Charles Explorer logo
🇬🇧

Languages and ethnic history of the east part of mongolian area

Class at Faculty of Arts |
AMNV00012

This text is not available in the current language. Showing version "cs".Annotation

Přednáška poskytne posluchačům základní přehled o současném stavu bádání v oblasti málo prozkoumaných mongolojazyčných etnických skupin západního Mandžuska. Historický úvod se dotkne nejasných otázek etnogeneze a známých faktů o migracích a jazykových kontaktech v oblasti. Jednotlivé přednášky seznámí posluchačese stavem bádání, základními charakteristikami jazyků a dialektů, ale též kulturně historickým pozadím a životními styly konkrétních etnik. Poslední přednáška bude věnována jazykovému vývoji oblasti v posledních deseti letech, kdy docházínejen k předpokládatelné sinizaci, ale k výrazné dominanci chorčinštiny na úkor dalších skupin oblasti. Cyklus bude provázen bohatým audiovizuálním materiálem. 1-2. Historický úvod - otázka jazykového substrátu, Kitanů, Shiwei a tunguzských etnik, vývoj oblasti za Mongolské říše a po jejím rozpadu. 3.-5 Chorčinové - historie, současný stav popisu jazyka a otázky klasifikace, fonetické, lexikální a gramatické charakteristiky jazyka, potenciální vliv jazykového substrátu, subdialekty 6. Marginální chorčinské oblasti a oddělené "diaspory" (Gorlos, Džalait, Dörvöd, Mongoldžin) 7. jazyky Ulaanchadu a Chinganského ajmaku (Baarin, Ongniut, Ar Chorčin) 8. -9. Daguři - otázky historie, jazykové charakteristiky, dialekty, vztah dagurštiny k dalším jazykům 10-11. Bargové - otázka původu, migrace v posledních 300 letech, sub-etnika uvnitř bargské majority (Öölöti, Kirgizové) 12. Chamniganové a Burjati 13. Tendence jazykového vývoje v posledních dvou desetiletích

Course description

The area of western Manchuria, inhabited by a Mongolic-speaking majority as well as several Tungusic groups, lies on the margins of the usual scope of Mongolian Studies. At the same time, this area retains features which were formerly typical for greater Mongolia as a whole, such as ethnic diversity and multilingualism. Moreover, hardly any other part of the Mongolic speaking area offers researchers so many blank spots and unresolved questions.

In this course, we will explore the history and ethnic structure of the people of western Manchuria (a.k.a. the eastern Mongolian area) in its complexity and focus on details of case studies to find out the patterns of the dynamics of ethnic interactions and language contact. We will discuss historical and current issues of ethnic and linguistic classification. The course has two goals: First: to explore the ethnic groups of western Manchuria, their known history, languages and culture, and their place in the Mongolian world. Second: to provide practice in reading and thinking about ethnicity and issues of language contact in the context of western Manchuria and orientation in different types of secondary literature.

In the first meeting, we will discuss the course structure, fine-tuning the details of the course according to students’ interests. A general introduction into the area will be given. The second class is a lecture with a short space for questions in the end. Meetings 3-7 will consist of 2/3 lecture, and 1/3 discussion. We will focus separately on each of the modern groups of the studied area. Meetings 8 and 9 will provide a “taste” of the Khorchin and Daur languages and their relationship to the standard Mongolian varieties. In meetings 11 and 12, we will jointly analyze case studies and discuss their interpretations in terms of language contact. In meeting 13, we will search for methodological solutions to the description and interpretation of the ethnic histories and language contact in the eastern Mongolian area.

Books and readings

Required books:

Christopher C. Atwood: Encyclopedia of the Mongol Empire and the Mongols

Juha Janhunen: Manchuria: An Ethnic History

In addition, around 20 pages of text will be assigned for every meeting. Where possible, we will discuss the latest pertinent works. There is additional unrequired reading for each meeting, marked in the bibliography.

Course requirements: 1. One map quiz 2. One 5-10 page research paper

Course outline 1. Introduction:

Course structure – geographical and ethnic setting – material and sources – different approaches applied in current research of Hulun Buir and the Khorchin areas - gaps and blank spots in the knowledge of the area and unsolved issues. 2. Historical overview:

The interpretations of pre-Qing history of the area, the administrative structure of the area under the Qing, the political significance of the area in the 20th century – Panmongolist and nationalist movements, developments under Manchukuo, the Khalkhyn Gol incident, the early PRC and formation of Inner Mongolia, the Cultural Revolution, the 1990s and latest administrative and demographic developments. 3. Khorchin

The ethnic composition of the Khorchins – Khorchin migrations – Khorchin historical highlights – modern Khorchin life style, folklore and shamanic traditions – current Khorchin “predominance” in Inner Mongolia. 4 New and Old Bargu, Öölöd

The interpretations of the early Bargu history – the Bargu split and migrations – the “mysteries” of the Old Bargu ethnic developments, the Old and New Bargu difference and life styles, the origins of the Manchurian Oirat groups, the Hulun Buir Öölöd. 5. Daur

The facts, questions and blank spots in Daur history and origins – the Daur migrations, the Daur religion and folk culture - the Daur political activities and famous people - Daur literature and scripts -the fate of the Daur in modern China. 6.. Solon, Manchurian Reindeer Evenki and Orochen

The interpretations of the Solon origins and their relationship to the Daur, the Solon migrations, the Solon life style and language – the Orochen history and life style - the advent and decline of the Manchurian Reindeer Evenki. 7. Buryat and Khamnigan

The issues of Buryat and Khamnigan ethnogenesis – the history of their migration from Soviet Russia to Hulun Buir in 1920s – the Buryat participation in Hulun Buir politics – preservation of the Hulun Buir Buryat language and culture - the Khamnigan languages, religion and economy. 8. Foreigners and strangers in the eastern Mongolian area

The Manchu element in Hulun Buir – the East Chinese Railway and the Russians – the Japanese and attitudes towards them – the Chinese immigration – the Khorchin and their roles in Hulun Buir 9. The Khorchin experience:

Viewing a Khorchin shamanic ritual followed by discussion, examples of Khorchin folklore, translation of a Khorchin shamanic invocation, interpretation of a Khorchin language recording. 10. The Daur experience:

Viewing a Daur shamanic ritual followed by discussion, listening and interpretation of a Daur language recording, reading and translation of a Daur poem in Manchu script, reading and translation of a Daur folklore text in Latin transliteration. 11. The Mongolic-Tungisuc interface:

Historical contacts between Manchus and Khorchin, Manchu and Daur, Manchu and Bargu – contacts between literary Manchu and Classical Mongolian – the Daur – Solon contacts - other Tungusic elements in Daur – the Khamnigan languages 12. Current linguistic situation in Hulun Buir and the Khorchin area

The case of the multiethnic settlement of Nantun – examples of bi-and multilingual families – case studies of communication situations 13. Discussion about the patterns of interethnic relations and language contact