I had a wonderful time in Mongolia. I have wanted to visit since the USSR fell, and I was happy to finally have that chance.
“A lot” can mean any number, perhaps more than can be counted on one hand.
The Mongolians are very proud of their history, having established 3 empires. The second empire led to the establishment of the country of Turkey. The third, founded by Chinggis Khan (Mongolian spelling), united 81 countries and tribes across Asia and into Central Europe in the early to mid 1200s. This empire saw the world’s first postal system, as well as the first passports. Marco Polo traveled through Mongolia on the Silk Road bearing a round medallion which stated that anyone who did not respect his right to free passage was answerable to the emperor (which would have been Chinggis or his son Ugudai). The third Mongolian empire was the greatest empire the world has ever known, surpassing the British empire in the number of peoples united. Its capital, Kharakhorum, was quite cosmopolitan, with inhabitants from all over Asia and Europe, and a mosque and church for the non-Buddhist minorities. That empire lasted for three centuries, until the Chinese invaded and held Mongolia for three hundred years. Part of Mongolia (the Outer part) broke free from China with the help of the Soviets. A brave Mongolian, Sukhbatar, met secretly with Soviet officials and secured their promise to assist with their rebellion against the Chinese; the northern provinces of Mongolia became free in 1921, and a statue of Sukhbatar was erected in the center of Chinggis Khan square, which is the center of Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolians also erected a monument nearby to commemorate the Soviets.
There are a few lessons in this story. First, that the perception of history greatly depends on who tells it. Chinggis, his son Ugudai, and grandson Kublai are heroes to the Mongolians for creating that empire. Second, is that when an empire falls, those who take over might be completely brutal. This is important when considering our liberal politicians who seem hellbent on giving the US to third world nations to scrabble over—not a single American will know freedom again in our lifetimes if we can’t stop this. Trump may not be able to stop it, but Hillary is set to give away the proverbial keys if she is elected. Third, is that people hold on to their past, especially if they see it as more glorious than the present (will that be us, centuries from now, if the current trends continue?). Fourth, is that our perception of Soviets as beings of unrelenting evil may not be accurate—the Mongolians are still grateful for their help in freeing them from the Chinese almost a hundred years ago—and the Mongolians do consider that they were free under Communism.
A fifth lesson (not apparent from the history, but from conversations I had with my tour guide) is that many Mongolians miss Communism—everyone had jobs—and do not see Democracy as any boon. Democracy there is riddled with corruption and crony capitalism—no wonder they are not completely thrilled with it. However, as an outsider, I can’t help but notice that Ulaanbaatar is thriving and growing; in a few years, Mongolia is set to be a world-class destination. The government of Mongolia is busy paving the roads—most of the country is connected by rough dirt roads—this infrastructure improvement never happened under the Soviets. People who used to stay home for holidays now travel to visit family because of paved roads. And Mongolians, who used to only know Russia, are learning about the Western world.
One more lesson is that our perception of the Chinese is not unique to us. The Mongolians sense that China is taking advantage of them, taking their national treasures (their mineral resources). Several things my guide told me about Chinese activities in Mongolia remind me of their activities here—buying up property, acquiring mineral rights, unfair trade arrangements, etc.
I see opportunities in Mongolia, for college students or for entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses. The Mongolians would benefit greatly from anti-pollution technologies, such as clean coal power plants.
Mongolia is really a wonderful country. I had the opportunity to see how the nomads live in the Gobi, to taste camel meat and milk and to see true wild horses in their native habitat. I hope to be able to visit again some day, perhaps when the weather is a bit warmer (it snowed twice while I was there during the first half of October). I highly recommend visiting.
You are just repeating what the history books say about a 13th century nation. The ROMAN empire is far, far more relevant than the Mongolian empire. At least, when one thinks of the Roman Empire's influence on us today.
It was also under the Roman Empire that Jesus lived and died.
Well, I'm glad you had such a nice time. The Mongolians RE-ELECTED commies in 1990...so much for THEIR choice of governments. Communism is godless, you recall. But, then most Mongolians are Buddhist. The Buddha was INDIAN, you know...and kept TRYING to tell the Indians that he was NOT divine. Of course, they didn't listen and deified him. Buddhists have no God. They don't worship the Buddha either.
Many Japanese are Buddhists and have nature and hero worship. No God the Father, no Jesus either.
Also, the lesson...oh never mind. You LOVE Mongolia and everything about it. I'm glad for you.
If you love it so much, go live there. If it's such a marvelous place, go live there. You sound intelligent; you can learn their language and find a place for yourself over there.
I wish you the best.
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Mongolia-so-poor-if-they-had-one-of-the-largest-empires
Maybe you will, someday, call yourself exUScitizenDemMom. OR exDemMomMongolianBabeNow. NOTHING wrong with either of those. Nothing at all.