364 UNKNOWN MONGOLIA 



All pointed to the fact that the Mohammedan faith 

 formed the basis on which stood the superiority of the 

 Kirghiz over the Mongols, and convinced us that their 

 well-being and progressiveness emanated from the same 

 cause. Independence, cleanliness, and abstinence were 

 the traits which stood out most strongly, and were 

 those in the most direct contrast to the character of 

 the Mongols. A greater contrast still is shown in the 

 wide difference which exists in the social conditions of 

 these two nomad peoples. Whereas the Mongols are 

 serfs living under the control of their rulers and of 

 their priests, the Kirghiz are a free, self-governing 

 people, forming a powerful democracy where all men 

 are more or less equal. 



The power of Islam is chiefly noticeable here, in 

 that these two people were originally of the same Sham- 

 manistic faith. Yet Islam alone possessed the power 

 of up-rooting the " Black Art." The influence both of 

 Christianity and Buddhism on the Shamman tribes has 

 been mentioned in Chapter VII. Neither of these re- 

 ligions has proved a success ; Islam, on the other hand, 

 has had such an effect on the Turki tribes that their 

 ancient belief in Shammanism is now only discernible 

 in certain rites and customs. The " Baksa," or " wonder- 

 doctor " of the Kirghiz, for instance, represents the 

 Shamman priest under a new cloak ; but he is now sup- 

 pressed by the Mullahs, and has no longer any religious 

 power. 



We came across, even in this extremely remote 

 corner of the Mohammedan world, several men who 

 had made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and later on, in the 

 course of our travels, we made the acquaintance of 

 Mahmot Beg, chief of the Western Kirei, who had 



