We all know that Genghis Khan, Temüjin, established the Mongol Empire, and conquered most parts of Eurasia Continent in the following years, greatly changed the historical course. In his early years, he suffered much, and the film Mongol tells the story. Mongol, a 2007 Russian semi-historical epic film directed by Sergei Bodrov, stars Tadanobu Asano, Sun Honglei and Chuluuny Khulan. And the film was nominated for the 2007Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as a submission from Kazakhstan.

The filming took place mainly in the People’s Republic of China, principally in Inner Mongolia (the Mongol autonomous region), and in Kazakhstan, because in Mongolia the film got local protests that Mongolia thought that the film would not correctly portray the Mongolian people and its national hero, Genghis Khan. I fully understand this. As I see it, it just tells the story that Genghis khan relies on woman to survive.

First, as a nine-year-old young boy, accompanied by his father Yesügei, Temüjin chooses Börte (Bayertsetseg Erdenebat) as his wife. He promises to return after five years to marry her. Second, Temüjin finds Börte and brings her back to his family later, after escaping from the Merkit tribe. But soon he is attacked, shot and hurt by the Merkit tribemen, Börte whips the horse which Temüjin is on, telling it to go home. Börte is captured by the Merkit leader. Third, a year later, Temüjin gets help from his friend Jamukha of childhood to attack Merkit tribe, only to find that Börte is pregnant. Despite knowing that he is not the father, Temüjin takes the son as his own. Fourth, when Temüjin is sold to a Tangut Garrison Chief as a slave, Börte comes to save him by exchanging belongings with the guards.

The film Mongol intends to explore abduction, kinship and the repercussions of war. But in Mongolia people’s eyes, it that the film tells the story that Genghis khan relies on woman to survive greatly weakens their national hero. “Mongolia will not initiate a war for a woman”, Jamukha says, when Temüjin turns to him for help. What Jamukha says maybe best reveals the idea of most Mongolia people.

Is the Yuan Dynasty a part of Chinese history?

The Mongol Empire, the vastest territory in history, conquered every corner that their cavalry could arrive, including most parts of Eurasia Continent. In 1271, Mongolia Yuan Dynasty was formally established. And in 1279, the last forces of resistance of the Southern Song Dynasty were completely destroyed by Mongolia army, and the Southern Song Dynasty ended. Nowadays, that whether the Yuan Dynasty is a part of Chinese history remains controversial.

Some People believe that the Yuan Dynasty is a part of Chinese history. After the establishment, Yuan Dynasty modeled the administrative organization of the Song Dynasty, carried out imperial examinations, recognized the status of Confucianism, partly relied on the Han bureaucrats to participate in national political activities, which to a certain extent it recognized the Chinese civilization. Up to now, Mongolian is also counted as part of the Chinese nation, because Mongolian is also a huge part in the national composition of China. The Republic of China early established by Mr. Sun Zhongshan used the national flag to represent the meaning of five-nationality unity for a republic, i.e., Han, Manchuria, Mongolia, Hui, and Tibet. Therefore, there is nothing wrong to consider the Yuan Dynasty as a part of China historical period.

But some people believe the opposite, and they are sure that the Yuan Dynasty is not a part of Chinese history. In 1279, the Yaishan battle in now Yamen town, Xinhui District, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, broke out. It was the last organized resistance to the invasion of Mongolia by the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty army failed, and the last 7-year- old Emperor died, and tens of thousands of the last elites of the Song Dynasty disappeared in suicide for country. Because of the fierce resistance from the Song Dynasty, for revenge and anger, but also to overcome the Han people, Mongolia often implemented the extremely savage massacres upon Han people. China lost about 70 million people of its population under the rule of the Mongolia. After the occupation of Mongolia, the original Song Chinese did not enjoy national treatment, but only slaves. The official language of the Yuan Dynasty basically was Mongolian culture, and cultural heritage of the Tang and Song Dynasties was destroyed, and imperial examination was not held for a long time, and Chinese gradually lose the noble soul.

However, it is not until the eighteenth Century that the concept of a nation-state should have existed. And it is meaningless to discuss that a country is determined by nation or by territory in the history that cannot be supposed. In any case, it is a Chinese history.