A Brief History of Mongolian Science and Technology - China Mongolian Studies Collection

Author: Li Di
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: I can't quite remember when I first decided on the title of this book. It's probably been seven to ten years. Back then, I thought it would be a project for some time, not something to be submitted immediately, but as time went on, I felt the burden grew heavier. To be honest, writing a history of science and technology in the Mongolian ethnic group indeed presents many challenges. The main difficulties lie in two aspects: First, the disciplines involved are numerous. As a history of science and technology, it should cover mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine, and each discipline is further divided into many branches. Adding to this the ethnic customs, it becomes even harder to grasp. Second, the issue of language and script. Many historical materials are written in Mongolian or Tibetan. Currently, Old Mongolian script is commonly used, while the Yuan Dynasty had the Phagspa script, Mongolia uses the Cyrillic Mongolian script, and there is also T?v?t Mongolian script, mainly used in Xinjiang, but when encountering it occasionally, we are often helpless. The problem of materials is also significant, but compared to the first two, it is slightly easier to solve. In this situation, one must be a humble student and learn respectfully from others. First, I extensively referenced the research achievements of others, especially in the field of Mongolian medicine and other disciplines. Without these achievements, this book would not have been completed. There are also various reference books, almost indispensable. Names of people, places, and dates, in particular, require the help of reference books.