On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the NomadsThe relationship between man and horse on the Eurasian steppe gave rise to a succession of rich nomadic cultures. Among them were the Mongols of the thirteenth century - a small tribe, which, under the charismatic leadership of Genghis Khan, created the largest contiguous land empire in history. Inspired by the extraordinary life nomads still lead today, Tim Cope embarked on a journey that hadn't been successfully completed since those times: to travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to the Danube River in Hungary.From horse-riding novice to travelling three years and 10,000 kilometres on horseback, accompanied by his dog Tigon, Tim learnt to fend off wolves and would-be horse-thieves, and grapple with the extremes of the steppe as he crossed sub-zero plateaux, the scorching deserts of Kazakhstan and the high-mountain passes of the Carpathians. Along the way, he was taken in by people who taught him the traditional ways and told him their recent history: Stalin's push for industrialisation brought calamity to the steepe and forced collectivism that in Kazakhstan alone led to the loss of several million livestock and the starvation of more than a million nomads. Today Cope bears witness to how the traditional ways hang precariously in the balance in the post-Soviet world. |
Contents
Mongolian Dreaming | 1 |
UKRAINE | 17 |
The Last Nomad Nation | 22 |
WolfTotem | 36 |
A Fine Line to the West | 49 |
Mongolia xii | 61 |
The Roaring River Mountain | 69 |
KAZAKHSTAN | 86 |
Lost Hordes in Europe | 273 |
Cossack Borderlands | 291 |
The Timashevsk Maa | 309 |
CRIMEA | 322 |
Crimea | 324 |
Where Two Worlds Meet | 325 |
The Return of the Crimean Tatars | 341 |
Ukraine | 360 |
Stalins Shambala | 88 |
Kazakhstan 9091 | 90 |
Zud | 111 |
Tokym Kagu Bastan | 139 |
Balkhash | 156 |
Wife Stealing and Other Legends of Tasaral | 170 |
The Starving Steppe | 181 |
The Place That God Forgot | 193 |
Otamal | 211 |
Ships of the Desert | 229 |
The Oil Road | 251 |
RUSSIA | 262 |
Russia | 272 |
Crossroads | 361 |
Taking the Reins | 385 |
Among the Hutsuls | 403 |
Carpathians | 407 |
Hungary | 424 |
The End of the World | 425 |
Epilogue | 447 |
Acknowledgments | 457 |
Notes | 463 |
Glossary | 481 |
493 | |
Other editions - View all
On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads Tim Cope Limited preview - 2013 |
On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads Tim Cope Limited preview - 2013 |
On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads Tim Cope Limited preview - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
Akbakai Altai animals Aral Sea army Aset Aset’s Baitak became began Betpak Dala blankets border camel camp Caspian Central Asia century cold Cossacks Crimea Crimean Tatars culture dark Dashnyam desert difcult drink eyes farm feeling felt Genghis Khan grass grazing hand head herd herders hooves horizon horse’s horses Hungary Hutsuls journey Kalmykia Kalmyks Kathrin Kazakh Kazakhstan Kharkhorin known Lake Balkhash land later legs lived lled looked Madagol meat Meirim Mongol Empire Mongolia morning mountains moved nally night nomads ofcial Ogonyok Oirat Oskemen pasture pulled reached ride river rode Ruslan Russian saddle saiga Seryoga Shashibek sheep sleep snow Soviet stallion steppe summer Syr Darya Tasaral Taskonir Tatars tent Tigon told took town traditional Turkic turned Ukraine Ulaangom Ulanbel valley village vodka weeks western wind winter wolves yurt