Paragraph: The Mongolians (for VII only)

Mongol was initially the name of a tribe roaming along the Erguna River. The Mongolians live mostly in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. They have their own spoken and written language, which belongs to the Mongolian group of the Altaic language family. The largest Mongolian area, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region with its capital at Hohhot, was founded on May 1, 1947. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is located in the northern part of China. The Mongolians have a fine cultural tradition. Mongolians grow up on horsebacks and horses thus play an important part in their life. Every Mongolian loves to prove his worth by showing good horsemanship and archery as well as wrestling. The life of the Mongolians is unique. Those in the pastoral areas wear fur coats lined with satin or cloth or nothing at all in winter and loose, long-sleeved cotton robes in summer. Mongolian costume is generally red, yellow or dark blue in color. Mongolians believe in Shamanism. A Mongolian family usually consists of the parents and their children. When the son gets married he usually lives in a separate home close to his parents. During the summer season the Mongolians live in tents named yurts. They are very comfortable to live in. In the winter season they live in houses made of stones to keep them warm. In our English text book we have learnt about Rafiq’s pen friend Endon who is a Mongolian. Endon has written a letter to Rafiq to give him a idea about his country and tribe.