June 13, 2004
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Rush for surnames produces 500 Genghis Khans
June 12, 2004
Mongolians have been ordered to invent their own surnames.
Hundreds, pondering what to call themselves, daily besiege a small office in the centre of their capital where identity documents are issued. Held back by armed guards outside, some opt for surnames like Seven Drunk Men that hint at Mongolia's national pastime.
Others prefer to adopt the name of Genghis Khan, still the mightiest of Mongols, who now has 500 namesakes in Ulan Bator.
When communism crumbled in 1990 the ban on family names was lifted but many nomadic herders continue to refer to each other only by single names.
Now, to fight incest and make official records more intelligible, the Government has set a deadline of June 27 for all 2.5 million Mongolians to choose a family name.
Comments (1)
i think there is some evidence he could well be their biological great great grandfather
.. isn't there. he was supposed to be a great lover... fathered kids everywhere....
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