Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - V. Over the Buriatic Steppe
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
(military chiefs) compelled a large number of Buriats to
flee back to Mongolia, where, however, they only fell from
the frying-pan into the fire, and had to return to their
country again, because at that time the cruel Haldan
Khan was spreading terror all over Mongolia.
At the present time the Buriats are divided into tribes
(aimaki). Until 1886 a group of such tribes were under
the administration of a council, at the head of which was
an hereditary chief. The jurisdiction of this council was very
extensive. In 1887 reforms began to be introduced. In
Transbaikalia the old council was let alone, but among the
Buriats in the province of Irkutsk a system of
administration was introduced corresponding to that of the Russian
village-districts. Among all the natives of Siberia the
Buriats have best preserved the ancient custom of the
community of goods. A poor Buriat, for example, has the
right to receive food or shelter from his well-to-do brethren.
When a Buriat kills game, his neighbours first receive
their share of the meat, and the host gets only what is left.
In like manner the Buriat girl simply goes to the village
smith and selects metal ornaments for her hair and dress
without paying; and the crops on the fields are gathered
in by the community, each member of which has the right
to take what he needs from the common store. This
principle of communism also finds expression in the large
communal hunting-parties which at certain periods take
place and are accompanied by great festivities.
On the Buriatic Steppe we first saw in the twilight of the
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
