On research of 18th century Mongolian legal code ''Mongol Tsaaz Bicig''
In the process of globalization the question of the disclosure of the common and the specific in the state legal development of peoples becomes urgent; a certain revaluation of many legal and political values takes place. In this case reference to the origins of state and law is quite important. Therefore the legislation of the medieval Mongolian state is of much interest. The scientific value of this work is determined by the close interconnection and interdependence of the historic past and present; the necessity of effective usage of the historic past. The article studies issues of historiography of research on the Mongolian code of law "Mongol Tsaaz Bicig". In the scientific literature the meaning of the code is determined by the content of the two versions represented in the national state archive and library of Mongolia. The scientists have thoroughly studied the first version of the code published in the period of Emperor Enkh-Amgalan's ruling, the structure and the sphere of application of the law were fully described. But the second version of 1795 studied partly is of high scientific interest. One of the problematic issues of the history of creating this manuscript is dating of the main versions of this code of law. Scientists paying attention to the historic events characteristic of Mongolia of the middle of the 17th-18th centuries define the date of the first version of the "Mongol Tsaaz Bicig" differently: 1643 (period of Emperor Eyer-Zasagci's rule) and 1667 (period of Emperor Enkh-Amgalan's rule). Also the question of dating the second version of the code is not clear yet; some scientists date the compilation of the code back to 1789, others - to 1795. The point of view that the first version of the Code was published in 1643 is based on the Chinese archival sources and is confirmed by the legislative acts of Eyer- Zasagci (1644-1662) and Enkh-Amgalan (1662-1723), the Emperors. The most veracious and proved by scientists is the variant of dating the code back to 1643. Much specification needed on dating of the edition of "Mongol Tsaaz Bicig" of 1789. A group of Mongolian scientists who follow this point of view refer to inscription "Mongol Tsaaz Bicig" on the cover of another statute roll "Huul Tsaaz Bicig", published in 1789. We suppose that "Mongol Tsaaz Bicig" is the latest version of "Huul Tsaaz Bicig". For further resolution of the disputable issues it is necessary to implement a comparative analysis of the Mongolian legal acts of the 18th century. Comparative analysis would let us minimize the disputable issues and make objective conclusions about these issues of history of state and law.