The Secret History of the Mongols (Mongγol-un niγuča tobčiyan): Orographic Objects in the Context of Inner Asian Historical Geography

Abstract

Introduction. Investigation of the space once invaded and reclaimed by the Mongolic peoples is one of the pressing problems in the history of nomadic societies. Goals. The paper seeks to investigate names of positive topographic forms, analyze written sources reflecting the formation of the Mongol Empire for oronyms inherent to the medieval Mongolian language, and determine their localization. Materials and Methods. Historical geography stresses the significance of one stage in the Mongolian invasion of Inner Asia reflected in famous historical monuments, such as The Secret History of the Mongols, Compendium of Chronicles by Rashid al-Din, and Yuán Shǐ. The tasks of identifying individual objects and landforms presented in the text of The Secret History, as well as their localization in the geographical space of medieval Mongolia, were solved by the methods of phonetic reconstruction, comparative analysis of terms and historical events — through the use of 13th–14th century written sources, contemporary toponyms across the territories to have served as a historical arena for the events described. Results. The paper investigates etymologies of terms and names of orographic objects, attempts to identify the places mentioned in The Secret History within the real geographic space. Conclusions. The terminology denoting elevated landforms in The Secret History of the Mongols is distinguished by diversity and represents a very ancient stratum of vocabulary that had been formed through the abundant use of figurative words. Many terms are obsolete and do not function in modern Mongolian any more. At the same time, traces of obsolete terms are found in toponyms across territories inhabited by Mongolic peoples as such. So, the work outlines the circle of sacred orographic objects revered by the medieval Mongolian community.