History and Religion
Historical Perspectives.
A cradle of nomadic civilization, Mongolia occupies a pivotal place in Central Asia. Mongolians were among those who crossed the narrow Bering Strait and established first human settlements in the American Continent. The Mongols also have the distinction of ruling the largest ever land empire on the planet earth. Though the archeological finds in Orkhon River Valley, Selenge, Tula and elsewhere have confirmed that the present day territory of Mongolia was once inhabited by pre-historic settlers, the first recorded appearance of nomads is traced back to the 4th – 3rd Century B.C. Successive nomadic societies and their cultures were primarily based on domestication of animals and migratory and tribal life style. These nomadic people in the steppes north of Gobi were known for their bravery and feared by the sedentary Chinese, south of Gobi desert. Frequent invasions by nomads for control of resources and territory forced the Chinese to build a 2300 km long Great Wall along their northern border as a barrier. Chinese writings of those times described these nomads as ‘barbarians living in the cold wilderness of the far north and impossible to rule as subjects’. They have also been called as HU or ‘primitive tribes’, savage in temper and belligerent.
Read MoreA cradle of nomadic civilization, Mongolia occupies a pivotal place in Central Asia. Mongolians were among those who crossed the narrow Bering Strait and established first human settlements in the American Continent. The Mongols also have the distinction of ruling the largest ever land empire on the planet earth. Though the archeological finds in Orkhon River Valley, Selenge, Tula and elsewhere have confirmed that the present day territory of Mongolia was once inhabited by pre-historic settlers, the first recorded appearance of nomads is traced back to the 4th – 3rd Century B.C. Successive nomadic societies and their cultures were primarily based on domestication of animals and migratory and tribal life style. These nomadic people in the steppes north of Gobi were known for their bravery and feared by the sedentary Chinese, south of Gobi desert. Frequent invasions by nomads for control of resources and territory forced the Chinese to build a 2300 km long Great Wall along their northern border as a barrier. Chinese writings of those times described these nomads as ‘barbarians living in the cold wilderness of the far north and impossible to rule as subjects’. They have also been called as HU or ‘primitive tribes’, savage in temper and belligerent.
