256 Mr St John on the Mongols. 



people, were it not for certain characteristics which the sub- 

 ject state of the one, and the independent condition of the 

 other, have impressed upon them. Not many centuries ago, 

 there appears to have existed so little difference between the 

 Tatars and the Mongols, that their names became convertible 

 terms. Carpin furnishes more than one example of this ; and 

 he expressly asserts that the Yeka, or Great Mongols — ^the 

 Su-Mongols, commonly called Tatars — the Merkats, and the 

 Metrits — ^resembled each other so much in form and language, 

 that the only division he could perceive was into countries 

 and provinces. Perhaps we ought to consider the word Ta- 

 tar as a generic term, and apply it indifferently to all the in- 

 habitants of Central Asia, including the Independent Tatars 

 and the Mongols as the principal sub-divisions. The tradi- 

 tions of these people represent them as descendants of two 

 brothers — according to some old travellers, Gog and Magog ; 

 and, indeed, if we base our views on the opinions of the tribes 

 of Central Asia themselves, we must recognise them every 

 one as closely related. Isbrants Ides informs us, that all with 

 whom he had come in contact seemed anxious to assert their 

 community of origin. It is well known, moreover, that the 

 Turks are a branch from the same stock. 



In the present paper, however, I intend to confine myself 

 to the Mongols properly so called — ^that is to say, the descend- 

 ants of the race which, under the banner of Genghis Khan 

 and his immediate successors, overran and subdued the 

 greater part of Asia, and the north-east of Europe. Accord- 

 ing to Rashid-eddin, the name (which, used as an adjective, 

 signifies '' valorous," *' courageous") was first bestowed on 

 the numerous progeny of Alung-goa, mother of Budantzar, 

 tenth ancestor of Genghis Khan, about the year 1000. It 

 must have been afterwards applied by extension to the sub- 

 jects of Budantzar ; for at the birth of his illustrious descend- 

 ant, the Mongols were already a powerful people. Subse- 

 quently, many tribes of kindred origin assumed the name, in 

 order to claim relationship with the conquerors of the thirteenth 

 century. 



The Ghers, or felt-tents, of this pastoral people were ori- 

 ginally pitched amidst the mountains and forests on the south- 



