The Secret History of the Mongols
The oldest surviving Mongolian literary work, an inside chronicle of Genghis Khan written after his death in 1227 by an unnamed court author.
- Original byline
- Anonymous
- Published
- 1240
- Form
- Other works
- Authorship
- Still unknown
- Reason for anonymity
- Unrecorded
- Copyright
- Public domain
- Reference
- Wikipedia · Wikidata
The authorship story
The Secret History of the Mongols was written for the Mongol royal family, likely around 1240, an unvarnished chronicle of Genghis Khan's rise that preserves failures and cruelties a court panegyric would have buried, which is precisely why it was kept secret from outsiders. It survived through a Chinese transcription. The author is unknown: someone intimate with the ruling house, with access to its traditions, writing within living memory of the conqueror. Candidates among Genghis's ministers have been proposed and none established. The founding work of Mongolian literature is an anonymous insider's book.
Questions readers ask
Who wrote The Secret History of the Mongols?
Nobody knows. No author for The Secret History of the Mongols has been identified in the documented record.
Can I read The Secret History of the Mongols for free?
Yes. The Secret History of the Mongols is in the public domain and the full text is free to read at the Internet Archive.
When was The Secret History of the Mongols published?
The Secret History of the Mongols was published in 1240 without an author’s name.
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