335 warriors in the inheritance or a phenomenal archery shot: the art object "The Legacy of Genghis Khan" was unveiled in Buryatia.
The official unveiling of the unique art object "The Legacy of Genghis Khan" took place in the Sanaga ulus in the Zakamensky District of Buryatia. The main attraction of the new monument is its inscription, the first ever mention of the Khongodors, one of the largest and most ancient tribes of the Buryat people. The historical lines inscribed on the monument reference a famous 13th-century epigraphic monument, the original of which is now housed in the State Hermitage Museum.
Chinggis Stone and the Mystery of Old Mongolian Writing
The lines, dated 1225, are inscribed on the monument in Old Mongolian. They were taken entirely from the text of the so-called "Genghis Stone," the oldest surviving example of Old Mongolian writing.
The decipherment of this unique inscription remained the subject of fierce scholarly debate among the world's leading linguists and historians for two centuries. The difficulties of translation have given rise to several radically different versions of the ancient text's meaning.
One of the first researchers of this epigraphic monument, R.-N. Vanchikov, wrote in his works that the inscription speaks of the "victory of 335 messengers." Meanwhile, the renowned academician Yakov Schmidt advanced a completely different hypothesis, asserting that the text is dedicated to the expulsion of "335 demons."
Dorzhi Banzarov's version and the sporting triumph of Genghis Khan's nephew
The translation by the eminent Buryat orientalist Dorzhi Banzarov, completed in 1851, became iconic in Buryatia. In his transliteration, similar-sounding Old Mongolian words formed a story of immense significance for local identity—the transfer of "an inheritance of 335 Khongodor warriors" to Prince Isunke. This version formed the basis of the sub-ethnic group's national pride.
However, in the 20th century, linguists and Soviet scholars conducted a thorough re-analysis and came to a completely different conclusion. They established that the original ancient term blessing actually means makha fathoms (the length between the tips of the fingers of outstretched arms).
According to modern scholarly consensus, the stone inscription commemorates not the distribution of troops and warriors, but the athletic triumph of Genghis Khan's nephew, Isunke. The text praises his phenomenal archery shot over a colossal distance of 335 fathoms (approximately 536 meters) during the celebratory kurultai following his victory over the Khorezmshah.
Who are the Hongodors?
The Khongodors are one of the main and most influential sub-ethnic groups of the Buryat people. They played a key, structural role in the formation of the modern indigenous population of mountainous Buryatia and the Irkutsk Angara region.
According to surviving historical chronicles, the ancestors of the Hongodors were originally part of nomadic Mongolian tribes, but later separated and formed a unique local culture, carefully preserved in the republic today.
