The Mongols and Dunhuang
Otgon Borjigin, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou
This lecture will explore the rich historical and cultural interplay between the Mongols and Dunhuang, a pivotal site along the ancient Silk Road. The lecture will focus on the following areas:
1) A look into the Mongol conquest of Shazhou (Dunhuang) and its implications for the region’s history and culture.
2) An analysis of the Mongolian documents unearthed at Dunhuang, shedding light on the administrative and social structures of the time.
3) A discussion of additional relics related to the Mongols that have been found in Dunhuang, enriching our understanding of their legacy.
4)The role of the Bin Wang family in the formation of the Yugurs and their historical context in relation to both the Mongols and Dunhuang.
Through this lecture, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between the Mongols and Dunhuang, as well as the enduring cultural significance
of this historic site.
Otgon Borjigin, is a Baarin Mongol from Inner Mongolia. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Inner Mongolia Normal University, and a Ph.D. from the Institute of Dunhuang Studies at Lanzhou University. Currently, he is a professor at Northwest Minzu University in Lanzhou, China. He is a board member of the Chinese Association of Dunhuang and Turpan Studies and the Chinese Association for Mongolian History, as well as a part-time researcher at the Institute of Dunhuang Studies at Lanzhou University. He has served as a visiting scholar at Indiana University in the United States and a visiting professor at Tohoku University in Japan, and has conducted academic visits or participated in international conferences in countries such as Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Hungary. His main research areas include historical philology (including Dunhuang Studies and palaeography) and Mongolian ancient documents.