The Secret History of the Mongol Queens - Jack Weatherford [149]
The symbol on the epigraph page is a tamgha designed and given to me as a gift by Z. Purev, who also sculpted it in metal for use as a brand. It, too, is a special form of Mongolian calligraphy, and represents the three basic letters of my first name. All of the images and symbols used in the book were combined through the creative design of Leonard Henderson.
I appreciate the support of my daughter, Walker Buxton, and son, Roy Maybank, as well as their spouses, J. Edward Buxton and Amanda R. Maybank, and my granddaughter Walker Buxton during sometimes difficult circumstances in Mongolia. I look forward to one day traveling in Mongolia with our other granddaughters, Pearce Buxton, Lavinia Maybank, and Rhett Maybank, as well as our grandsons, Edward Buxton and Roy Maybank.
At Macalester College, Professor Sonia Patten was one of the consistently most helpful and encouraging supporters of this project from its inception. I benefited tremendously from the tireless service of the DeWitt Wallace Library staff, as well as from my colleagues Naran Bilik, Dianna Shandy, Arjun Guneratne, Martin Gunderson, David McCurdy, Mahnaz Kousha, Karen Nakamura, Olga Gonzalez, David Lanegran, Ahmed Samatar, Mary Lou Byrne, Juanita Garciagodoy, Wang Ping, and Lee Olson.
In Mongolia, the faculty and staff of the Chinggis Khaan University, under the direction of Kh. Lkhagvasuren, diligently assisted in my work. I was aided by the enlightened work of Professors T. Bold, D. Bold-Erdene, Davaadulam, O. Sukhbaatar, B. Baljinnyam, Oi. Daghadorj, T. Namjil, Kh. Shagdar, A. Shagdarsuren, and J. Saruulbuyan, as well as Mr. Barudas of the South Gobi. Also in Mongolia, I very much value the support and encouragement that I received from O. Batnairamdal, Lauren Bonilla, Roger Chilton, Martha Crunkleton, E. Enerelt, D. Enkhchuluun, S. Erdenebold, B. Erdenesanaa, B. Ganhuyag, U. Gereltod, Tjalling Halbertsma, D. Javkhlan, William Kennedy, Bijani Mizell, A. Mungunzul, Susan Murphy, B. Narankhuu, Axel Odelberg, Catherine Sepulveda, S. Soyoljin, E. Soyombo, Robert Stroozas, and Rochelle and Rebecca Tschida. Merely listing their names can in no way express the appreciation I have for what they have done for me or the emotional bonds that I share with each of them in a different way.
Producing a book depends on far more than writing. It is a group endeavor in which dozens of people contribute crucial pieces, but, in the end, the author, somewhat unfairly, gets the credit. In thirty years of work together, my agent, Lois Wallace, has always guided and encouraged my work. I have been with Crown Publishers almost as long as I have been with Lois Wallace. I have benefited from working with some of the finest talents I have known in my career. In our generation together, many have married, given birth, or adopted children, and some have retired or moved on to new challenges. Yet they all remain a part of my work. Rachel Klayman took a chance in accepting this book for publication, and Lucinda Bartley put in tremendous work to edit it repeatedly. Their diligence and enthusiasm made it possible for me to complete this project.
The nation of Alan Goa, Genghis Khan, Manduhai Khatun, and Dayan Khan still lives today. As in any democracy, the people have different views and ideologies, yet they are all united in honoring the history and culture of their Mongol ancestors. They have helped me in seemingly every way that they could. From the guards at the doors to the ministers of parliament, from teachers in the rural classrooms to the ministers of state in Ulaanbaatar, and from library clerks to the president, first lady, and prime minister—all encouraged and assisted me throughout the six years of work on this project. They made my work possible, and, more important, they are the ones who give it meaning.
From herders to parliament members, Mongolians never tired of teaching me about their culture and place of birth, torson nutag, within Mongolia. Because of the subject