The rich brocade and cloth of gold they wore came from the Silk Road and China, but the cut and style were their own and reflected their imperial glory and ancient nomadic heritage.

He is to lecture in the gallery on March 27 at 4:30 p.m. "Both dynasties owed their conquests to their superbly trained cavalry, but the success of their emperors depended on their adopting Chinese-style administration while preserving their nomadic cultural heritage," Mr. Vollmer writes.

He never wrote about his nomadic heritage.

The retention of this nomadic heritage and the freedoms that it implies continue to have an impact on the political atmosphere in the country.

For example, the ceremonial robes of the Qing Dynasty blended Chinese symbolism with reflections of the Manchurians' northern nomadic heritage.

Nenets reindeer herders are struggling to protect their nomadic heritage as state-owned Gazprom transforms the tundra in the search for gas.

They often relate to the well-being of the herd and the monetary benefits gained as a result, reflect the people's nomadic heritage, and express humanity's relationship to the cyclic progression of the seasons.

Many hold orthodox religious beliefs that contrast sharply with the convictions of most Kyrgyz, whose nomadic heritage has made them more spiritual than traditionally religious.

Meanwhile, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire gradually distanced themselves from their nomadic Turkic heritage, ultimately (during the thirteenth century) adopting the Sunnism of their Mediterranean subjects.

The old nomadic and Bedouin cultural heritage of Islam, however, turned out to be strong enough to prevent Islam from becoming dominant in Europe.