One of the large
contributions made by nomadic nations in the world history is the distinguished
nomadic civilization.
In the first period of
development for several centuries, the mankind was moving as a whole searching
for favorable natural condition, abundance pasture and various natural resources.
As scholars noted, Mongols have surely been the distinguished nation, which has
kept the great history of this great process from its start until today, and made
to be wondering the world by having established the greatest empire.
Mongolians are not the ones
who lived in quiet by just being settled and engaged in the nomadic (pastoral)
animal husbandry. They created not only the great history of the nomadic
civilization but also created the enormous complex of statehood rules, culture
and science suitable for this
nomadic lifestyle. Warring and journey process by Attila, Modun Shaniyu,
Chinggis Khan and their successors had been definitely affecting the destiny,
history of the movement and the development of the settled civilization.
In this article, we will not
mention about reasons of the warring journey and the present and past movements
of the nations from one place to another place. However, the story is about the
Mongolians who were the nuclear of
the history of the great movement and the nomads, and who have been attracting
the attention of the world’s scholars and scientists and testing their energies
and skills. The Mongolians have been keeping and developing their inherited
nomadic traditions along with the modern settled civilization in a right
harmony. This defines that what role the nation has been playing and what
position the nation has been taking in the history of the mankind. Entirely,
this specific position and civilization of the Mongolians became the reason for
it to become a subject of research of world history, culture and science two
centuries ago.
Studying of the data of
nomadic history, culture, peculiar customs and data of traditional expertise of
the Mongols who created together with others the history of the world has been
attracting the attention of the mankind for many centuries. Today there has
been established Mongolism (Mongol studies) in the world scientific field and
its subjects of research have been expanding from year to year.
The Russian Federation had
led the study of the nation, once which was considered as “a nation becoming
extinct.” Later, scholars of Germany, Poland, Czech, England and Finland
studied well and issued good research materials. US scholars have expanded the
study and at present, countries of East Asia and Pacific Region (Japan, China,
Taiwan etc.) are intensifying the studies by establishing large research
centers. As an example, we would like to
introduce briefly about Mongolian studies in Japan.
A current Mongolian studies
in Japan has been developing with rapidity in comparison with the other
countries. This connects with the expansion of frame of mutual interests and
deepening of relations of the two countries in all sectors: political, social,
cultural and scientific ones. It is considered that the history of Mongolian
studies in Japan backed to date from the very early times or the Kublai Khan’s
period, the Great Mongol Empire. This history started in the mutually
unpleasant times in the form of relations of envoy diplomats. Later it also
connected with the military operations. It is not deniable that until 1972, the
establishment of the official diplomatic relations, the Mongol studies had
served basically only for the political and military purposes. The forms of the
studies at that time belonged to a high secrecy classification.
Japanese historians consider
that the scientific systematical study of Mongolia started in Japan after 1900.
Studying the Mongolian language, customs, culture and history and politics
started for the scientific purpose with establishment of research centers at
the universities and institutes. In 1911, Department of Mongolian studies was
opened at the Tokyo University’s Foreign Services School, former Tokyo
University’s Foreign Languages Faculty, and a few years later at the Osaka
Foreign Services University respectively. Until the establishment of the
diplomatic relations, teachers from Inner Mongolia worked by invitation at the
universities. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relationships,
lecturers from Mongolia have been working there.
Besides the above-mentioned
two departments, Japanese renowned professors of Mongolian studies have been
working by establishing centers of literature and cultural researches at large
private academic institutions such as Vaceda University, Shinshuu University,
Kyoto University and Tohoku University. At present, there is the Japanese
Mongolian Studies Association, which has united about 260 researchers. Each
year in spring and autumn, the Association organizes research conferences on
Mongol studies and discusses the research works of the researchers. The best
research works are published in the Information magazine issued once a year.
Many other groups of young researchers such as Mongolian Literature Study
Society and Mongolian Ethnicity Study Society have been working in Japan as
well. There are also many centers working in this subject at vocational
schools, research organizations and it can be said that there is a system of
supplying their research works with united management from the above-mentioned
association.
The subjects such as
Mongolian language and literature, history, culture, and ethnicity studies were
dominant in the Japanese - Mongolian studies before and after World War II.
Study of the Secret History of Mongols was developed intensively at the
merging of the XIX and XX centuries. Researchers paid attention to study all
aspects of the Mongolian primary historical and literary works. Primary
historical and literary sources like the Secret History of Mongols and Altan
Tovch were studied for many years as historical and literary values of
Mongolia. T. Kobayashi translated the Secret History of Mongols into
Japanese and published his research
works on the Secret History of Mongols in 1954. Also M. Murakami conducted the
same research work and published it in 1973, preface of which was written by
Mongolists Sh. Ivamura and A. Fujieda.
A look at the list of
research works done between 1900-1972, shows that the Japanese researchers paid
more attention on studying the Mongolian primary historical and literary works.
For example, Sh. Hattory conducted research works on Mongolian language and
pronunciation in 1942; he published the Secret History of Mongols in
Latin transcriptions. Also he did a valuable study on the linguistic
characteristics of the Mongolian language. In his works Mongolian Reading
Book /1939/ and About Mongolian Scripts Found from Many Temples
/1940/, he published several Mongolian ancient literary works. They serve as
sources of studies for many researchers.
In general, the Secret History of Mongol is
the major subject of study in the Mongolian studies. Haka Mitiyo, a renowned
researcher of Japanese - Chinese study /1851-1908/, first translated the
Secret History of Mongols and published it with extensive interpretations
in 1907. Later he published his book
named “Notes about Chinggis Khan”.
Furthermore, the followings
are considered to be the significant works which were published by Japanese
researchers including “Mongolian Literature” by T. Koboyashi /1936/; “Mourning
Speech on the Funeral of Chinggis Khan in Altan Tovch” by M Ota /1938/; “Mourning
Song about Chinggis Khan” by K. Oshibuchi /1926/; “History of Bogd
Chinggis Khan” by M. Yamomota /1935/; “Some Stories in Altan Tovch and
Erdeniin Tovch” /1953/, and “Study of Transcription of the Secret
History of Mongols” by Sh. Ozawa /1984-1989, 6 volumes/; “About Origin
of Song of Regret by Togoontomor
Khan ”/1968/ and “About Tsogt Khuntaij” by historian Kh.
Okada /1968/; “Wooden Print Versions of Geser in Mongolian” by K. Tanaka
/1964/.
Japanese researchers pay a
little attention at or evade as possible as much from the studies by European
and Russian ones, and aim to use Chinese sources, select news subject, propose
new ideas and find new facts.
Starting from the end of the
1980’s and beginning of the 1990’s, new generation researching cadres entered into the Japanese – Mongolian studies.
They published many substantial works on history, law, ethnicity and social
code including ‘History of Prosper and Decline of the Great Mongol Empire’
by Kh. Okada, which has been published recently. Japanese researchers valued
this as an accurate and brief
work.
During 1980’s plenty works
were published including basic study in
the agricultural aspects and Mongolian Modern History by
M. Onuki; History of the Great Mongol Empire and work on the historical
characters of the Secret History of Mongols by Yoshida Junichi (a
student of renowned researcher Tatsuda Isau), a professor at Wasida University;
work on History of Ming Dynasty by T. Morikava, a professor at Kyushu
University; work on Chinggis Khaan history by Khagivara, a candidate
professor Kyoto University; Chinggis Khaan’s Army System by historians
Matsuda and Kh. Takashi; researcher works on historical key issues since 16th
century, scripts on birch bark is a cultural value, law documents, and History
on Mongolian People’s Party and Comentern by Kh. Futaki, a professor at the
Foreign Studies School, Tokyo University; research works on the history of
Buddhism, Mongolian Buddhism of yellow sect, Mongolian customs and culture by
Matsakuva from Kyoto University of Otan.
K. Akira, a postgraduate
student at the Tokyo University conducted research and published her works on
the literary, linguistic and ethnic aspects. The peculiarity of Akira’s
research works is based on the European theory. Yu. Konagaya, a researcher at
the National Ethnographic Museum, plays significant role in the ethnographic
research. Konagaya has done many important works such as Distinguished World
of Mongolian Steppe Life /1996/, Steppe Civilization /1998/, which
attracted researchers’ attentions. Besides, 1999 Research Report of an
Expedition of the WACO University was one of the significant research works
done in the civilization field.
Before 1980’s, research
works on Mongolian literature, especially, modern literature were quite a few.
There were only some translators in this field. But now there is Mongolian
Modern Literature Society, which unified over ten researchers. Yu. Shibayama, a
candidate professor at the Seisen Jogakui College, heads the society. He wrote
a Mongolian Literature textbook at the end of the 1980’s and wrote serial
articles on Natsagdorj’s life and works. One of the renowned researchers of
Mongolian modern literature is K. Okada, a professor of Foreign Studies School
at the Tokyo University. He studies deeply the history of literature between
1920-1930. Umino Miko, a postgraduate student of the Tokyo University, studies
Mongolian film art, development of Mongolian modern literature and its major
representatives and wrote Mongolian Literature Lectures in Japanese language in
1999 together with K Akira. In 2003, they published works consisted of
translations and research materials named Mongolian Literature on the Mongolian
literature history.
In the field of ancient
history research, Preface of the Historical Study of the Mongol Empire-Major
Ethnic Group of Il Khan Dynasty
by Shimo, a professor of Tokyo University /1995/ and several works by Sugiyama
Masaaki, a professor at the Kyoto University were published. They are valued as
significant works made changes in the historical study. In the field of ethnography, he wrote “World
of the Great Mongol” /1992/, in the field of ancient history Mongolia “Which
Has Changed the World History” /2000/, and “Kublai Khan’s Test –Path of
Mongolian Ocean Empire” /1995/.
Recent years, study on natural
studies has been intensively developing. For example, 80 percent of the
presentations at the 2000 Kyoto Spring Forum, and 2001 Kobe Autumn Forum were
on the subjects of natural studies.
Study on technology of
Mongolian dairy products is conducted in complex, and experiments of producing
them in different conditions are getting successful. But final results of them
have not been realized yet.
Mongolian earth structure
and usage and landscape study is undergone. But this is mainly in the form of
reports of Inner Mongolian expedition of land surface.
At present, Japanese
researchers pay attention on the fields such as human study, originality and
genetics. For example, they established that the gene of a Japanese person is
similar with Mongolian, especially with a Buryat one. In addition some
successful studies on geography and migration are conducted, and draw an
interesting conclusion that Japanese islands were a part of the continent and
its population consists of Asian multi-nationalities.
As well, study of the items remained in the ocean bottom
in the time of Kublai khan’s attack has been expanded.
Japanese researchers are
also interested in the political and social matters. A look at those, there is
a tendency on Japanese - Mongolian studies to be expanded with studies on
culture, economy, technology and natural studies, besides only humanitarian and
social studies.
ТОВЧЛОЛ
Зохиолч эл өгүүлэлд Японы монгол судлалын холбооны
үйл ажиллагааны үндсэн чиглэл, хийгдэж буй судалгааны ажлын цар хүрээ, шинэ
салбаруудын хөгжлийн өнөөгийн хандлагыг тодорхойлжээ.
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