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Renowned Thieves in Hobogsair’s History


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Authors

Bulag, Uradyn E. 
Fuerwa, Dorjraa 

Abstract

Two notorious thieves in Jurgan Sum Banner, Tugulin Jöj and Danav, gained widespread notoriety among the Torghuts in Hobogsair. Both individuals were employed as labourers for affluent Hui families in Ereen Habirga (Khar Us) and later absconded to Hobogsair after committing thefts. Danav, in particular, was infamous for his history of robbing caravans in Tsagan Hamar, intercepting camel caravans from the southern regions of Hobogsair. In addition to the infamous thieves previously mentioned, Jalai Manji was another notorious individual who proudly proclaimed his penchant thievery. He would resort to unconventional thefts, such as discreetly removing horseshoes from guests staying at his home when there was nothing else to steal or pilfering gathered cattle dung from his neighbours. Notorious for stealing livestock from Kazakhs in Altai prefecture, Jalain Manji exhibited audacious tactics. For instance, he would ride a mother camel from his autumn pasture, Bor Khudag, located on the border with Altai, to a Kazakh herder family in Altai during the day. Under the cover of night, he would stealthily take two sheep, load them onto his camel, and set it free to return home. While the mother camel reunited with her calf within the night, Jalain Manji's wife would unload the stolen sheep at home, completing the entire covert operation. Similar to other thieves in Hobogsair who targeted livestock from the neighbouring Altai region, Barmash, another prolific thief, stole numerous animals from Kazakh herders of Altai, ultimately meeting his end at hands of the Kazakhs. In that era, thieves engaged in illicit practices of stealing livestock from one another or from Kazakhs in Altai, subsequently selling the pilfered animals to affluent Hui individuals in Ereen Khabirga. Ereen Khabirga also served as a sanctuary for those entangled in unlawful pursuits from the Northern Tenger Mountain region. Tseher Jonzov of Maninkhin Sum gained notoriety for his adventurous act of stealing a prized horse from Aliya Noyan in Altai, presenting it as a triumph for his Torghut Noyan in Hobogsair. In a twist of events, Jonzov later sought to return of the horse he had taken from the Kazakh, citing another thieving venture in Ereen Khabirga. However, the Torghut Noyan refused, leading Jonzov to steal the horse once again from his own Noyan. Tragically, the Torghut Noyan dispatched another skilled thief, Borogch from Jasag Banner, to reclaim the horse after Jonzov’s demise. In Wang Banner, renowned thieves Molig and Xinji also specialized in driving livestock from Hobogsair to Ereen Khabirga for sale, and vice versa.

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Keywords

Livestock Thieves, Jurgan Sum Banner, Tugulin Jöj, Jalai Manj, Torghut, Hobogsair, Khar Us

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Publisher

Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Documentation Project, University of Cambridge

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Sponsorship
Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.