N.YA. BICHURIN’S STUDY OF THE WORDS OF MONGOLS

Liu Qianning

N. Y. Bichurin describes the beliefs and evolution of the words of the nomadic people in northern China in article «About the Ancient and Present Belief of the Mongols». In contrast to other Orientalists, N. Y. Bichurin's study of the words is characterized by three main features: a focus on the words of the Mongolian nationality, the use of historical sources in Chinese, and a consideration of the relationship between words and religion. The research laid the foundation for the formation of Mongolology in Russia, and contributed to China-Russian cultural exchange and the mutual evaluation of civilizations.

Keywords:N. Y. Bichurin, words of the Mongols, Mongolology