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Books

The Golden Summary of Cinggis Qayan

The Golden Summary of Cinggis Qayan

By Leland Liu Rogers

Harrassowitz Verlag, 2009
ISBN: 978-3-447-06074-5

The Golden Summary of Cinggis Qayan (Cinggis Qayan-u Altan Tobci) is the earliest post-Mongol Empire period compilation of legends of the Genghis Khan mythos known to date. These stories are the original legends from which many later Genghis Khan Chronicles were based and were central to the mythos of the Cult of Genghis Khan. The stories within legitimize the rules of Genghis Khan and his descendants through divine acts, but also clearly show the human side of Genghis Khan, of how he erred from lust and anger, and of his willingness to correct his mistakes, to listen to reason, thus making him the great just and righteous emperor. This book contains together with extensive commentary the first full English translation of this text.

Excerpt: The Prophetic Dog of Emperor Siduryu

There was a prophetic black muzzled fallow yellow dog named Kubeleg who belonged to the emperor Siduryu. The holy Lord (Genghis), having respectfully conveyed and erected his nine footed white standards here and there, and having continuously ridden for three years here and there, dismounted. When that dog would bark, “Health, peace, calm,” there were no enemies. When it would howl and bark then there had become enemies. The dog, knowing of the Lord’s riding out, howled and barked for three years. The emperor Siduryu said, “This dog of mine has become old and and is no longer prophetic,” and remained without vigilance. The Lord after this sent forth his infantry in the year of the of dog (1226).

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Review from Mongolian History: “Leland Liu Rogers has produced a vitally important book ( replete with extensive and invaluable footnotes), which is a precious resource for the Mongolian history specialist, as well as the general reader interested in the unique perspective of the Mongols about Chinggis Khan and the Mongol’s cultural ethos on the eve of Manchu suzerainty.”

Click here to read the table of contents from the Publisher’s website

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