20. Ancient Rus and the Great Steppe, Gumilev

XIX. Losses, 117. THE BITTERNESS OF ORPHANHOOD. The beginning of Mongolian history, in the myths and story of Temujin, (Genghis Khan), and the Borjigin family.

In the spring of 1172 or 1173, the widows of Ambagai Khan Orbai and Sokhotai, according to custom, went to the cemetery - to the "Land of the Ancestors" to perform the traditional trizna. Hoelun went too, but accidentally was late and was extremely upset to see that she was not waited for. She turned to the women with reproaches; they replied that she did not deserve an invitation and that they did not want to have any relations with her. It would seem that this is a trifle, but, oddly enough, it was the women's quarrel that turned out to be an expression of the mood of the masses, who were not slow to take advantage of the opportunity. They migrated down the Onon River, leaving Yesugei's family to fend for themselves.

Some of this comes from myth, and some sources write story that needs to be unraveled. If true or untrue, it gives the feeling of the times, and the man Temujin, (who is Genghis Khan)

In fact, the act of the Taijiut Mongols was not only a vile ingratitude, but also a crime. To remain in the steppe without help and protection is the prospect of a slow death, with negligible chances of salvation. Yesugei's friend, old Charkha, tried to persuade the people who were leaving... and he was stabbed in the back with a spear. Hoelun raised Yesugei's bunchuk and urged the people not to leave the banner. Many of them were ashamed and returned, but not for long. Soon they left again after the others.

But what was the motive of the departed? He was extremely simple and mean. "The key has dried up, the white stone has cracked," said Todoen-Girtai, who struck the faithful Charkhu with a spear. This Mongolian proverb meant the collapse of something. And it is contraindicated to support a man in the street who is weakened and in need of help. The layman, steppe or urban, will crawl on his stomach in front of the hero, but will pay for his humiliation with his widows and orphans. So, the Borjigin family turned into "people of long will", although against their will. The fact that Yesugei's children survived is the merit of Hoelun. After all, her eldest son was only 11 years old at that time, and her youngest daughter was one year old. Yesugei's cattle were stolen by the Taijiuts, the only food that Hoelun and Yesugei's second wife, Sochikhel, fed their sons were powdery tubers of locusts and sharp, garlic-like roots of wild cherry. When the children grew up, they began to fish in Onona and shoot bustards and marmots from children's bows. But in order to feed in this way, I had to forget the word "rest", because I had to make a reserve for the winter. And this nightmare lasted for five or six years.

We can only approximately calculate that around 1178 (plus or minus 2 years), when Temujin was 16 years old and his brother Khasar was 14, the Borjigin family already had 9 salt geldings, bows and a sufficient number of arrows. By this time, the children of Sochihal, Bekter and Belgutei, the same age as Temujin and Khasar, had grown up.

Sources do not report on the relations of the Borjigin family with other Mongolian tribes. But the Onona Valley is not a planet in space, and, therefore, Yesugei's children were not completely alone. So, in 1173, eleven-year-old Temujin was playing alchiki (babki) on the ice of Onon with Jamukha, a member of a noble family of the Jajirat tribe. In the spring of the same year, they exchanged arrows and swore allegiance to each other, like the twin Andes. The touching custom of fraternity, inherited by the Mongols from distant ancestors and which became almost an anachronism in the XII century, consisted in strong and constant mutual assistance. "The Andes are like one soul" - these words were heard by them from the old people, and they remembered them for the rest of their lives.

118. FRATRICIDE

And now the time of riddles begins. In 1178 or 1179 Temujin and Khasar killed their half-brother Bekter. And most importantly, because of what? Because of nothing! That's what you should pay attention to.

Bekter was the strongest of the brothers and, using his influence on Belgutei, treated Temujin and Khasar disgracefully. He took away from them the caught fish, then the shot bird, and when the brothers complained to their mother, she sanctimoniously reproached them for not being able to live in peace with the offender.

One day Temujin and Khasar crept up to Bekter, who was guarding the herd, with bows at the ready. Bekter, realizing that he was doomed, allegedly said: "Do you think about with whose help it is possible to carry out an unbearable revenge for the insults inflicted by the Taijiut brothers? Why are you looking at me like I'm an eyelash in your eye or a splinter in your teeth?.. In moments when we have no friends but our shadows, there is no whip but a bull's tail. Don't ruin my hearth, don't ruin Belgutei" (Sokr. sk. I77)-and, squatting down, let himself be shot.

This speech is all the more surprising because it does not even mention the reason for the quarrel - the taken fish. In the face of death, they usually say what they think and what can save. Bekter forgot about the fish and the bird, but remembered about the "Taijiut brothers", whose revenge is "unbearable". And it is hardly possible to see here "a fact testifying to the vindictiveness and cruelty of the character of the future Genghis Khan", who allegedly saw Bekter as a rival [1]. This concept was diligently imposed on readers by the author of the "Secret History", the tendentiousness of which is undeniable [2]. What kind of rivalry can we talk about when we are talking about four boys against whom a powerful tribe is set up? No, it's something else, much more serious.

Judging by Vector's words, if only they were transmitted correctly by the historian, he fully understood that there was something to kill him for. But they don't kill for being stubborn, especially when you can just leave. And even more strange is that in the narrative there is not a word about the reaction of Bekter's mother, but an ancient curse is brought down on the head of Temujin and Khasar by their own mother Hoelun, who was Bekter's stepmother and could not love the evil boy who constantly offended her sons.

For some reason, Hoelun defended Bekter all the time, even when he was obviously wrong, and only wailed: "Oh, what should I do with you? Why are you living so badly with your brothers! Don't you dare do that!" (Sokr. sk. I 76). It seems that she was afraid of Bekter and sought to avoid a quarrel in any way.

But when the murder took place and Hoelun learned about the incident from the expressions on the faces of her sons, she brought down a curse on them, the meaning of which was that one should not kill a relative when "there is no friend but his shadow, there is no whip but a horse's tail" (Sokr. sk. I 77-78). The reproach itself is cynical, perhaps not to the point.

Now let's try to figure out how the author of the source could have known about Bekter's last words? Only from his killers. The latter were not interested in anything but self-justification. So, they passed on to posterity what they considered necessary. However, if we trust the text, then Khasar did wrong by shooting his brother in the chest, and Temujin did even worse by shooting him in the back. Come on, is the whole thing that simple? And it is unlikely that Bekter, who drove his brothers into a frenzy, suddenly turned out to be so timid and quiet! And why did his brother Belgutei bear his treacherous murder so calmly that he didn't even spoil his relationship with Temujin? Aren't there too many questions that the author of the source doesn't answer?

We can offer two possible interpretations of this strange fratricide: one based on trust in the source, the second skeptical.

Let's say Temujin and Khasar killed Bekter for constant bullying, and Hoelun scolded them for depriving themselves of a military comrade. But is it possible to go into battle hand in hand with a man who even takes away the fish you caught? But how will he pull something like that in battle? After all, it can cost lives.

Then, does a person who aspires to power have the right to allow himself to be pushed around? Such compliance necessarily arouses the contempt of those who should have been his followers. And since nothing could be suggested to Bekter, the idea arises that his behavior was deliberate. Temujin grew up and, obviously, already began to show the abilities that later brought him the throne. Bekter believed that he was in no danger. So, he had strong defenders.

And here there are good reasons for skepticism. And what if the author of the source knew only what he was consciously inspired and what he sincerely believed? Was there a hidden reason for fratricide that even Hoelun didn't know? Such a good reason could only be treason. The Mongols did not forgive this, not only by virtue of their character, but also by the dogma of their religion. Temujin's enemies were the Taijiuts; therefore, they were the ones who were interested in having their spy in the Borjigin camp. But how could Temujin know that? Only from Belgutei, a sincere, simple-minded and talkative person. That's why Belgutei was not indignant after the murder of his brother, and Temujin loved him all his life more than his own brothers.

But if our guess is correct, then Bekter's death could not remain unavenged. This was an ancient Mongolian custom. So, what happened after Bekter's death or, more precisely, because of it?

119. HUNTING FOR A MAN

Events unfolded quickly. Hoelun wailed for good reason. The head of the Taijiut Targutai-Kiriltukh with his turguts (guards) descended on the camp of the Borjigins, but did not catch them by surprise. Mothers and children rushed into the taiga and took refuge in a fortification of fallen trees, which was quickly built by Belgutey. Khasar, shooting with an arrow, kept the enemy at a distance, but the Taijiuts did not pay attention to him and shouted: "Give us Temujin. We don't need others!" (Sokr. sk. I 79). If there could have been doubts before that Bekter was engaged in espionage, now there is no room for them. And he did not follow the whole family, but only Temujin, because the Taijiuts did not pay attention to Khasar, who also took part in the murder of the spy, although he shot at them. Tedmujin's brilliance was revealed too early, and this brings nothing but trouble.

Temujin had only one choice - to run into the mountain forest. The thickets on the Mongolian mountains are so dense that, without knowing the animal paths, it is impossible to go into the forest. But there is nothing to eat in the forest. And although Temujin endured hunger for nine days, he had to go down to the valley. And there the Taijiut patrols were waiting for him, who brought the prisoner to Targutai-Kiriltukh. But this kind man again saved the life of his friend's son. He "subjected him to legal punishment" (Sokr. sk. I 81), i.e. replaced death with a block on his neck and a prohibition to spend the night more than once in one yurt. The unfortunate boy had to wander from yurt to yurt, begging to be fed and watered, because the kolodnik cannot eat and drink without help.

The Taijiuts believed, and not without reason, that a young man who was captured must lose his composure and hope for salvation. It would have been so if Temujin had been like everyone else. But then he wouldn't be worth pursuing.

On the 16th day of the first summer month, at the full moon, the Taijiuts celebrated another holiday and, as usual, drank a lot. Temujin was guarded that day by some weak-willed guy who did not take part in the general drinking. Temujin waited until the feasters had gone to bed, and then, turning around, hit his guard on the head with the very block that was squeezing his neck. He fell, and Temujin rushed to run, first into the forest on the bank of Onon, and then to the river, where he lay down in a shallow place, letting the pad flow. The guy who was guarding the prisoner, coming to his senses, shouted: "I missed Kolodnik!", and the Taijiuts rushed to look for the fugitive. The moon was shining on the forest, and it was as bright as day. And then Temujin saw that a man was standing right above him and looking into his face. It was Sorgan-Shira from the Suldus tribe, which was subordinate to the Taijiuts. They looked into each other's eyes for a while, and then Sorgan-Shira said: "That's why your brothers don't like you, that you're so smart. Don't be afraid, just lie there, I won't give you away," and drove on.

Not finding the fugitive, the Taijiuts began to consult. Sorgan-Shira offered to walk everyone on their way back, carefully inspecting the area, and, passing by Temujin, threw him: "Your brothers are sharpening their teeth on you here, but don't be afraid, lie down" - and drove through.

It is not difficult to understand that the search did not yield a result. The Taijiutes went to bed, deciding that the man in the shoe would not go far.

When the pursuers dispersed to the yurts, Temujin got out of the water and went to look for Sorgan-Shira's yurt. He easily found it by the noise from the whorl when knocking down the koumiss. Sorgan-Shira was scared half to death, but his sons Cimbai and Chilaun said: "When a predator drives a bird into a bowl, then the bowl also saves it." They removed the block from the prisoner's neck and burned it in the fire of the hearth, and hid Temujin himself in a wagon loaded with wool, entrusting the care of him to his sister Hadaan, instructing her not to blab.

Temujin lay under a pile of wool for three hot summer days and three stuffy nights. On the third day, the Taijiuts, searching the entire camp, came to Sorgan-Shira's yurt and began to scatter wool on the cart. But Sorgan-Shira, prompted by understandable fear, said to them: "In this heat, is it possible to endure lying under the wool?" It seemed so convincing that the Taijiuts got down from the cart and left.

The behavior of the Taijiut best characterizes the lifestyle of the Mongolian nomads of the old type: a complete lack of discipline and a sluggish attitude to social tasks. The Taijiut men could not help but understand that the fugitive was hiding somewhere close and could not escape on foot. It was necessary for them to set up patrols that would take under surveillance the surroundings of the nomad... and the prisoner would have been caught. But instead, they went back to their usual business, and most likely went home to rest. And there was no leader who would force the warriors to overcome their habitual laziness. This saved Temujin.

Sorgan-Shira tried to get rid of the guest as soon as possible, who "almost destroyed him, like the wind scattering ashes." For Sorgan-Shira, as well as for his entire family, there was only one way to stay alive: to help Temujin escape. Therefore, Sorgan-Shirn brought a young, savrasu mare, cooked a one-and-a-half-year-old lamb, filled a wineskin with water and added a bow and two arrows to these gifts. But he did not give Temujin either a saddle or a flint, although he knew perfectly well how much both were needed on the way.

The latter shows how risky it was in those days to keep a clear conscience. Temujin could have been overtaken on the road, but then Sorgan-Shira could have denied his participation in the escape. A fugitive could catch a horse in a pasture, and steal meat and a wineskin, because low-value items were often left outside the yurt. Onions were generally forbidden to be brought into someone else's house: they were placed on the upper cornice of the entrance door. It was not difficult to drag the bow out of there. But the saddle was kept at home, and the flint was carried with them: both of these things had a completely individual appearance, which made them indisputable physical evidence. Therefore, Sorgan-Shira left Temujin without a fire and a saddle, but Temujin never blamed him for this, and even, after becoming khan, forbade him to utter reproaches against his savior.

First Temujin got to the place where his destroyed yurt stood, and then he found his family, who did not want to see him alive. The Borjigins moved on and took refuge on the southern slope of the Burkhan-Khaldun ridge, where the Taijiuts could not find them. This alone shows that Bekter was not killed in vain: there was no one to inform the enemy about the whereabouts of the family.

In this episode, attention is attracted not so much by the adventurous plot as by the clear difference in the behavioral stereotypes of the old and young generations. The elderly - Targutai-Kiriltukh, Sorgan-Shira and their peers - are good-natured, sympathetic and rather inert people. It is easier for them not to do, than to commit, and having started a business, they do not bring it to the end: Temujin ran away to no one knows where - well, let him, but we have no time to look for him. This is a typical psychology of the layman: in the village, in the city, in the steppe, it is the same.

The youth of this generation is completely different. Not only Temujin and his brothers, but also Sorgan-Shira's children are proactive, true to their principles, persistent and take deadly risks without fear. If such were the companions of Ambagai Khan, he would not have died nailed to a wooden donkey. He would either have been rescued, or the Jurchens would have been repaid in such a way that they would have discouraged them from conquering. And the fact that these are not isolated cases, which happen constantly, but rarely, we will see from the further description devoted to those years when these young men grew up and began to act independently. In the meantime, they feed on tarbagans and gophers and accumulate strength, let's return to Temujin's biography, the only one illuminated by sources. This is not yet a biography, but a story about the life of a poor Mongolian youth, deprived of support and intercession, but full of energy and courage.

120. THE FIRST VIGILANTE

The peaceful and lonely existence of the Borjigin family was disrupted by a sudden disaster: the robbers stole eight salt geldings and disappeared. Temujin gave chase on the last horse that survived because Belgutei went hunting on it. The chase on the trail lasted seven days, i.e. I had to drive about 200 km. On the way, Temujin met a young shepherd, Boorcha, the son of Nahu-Bayan, a well-to-do Mongol. Boorchu gave Temujin a fresh horse and went with him. When they found the camp of the kidnappers and the stolen horses grazing in the distance, Boorchu together with Temujin drove them away. The kidnappers rushed after them, but the friends disappeared under the cover of the coming night.

Having reached the Nahu-Bayan camp after three sleepless days, Temujin offered Boorch to take some rescued horses for help, but he refused. Nahu-Bayan turned out to be equally disinterested. He even allowed his son to join Temujin and become his nuhur, i.e. a vigilante. In the meantime, he provided the guest with mutton and koumiss for the road. Temujin calmly reached the Borjigin nomad, where his mother and brothers were tormented by anxiety: after all, Temujin had been absent for two whole weeks. Boorchu came to Temujin's office sometime later.

This episode was described in the literature repeatedly and in much more detail, with the reproduction of dialogues, which in turn were the fruit of the literary fantasy of the author of The Secret History, but some circumstances remained out of the commentators' field of view, which should be paid attention to.

The source does not name the tribe of robbers, although it is impossible that it was unknown to Temujin. The nomadic horse thieves were seven days away from the Borjigin encampment. It's too far for a casual thief. Apparently, there was a purposeful action here, but whose? According to the source, Boorchu rushed to help Temujin only under the charm of his personality. This is acceptable, but it is strange that the old Nahu-Bayan showed such disinterested concern and released his only son into the service of a casual acquaintance. There's something wrong here.

It suggests that the personal qualities of Tzhmudzhin, which caused the hatred of the Taijiut, were also known to representatives of other clans. Boorchu belonged to the Arulat tribe, which was considered one of the indigenous Mongolian tribes. The Arulats were descended from the youngest son of Haidu and, thus, were related to the Taijiuts and Borjigins (Sokr. sk. I 47). This circumstance gave B.Y. Vladimirtsov a reason to enroll Boorcha in the category of "aristocrats" [3]. However, there are no Nirun [4] - Arulat tribes active in the XII century in the enumeration. They are mentioned only among the tribal divisions of the Urut tribe[5]. Therefore, it can be assumed that the antiquity of origin did not mean prosperity, rather the opposite.

The assumption turns into confidence when describing Nahu-Bayan's camp: he lives alone, ail, not a kuren. So, this is one of the "people of long will", which determines his tastes and sympathies much more than a vague genealogy. For people left to themselves, noble birth can be a burden, but not a help in any way. The common fate of the Arulats and Borjigins was obvious. Apparently, this is what pushed their descendants against each other, especially since Temujin has already become famous in the Great Steppe.

And now let's look at Temujin's unknown enemies - horse thieves. They live in a kuren, which means that this is a large, organized tribe. They are well dressed: the red robe is not sheepskin, it should be bought. But their prowess is relative. As soon as they saw that an arrow could hit them, they fell behind and stopped chasing, despite the numerical superiority. Either they were not personally interested in preserving the stolen horses, or they were just cowards, but rather both. The main thing here is that the tribal organization opposes the "people of long will", and the latter only defend themselves. But how long can we defend ourselves? Sooner or later we will have to go on the offensive.

As for the namelessness of the robbers, it is the fault of the author of the "Secret History". The default is not accidental. Most likely they were his relatives or very close to him. Therefore, he decided to put their name into oblivion in order to ensure their descendants peace. But if so, then it was an indigenous Mongolian tribe, because the author of the source does not spare foreigners.

It turns out that the internal struggle was tearing apart Mongolian society, but the parties were created not on the basis of property qualification or nobility, but as a result of the allocation of "people of long will" - passionaries thrown out of life by their more fortunate brethren. But if this is the case, then this phenomenon should be called a passionate push.

121. THE FIRST WIFE

Temujin's next step was to marry his betrothed bride Borte. When the groom came to the shore of Kerulen to the Honkirat Dai-Sachen, he was surprised that Temujin was still alive, since the hatred of the Taijiut for him was widely publicized. But the Honkirats were independent enough to ignore the Taijiut. They were another "irgen", i.e. a subethnos of the Mongolian ethnos, as ancient and as strong as the Taijiuts[6]. And since the rivalry of neighbors is a common phenomenon, Dai-Sachen also "rejoiced" (Sokr. sk. I 94). The engagement took place according to all the rules, the bride's mother escorted her to her husband's family and gave her a sable dokha. And even at that time it was of great value.

It is hardly possible to blame Temujin for the fact that he immediately took away this dokha from his young wife and took it to the Keraite Khan Togrul as a gift. Temujin knew the psychology of his contemporaries. Ingratitude was not a characteristic of the Mongols, but the services rendered to Togrul had already been forgotten, and the patronage of the young outcast was extremely necessary. The calculation turned out to be correct. Togrul was touched, remembered his former friendship with Yesugei and promised Temujin to collect his scattered ulus (Sokr. sk. I 96).

The support and patronage of the strongest khan of Mongolia immediately changed Temujin's position. An old blacksmith from the Uriankhadai family came to him and brought his son into service. This was Temujin's second nuhur, Djelme. He did not have to regret his father's act.

But it was not only Boorchu and Djelme who multiplied the number of Temujin's supporters, although the author of The Secret History did not mention anyone else. In two years (1179 and 1180), about 10 thousand soldiers became supporters of Temujin. They did not group around his headquarters in the upper reaches of the Onon [7], but apparently lived absent-mindedly, as befitted "people of long will". As soon as the news of the mercy of the Kerait Khan to Temujin spread across the Great Steppe, these people declared themselves supporters of the poor prince. Sable doha has paid off beyond measure.

In fact, Temujin did not become a khan like Togrul, nor a tribal leader like his father, nor even a rich man, because none of the newfound supporters were his tributary or servant. Temujin became the banner of the party that was being created, but not yet formed, a man from whom much was expected, but nothing was given to him. His situation became even more acute. And the troubles were not slow to follow.

122. STEPPE VENDETTA

Usually, trouble comes unexpectedly and not from where it is anticipated. Temujin and his relatives in the summer of 1180 expected an attack by the Taijiuts. Therefore, they migrated from Onon to the sources of Kerulen, away from their enemies. But it didn't help.

One early morning, "when the air begins to turn yellow" (Sokr. sk. I 98), Hoahchin, the maid of "mother" Hoelun, heard the earth tremble from the horse's trampling. Deciding that it was the Taijiuts coming, she immediately woke up the owners. They prepared to meet them: they caught nine horses grazing nearby, and sat down: Hoelun with his daughter Temulun on one horse, Temujin on another, then Khasar, Kachiun, Temuga, Belgutei, Boorchu and Djelme, and left one horse clockwork, so that Borte did not get a horse.

Let's stop and think about whether Temujin pushed his young wife too much? And he took the Doha from her, and left her during the raid of the enemies, is it good? And if that was the case, then why did Temujin win the loyalty and sympathy of some and the envy and hatred of others at such a young age? What's the matter here?

Recall that the Borjigins were waiting for the raid of the Taijiut, their tribesmen and even relatives. In those days, in family skirmishes, a woman from a foreign irgen was in no danger. And Borte was a Honkirat by blood, which the fact of marriage did not affect. If the attackers had been Taijiuts, then Borte, along with old Hoahchin and Belgutei's mother, Sochihal, would have sat out the raid in a yurt, but it was not Taijiuts who attacked, but Merkits. They traveled over 300 km[8] to take the Borjigins by surprise, and almost reached their goal. However, alertness and the habit of being persecuted affected... And the Borjigins disappeared on Mount Burkhan, in the wooded Khentei. The prudent Hoahchin decided that although the Taijiuts would not kill Borte, but young warriors are always dangerous for a beautiful woman. So, she hid Borte in a covered wagon, harnessed a motley bull to it and drove to the forest, darkening on the slopes of the valley in the first rays of dawn. However, the soldiers searched the cart, found Borte and took away all three women, saying that this was retribution for the abduction of Hoelun by Yesugei.

Kidnapping Merkits was not enough. They rushed to look for Temujin. But in the forest thicket, "where a well-fed snake cannot crawl" (Sokr. sk. I 102), the Merkits were powerless. Abandoning the fruitless pursuit, the Merkits turned their horses home.

Temujin sent Belgutei and Boorcha to investigate. They followed the Merkits for three days and found out that they were three tribal leaders: Tokhta-Begi, Dair-Usun and Haatai-Darmala - at the head of three hundred horsemen. Their raid was interpreted as revenge for the abduction of Hoelun, but she was too late: by as much as 20 years! And why were the Merkits looking for Temujin so much in the forest thicket? Apparently, they needed to kill him, but for what?

What is incomprehensible to us was clear to contemporaries of the events, and first of all to Temujin himself. In a prayer or a speech uttered by him after the departure of the Merkits, tragic notes sound: "Burkhankhaldun (the name of a mountain overgrown with forest in Khentei) vomited my life, like the life of a louse... my life is protected, like the life of a swallow. I experienced a great horror" (Sokr. sk. I 103). And he commanded his descendants to worship this mountain as a shrine.

The most surprising thing is that none of the Mongols of the XII-XIII centuries regarded Temujin's behavior as cowardice or weakness. On the contrary, the flight to the mountains was considered as a feat, and the capture of an abandoned wife as a nuisance, nothing more. Apparently, there was a considerable difference between the tribal struggle within the Mongolian ethnic group and the war with the Merkits, who were not Mongols, but competed with the Mongols for a place in the sun. In order to understand the difference between a war at the level of an ethnos and a war at the level of a superethnos, let us recall the fate of two Napoleons - III and IV. The first was released after the surrender in Sedan and whiled away the end of his life in England, the second, caught by the Zulus, was immediately stabbed by assegais.

But not even just a danger to life, but something more mattered to Temujin. This will be seen from the fact that the abduction of Borte caused the same consequences as the abduction of Helen of Sparta by Paris. Only the Mongols turned out to be much faster than the Achaeans, and the war did not drag on.

123. The "TROJAN WAR" ON SELENGA

Temujin didn't waste a minute. Immediately after the Merkit raid, he went to Togrul in his Dark Forest headquarters, on the bank of the Tola, told about what had happened and asked for help. Doha decided the matter here. Togrul replied that in gratitude for the black doha, he would put all the Merkits to the fire, return Borte, put up two darkness (20 thousand sabers) for this purpose, but offered to immediately contact Jamukha, the leader of the Jajirats, Temujin's twin brother, so that he would also bring 20 thousand horsemen to form the left wing, and appointed a meeting place (Sokr. sk. I 104).

It seems surprising that 20 thousand Keraites are not enough against 300 Merkits who participated in the raid, and that Togrul makes the fulfillment of his promise to help Temujin dependent on the position of the leader of the Djajirats Jamukha. The Jajirats were part of the nirun section, as they were descended from the son of one of Bodonchar's wives, whom he captured pregnant. Bodonchar adopted the child. The descendant of this boy was Jamukha-setsen.

Legally, the Jajirats were considered equal with other Mongolian tribes, but the shade of inferiority due to the questionable genealogy of the ancestor lay on them a light, but nasty burden. And now the fate of a military operation, on a scale equal to the average crusade, depended on the position of their leader. We have to admit that the direct data of the sources on our problem give the reader not only an incomplete, but also a distorted idea of the actual balance of power in Mongolia of the XII century.

Temujin sent Khasar and Belgutei to Jamukha to remind them of belonging to one big family, to convey Togrul's appeal and ask them to put up 20 thousand soldiers to liberate Borte. All this looks similar to the mobilization of the Achaean Basileuses for the return of Helena the Beautiful, with the only difference that Elena was saved against her will.

The motive for which Jamukha had to raise his people on a campaign was only general Mongolian patriotism. However, it was enough. Jamukha agreed to bring one darkness, and to make up the second from the "people of anda", i.e. Temujin (Sokr. sk. I 106). That was settled.

Temujin sent a notification to the Keraites and after a while connected with Togrul and his brother Zha-gambu (the Tibetan title assigned by this prince). Oddly enough, Temujin did not bring troops, but when the allies arrived at the meeting place three days late, Jamukha was waiting for them at the head of two tumens - his own and Temujin's. Apparently, the influence of the Jajirat leader among the Mongols was greater than that of anyone else. And when Jamukha took over the preparation of the disposition and command, no one objected to such an initiative.

Tumen (lit. 10 thousand soldiers) - the number is conditional: often these divisions were incomplete. Even in this case, there were about 30 thousand Mongols and Keraites, i.e. 100 times more than the attacking Merkits. But even with such a numerical advantage, the Mongols sought to use the surprise factor. It must be assumed that behind the Merkits there were large forces of people who were ill-disposed towards the Mongols, and the Mongols knew this. Apparently, the Merkits were not Mongols or Turks, and then only the Samoyed group remains, to which they should be counted.[9]

And here's what's curious: a huge army, equal to those with which Chormagun conquered Iran, and Batu went through Russia, was put into action not to conquer the Merkits, but, according to the official version, to return three captured women. Although Jamukha declares that "we will fly and crush to dust... we will exterminate all the people to the end" (Sokr. sk. I 105), but this is a boast. Below we will see that none of the four voivodes is striving to achieve this goal. On the contrary, they prepared for the campaign extremely carefully, but extremely quickly, in order to maintain the advantage of surprise.

And for some reason, the Merkits did not expect a counterattack. It is difficult to explain this frivolity of their leaders, because later Tokhta-Begi and Dair-Usun proved themselves as outstanding generals. They dispersed, obviously not assuming that Temujin would be able to raise his tribesmen against them. It ruined them.

The Mongol-Keraite army marched out of the Boto-gon-Borzhi tract (from the upper reaches of the Onon), when the wormwood turned yellow, fishermen started autumn fishing, and hunters started sable fishing (Sokr. sk. I 105, 109). Having quickly reached the Khilok River, the Mongols were forced to cross not by swimming, which would have been faster, but on rafts so that the soaked people would not freeze in the wind. Here they lost the pace of the offensive, and the Merkit fishermen and hunters, seeing the enemy approaching the river, abandoned their studies and rode to warn their tribesmen. Thanks to this, Tokhta-Begi and Dair-Usun, as well as the entire Merkit ulus, fled in panic down the Selenga Valley. The lucky ones managed to escape to "Bargujin", i.e. beyond Lake Baikal.[10]

Stragglers had a bad time. The Mongols overtook the fleeing Merkits in the wooded lower reaches of the Selenga at night. The Keraites and Mongols "drove, destroyed and captured the fugitives" (Sokr. sk. I 110). The exception was Temujin himself. He overtook the crowd running and shouted loudly: "Borte, Borte!" She heard his cry, jumped down from the cart with the old woman Hoahchin, and both women grabbed the reins of Temujin's horse. Then Temujin sent the Nuhurs to Togrul and Jamukha with a request to stop the persecution. This saved many Merkits. Seeing that the massacre was stopped, they immediately settled down for the night.

It was not only Mongol sabers that threatened the Merkits that night. The autumn taiga promised the elderly and children death from fatigue and cold (it is impossible to make a fire and warm up so as not to betray oneself to the enemy). Therefore, the termination of the persecution was tantamount to a pardon: those who could and wanted to escape were given this opportunity. Among the latter was the hero Chilgir, to whom the captive Borte was given as a concubine. He was not pursued. Oddly enough, Belgutei's mother, Sochikhel, fled from the Mongols. She didn't even want to see her son, who found her home. When Belgutey opened the right door, his mother, throwing on a torn sheepskin coat, went out to the left, just so as not to see her son. Enraged, Belgutei began shooting at the surrendered Merkits and killed those who made a raid on Mount Burkhan. After he was appeased, the relatives of the dead were divided by the winners: the pretty ones - into concubines, the others - into domestic servants.

And then, as the Achaean kings once left the ruins of Troy, the Mongol leaders went home. Territorial acquisitions were out of the question.

124. THE FIRSTBORN

The ordeal sent to Temujin by fate did not end with the return of his beloved wife. Borte returned pregnant and soon gave birth to a son, Jochi. Temujin recognized him as his son and stated that Borte was captured already pregnant. But doubts gnawed at both father and son. Gossip swarmed in the family and the headquarters, which haunted Jochi until his death. Even his own brother Jagatai, in the presence of his father, called the prince "the heir of the Merkit captivity" [11] (Sokr. sk. I 254), which forced him to abandon his claims to the throne in favor of his younger brother, Ogedei.

The official history of the Mongols, the version of which is reproduced by Rashid al-Din, could not ignore this well-known fact, which also shows how defenseless the future great conqueror was in his youth. For us, the people of the XX century, such a rise from poverty to the top of power seems a remarkable phenomenon, but for the people of the XIV century it was difficult to admit that the people did not appreciate their future leader and did not help him. Therefore, Rashid al-Din omits Borte's capture and her rescue from the history of the exploits of Genghis Khan, but introduces this episode into Borte's biography, which is a note to his book. He does this very carefully, using a phrase with which in Persian historiography they hint at the lack of authenticity of what was said: "They claim the following", and let the responsibility for what was transmitted lie with those who "claimed".

Allegedly, the Merkits took a pregnant Borte prisoner and gave her to the Keraite khan, who returned her along with her newborn son to Genghis.[12] The tendentiousness of the version is obvious.

In these difficult circumstances, Temujin showed that greatness of spirit, which was obscured by both official and "secret" stories. The first varnished the image of Temujin until she turned him into a doll, and the second collected gossip and flavored the narrative with them.

Let's think not in words, but in the essence of the matter. Temujin showed generosity by sparing the Merkits, with the exception of one of the three leaders of the raid, Khaatai-Darmala, who was put on a block and taken away to be judged at the crime scene, i.e. on Mount Burkhan. He recognized his son, did not reproach his wife, thanked his friends - Togrul and Jamukha, and, most importantly, did not tell him to find the offender Chilgir and his stepmother Sochikhel. The issue with the latter is very complicated. As if she motivated her flight from her loving son Belgutei by the fact that she was ashamed to "look into the eyes of the children" who "shared the khans", and she was struggling with a commoner who had only lived with her for a month.

Oh, the woman is lying! Neither Belgutei became khan, nor she would have had time to get used to the kidnapper in such a short time. And she was really ashamed because without the help of one of the Borjigins, the Merkits would not have been able to find their bet. But if Sochikhel accepted the mission of her eldest son, Bekter, then the purposeful raid of the Merkits, her attachment to her new husband, and her flight to the taiga are understandable, because she was afraid that her treacherous role would not be revealed? But the honest and sincere Belgutei did not suspect his mother, so he was in despair at losing her.

Yes, Temujin's lot was hard, surrounded by liars and traitors! And with what dignity he carried it, without letting Belgutei, whom he loved, understand what his brother and mother did! Such endurance for the sake of striving for a goal is a characteristic feature of a passionate person.

125. GENERATIONAL CHANGE

And now let's put the question differently: what did the Merkit leaders think when they threw 300 horsemen into a raid on an entire nation? How could they not wait for a counterattack? But they didn't take any precautions. Is such frivolity excusable?

However, let us recall how the Mongols behaved 20 years ago, when they lost Ambagai Khan, treacherously given out by the Tatars for execution. They chose a new khan and got drunk. And after the death of Yesugei-bagatur, the property of his orphans was looted. Orphans! The Merkits were not afraid of such enemies.

But years have passed, and the number of passionaries in the population has increased - the nature of the ethnos has changed accordingly. Indifference has ceased to be the norm of behavior. Moreover, it has become despicable. For the offense of one Mongol woman, 40 thousand soldiers mounted horses, and there was no need to persuade them. Of course, not all of them were looking for an outlet for the energy that overwhelmed them. Probably, many of them could, after thinking, stay at home and eat fat mutton, but they had no time to think. Energetic and ardent enthusiasts in their environment created such a mood (or such tension of the ethno-social system biofield) that it became shameful to stay in the yurt. And after the warriors got into formation, they were involved in the avalanche-like inertia of the system set in motion, which could only be stopped by an equally large counter strike before reaching the goal.

Could the Merkits have foreseen this? Of course not! After all, they themselves lived northwest of the area of the passion push, and their younger generation reproduced the stereotype of the behavior of the old one. The Merkits were brave, hardy, accurately shot with bows, were loyal to the elders, but this is not enough to successfully fight an enemy capable of the same plus overstrain.

So, Temujin's passionarity was in tune with the mood of many of his peers. Thanks to a combination of circumstances - a combination of origin and talent, courage and intelligence - Temujin began to be liked by people of a new type, and they, in turn, were sympathetic to him. But in order to bring the inert system into a different state, at least a small shock was needed. So sometimes superheated water does not boil until someone interferes with it: then the boiling goes on violently.

Such a "stirring" turned out to be a trip to the Merkits. "People of long will" suddenly realized that it is possible to support a handsome prince only by risking their lives. Risk was their element. And then the process began, which was stimulated by the Keraite khan and the Jajirat leader, apparently not assuming what it would lead to. But they were not alone. There is authentic information, although anonymous, but trustworthy. "At that time there was a wise and astute elder from the Bayaut tribe. (Prophecy) He said: Seche-biki from the Kiyat-Yurkin tribe [13] has a desire for power, but this is not his business. Jamukha-sachen, who constantly confronts people with each other and embarks on hypocritical tricks of various kinds [14] in order to move his business forward, also fails. Juchibera, in other words Jochi-khasar, the brother of Genghis, also has the same aspirations. He relies on his strength and the art of throwing arrows, but he will also fail. Alak-Udur from the Merkit tribe, who has a desire for power and has shown a certain strength and greatness, will also fail. The same Temujin, i.e. Genghis Khan has the appearance, habit and ability to dominate and reign, and he will undoubtedly achieve a royal position.

He spoke these speeches, according to the Mongolian custom, in rhymed allegorical prose"[15].

An elder from the Bayaut tribe listed far from all applicants for an exceptional position in Mongolian society at the end of the XII century. There was also a Keraite prince Ilha-sengun; there was a priest of the "black faith" Kokochu, who appropriated the title of Teb-Tengri - the Image of Heaven [16] who almost carried out a coup in 1206; there was a Naiman prince Kuchluk, whose biography could become the plot of an adventure novel; there was Tokhta-begi, a Merkit leader who gave his life and the lives of his sons for the freedom of his tribe: there were Jebe, a skilled marksman, Subutai, a wonderful strategist, Shiki-Hutukhu, the first Mongolian literate, and many others whose names history has not preserved. This shows that it was not Temujin's personal abilities, good or evil, that caused the grandiose events associated with his name. Moreover, when Genghis found himself in Jurchen captivity [17], apparently around 1185-1196, the process of increasing passionarity did not stop in 1201. he turned into a decisive struggle, much more fierce than feudal and interstate wars. This was the beginning of Mongolian history.

NOTES

[1] See: Kychanov I. The life of Temujin, who thought to conquer the world. M., 1973. p. 30.

[2] See: Gumilev L.N. The search for a fictional kingdom.Pp.237- 261.

[3] See: Vladimirtsov B.Ya. The social system of the Mongols...p.77. For the opposite opinion, see: Grumm-Grzhimailo G. E. Western Mongolia. ..T.P. S. 408.

[4] See above - III. Yellow dog.

[5] Rashid-ad-Deep. T.I. Kn. 1.P. 184.

[6] See: Vladimirtsov B.Ya. Decree.soc.P.79.

[7] Jamukha mentions one darkness from the "people of the Andes" (Sokr. sk.I 106). Togrul was not anda Jamukhi, therefore, Temujin is meant. In "Altan-Tobchi" this mention is omitted. Since the "people of the Andes" are mentioned without tribal affiliation, it is clear that they were renegades, i.e. "people of long will" expelled from normal society. Onon originates on the eastern slopes of Hentei, covered with forest, - a more convenient shelter for those who are forced to hide.

[8] From the middle course of the Selenga to the sources of Kerulen (the eastern slope of the Heptay) - 300 km in a straight line. But if we take into account the inevitable bends of the road, it will be 1.5-2 times more.

[9] See: Grumm-Grzhimailo G.E. On the question of the division of the Mongols into Eastern and Western. L., 1933.

[10] Ksenofontov in his remarkable work "Uranhai-Sakhalar" (Irkutsk, 1937) explains that "Bargujin" meant Transbaikalia. For the Mongols coming from the east, it was the land west of the lake - the Balagan steppe at the upper Angara. E.I. Kychanov mistakenly believes that the victors ended their campaign at the confluence of the Orkhon and Selenga rivers (see: Kychanov E.I. Temujin's life ... p. 39); then they would not have to force Khilok.

[11] Palladium translates: "Brought from the Merki family" (Palladium. p. 143); S. Kaluzhinsky writes: "Merkickiej podrzutok" (Kaluzynski Si. Tajia historiai mongol. Warszawa, 1970. S. 165).

[12] Rashid-ad-Din. Vol. 1. Book 2. P. 68-69.

[13] This was the ancestor of Mamai, and his family competed with the Borjigins.

[14] On the duality of Jamukha's behavior, see: Gumilev L.N. The Search for a fictional Kingdom. pp. 261 et seq.

[15] Rashid-ad-Din. Vol. 1. Book 2. p. 119.

[16] In Persian translation - But-Tengri.

[17] Meng-da Bei-lu. p. 49

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