Several issues on the ancient nomadic society structure in the example of “bùluò/bűl”

It is incorrect to translate 部落 bùluò , the nomadic society unit written in the Chinese sources as “род, племя” in Russian. Bùluò can be the word “bül” that names the relatives of the mother lineage who are the blood carriers. Bùluò existed for a long time being a common society form until the “obog/tribe formation”, the patrimony that appreciates father lineage as the bone carriers in the X-XI centuries. As the social relations of Uhuani people, real blood relatives of the mother lineage had existed for long time. In addition to it, genetic research on the burial ground in Burkhan Tolgoi in the Eg River valley confirms that establishing the “bul” according to the mother`s lineage was among the Hunnu people. Despite the common form of the patrimony being formed completely, Chinese authors of sources continued to use the word “bül” with its original meaning. Therefore, we have to consider that the first nomadic society structure had two main stages as a period of “bűl” and a period of “obog/tribe”. Nevertheless, Chinese authors named these fundamentally different units with a single word 部落 bùluò . The word 邑落 (yiluo) has meaning in Mongolian language (ayil), in Turkic languages as ‘summer camp’ (jaylа/yaylo) and these are the families that were moved away from the main family group depending on the pasture condition (yalic cattle breeding). Moreover, the descendants who stand out of their tribe in their influence and in number of livestock and property were called as 邑落 (yiluo). Khuree/khureni (circle) that has meaning of leaving the livestock in the center of the circled space by yurts built around it. The khuree began to be decreased in the period of establishing patrimony tribe structure. However, it has kept as “khot ail (neighbor)”. Therefore, the khuree that had been inherited until the latest period comes from the nomadic pastoralism being one of a special kind of the labor organization.

Wuhuani, luo/urkh (family), yiluo/ayil, buluo/bül (mother lineage), obog/tribe (father lineage), urug/kinship, khот ayil (neighborhood), küreged (camps, circle), küregen (son-in-law), burial place

1. Altansukh G. Mongolchuudin obog yamar oilgolt ilerhiildeg ve? Acta historica. T. XIV, Fasc. 14. Ulaanbaatar: Admon press. 2013. p. 115-124. (In Mong.).

2. Atwood C. P. The Notion of Tribe in Medieval China: Ouyang Xiu and the Shatuo Dynastic Myth. In D. Aigle, I. Charleux, V. Goossaert, & R. Hamayon (Eds.), Miscellanea Asiatica: Festschrift in Honour of Francoise Aubin (pp. 593-621). Sankt Augustin: Institute Monumenta Serica, 2010. (In Eng.).

3. Batsuren B. Wuhuan (avar) ba Xianbei (serbi). Ulaanbaatar: Tepe press. 2016. 168 p. (In Mong.).

4. Bilegt L. Mongol nutag dahi ertnii obog, aimguud. Ert, dundad uyiin mongolchuudiin aj ahui, soyol. Ulaanbaatar: Tsomorlig tuv. 2006. p. 5-26. (In Mong.).

5. Keyser-Tracqui C., Crubézy E., Ludes B., 2003. Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of a 2,000-Year-Old Necropolis in the Egyin Gol Valley of Mongolia. The American Journal of Human Genetics. Vol. 73, Issue 2. p. 247-260. (In Eng.).

6. Delgerjargal P. Xianbei. Mongolyn ertnii tuukh 5 boti. Ded boti. Ulaanbaatar: Soyombo press. 2017. 227 p. (In Mong.).

7. Duman L. I. (1977) Settlement of non-Chinese tribes in the inner regions of China and their social structure in the III-IV centuries AD. Кitai: istoriy, kulitura I istoriograptiya = China: history, culture and historiography. Мoscow. P. 40-61. (In Russ.).

8. Gerelbadrakh J. Mongolchuudiin khuree gej yu ve?. Acta historica. T. XIV, Fasc. 13. Ulaanbaatar: Admon press. 2013. P. 95-114. (In Mong.).

9. Gongor D. Khalh tovchoon II. Ulaanbaatar: Ulsiin hevleh uildver. 1978. 399 p. (In Mong.)

10. Khishigtogtokh Ch. Burte chono totem amitani ner bish. Chinggis khaan ba dayarchlal. Ulaanbaatar: Bembi san. 2014. P. 417-420. (In Mong.).

11. Lin Gan. Donghugyn tuukh. Huhhot: UMAHH. 1997. 210 p. (In Mong.).

12. Munhtur Ch. Khorchnin mongol tariachny tosgon dahi utukh ger buliin helber, butez togtolzooni zarim asuudal. Studia ethnologica. T. XXVI, Fasc 16. Ulaanbaatar: Admon press 2018. (In Mong.).

13. Osawa T. On the historical contacts of the Nine Tadar (Zubu) people witch the Yenisei Kirghiz and the Uighur tribes in the Southern in the 8-10 th century AD. Drevnie I sovremehhie narodi Yujnoi Sibiri: yazik, istoriya, kulitura. Abakan: 2011. p. 21-53. (In Eng.).

14. Poppe N. N. (1938) Mongolian dictionary Mukadimamat al-Adab. Pt. I-II. Trudy instituta vostokovedeniya XIV = Proceedings of the Institute of Oriental Studies XIV. Moscow - Leningrad. 152 p. (In Russ.).

15. Rashid ad Din. (1952) Collection of annals. Mosсow - Leningrad: AN SSSR. Vol. 1. Book II. 315 p. (In Russ.).

16. Sayana Namsarayva. Suuguul niigem bolon eh nutegtaa bui buriaduudiin avankular nershiliin zuirlesen hereglee. Mongolian Journal of Anthropology, Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 9, № 1 (471). Ulaanbaatar: MUIS press. 2016. p. 119-141. (In Mong.).

17. Schram, Louis M. J. 1954-61. The Monguors of the Kansu-Tibetan Frontier: Their Origin, History, and Social Organization, vols 1-3 [= Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series 44/1, 47/1, 51/3]. Philadelphia, 1954.

18. Sevortyan E. V. (1978) Etymological Dictionary of Turkic Languages. Common Turkic and inter-Turkic bases with the letter "B". Мoscow: Nauka. 950 p. (In Russ.).

19. SHM - The Secret History of the Mongols. Francis Woodman Cleaves. Harvard University press. 1982. 277 p. (In Eng.).

20. Sukhbaatar G. Mongolchuudiin ertnii ubug. Ulaanbaatar: Ulsiin hevleh uildver. 1980. 287 p. (In Mong.).

21. Tangad D. Torguud: Mongol ulsiin ugsaatni zui II boti. Ulaanbaatar: 2012. Bembi san. 235 p. (In Mong.).

22. Taskin V. S. (1984) Materials on the history of the ancient nomadic peoples of the Donghu group. Мoscow: Nauka. 485 p. (In Russ.).

23. Tserenhand G. Khot (khot ail), tuunii huvisal. Olon ulsiin mongolch erdemtnii IV ikh hural. III boti. Ulaanbaatar: 1985. P. 361-363. Ulsiin hevleh uildver. (In Mong.).

24. Ulziibayar S., Enhbat А. Rouran. Mongolyn ertnii tuukh 5 boti. Gutgaar boti. Ulaanbaatar: 2017. Soyombo press. 229 p. (In Mong.).

25. Vladimirtsov B. Ya. (1934) The social system of the Mongols. Leningrad: Nauka. 223 p. (In Russ.).