Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Additional circumstantial evidence reinforces the likelihood that this
common type of Y chromosome was carried by Genghis Khan, or at least by
his close relatives. The Hazara, who live on the Afghan-Pakistan border far
to the west of Mongolia, have a proud tradition that their tribe was founded
by Genghis Khan. Their tradition may be based in fact. Half of the Hazara
males show this unique Mongolian genetic pattern on their Y chromosomes,
and none of the other groups of peoples who currently live near the Hazara
carry this pattern.
Like the mitochondrial Eve, this unique Y chromosome can be traced
back to a single individual. The current best estimate is that the chromosome
probably arose by mutation from another Mongol Y chromosome about a
thousand years ago, two centuries before Genghis Khan. The odds are good
that Genghis Khan was one of the descendants of this “Mongolian Adam,”
because there are no historical records of any other individuals living at that
time and place who had access to as many women as Genghis Khan and his
immediate descendants. He was not the originator of this Y, but he spread it
like crazy.
Although Genghis Khan had only one empress, the redoubtable Börte,
he had dozens of other wives. He also raped or made love to hundreds of
captive women who were brought to him from the far-fl ung outposts of his
empire, which at his death stretched from western Asia to northern China.
His grandson Kublai Khan, who conquered the rest of China and established
the eastern Mongol empire, had a harem of thousands of women. He received
shipments of thirty virgins a month from all over the empire.
A direct proof of whether Genghis Khan actually carried this Y chro-
mosome awaits the discovery of his tomb, which is hidden somewhere in
the mountains of northeastern Mongolia. A small piece of one of his bones
should yield enough DNA to settle the question.
The tomb will be hard to fi nd. A lurid legend told by people still living
in the area recounts how the tomb's site was kept secret to protect its sup-
posed vast treasure from grave robbers. The soldiers who accompanied the
Khan's remains killed anyone they encountered en route. Once the burial
was completed, they then killed all of his funeral attendants and trampled
the site with horses. They even diverted a river to fl ood the site. Unknown to
