, who do not believe that the burial is located on their territory, claim that the khan was a true Japanese samurai. Once he went to the mainland, where he achieved fame as a master of military affairs.
Treasure of Genghis Khan's grave
Raising the topic of the treasures of Genghis Khan’s grave, some researchers voiced figures of 500 tons of gold and 3 thousand tons of silver bullion. But the exact value of the proposed treasure is not yet possible to establish. The history of Mongolia claims that after the funeral of the old khan, the empire was headed by his eldest son Ugedei, while the treasury disappeared and no one inherited his father’s inheritance. Chronicles collected in China also mention this.
According to a well-known legend, Genghis Khan, foreseeing his demise before the very last trip to the Tanguts, gave the order to melt the available jewelry into bars and securely hide them in seven wells. All involved people were then executed in order to avoid information leakage. According to the paleoethnographer V. N. Degtyarev, three of the seven possible wells with the treasures of the khan are located on the territory of Russia.
Equestrian statue of Genghis Khan
In Mongolia, Genghis Khan was freely talked about only after the fall of the communist regime. In his honor was named the international airport in Ulan Bator, universities were formed, hotels and squares were built and renamed. Now the portrait of the emperor can be found on household goods, packaging material, badges, stamps and banknotes.
The equestrian statue of Genghis Khan in Mongolia was erected in 2008 on the banks of the Tuul River, in the area of Tsongzhin-Boldog. According to legend, it was at this place that the khan found a golden whip. At the base of the giant sculpture, 36 columns are placed, which symbolize the ruling Mongol khans. The whole composition is coated with stainless steel, its height is 40 meters, excluding the base with columns.
Inside the ten-meter base are a restaurant, souvenir shops, an art gallery and a museum with an impressive map of the achievements of the great commander. From the exhibition hall, visitors are given the opportunity to take the elevator to the “head” of the statue’s horse, where on the observation deck guests enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding surroundings.
Conclusion
For a long time, the name of Genghis Khan was a synonym for the merciless and cruel conqueror, who "washed with blood" and wiped many peoples off the face of the earth. However, a number of recent scientific works and studies devoted to the founder of a mighty empire, prompted people to reconsider his role in world history.
Mongolia has many mysteries and secrets, which cannot be answered because of the small number of archaeological sites that have been preserved. They continue to be collected bit by bit. For researchers, in addition to the death and burial of Genghis Khan, the fact of the transient decline of Mongolian society after the collapse of the empire is still inexplicable. The absence on the Mongolian land of archaeological material of the 13th century forced scientists to characterize this period as the "century of silence."