Figure 1.--Here we see children doing a demonstratiion of a traditional dance for their school mates. The press caption read, "Outer Mongolians love dancing. Old folk dances when they are barely able to walk. Herevarv a day nursery in Ulan Bator, boys and girls perform a dance to the aplause of their classmates." Noticevthe ibe bit wearing a sailor blouse. The photograph was dated March 24, 1962. At the time the historic term 'Outer Mongolia was still being used in the West. The term 'Outer Mongolia' is contrasts with 'Inner Mongolia', an autonomous region of China. Inner Mongolia was influenced by the Manchu/Qing Dnasty because it was directly administered by the Manchu court. Outer Mongolia was more distant from China and thus had a greater degree of autonomy from Impoerial rule. It was mo lomger a useful term becuse what was Outer Mongolia was controled by the Soviet Union in 1962, not China. In fact, the Soviets and China at the time were about to split the Communist world.

We do not know much about Mongolian activities. The country was a tribal culture and did not develop an advanced religion of their own. Mongols were Shamanists. This is an ancient healing tradition and moreover, a way of life. It is a way to connect with nature and all of creatiots. This maeans pople who see god or spirtual forces in natures--basically animists. Shamanism is the ancient spiritual practices of indigenous, primitive peoples. There was little organization to shamanism. It is a spititual belief, however, common to primitive people around the world. Clearly, the countless similarities between various ancient traditions played a role in the continual generalization of the word. Conquests brought the Mongols in contact with organized religiob including Buddhismm, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Mongol Khans were tolerant of the religins of the people they conquererd. They even allowed public debates. Evetually after the peak of Mongol expansion, khnanates begagan adopting, but outside central Asia it never took beyond ethnic Kazakhs of Western Mongolia. Basically the Shamanusm id traditional Mongolia persiistd, perhaps because it was not organized. During the Soviet era, Mongoloia was subjected to the Stalinist atheism campaign which largely suceeded in supressing organized religion. Mongolian People's Republic (1924-91) was not part of the Soviet Union, but was controlled by the Soviets. With the implosion if the Soviet Union (1991), Mongolia became independent and Mongols are now free to pracftice religion. The major faith practiced is Buddhism with a strong influence of Shamanism. School is a modern development in Mongolia, Public education was largely introduced durig the Soviet era. Modern sports are just beginnig to make inroads. Traditional sporting acrivies cintinue to be popular. Of course horsemanship and archery are importnat. Very young children learn to ride horses. Wrestling is also imprtant. We do not know much about other activities. Dance seems to have been important. And there are a varirty of popular board games. These were ideal for bnomadic people who could not have heavy possessions to lug around.

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Created: 11:51 PM 3/23/2020
Last updated: 11:51 PM 3/23/2020