Early Christian Remains of Inner Mongolia: Discovery, Reconstruction and Appropriation

2008 Brill hardcover edition. Ex library copy with stamps and labels else good condition. From the cover: The early Christian presence in Inner Mongolia forms the subject of this book. These Nestorian remains must primarily be attributed to the Ongut, a Turkic people closely allied to the Mongols. Writing in Syriac, Uighur and Chinese scripts and languages, the Nestorian Ongut drew upon a variety of religions and cultures to decorate their gravestones with crosses rising from lotus flowers, dragons and Taoist imagery. This heritage also portrays designs found in the Islamic world. Taking a closer look at the discovery of this material and its significance for the study of the early Church of the East under the Mongols, the author reconstructs the Nestorian culture of the Ongut. The reader will find many newly discovered objects not published before. At the same time this study demonstrates how many remaining objects were appropriated and, in many cases, vanished after their discovery. CONTENTS: PART ONE 1 'Nestorianism' and the early Chinese terms for Christianity Origin and early use of term 'Nestorian' Tang dynasty terms for Christianity Yuan dynasty term for Christians 2 Medieval envoys connecting Europe and Mongol empire Prester John and Christened East William of Rubruck Enter Rabban Sauma Marco Polo John of Montecorvino 3 Nestorian Christians in Central Asia and China in the Mongol era Nestorian Christians among Central Asian tribes Nestorian Christians among Ongut King George of Ongut Ongut realm Nestorian Christians among Mongols The Mongol rulers' approach towards Christianity Nestorian Christians in China proper Organization of the Church of East in Central Asia and China Decline and disappearance of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia and China PART TWO 4 Foreign discovery and documentation of Nestorian remains in Inner Mongolia before 1949 Cesar de Brabander (1857-1919) and Charles Pieters (1884-1926) Henning Haslund-Christensen (1896-1948) Huang Wenbi (1893-1966) Owen Lattimore (1900-1989) Henry Desmond Martin (1908-1973) Bettina Lum (1911-1983) Egami Namio (1906-2002) Egami collection Inoo Tentaro Carl Barkman (1919-2006) Other foreign researchers before 1949 5 Discovery and documentation Nestorian remains in Inner Mongolia after 1949 Gai Shanlin (1936-) Further Chinese field research Accidental Nestorian find by Chinese farmer around 1984 Foreign field research 1997 onwards Author's field research PART THREE 6 Nestorian city remains Inner Mongolia Olon Sume-in Tor (Olon Sume) Ulan Baishingi (Chengbizui) Boro Baishing Mukhor Soborghang Derrisen Khotug Identification of Ongut cities north of Daqingshan mountains 7 Nestorian grave sites grave material from Inner Mongolia Turkic-style rock graves Nestorian steles Graves with Nestorian gravestones Horizontal gravestones Tomb sculptures Other Nestorian stones Olon Sume Ongut coffin and pagoda at Zhaohe and coffin slab at Bailingmiao Graves with stone columns at Shizhuziliang Chiteng brick 8 Characteristics Nestorian grave material Inner Mongolia Nestorian inscriptions Cross Church of East Design decoration of grave material Idiosyncrasies of Nestorian grave material PART FOUR 9 Physical appropriation of Nestorian heritage by settlers Early appropriation of Nestorian objects by Buddhist settlers Appropriation of Nestorian objects by Han Chinese settlers Appropriation of sites Grave looting and treasure seeking Appropriation of sites and objects by tourism developers 10 Mongolian appropriation of Nestorian sites and objects Mongolian oral history of Nestorian sites Contemporary Mongolian attitudes Mongolian attitudes after settling Mongolian anecdotes on the origin of Olon Sume Loss of Mongolian legends, oral history Nestorian heritage 11 Appropriation of Nestorian heritage by missionaries field researchers Early appropriation of Nestorian heritage by missionaries 20th century appropriation of Nestorian heritage by researchers. …