Introduction
Genghis Khan, a genius of a generation, not only created the largest Mongol Empire in history during his military life, but also left countless mysteries to future generations. Especially the burial place of Genghis Khan is a mystery within a mystery. For hundreds of years, people have been looking around and found nothing. Recently, a piece of explosive news appeared in the domestic media: the joint archaeological team of Japan and Mongolia announced that it had discovered Genghis Khan’s tomb near Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. After the news was published, relevant experts and scholars expressed doubts about the reliability of the news.
4 theories about the death of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan’s original name was Temujin. He was born in 1162 AD into a noble family of the Qiyanbor Jijin clan in Mongolia. After years of fighting, Temujin unified all tribes in the Mobei grassland. In 1206 AD, he established the Great Mongolian Kingdom and was named "Genghis Khan", which in Mongolian means "a leader as great as the sea". In 1227 AD, Genghis Khan died in the army during the conquest of Xixia at the age of 66. Today, many admirers in the West call him the "Emperor of All Humanity."
There are many opinions about the cause of Genghis Khan's death. According to the "Secret History of Mongolia", Genghis Khan's physical condition already had problems one year before he went to Xixia. While hunting, he fell off his horse and was injured, and developed a high fever. At that time, the plan to attack Xixia was finalized, but Genghis Khan was considering withdrawing due to physical discomfort. However, during the negotiation process with the envoys, Xixia general Asha dared not to speak rudely, which made Genghis Khan furious: "He said such big words, how can we return? Even if we die, we will ask him. God knows who will live forever!" So he went to war despite his illness. Although Xixia was eventually destroyed, Genghis Khan also died in the military camp. Some scholars believe that Genghis Khan was seriously ill and died.
In addition, Plano Garbini, the Roman papal envoy to Mongolia in the 1240s, said in his handed down writings that Genghis Khan was struck by lightning and died. The famous Italian traveler Marco Polo left records stating that Genghis Khan was killed by an arrow while attacking the city. The most bizarre statement can be found in "The Origin of Mongolia", a book written in the Qing Dynasty. The book also said that Genghis Khan captured the beautiful Xixia Princess Gulbarezin Guowatun. The princess stabbed Genghis Khan while she was sleeping, and then He committed suicide by throwing himself into the Yellow River, and Genghis Khan also died of his injuries. At present, the historians and archaeologists mostly tend to the records in "The Secret History of Mongolia" as to the cause of Genghis Khan's death.
Four theories about the location of the mausoleum
As for the specific location of Genghis Khan’s tomb, four theories have been roughly formed over the years: one is located in the south of the Kent Mountains and the Kherulun River in Mongolia To the north; the second is located in the Etuoke Banner of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia; the third is located in the Altay Mountains in northern Xinjiang; the fourth is Liupan Mountain located in Ningxia. The main reason why Genghis Khan's mausoleum has not been found for more than 700 years is that the Yuan Dynasty royal family implemented a secret burial system, that is, the burial location of the emperor's tomb was not marked, announced, or recorded.
The basis for the Kent Mountain in Mongolia is that relevant historical records show that one day before his death, Genghis Khan once sat in meditation under an elm tree on the Kent Mountain for a long time. Then he suddenly stood up and said to his entourage: "I will die." Later, he was buried here." Notes by literati in the Southern Song Dynasty also recorded that after Genghis Khan died of illness in Ningxia, his body was transported to a place under the Kent Mountain in Mobei and buried in a deep pit on the surface. His remains were stored in a single wooden coffin. The so-called single-wooden coffin is made by cutting a section of a big tree and hollowing out the middle to make a coffin. After the single wooden coffin was buried, the tomb was backfilled with soil and then "trodden down by thousands of horses".
The basis for being in the territory of Etuoke Banner in Ordos City will be described in detail later.
The basis is that archaeological experts discovered an artificially modified mountain near Sandaohai, Qinghe County, where the Altay Mountains in northern Xinjiang are located, and speculated that it may be the mausoleum where Genghis Khan was buried. One of the evidences is that Marco Polo wrote in his "Marco Polo's Travels": "On the way to transport the monarch's coffin to the Altay Mountains, the escorts regarded everyone they met along the way as martyrs. .
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The basis for Liupan Mountain in Ningxia is that there are records saying that Genghis Khan died near Liupan Mountain when he attacked Xixia in the midsummer of 1227. Some archaeological experts believe that according to the past customs of the Mongolian people, People should be disposed of within three days of death, either by sky burial, burial, or cremation, in order to prevent the body from rotting and preventing the soul from going to heaven. Therefore, it is very likely that Genghis Khan will be buried on the spot after his death.
American archeology fails in Maicheng
A Mongolian expert predicts that there may be a large number of rare treasures buried in Genghis Khan's mausoleum, and the artifacts inside are even more spectacular than the military toilet unearthed from the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. It’s not alarmist. Genghis Khan’s tomb may contain priceless treasures that he obtained from more than 20 kingdoms during his conquests. This is why the archaeological community has been searching for them for many years.
According to many media reports at home and abroad, in August 2000, American explorer and billionaire Murry Kravitz led his archaeological expedition team composed of scientists, archeology professors and translators to Ulan with confidence. Bator searched for Genghis Khan's mausoleum. Kravitz's plan initially encountered resistance from the Mongolian government. Later, he spent almost all his savings and lived in Mongolia for 6 years before convincing the Mongolian government and attracting two famous locals. The history professor joined the expedition. On August 16, 2001, Kravitz's archaeological team discovered a walled cemetery in the forest more than 300 kilometers northeast of Ulaanbaatar, which included several buildings. Ten unopened tombs. The expedition team announced to the outside world that it had "found the tomb of Genghis Khan", but it was later proven to be the tomb of the Huns.
In April 2002, the archaeological team visited the Mongolian capital Uzbekistan. A walled cemetery containing at least 30 unopened tombs was discovered in the town of Baslit in Kent Province, 322 kilometers northeast of Lambatol. This ancient tomb is called "very likely to be the tomb of Genghis Khan." ". However, four months later, the archaeological team suddenly gave up the excavation operation and withdrew from Mongolia. There are rumors that during the investigation, some staff of the American archaeological team were bitten by many venomous snakes that suddenly emerged from the walls of the tomb, and The vehicle they parked on the side of the mountain also slipped down the hillside for no reason, so the archaeological team decided to give up the excavation.
Therefore, there are rumors that Genghis Khan appeared. However, the real situation is that the archaeological team was affected by Mongolia. The government and the public opposed it. According to Mongolian traditional concepts, digging the land will bring bad luck, and touching the graves of ancestors will destroy their souls. Therefore, when the Mongolian people learned the news, they strongly opposed the digging. The Mongolian government also ordered the archaeological team to stop excavation and withdraw from the area. Therefore, the main investor Kravitz had to announce the suspension of inspection activities. In October 2004, the Japanese-Mongolian joint archaeological team made a surprise. On the 6th, the British "Times" suddenly reported that a joint archaeological team from Japan and Mongolia recently announced that they had found the "key" that might unlock the mystery of Genghis Khan's tomb - Genghis Khan's temple. If the identity of the temple is confirmed, Genghis Khan's mausoleum will be located within a 12-kilometer radius of the temple.
According to the report, on October 4, the Japan-Mongolia joint archaeological team discovered a square-shaped structure near Dargenhaan Village in Avraga City, about 150 miles away from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The ruins of a 13th to 15th century spiritual temple on a pedestal. Below the temple is a stone platform that is almost in ruins. There are many pits hidden under the stone platform, and the ashes and bones of many war horses are buried in them. Judging from the number of war horse remains, it is obvious that the owner of this tomb had an unusual status. The foundation stone and pillar holes that are the remains of the spiritual temple were also found on the 25-meter-square base. Since no tiles or bricks were found, it is speculated that the tent was built on the earth surface.
Archaeologists believe that this stone platform should be the original foundation of the tomb. In the temple, a "convex"-shaped stone wall about 40 centimeters high when viewed from above was also found, with traces of fire on it.
Pits containing ashes and horse bones were found around the altar, which is believed to be evidence of "burning rice" rituals such as burning horses to honor Genghis Khan, which is consistent with records in Chinese history books. In addition, on the south side of the mausoleum, an incense burner engraved with a pattern of a dragon, the symbol of the emperor, was unearthed, which is consistent with records in Persian history books from the 14th century.
Assistant Professor Noriyuki Shiraishi of Niigata University in Japan, one of the leaders of the archaeological excavation team, said that within 7 miles of this mausoleum, there are densely packed tombs of Mongolian leaders from various eras. There are various signs that this should be the long-legendary Mausoleum of Genghis Khan.
Two experts questioned
Pan Zhaodong, a researcher at the Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Sciences, and Zhu Yaoting, the screenwriter of the TV series "Genghis Khan", both questioned the surprising discoveries made by the Japan-Mongolia joint archaeological team in Mongolia.
Pan Zhaodong believes that several conditions must be met to discover the tomb of Genghis Khan. First of all, there must be a coffin; secondly, there must be physical evidence, such as the things Genghis Khan used during his lifetime; thirdly, there must be precise written records, such as stone inscriptions and other records. Otherwise, there is no way to prove that it is the tomb of Genghis Khan.
Pan Zhaodong said that the Aerzhai Grottoes discovered near the Otok Banner on the Ordos Plateau may be the real tomb of Genghis Khan. This place is less than 200 kilometers away from the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ordos City. The landforms, place names and other characteristics are very consistent with the descriptions of Genghis Khan's burial place in historical materials such as "Secret History of Mongolia", "Historical Collection" and "Mughal Records". In Grotto No. 28 in Arzhai Mountain, there is a mural closely related to the burial of Genghis Khan. Pan Zhaodong believes that this mural should be "The Burial Picture of Genghis Khan". This was Genghis Khan's rear area, where heavy troops were stationed and the distance from Liupan Mountain could be reached within 3 days.
Zhu Yaoting believes that based on the current findings of the Japan-Mongolia joint archaeological team, it is not enough to prove that it is the tomb of Genghis Khan. According to historical records, at that time, the single wooden coffin was cut open in the middle of the oak wood, and then tied with 3 to 4 gold hoops to prevent the wood from rotting and disintegrating. If you find Genghis Khan's tomb, you must find these three golden hoops. Because gold never decays. There should also be a large number of burial objects. According to records, in addition to weapons and bows and arrows, Genghis Khan should also be buried with war horses and palace maids. As for gold and silver treasures, many people have different opinions, but at least there should be burial objects.
Ordos has the final say
As we all know, there is a magnificent Genghis Khan Mausoleum in Yijinhuoluo Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. In the yurt-style yellow silk tent in the apse of the mausoleum, the coffins of Genghis Khan and his wife Bolte Uzhen are enshrined. In the yellow silk tents on both sides of it, there are placed the coffins of Genghis Khan's wife Hulun and his third wife Isu, as well as the coffins of Genghis Khan's two brothers Beljitai and Hasar. Placed in the east hall are the coffins of Genghis Khan's fourth son, Tuolei, and his wife. The west hall is dedicated to the nine Suliding, which symbolizes Genghis Khan's nine generals, and also displays the swords, riding whips and other items used by Genghis Khan in his battles. Every year on the first day of March, May 15th, September 12th and October 3rd of the lunar calendar, the Dalhut Mongols, the descendants of Genghis Khan, hold grand memorial activities here. The scene is grand and spectacular. However, many experts and scholars have always believed that this Genghis Khan Mausoleum was just Genghis Khan's clothing.
On September 17, 2004, at the "Ordos Academic Seminar" held in Dongsheng District, Ordos City, experts and scholars from inside and outside the region and the Dalhut Mongolians who had guarded the tomb for generations pointed out that Genghis Khan's Although there is no accurate underground archaeological confirmation of the burial site, the "Baba White House" (also known as the "Eight White House"), the home of Genghis Khan as a national will and national sacrifice, is located in Yijinhuoluo Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. As the hereditary guardians of Genghis Khan's mausoleum in the world, the Dalhut Mongols have always implemented the most complete, authoritative and Mongolian-yuan-style sacrificial system.
Experts at the meeting believed that during the time of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, the Ordos area was classified as a central province directly under the central government, and the place name "Yijinhuoluo", which was translated into Chinese as "mausoleum of the great Khan and emperor", was allowed. The place to place the "Eight White Houses" in Ordos, which has not been decided on Kent Mountain, will never be arbitrary, and it cannot be arbitrary. In addition, the largest of the four major Genghis Khan sacrifices mandated by Kublai Khan, the "Chagan Surik Festival", was held at the Genghis Khan Mausoleum in Yijinhuoluo Banner. For more than 700 years, the Mongolian people have persisted in this traditional memorial activity.
At this seminar, the experts also presented eyewitness records of the "Babaishi" where the man's clothes and clothes placed the silver box after Genghis Khan's "sky burial": "Both the coffins of Genghis Khan and the Queen of the Great Khan were in a rectangular shape. The silver coffin device was locked with a copper lock. "After the completion of the newly built Genghis Khan Cemetery in 1956, the Khan's silver coffin was opened once... All seven layers of the coffin were opened, and only one was found inside the seventh layer. A portrait of Genghis Khan’s family was wrapped in a fragrant cowhide pillow. What was inside the pillow has not been opened and remains a mystery.”
According to the person in charge of the local Dalhut: “It has been there for many years. It is said that (inside the leather pillow) is a bone of Dahan wrapped in Dahan's clothes."
Yun Zhaoguang, former chairman of the Inner Mongolia Federation of Literary and Art Circles, screenwriter of the "Ordos Storm" film, and a famous scholar of modern Mongolian history, said, When Genghis Khan died, it was midsummer. In order to protect the body, it would not take 3 months or half a year to transport the body far away. It would only be buried in Ordos, a geomantic treasure land close to Liupan Mountain and the Yellow River.
"Yike Zhaomeng Zhi", written in 1939 and now at the American Asian Research Center, reveals the little-known content of the Yuan Dynasty general Tubadu Suizheng, which actually proves Mr. Yun's point of view . The incomplete paper book stored in a small iron cabinet was translated into Chinese and said: "The Great Khan died suddenly when he went on an expedition. Because the Great Khan ×××× proposed a sky burial." "The Prime Minister enshrined Khan's clothes, crown and sword, and Dong Mu placed it in a seven-treasure box (i.e. In the silver coffin, the god was transported on a camel for forty-seven days to the desert... and on the same day, he arrived at a low place in the desert. The camel could not stand upright and the subjects prayed silently. The sword suddenly flew away, and the clothes shone with splendor. The subjects were pleased with the Lord and buried the camp on the lowland plateau (i.e., Yi Jinhuoluo), setting up a garrison to protect it... They went out to look for the sword, and found it on the grassland a hundred miles away, and found it on the ground. In order to set up a treasure house (now Sulding Holo) and enjoy sacrifices at all times."
The secret burial custom of Mongolian nobles
Legend has it that when Genghis Khan was buried, for the sake of confidentiality, there were more than 10,000 horses. The war horse planted the ground where he was buried, and a freestanding tree served as a tombstone. In order to make it easier to find the cemetery in the future, at the burial place of Genghis Khan, his own baby camel was killed in front of a female camel, and the blood was sprinkled on the cemetery. When the green grass sprouts the next spring, the cemetery is no different from other places. In this case, when later generations offered sacrifices to Genghis Khan, they led the female camel there. When the female camel comes to the cemetery, she will wail incessantly as she remembers the murdered calf. The worshipers held a grand memorial ceremony at the place where the female camel moaned. However, after the she-camel died, no one could find Genghis Khan's tomb.
According to the "Secret History of Mongolia", after the Mongolian royal family was buried, they first used hundreds of war horses to level the ground on the tomb, then planted grass and trees on it, and then sent people to guard the tomb for a long time, all the way to the surface. You can leave without leaving any trace, and those who know will be killed. It can be seen that this legend is obviously not groundless. Pan Zhaodong pointed out that the distance from Liupan Mountain to the site where the Japanese-Mongolian joint archaeological team discovered the cemetery is quite long. It is thousands of miles in the middle of summer. It is necessary to ensure that the remains do not rot. At the same time, we have to cross mountains and rivers and cross deserts. These problems It is difficult to solve within 3 days.
Pan Zhaodong said that according to records, when Genghis Khan died, he took the top mane of a white male camel and placed it on Genghis Khan's mouth and nose. If he stopped breathing, it meant that his soul had been attached to the white camel. Mao Bu, the body can be disposed of at this time, and the camel hair can be kept in Yiguan's home. According to Pan Zhaodong, when the Chengling Mausoleum was completed in the 1950s, the silver coffin was opened and this ball of camel hair was discovered.
Excavation of the mausoleum goes against tradition
Zhu Yaoting said that according to Mongolian tradition, Genghis Khan was "buried secretly" and he did not want future generations to discover it. For future generations, they should respect their ancestors , and the Mongolian descendants do not want Genghis Khan’s tomb to be excavated. Pan Zhaodong even said something astonishing: "We will probably not be able to find a conclusive burial site in the future. Maybe Genghis Khan left nothing behind. Our thinking has always been wrong." At that time, the Mongols did not have a tradition of physical worship and believed that human beings The human body comes from nature, and should return to nature after death. Only by early burial can the soul ascend to heaven. Therefore, the silver coffin shrine enshrined in Genghis Khan's mausoleum preserves Genghis Khan's soul adsorption object when he died - the white male camel's mane, not Genghis Khan's remains.
"Perhaps we latecomers have always had a problem with our thinking. We always hope to unearth something, but in fact there is nothing at all." Pan Zhaodong does not agree with large-scale excavation of mausoleums. According to Mongolian tradition, disturbing the soul of the deceased is illegal. Without respect for the deceased, the body has no preservation value. The key is the immortality of the soul. Large-scale archeology has violated the prairie sacrificial culture and has been opposed. Actual evidence has proved that nothing has been accomplished.
Not long ago, Mongolian President Bagabandi said in an interview with CCTV reporter Shui Junyi: "According to a will passed down by Genghis Khan, which is what he said when he died, he said , Let his tomb never be known to the world. Therefore, we follow this will of Genghis Khan... The question of which direction and what state Genghis Khan's tomb is in should be made as you asked. It will always be a riddle-like question, let those who are willing to guess the answer continue to guess the answer!"
Excerpted from: "Northern News", October 15, 2004
Genghis Khan! The mausoleum is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is not large in scale, covering an area of ??about 5.5 hectares, but it is quite distinctive and is a major tourist attraction in Inner Mongolia.
The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is located on the Gandeli Grassland in Yijinhuoluo Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, 70 kilometers away from Dongsheng District. "Secret burials" are popular among the Mongols, so where the real Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is has always been a mystery. The current Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is a tomb. It was moved many times until it was moved back to its hometown of Yijinhuoluo Banner from Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong County in 1954. It is 185 kilometers north of Baotou City. It is full of green grass. The unique and magnificent scenery of the grassland. Genghis Khan was an outstanding military strategist and politician in Mongolia. After unifying all the Mongolian tribes, he was promoted to Great Khan in 1206 and established the Mongol Khanate. After he ascended the throne, he launched large-scale military activities and expanded his territory to Central Asia and southern Russia. In 1226, he led his troops south to attack Xixia, and died of illness in Xixia the following year. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Genghis Khan was posthumously honored as Taizu of the Yuan Dynasty.
Genghis Khan is a majestic historical figure, so his mausoleum is also very attractive to tourists.
Mongolian yurt-style palace
The cemetery covers an area of ??more than 55,000 square meters. The main building consists of three Mongolian-style halls and connected gallery rooms. The architecture is majestic and has Strong Mongolian national style. The building is divided into six parts: the main hall, the bedroom, the east hall, the west hall, the east corridor and the west corridor.
The main body of the Genghis Khan Mausoleum is composed of three yurt-style palaces lined up. There are corridors connecting the three halls, on the domes of the three yurt-style palaces. The golden glazed tiles sparkle under the bright sunlight. The upper part of the dome is made of blue glazed tiles with cloud-head flowers, which are the colors and patterns advocated by the Mongolian people.
The middle main hall is 26 meters high, with an octagonal plane, a double-eaves yurt-style dome roof, covered with yellow glazed tiles, and the eaves are blue glazed tiles; the east and west halls are unequal octagonal and single-eaves yurt-style. The top of the dome is also covered with yellow glazed tiles and is 23 meters high. The shape of the entire cemetery is like an eagle with spread wings, which fully demonstrates the unique artistic style of the Mongolian nation.
In the middle of the main hall is a statue of Genghis Khan, which is 5 meters high. He is wearing armor and a sword on his waist. He looks heroic and sits in the center of the hall.
The arc-shaped background behind the statue is a map of the "Four Great Khanates", marking the remarkable achievements of Genghis Khan's army marching southward into the Central Plains and westward into Central Asia and Europe more than 700 years ago. The back hall is the bedroom, where four spiritual bags covered with yellow satin are placed. Inside the bags are the spiritual hubs of Genghis Khan and his three wives. In front of the spiritual bags is a large altar with incense burners and butter lamps placed on it. . There are also precious cultural relics such as the saddle used by Genghis Khan during his lifetime.
The east hall houses the coffins of Tuo Lei, the fourth son of Genghis Khan (the father of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty) and his wife. Since Wokuotai and his eldest son, the Mongolian emperors are all descendants of Tuo Lei, so their status is extremely prominent.
The west hall is dedicated to the nine flags and "Suleding" symbolizing the nine generals. Suledin is the iron spearhead on the banner. Genghis Khan used it to command thousands of troops during his southern and northern campaigns. Legend has it that after Genghis Khan's death, his soul was attached to it. Therefore, in the minds of the Mongolian people, Sulding is the iron spearhead on the flag. Destiny is very sacred.
There are large murals in the east and west corridors of the main hall. It mainly depicts major events such as the birth of Genghis Khan, his death, the Western Expedition, the Eastern Expedition, and the unification of various Mongolian ministries. The mural also shows the grand occasion when Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, unified China, made Beijing the capital, officially changed the country's name to Yuan in 1271 AD, and posthumously named Genghis Khan the Taizu of the Yuan Dynasty.
The busiest and most solemn day here is the 17th day of the third lunar month every year; this day is the day when Genghis Khan established his immortal military exploits, and a grand meeting to commemorate "Suledin" will be held.
The murals depict the major events in Genghis Khan's life
There are murals in the corridor connecting the east and west side halls. The west corridor depicts the major events in Genghis Khan's life, and the east corridor depicts the deeds of Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson.
In the southeast corner of Genghis Khan's mausoleum, there are golden-domed tents, side halls, Khan selection platforms, grassland markets, cultural relics exhibition halls, shooting ranges, horse racing venues, wrestling venues and other facilities. The golden-domed tent is 13 meters high and 18 meters in diameter. It is a yurt-style palace. Let’s look at the scene when Genghis Khan ascended the throne in 1206. There is Genghis Khan's throne and portrait inside the hall, and there are 8 chariots outside the hall with wheels 2 meters high for visitors to admire. The Khan Selection Platform is 8 meters high. It is an antique building used by herdsmen when they elected Khan in history.
The murals depict the major events in Genghis Khan’s life
The ten best Genghis Khan Mausoleums in the world
1. The Genghis Khan Mausoleum Tourist Area is the largest Mongolian historical and cultural tourist attraction in the world .
2. The "No. 1 Bao in the World" in Tianjiao Camp is the largest yurt in the world.
3. The majestic mountains and rivers are the most Mongolian "mountain"-shaped doorscape in the world.
4. The Iron Horse and Golden Tent is the only large-scale military formation in the world that reproduces Genghis Khan’s iron cavalry.
5. The Eurasian Territory is the largest map in the world showing the territory of the Mongol Empire across Asia and Europe.
6. The Mongolian History and Culture Museum is the only museum in the world that collects, displays and studies Mongolian history and culture.
7. The 206-meter-long "Mongolian History Scroll" oil painting is the longest oil painting in the world.
8. The Museum of Mongolian History and Culture is the only building in the world shaped like Mongolian characters (Khan).
9. The Darhut people are the only people in the world who have worshiped Genghis Khan’s tomb for generations for nearly 800 years.
10. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is the only Genghis Khan sacrificial site in the world that retains the most complete sacrificial culture.