Altan Tobchi
Encyclopedia
The Altan Tobchi, or Golden Summary (Mongolian Cyrillic
: Алтан товч), is a 17th century Mongolian
chronicle written by Guush Luvsandanzan. Its full title is "Herein is contained the Golden Summary of the Principles of Statecraft as established by the Ancient Khans
". Mongolian scholars typically call the work the "Lu Altan Tovch". It is generally considered second in dignity to the Secret History of the Mongols as a historical chronicle and piece of classical literature. In fact, the work is special in that it contains 233 of the 282 chapters of the Secret History not only verbatim but with additional detail in certain parts. It is also significant in that it is a major source of knowledge on the "Chingisiin Bilig" or Wisdom of Genghis, a code of ethical conduct specifically directed toward future generations of Mongolian ruling nobility. Duke Jamiyan discovered and brought the original pen copy of the Altan Tobchi to Ulaanbaatar in 1926 from a Taiji (Genghisid prince) called Dari living in Dornod Province, Mongolia
. It was studied in depth by Jamsrangiin Tseveen and Byambyn Rinchen, and was translated into English by Charles Bawden in 1955. It is one of the most frequently quoted sources in Mongolian publications.
, from King Mahasammadi of India and various Tibetan kings. This first section is a pious Buddhist attempt to link the Mongol state with the legendary Chakravarti kings. In the next major section the chronicle follows with the 233 chapters of the Secret History interspersed with additional materials that add to the Altan Tobchi's particular value. It is within this second major section that the 13th-14th century work called the "Wise Debate of an Orphan Boy with the Nine Generals of Genghis" is added. Also within the second section, following the Wise Debate of the Orphan Boy, is another independent work dealing with Genghis Khan's conversations with his Nine Generals which is itself followed by an entire section containing the "Wisdom of Genghis". The second major section ends with the chapters of the Secret History dealing with the last deeds and passing away of Genghis Khan. The third and last section of the Altan Tobchi includes a very brief chronicle of the Yuan dynasty
followed by a somewhat detailed account of the Northern Yuan dynasty till its fall with the death of Ligdan Khan in 1634. The third section is followed by a brief summary of the Golden Summary, a statement of the author's identity and an eloquent prayer directed to the "spirits of the Khans descended from mighty Tengri
".
(c. 1577), and the Parchment Laws of the Khalkha
(1570s-1639). It is not a simple king list from the legendary Chakravarti kings to Ligdan Khan. Although the title says it deals with "statecraft", the work is not political philosophy nor a treatise concerned with the machinations of the legislative, executive and judicial functions of the state. It does not treat of any state policy in detail (e.g. the relay post system or military strategy). Rather the work is clearly designed to be a manual of ethics for the Mongolian nobility with special emphasis on preserving the unity of the state. The work is essentially didactic and instructional in nature. Its code of conduct is loosely analogous to the Way of the Samurai
and chivalry
. Although the near entirety of the ethical code contained in the Altan Tobchi is authentically Mongolian or nomadic and thus derives from the sayings of Genghis Khan or nomadic tradition, there are also a few quotations here and there taken from Indian ethical works and Yuan dynasty Tibetan-inspired state ideology (i.e. the Teaching of the Two Orders, of Kublai Khan
).
Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet
The Mongolian Cyrillic script is the writing system used for the Khalkha dialect of the Mongolian language as the standard dialect of the modern state of Mongolia. Cyrillic has not been adopted by the Khalkha in the Inner Mongolia region of China, who still use the Mongolian script.Mongolian...
: Алтан товч), is a 17th century Mongolian
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
chronicle written by Guush Luvsandanzan. Its full title is "Herein is contained the Golden Summary of the Principles of Statecraft as established by the Ancient Khans
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
". Mongolian scholars typically call the work the "Lu Altan Tovch". It is generally considered second in dignity to the Secret History of the Mongols as a historical chronicle and piece of classical literature. In fact, the work is special in that it contains 233 of the 282 chapters of the Secret History not only verbatim but with additional detail in certain parts. It is also significant in that it is a major source of knowledge on the "Chingisiin Bilig" or Wisdom of Genghis, a code of ethical conduct specifically directed toward future generations of Mongolian ruling nobility. Duke Jamiyan discovered and brought the original pen copy of the Altan Tobchi to Ulaanbaatar in 1926 from a Taiji (Genghisid prince) called Dari living in Dornod Province, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. It was studied in depth by Jamsrangiin Tseveen and Byambyn Rinchen, and was translated into English by Charles Bawden in 1955. It is one of the most frequently quoted sources in Mongolian publications.
Contents
The Altan Tobchi is composed of three major sections that differ significantly from each other, but nonetheless woven into a whole in order to meet Luvsandanzan's purpose of providing a summary of Mongolian state ideology at that time. It begins with a mythological genealogy of the descent of Borte Chino, the ancestor of Genghis KhanGenghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, from King Mahasammadi of India and various Tibetan kings. This first section is a pious Buddhist attempt to link the Mongol state with the legendary Chakravarti kings. In the next major section the chronicle follows with the 233 chapters of the Secret History interspersed with additional materials that add to the Altan Tobchi's particular value. It is within this second major section that the 13th-14th century work called the "Wise Debate of an Orphan Boy with the Nine Generals of Genghis" is added. Also within the second section, following the Wise Debate of the Orphan Boy, is another independent work dealing with Genghis Khan's conversations with his Nine Generals which is itself followed by an entire section containing the "Wisdom of Genghis". The second major section ends with the chapters of the Secret History dealing with the last deeds and passing away of Genghis Khan. The third and last section of the Altan Tobchi includes a very brief chronicle of the Yuan dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
followed by a somewhat detailed account of the Northern Yuan dynasty till its fall with the death of Ligdan Khan in 1634. The third section is followed by a brief summary of the Golden Summary, a statement of the author's identity and an eloquent prayer directed to the "spirits of the Khans descended from mighty Tengri
Tengri
Tengri or Tengger Tengri or Tengger Tengri or Tengger (Old Turkic: ; Mongolian: Тэнгэр, Tenger; Chinese: 腾格里, Mandarin: Ténggélǐ, Hungarian: Tengri, Turkish: Tanrı, Bulgarian: Tangra (Тангра) is a sky god, formerly the chief deity of the early Turkic peoples, including the Xiongnu, Huns, Bulgars,...
".
Purpose
Taken as a whole the Altan Tobchi is not a religious text, either of Tibetan Buddhism or of the well-developed shamanic Cult of Genghis Khan. It is largely secular and deals with affairs of the state. The Buddhist introduction is irrelevant to the main thrust of the work. It is not a set of laws, although decrees of Genghis Khan are included in the Secret History section. Examples of codified nomadic law exist separately and include the Code of Altan KhanAltan Khan
Altan Khan , whose given name was Anda , was the ruler of the Tümet Mongols and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols...
(c. 1577), and the Parchment Laws of the Khalkha
Khalkha
Khalkha is the largest subgroup of Mongol people in Mongolia since 15th century. The Khalkha together with Tsahar, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by the Altan Urag Khans until the 20th century; unlike the Oirat people who were ruled by the Dzungar nobles or the Khorchins who were ruled by...
(1570s-1639). It is not a simple king list from the legendary Chakravarti kings to Ligdan Khan. Although the title says it deals with "statecraft", the work is not political philosophy nor a treatise concerned with the machinations of the legislative, executive and judicial functions of the state. It does not treat of any state policy in detail (e.g. the relay post system or military strategy). Rather the work is clearly designed to be a manual of ethics for the Mongolian nobility with special emphasis on preserving the unity of the state. The work is essentially didactic and instructional in nature. Its code of conduct is loosely analogous to the Way of the Samurai
Way of the Samurai
Way of the Samurai is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game released in 2002.Set in 19th Century Japan, the player takes on the role of a ronin who wanders into a remote village and becomes involved in a conflict between rival clans...
and chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
. Although the near entirety of the ethical code contained in the Altan Tobchi is authentically Mongolian or nomadic and thus derives from the sayings of Genghis Khan or nomadic tradition, there are also a few quotations here and there taken from Indian ethical works and Yuan dynasty Tibetan-inspired state ideology (i.e. the Teaching of the Two Orders, of Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
).
External links
- Altan Tobchi: full text in Mongolian