Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj
Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj | |
---|---|
Шагдаржавын Нацагдорж | |
Born | 1918 Amgalanbaatar, Outer Mongolia, Republic of China |
Died | 2001 (aged 82–83) |
Siglum | Sh. Natsagdorj |
Alma mater | National University of Mongolia |
Political party | Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party |
Awards | Marshal Choibalsan State Award |
Scientific career | |
Fields | History of Mongolia |
Institutions | Institute of History, Mongolian Academy of Sciences |
Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj (Mongolian: Шагдаржавын Нацагдорж; 1918–2001) was a Mongolian academic and historian, most notable for being director of the Institute of History at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences under the Mongolian People's Republic. In this position he was pivotal in improving the field of history in Mongolia, by compiling archives, initiating scientific journals, and supervising the protection and research of important cultural sites. His 1943 biography of Damdin Sükhbaatar established his reputation at home and abroad, but thereafter he primarily wrote on pre-modern topics, especially Qing-era Mongolia and the struggle for Mongolian independence. Natsagdorj was also influential in the cultural sphere, writing plays, stories, and screenplays for a general audience. After the Mongolian Revolution of 1990, he published biographies of Genghis Khan (1991) and Kublai Khan (1998).
Biography
Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj was born in 1918 in Amgalanbaatar, near the Mongolian capital of
As an academic, Natsagdorj received his doctorate in 1954 from the National University of Mongolia; his dissertation discussed "the Arat liberation movement in the Khobdos region of Outer Mongolia under the leadership of Ayushi". In 1961, he was officially awarded the title of Academician, and he received his habilitation in 1973.[1] Although he initially wrote on both modern and pre-modern history, he increasingly came to focus on the latter. He was especially influential in reviving the study of the growth of the Mongolian independence movement, publishing works such as The national freedom movement and anti-feudal movement in Khalkh Mongolia (1941).[3] Lattimore praised Natsagdorj's History of Khalka (1963) as "stand[ing] alone in the world of scholarship" on account of its exhaustive cross-comparison of decrees, orders, reports, and other documents in order to resolve historical disrepancies.[6]
In his official capacities, Natsagdorj worked to improve the resources and opportunities available to Mongolian historians. He established archives of original historical documents and made a number available for public consumption at the
Natsagdorj's international colleague
A year after the Mongolian Revolution of 1990, Natsagdorj published a book titled Ruling Principles of Genghis Khan, edited by his colleague and fellow Academician Shagdaryn Bira,[3][12] which offered original arguments contrary to the prevailing theories. In 1998, he published a book on Genghis's grandson Kublai Khan which concluded that no ruler in world history surpassed Kublai in terms of power and influence.[3] Natsagdorj, who had one daughter, N. Ariungua, died in 2001. In a 2008 speech at a conference celebrating the 90th anniversary of Natsagdorj's birth, Ts. Ishdorj, a Mongolian historian and director of the Mongolian Studies Union , praised him as "the backbone of modern Mongolian historical science".[3]
References
- ^ a b c d ШАГДАРЖАВЫН НАЦАГДОРЖ [Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj]. Mongolian Academy of Sciences (in Mongolian). Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Atwood 2004, p. 377.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ishdorj, Ts. (12 September 2008). Шагдаржав Нацагдорж: Их түүхийг эрхэмлэсэн эрдэмтэн [Shagdarjav Natsagdorj: A scientist who values great history] (in Mongolian). Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Atwood 2004, p. 405.
- ^ Service 1979, p. 122; Natsagdorj 1967, p. 265.
- ^ Lattimore 1967, pp. 87–88.
- ^ Lattimore 1977, p. 439.
- ^ a b Schwarz 1974, p. 171.
- ^ Shimamura 2022, pp. 977–978.
- ^ Shimamura 2022, pp. 979–980.
- ^ Shimamura 2022, pp. 982–983; Atwood 2004, pp. 101–102.
- ^ Boldbaatar 2015, p. 29.
Sources
- Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. New York: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-4671-3.
- Boldbaatar, J. (2015). "The state and trends of Mongolian historical studies". The Newsletter (Spring). International Institute for Asian Studies: 28–29.
- Lattimore, Owen (1967). "Religion and Revolution in Mongolia: A Review Article". JSTOR 311586.
- Lattimore, Owen (1977). "A Treasury of Inner Asian History and Culture: A Review Article". JSTOR 2757170.
- Natsagdorj, Sh. (1967). "The Economic Basis of Feudalism in Mongolia". .
- Schwarz, Henry G. (1974). "Biographical Sketches". Mongolian Short Stories. ISBN 978-0-9145-8408-7.
- Service, Robert G. (1 November 1979). "Mongolian Heroes of the Twentieth Century (Book Review)". JSTOR 2053509.
- Shimamura, Ippei (2022). "The Legacy of the Mongol Empire in Mongolia". In May, Timothy; Hope, Michael (eds.). The Mongol World. ISBN 978-1-3151-6517-2.