The Legacy of Chinggis / Genghis Khan

I finally saw Mongol the movie last night. Though it was a little on the long side, I was glad to have watched it. I think the movie is important not because it was so great, but because it was long overdue. Financed in part by the Kazakhs, it showed that proud Central Asians finally had the money and organizational wherewithal to put together a grand homage to their hero/demigod. It was as much a national vanity project as an attempt to make a serious biopic.

The Yoke of History.

So how is Genghis / Chinggis Khan's name and likeness used? In the post-Soviet era of fervent capitalism, his name is plastered everyhere, from Motorola phones to vodka. Here is just a sampling of vodka bottles bearing the great Khan's mug.






CKY