Mongol Resources

Annotated Resources for Mongol Studies

By HL Taran Saraev m.k.a. Charles Hill

taranhill@gmail.com

Getting Started in Mongol Studies with a focus on  Living History.
 

Wanting to learn about Mongol daily life during or before the Mongol Empire. Perhaps you want to recreate or reenact different aspects of Mongol Life. If you read my astronomy resources I was very dogmatic on where and how you should begin your studies. Thankfully Mongol studies is much for forgiving and the reading is easier. You wouldn't be off to a bad start if you just browsed the resources and picked at your interest. Though I think there is still some good recommendations. I think it is always best to begin a study with a couple of great survey books. What I mean by a survey book is a broad study that walks you through a bunch of material. This allows you to have an idea of the scope so you can narrow things down. I will recommend two surveys and a classic. Of the two surveys one is a history and the other is something diffrent. For the historical survey I suggest the second edition of the Mongols by David Morgan. Why this book? In reality any historical survey would work just as well. This book however is scholarly, readable, and easy to find. Morgan's book is something of a standard in Mongol studies and it will serve you well. For my second survey I recommend George Lane's Daily Life in the Mongol Empire. This is not so much of a straight history, but as the tittle suggests it uses primary sources to give insights as to what daily life was like during the mongol empire. It really is a must for Mongol studies with a focus in living History. For the classic I recommenced Francis Woodman Cleaves translation of The Secret History of the Mongols. This is an English translation of the medieval Chinese edition of the life of Genghis Khan. There are many translations, and I want to collect them all. In many ways it would not matter which translation you choose, but even though Cleaves English is dense, this is a respected translation that has stood the test of time. A romantic starting point to be sure. One should also be aware of language along the way. Most Mongol sources have yet to be translated into English. Serious Mongol scholars usually take up ether Chinese or Arabic (with or without Persian) as most mongol sources are written in one of those languages. Almost nothing except the Secret History of the Mongols and perhaps some of the famous Yassa were written in Mongolian in period. On top of that Mongol language sources are expensive and rare. And English phonetics from other languages change over time. You will run across many ways to spell the same word, so keep your eyes sharp. This should give some place to start, enjoy!

Books

Allsen, Thomas T. Commodity and Exchange in the Mongol Empire. Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Press, 2002. A scholarly history of Islamic textiles. A Good resource of Mongol costuming as well.

Allsen, Thomas T. Culture and Conquest in Mongol Eurasia. Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Press, 2001. A scholarly account of the cultural exchanges brought about by the Pax Mongolia. Topic include economics, astronomy, cuisine, agriculture, medicine, printing, history, geography, and cartography. An excellent resource for the serious Mongolist.

Boyer, Martha. Mongol Jewelry. Rhodos, Copenhagen; The Carlsberg Foundation, 1995. A comprehensive assessment of Mongol Jewelry. (See listing for Hansen's Mongol Costumes) It covers hair styles as well as other accessories. It is a great work for spicing up you Mongol garb in authentic ways. Not necessary for the Mongol dabbler, but they will want it anyway for all the great pictures! (Out of print, Alas...it is possible to grab this book used on-line, if you find a deal don't let it slip by you.)

Buell, Paul D., Anderson, Eugene N., & Perry, Charles. A Soup for the Qan. ;Kegan Paul, 2000 This is a complete translation of the medieval Chinese dietary Yin-Shan cheng-yao (1330). Something like a Qan (khan) might have ate. Finally obtained a copy and this book is the mother-load. (Now in reprint and kindle starting at $50)

Carpini, Friar Giovanni DiPlano. The Story of the Mongols Who We Call the Tartars. Boston; Branden Publishing Co,1996. Friar Carpini's (d.1252) account of the Mongols from his missionary endeavors. Another essential for the Mongol recreator. Like the travel journals Marco Polo & Friar William of Rubruck, an account of the Mongols through European eyes.

Chambers, James. The Devil's Horsemen. London; Phoenix Press, 2001. The classic work on The Mongol invasion of Europe. A good history and one of the more commonly know Mongol history books.

Chan, Hok-lam. & Bary, Theodore. Yuan Thought: Chinese Thought and Religion Under the Mongols. New York; Columbia University Press, 1982. This is a collection of scholarly papers that was the outgrowth of an academic conference about the topic Chinese thought and religion under the Mongols. The articles are quite good and your unlikely to find a similar collection else where. (Rare and Somewhat expensive)

Cleaves, Francis Woodman. The Secret History Of The Mongols. Baltimore, Maryland; Harvard-Yenching Institute, 1982. The definitive translation of the only surviving period primary source written by the Mongols themselves. It is a good idea to own & read several translations, but I feel this translation is a must the Mongolist on any level.

Conlan, Thomas Donald. In Little Need of Divine Intervention. ;Cornell Univ East Asia Program, 2002. A translation of Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan. Read with Ghenko: The Mongol Invasion of Japan.

Cramer, Marc. Imperial Mongolian Cooking. New York; Hippocrene Books, 2000. Recipes from the Kingdoms of Genghis Khan. Not necessarily all period but one of the few works available about Mongol cuisine.

Crump, J.I. Chinese Theater in the Days of Kublai Khan. Tucson, AZ; The University of Arizona Press,  1980. The authoritative book on Yuan Drama or Chinese Theatre under the rule of the Mongols. This is a large and extensive book that covers all aspects of the art. Sets, playwrights, types of stages, acting, types of actors, and the list goes on. Start here if your interested in learning about Yuan Theater! (affordable on amazon!)

Crump, J.I. Songs from Xanadu. Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Michigan, 1983. This is a study and collection of Song-Poetry (San-ch'u) from the Mongol Dynasty. The authoritative book on Mongol Song-Poetry. Less than half the size of Chinese Theater in the Days of Kublai Khan, this book covers more than most would ever care to know on the subject. It has the original Chinese Characters for the Song-Poems as well as English translation. It also contains the most complete analysis of the subject in English.

Delgado, James P. Khubilai Khan's Lost Fleet. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA; University of California Press, 2008. A survey of the navel projects of Khubilai Khan. There is a focus on the Invasion of Japan, but much more here. Readable and well sourced!

Editors, Charles River. Karakorum: The History and Legacy of the Mongol Empire's Capital. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2017. This is a self published 50 page very scholarly booklet. A great little history of the Mongol capital and well cited to boot. This is what happens when there is no market for niche history, skilled scholars are forced to bark their wares in hopes someone will bite for all their effort.

Halperin, Charles J. Russia and the Golden Horde. Bloomington, Indiana; Indiana University Press, 1987. The place to start your Mongol-Russian studies, a good solid work.

Hangin, John G. Basic Course in Mongolian. IN; Indiana University, 1992. One of a handful of grammars for the Mongolian language available in English. These are hard to find and some what rear. This particular volume seems to be respected. It is based on the Khalkha dialect, which is the major dialect of the Mongolian Peoples Republic. In this text Mongolian is written using the cyrillic script. The author has written several other works including Intermediate Mongolian and Mongol Reader (Uralic and Altaic) available from Routledge. (Be prepared to pay.)

Hansen, Henny Harald. Mongol Costumes. Rhodos, Copenhagen; The Carlsberg Foundation, 1993. A comprehensive assessment of garments from nearly all twenty Mongol tribes. A few garments do range outside of our period, but these are the traditional garments of the Mongols, that are still worn today and have changed very, very little since before the 12 century. It is also useful for patterning pictures from painting of Mongol garments found in other sources. The is on the Mongol recreators desert island book list. Lots and lots of picture of actual garments! (Out of print, Alas...it is possible to grab this book used on-line, it is worth the arm and a leg people ask.)

Hartog, Leo De. Genghis Khan: Conqueror of the World. New York; Barnes and Nobles, 1999. A classic but somewhat dated biography of Chinggis Kahn. It is not bad and still worth the time for folks who cant get enough of the great Kahn.

Hillenbrand, Robert. Persian Painting: From the Mongols to the Qajars. New York; L.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2000. A coffee table book of plates of Persian painting from the time of the Mongols to the Qajars. These historical paintings can be a source for all sorts of things from costuming, furniture, daily life and the like. The Mongols were chronologized by both the Chinese and the Persians. This is my preferred reference for Persian plates to document Mongol visual culture. For example you could use this book to document Mongol costumes from the period and then use the information from Hansen's Mongol Costumes to pattern garments sufficiently. (Not Cheap)

Jackson, Peter. The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck. Indianapolis, IN; Hacket Publishing, 2009. The travel journal (2053-55) of Friar William of Rubruck. He traveled from the Holy Land to the Court of the Great Khan Mongke at Qaraqorum in Mongolia. Much like the travel journals of Friar Carpini & Marco Polo it is a must have for the serious Mongol recreator.

Jung-en, Liu. Six Yuan Plays. New York; Penguin Books, 1988. This is a translation of Six Yuan plays from Chinese to English by Lui Jung-en. It is part of the Penguin Classics line is an accessible and useable collection of Yuan Drama's in English.

Karasulas, Antony. Mounted Archers of the Steppe 600 BC - AD 1300. Oxford; Osprey Publishing, 2004. One of the Osprey Elite series. You will find some decent examples of Mongol arms and armor. This volume covers a much larger terrain than just the Mongol Empire. Osprey has several books touching on Mongol topics.

King, Paul. The Complete Yurt Handbook. Bath, UK(?); Eco-logic Books, 2008. The best how to yurt/ger book on the market. King went to Mongolia to study the gers and building techniques. Wanting period Mongol lodging start here and then read Mongolian Cloud Houses for other ideas and to round yourself on the subject.

Koerber, Hans Nordewin Von. Comparative Study of the Turkish, Mongol, and Japanese Languages. Los Angeles; The University of Southern California Press, 1937  This seeming short treatise (19 pages) on language offers a wealth of detail about how these language work and relate to each other. Linguists and Onomasts!

Kuehn, Dan Frank. Mongolian Cloud Houses. Bolinas, California; Shelter Publications, 2006. A fun and useful hippie book on How to build yurts/gers. Much discussion relevant to SCA period Mongols as well. A good supplement to King's The Complete Yurt Handbook.

Lane, George. Daily Life in the Mongol Empire. Westport, CT; Greenwood Press, 2006. The most through introduction to life in the Mongol Empire. Lots of references, pictures, and material covered. A Mongol recreationist's start here.

Liu Shang. Eighteen Songs on a Nomad Flute: The Story of Lady Wen-Chi. New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976. A fourteenth-century hand scroll housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Poem Liu Shang, 8th century, paintings Sung-Yuan Dynasty (960-1368A.D.) Lots of plates depicting medieval Mongol and Chinese Life. These historical paintings can be a source for all sorts of things from costuming, furniture, daily life and the like. If your looking to set up a Mongol encampment this is probably your best source for inspiration.

Macpherson, Catriona. “The Mongols” The Complete Anachronist 54 (1991) A good introduction to the Mongols from the SCA.

Marder, Aariimaa Baasanjav. Mongolian Dictionary & Phrasebook. New York; Hippocrene Books Inc., 2002. A Modern Mongolian-English and English-Mongolian language dictionary and phrasebook. A useful aide to modern Mongolian along with a grammar. In this text Mongolian is written using the cyrillic script.

Marshall, Robert. Storm from the East: From Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA; University of California Press, 1993. An enjoyable coffee table companion to the TV series of the same thing. Decent text, great pictures and plates. Get it for the visuals. 

May, Timothy. The Mongols. Leeds, UK; Arc Humanities Press, 2019. A small book in the Past Imperfect Series, something similar to Oxford's A Very Short Introduction series. A very brief and well written academic introduction to the key points of the Mongol Empire. 

May, Timothy Michael. Culture and Customs of Mongolia Westport, CT; Greenwood Press, 2009. An overview of the traditions and culture of modern day Mongolia, much of which has remained unchanged sense the Mongol Empire.

McCausland, Shane. The Mongol Century: Visual Cultures of Yuan China, 1271-1368. Honolulu; University of Hawaii Press, 2015. A coffee table book of plates of Chinese painting from the time of Yuan China, 1271-1368. These historical paintings can be a source for all sorts of things from costuming, furniture, daily life and the like. The Mongols were chronologized by both the Chinese and the Persians. This along with Liu Shang's Eighteen Songs on a Nomad Flute are my preferred sources for Chinese plates to document Mongol visual culture. For example you could use this book to document Mongol costumes from the period and then use the information in Hansen's Mongol Costumes to pattern garments sufficiently. (Not Cheap)

Metternich, Hilary Roe. Mongolian Folktales. Boulder, CO; Avery Press 1996. One of a small handful of books on Mongolian folktales in English. This is the easy one to get. It has a great forward and introduction to the the topic by Dr. Pureviin Khorloo. The folktales are delightful and of an appropriate length for use in an SCA bardic circle. This is an great resource. 

Morgan, David. The Mongols. Malden, Massachusetts; Blackwell Publishers, 1990. Great survey of Mongol History. This is an excellent resource for Mongolists of all levels. It not only gives a good survey of history, but outlines Mongol studies in general.

Nicolle, D. & Shpakovsky, V. Kalka River 1223. Oxford; Osprey Publishing, 2001. One of the Osprey Campaign series. If you are looking for examples of Golden Horde/Russian arms and armor this isn't a bad place to start. Osprey has several books touching on Mongol topics.

Nicolle, David. The Mongol Warlords. Dorset, UK; Brockhampton Press, 1990 This is more of a coffee table style book. The focus is on the great Mongol warlords: Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulegu, and Tamerlane. The text isn't bad and the visuals are quite nice. Pick it up for the plates, photos, paintings, and illustrations.

Polo, Marco. The Travels of Marco Polo. New York; Barnes & Noble Books, 2005. The classic account of Mr. Polo's journey to and experience in Mongol China compiled in 1298. This is a good solid readably translation, though most of them are pretty good. Some of them are broken down into two parts, so be careful to get both parts, ether in one book or two. Every Mongolist should hunt up a version of this book, much like the travel journals of Friar Carpini & Friar William of Rubruck.

Rossabi, Morris. Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA; University of California Press, 1988. A scholarly and well written work if dry. It is the most available and most likely most authoritative biography of the Yuan Emperor and the grand son of Chinggis Kahn. Filled with good information and as well sources as possible. 

Rossabi, Morris. The Mongols: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; Oxford University Press, 2012. For anyone familiar with Oxford's A Very Short Introduction series you get what is expected. It is indeed a very brief and well written academic introduction to the key points of the Mongol Empire.

Selby, Stephen. Chinese Archery. Hong Kong; Hong Kong University Press, 1999. A good book for getting into Asian archery. The book covers Mongol archery as well.

Sermier, Claire. Mongolia: Empire of the Steppes. Hong Kong; Airphoto International Ltd., 2002 A Travel guide to Mongolia with lots of photos and information about the history and locals of Mongol history. Sometime a book like this give your eye context to the places you read about will studying.

Shea, Eiren L. Mongol Court Dress, Identity Formation, and Global Exchange. New York; Routledge, 2020. A solid and scholarly text with enough plates and photos to make it self understood. This text is for academics but is the first full book in English on Mongolian Court Dress. This makes it irresistible to those people recreating the court life of the Mongol Empire. With the information from Hansen's Mongol Costumes you should be able to pattern garments with sufficiently. Buy it, but keep in mind it is priced for academic libraries not individuals so save your pennies.

Turnbill, Stephen. Mongol Warrior 1200-1350. Oxford; Osprey Publishing, 2003. One of the Osprey Warrior series. Decent examples of Mongol arms and armor. Osprey has several books touching on Mongol topics.

Turnbill, Stephen. The Mongols. London; Osprey Publishing, 1980. One of the Osprey Men-at-arms series. Decent examples of Mongol arms and armor. Osprey has several books touching on Mongol topics.

Waugh, Louisa. Hearing Birds Fly. London; Abacus, 2003. A journal of an English woman who goes and lives in Mongolia amongst the nomads. While modern in setting this book will give you a better understanding about what Mongol daily life might have been like.

Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York; Crown Publishing, 2005. The most published and read work on Mongol history. It is an entertaining introduction to Mongol History and what we owe it. See what all the fuss is about!

Weatherford, Jack. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens. New York; Crown Publishing, 2010. A enthralling page turner with good history about a subject wich before this work was not well known. Brought to you from the author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. This book details the effects on the Mongol Empire of it's elite women.

Yamada, Nakaba. Ghenko: The Mongol Invasion of Japan. ;University Publications of America, 1979. Best book about the Mongol invasion of Japan in English. It is very readable, and back in print.

Internet Sources

The Mongolia Society
http://www.mongoliasociety.org/
A scholarly society they tell us, “The Mongolia Society was founded in 1961 as a private, non-profit, non-political organization interested in promoting the study of Mongolia, its history, language, and culture. “ Their work is excellent. See their Web Resources & Publications pages.

NATIONAL COSTUMES OF THE M.P.R.
http://www.skiouros.net/varia/ncmpr/ncmpr.htm
Lots of good examples, really, really useful. A few garments do range outside of our period, but these are the traditional garments of the Mongols, that are still worn today and have changed very, very little since before the 12 century.

Welcome to The Realm of The Mongols!
http://www.coldsiberia.org/
One of the oldest and best Mongol History sites on-line. All the articles are pretty good.

SCA Internet Sources

The Complete Anachronist #54, The Mongols - by Catriona Macpherson, March 1991
http://members.tripod.com/~whitebard/ca54.htm
A good introduction to the Mongols from the SCA.

The Construction of a Yurt - By Ellisif Fkakkari (Monica Cellio)
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/articles/yurt/
Workable Yurt/Ger howto

Great Dark Horde
http://members.tripod.com/~whitebard/index2.html
One of the largest households in the SCA, with some anti-kingdom politics. While I am not a fan of the politics, I have nothing against its members. Their website has some good information like CA 54 on-line for all to read and print.

Modar's Mongol Site
http://www.modaruniversity.org/Mongol.htm
A mongol resource page rand by a SCA member.

The Medieval Names Archive - Mongol Names
https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mongol.shtml
The one stop resource on Mongol names for the SCA.

The Silver Horde
http://silverhorde.viahistoria.com/
A SCA household with an informative site. They have lots of good Mongol information. Including a lot of scrolls for folks of Mongolian persona.

Mongol Shopping

Hourse Bows
http://www.horsebows.com/

One Source of Many for Mongol Bows. Mogul
http://www.mogultravel.com/
Great price on boots. Many oddities of interest to SCA Mongolists

NYC Mongol
http://www.nycmongol.com/
By SCAdians for SCAdians