Zakhchin Mongols in Hovd Aimag

Photo of a Zakhchin man and woman in traditional Zakhchin clothing

Brands of the Zakhchin in Hovd aimag. These brands are pressed into the right legs of animals, and are also carved into cliffs and stones within the Zakhchin territory. 1) Hook 2) Hook with flame 3) Hook with cross 4) Hook with barbs 5) Hook with two dots 6) Hook in shape of serpent head 1) Flint-lighter 2) Linked flint-lighter 3) Leather sack 4) Shape of Jonron, which means "certainty" 5) Rabbit shape 6) Spiral 7) Moon (8) Sun and moon (9) Moon with bar

About the Zakhchin

Map Showing Main Body of Zakhchins in Mongolia.

The Zakhchin (Захчин in Mongolian, which translates to "edge-" or "border people" in English) are a Mongolian people that are mostly found in Hovd aimag, principally in Mankhan, Zereg, Must, Uyench, and Altai soums. With 21,645 people in Hovd (as of the year 2000), they are the second largest ethnic group in Hovd (after the Khalkh). They comprise 24.93% of the aimag's population.

Ts. Elbegdorj, a Zakhchin man from Hovd aimag, became President of Mongolia in 2009

Ts. Elbegdorj, a Zakhchin man from Hovd's Zereg soum, became President of Mongolia in June of 2009. Born on March 30, 1963, he lived in Zereg soum until he was 16. Later he received a BA in Military Journalism from the Military Political Institute of the USSR (in Lviv, Ukraine) in 1988. Ten years later, he served briefly as Mongolia's Prime Minister. In 2001 he earned a diploma from the University of Colorado at Boulder's Economic Institute. In 2002 he graduated from Harvard University's JFK School of Government with a Master of Public Administration. On August 20, 2004 he became Mongolia's Prime Minister a second time. On June 18, 2009 Elbegdorj won the Presidential election for the Democratic Party (Ardchilsan Nam). He was also supported by The Civic Will Party and Mongolia's Green Party as their candidate of choice.

The cover of Ch. Otgonbayar's most recent album, "Zastiin Nogoodoi".

In recent years a Zakhchin singer from Hovd named Ch. Otgonbayar has been working to preserve Zakhchin music. For generations Zakhchin music was passed on orally by a few singers, and she became concerned that her people's songs would be lost. In 2005 she recorded a CD called "Songs of the Zakhchin People in Western Mongolia". In 2006 she recorded a new CD called "Tsast Altai" with 27 traditional Zakhchin songs. Her newest album (pictured to the left and released in 2007) is called "Zastiin Nogoodoi". Click here for a review of the album. For information on ordering one of the albums, send an email to zakhchinmusic@yahoo.de

Zakhchin Language

Like many of the other ethnic groups in Hovd aimag, they belong to the Oirat family of tribes, and speak the Zakhchin dialect of the Oirat language. There are a number of small differences between the Zakhchin dialect and the standard Mongolian Khalkh language. For example, here are some common words that are different between the two dialects:

Word in English	Word in Standard Mongolian (English Letters)	Word in Standard Mongolian (Mongol Letters)	Word in Zakhchin (English Letters)	Word in Zakhchin (Mongol Letters)
Mongol Robe	Deel	Дээл	Lavshig	Лавшиг
Boots	Gutal	Гутал	Khos	Хос
Girl	Ohin	Охин	Sevger	Сэвгэр
Come Here	Naash Ir	Нааш Ир	Nariich	Нарийч
Dresser	Avdar	Авдар	Ukheg	Үхэг

Zakhchin Song with Video

A Zakhchin man, a citizen of Hovd's Zereg soum singing a Zakhchin song called "Tooroin Tsagaan Els". The words are below.

Тооройн Цагаан Элс	Tooroin Tsagaan Els (English Letters)
Тооройн цагаан тооройн цагаан элс нь Товийж цайгаад товийж цайгаад байна Торомгор бяцхан торомгор бяцхан сэвгэр Нарийч гээд нарийч гээд байнаЬ Жижиг цагаан жижиг цагаан хонь хь Жилгаан дагаад жилгаан дагаад байна Жижигхэн цагаан жижигхэн цагаан сэвгэр Нарийч гээд нарийч гээд байна Найман зуугаад найман зуугаад хонь нь Налайж цайгаад налайж цайгаад байна Нас нь чацуу нас нь чацуу сэвгэр нь Нарий ч гээд нарийч гээд байна	Tooroin tsagaan tooroin tsagaan els ni Toviij tsaigaad toviij tsaigaad baina Toromgor byatskhan toromgor byatskhan sevger Nariich geed nariich geed baina Jijig tsagaan jijig tsagaan honi ni Jilgaan dagaad jilgaan dagaad baina Jijigkhen tsagaan jijigkhen tsagaan sevger Nariich geed nariich geed baina Naiman zuugaad naiman zuugaad honi ni Nalaij tsaigaad nalaij tsaigaad baina Nas ni chatsuu nas ni chatsuu sevger ni Narii ch geed nariich geed baina
Тооrоin Tsagaan Els English Translation
Tooroin Tsagaan Els (place name in the Gobi Desert) This white place is easy to see. Girl with very nice eyes Is calling me to come. Little white, little white sheep. Along the valley, along the valley Little white, little white girl Is calling me to come. About 800, about 800 sheep. Grazing in the valley, grazing in the valley. Girl with the same age as me, girl with the same... Is calling me to come.

Traditional Zakhchin Clothing

The clothing drawings below (and the ethnic brands illustration above) are from "The Cultural Monuments of Western Mongolia", an outstanding book written and illustrated by M. Amgalan, an ethnographist from Hovd's Mankhan soum.

Zakhchin men wear a sheep skin coat with a cover in winter, a short skin-coat in the autumn and spring, and a deel in the summer. There is black velvet on these coats' collar trim, cuffs, and on the band on the coat's shoulders. The hip slits are spaced the distance between the pointer finger and the tip of the thumb and trimmed with a spiral design. The collar is reversible, is hemmed with the end of a fox's skin from its forelegs. The sheep skin coat for men requires seven pieces of sheep skin; eight are required for women's coats.

Zakhchin girls under the age of 16 wear gowns that are mostly green, blue and azure-guilded and trimmed with black velvet. The gown has no sleeve cuffs, and the collar is reversible. Girls part their hair down the middle and plait each part into 12 braids. When a Zakhchin girl gets married, she wears a red wedding gown, stays home for a week, and wears her hair down. Her parents show deference to her when she becomes a bride. While in the red gown, she arrives at the groom's side. Matrons of honor assist her to dress and plait her hair. At the home of the in-laws she pays homage to the fire of her soon-to-be parents-in-law.

The cuffs and collar of a Zakhchin woman's sheep skin coat are covered with green cloth. A short white robe is attached to the shoulder, and all the borders are trimmed with black velvet and laced with strips of lamb skin. The waist of the coat is pleated. The seam of the pleats are like a checkerboard, and is made to flare the skirt and tighten the waist. The coat is divided into three parts: the sleeve, upper bodice, and lower skirt.

The shape of a Zakhchin lady's gown is the same shape of a sheep skin coat. The color of the gown's cover is blue, or bluish green and the hem is a red and green brocade (although instead of hems, ribbons can be sewed). The sleeves are loose and wide, and the skirt itself is long and wide. Mongolia's women's gowns have loose and wide sleeves except for the Torguud and Uuld people.

Zakhchin men and women both wear this flared hat. Its top is narrow and the knot at the top is called a knot of distinction. There are two long flaps on the hat's sides, the flaps are covered with black velvet and trimmed with otter fur.