Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review

6-22

Authors: Hautala R.

The author of this article tried to trace the evolution of the Mongols’ perception in Latin sources based on information about their military expansion in the Middle East. The first mention of the Mongols appear in Latin sources in 1221. According to these sources, the Mongol army, which accomplished a number of conquests in Central Asia, Persia, and Transcaucasia, consisted of baptized nomads. Latin authors asserted that at the head of this army stood a certain David, “king of the Indies”, which sought to help the Middle Eastern Christians and “liberate” Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Undoubtedly, the Latin sources meant by the “deeds of king David” the first western campaign of the Mongols led by Genghis Khan, which began in 1219 and was directed against the Central Asian sultanate of Khwarezm. These Latin sources were written at the time, when the troops of Genghis Khan had already conquered Khwarezmian territory in Central Asia and began military actions in Khorasan, while the separate divisions of the Mongols led by Jebe and Subedei invaded Transcaucasia and inflicted the first serious defeat to the Christian kingdom of Georgia. Later, however, a positive Mongols’ perception in the West began to gradually change. First of all, this change was affected by reports of the Georgian rulers expressing obvious doubts about former confidence that the Mongol army was entirely composed of Christians. Even greater impact had information about beginning of the Mongol re-conquest of Transcaucasia. An early report of the Patriarch of Jerusalem about the Mongol units’ appearance in Transcaucasia headed by Chormaqan noyan still reflected the hope for the Mongols’ adherence to the Christian faith. However, subsequent reports on the beginning of the Mongol conquest of Great Armenia radically changed European perceptions of the Mongols. Starting from 1236, Latin sources began to represent the Mongols as fiends trying to interpret their appearance in accordance with apocalyptic scenarios of popular eschatological writings.

34-42

Authors: Güray K.

The article examines the views of European historians on the relations between Emir Timur (Tamerlane) and Europe before and after the Battle of Ankara (1402). The author pays particular attention to the diplomatic correspondence, papal relations with European monarchies, recordings made during the hostilities, and diplomatic missions. The article also highlights the changing image of Emir Timur among Europeans. The most significant changes that took place after the Battle of Ankara are reflected in the official correspondence of the European kings, the Papacy, and the Byzantine emperors. On the one hand, the battle itself was provoked by European and Byzantine rulers. On the other hand, it was a direct consequence of the growth of contradictions between the rulers of Anatolia and Central Asia. At the same time, the author considers that Europe and Byzantium, belonged to a completely different cultures, striving to achieve various political goals, while the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and Emir Timur, being exclusively Turkic rulers, sought to achieve the same goals using similar methods of political struggle.

54-61

Authors: Iskhakov D.M.

The article analyzes an insufficiently investigated problem of the formation of seyyids’ institute within the Turkic-Tatar States of the 15th–16th centuries, which were the historical heirs of the ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde). The author found that this institution was characteristic for all, without exception, Turkic-Tatar state formations that emerged after the collapse of the Golden Horde. A number of features of this institution (existence of family relationship between the seyyids’ “houses” of different Tatar yurts, seyyids’ participation not only in the diplomatic and administrative affairs but also in military actions) indicates that it appeared in the period of the ulus of Jochi, more precisely, during the reign of khan Uzbek who had completed Islamization of this State. As a result of the study of the complex issues related to the seyyids who lived in the Turko-Tatar khanates and hordes, the author concluded that there was a link between them and the lineages of the Golden Horde seyyids affiliated with the Yasaviyya tariqa. Overall, the author both emphasizes the apparent Golden Horde origin of this very important social institution functioned in all the Turkic-Tatar state formations and indicates the presence of real contacts (including gentilitial ones) between the seyyids’ branches located in different States.

77-90

Authors: Tataurov S.F.

The article shows the importance of archaeological materials, particularly of funerary complexes, for both analyzing the process of formation of the Siberian Tatars in the 16th–17th centuries and studying the features of the development of Islam in Siberia. The author examines the problem of consolidation of the Turkic-speaking population of the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia in the second millennium AD, which was expressed in the formation of a common cultural, linguistic, and religious space. The author considers the reasons for duration of this process, analyzes the factors that impeded or facilitated the convergence of certain ethnic groups, the level of socio-economic relations, political developments in these regions. The article shows the importance of the Siberian Khanate as a state and ideological unification of the Turkic-speaking population of Western Siberia, as the main unifying factor in the formation of this ethnic group. The author emphasizes the role of the Russian administration, its action for the creation of new Siberian administrative-territorial system, for the spread of Orthodox Christianity, etc. Particular attention is paid to the process of Islamization of the population already living in the framework of the Russian State after the arrival of Russians, to role in this process of the patrimonial Tatar nobility. As a result, we can construct the situation as follows. Influenced primarily by political (but not economic) developments, the Turkic-speaking population of Western Siberia was sufficient organized to the last third of the 16th century that is ready to the further rapprochement and transformation into single ethnic group. The weakness of social and economic relations did not allow to develop this convergence. Process of consolidation already began to develop in other conditions – after annexation of Western Siberia by the Russian State – in the 17th–19th centuries. The Tatar nobility and Muslim population migrated from Central Asia and the Lower Volga region, played a key role in this process and Islamization of the entire Turkic-speaking population became a crucial factor. This article only underlines major factors of this process. The whole complex of historical, ethnographic, archaeological, and genetic research is needed to fully explore the history of the formation of the Siberian Tatars and defining its basic chronological stages and driving forces.

102-112

Authors: Abduzhemilev R.R.

The article is devoted to the creative work of Mehmed Senai – the Crimean chronicler at the serai of the khan Islam Geray III, as well as his chronicle “Tarihi Islam Geray khan” (“History of the khan Islam Geray III”, 1651). The researcher gives biographical information about the author and a brief description of the source. The identity of the writer is defined and based on the text of the Preface to the Chronicle: background, education, position, religious status. The meaning of the pseudonym of Senai is under the study, the text of the chronogram in which it occurs is reproduced. Especially noted thing is the originality of the artistic structure of the Chronicle “Tarih-i Islam Geray khan”. The Chronicle “Tarih-i Islam Geray khan” is the panegyric to the Crimean khan Islam Geray whose reign represents the brilliant epoch in the history of the Crimean Khanate. The writing consists of the ceremonies of public appointments, episodes of military campaigns and making treaties, the text of khan Islam Geray’s pedigree (shejere), construction and repair of buildings. There is the brief information about the Chronicle and about M. Senai in “Catalogue of the Turkish Manuscripts in the British Museum” (1888). The primary work on writing was conducted by Polish orientalists who prepared the edition of the original text, its translation and processing, backed with comments. At the time of writing the Chronicle, Mehmed Senai was in his old age, he served as the kadi (religious judge). In his youth he worked as munshi (decorator of papers) in the khan’s office. He got education in the Ottoman Empire, and was engaged in the implementation of diplomatic correspondence. The prospect of identification of the author on the basis of other sources is important to clarify the hypothesis of identifying M. Senai with such Crimean Tatar author as Dzhanmuhammed. The Chronıcle’s plot consists of the diary notes on the military expeditions, eyewitness accounts (including those of the author). The author of the work focuses the historical events of 1648–1651 covering the Crimean Tatar-Ukrainian-Polish relations. The bulk of the official documents used by Senai was narrow. Details and brevity in the coverage of events indicates that certain materials were available to the author, while others were unavailable. The aesthetic peculiarities of the Chronicle are also notable as well as historical. The author created the vivid images of the central characters in the writing – Islam Geray, Sefer Gazi aga and Tugay bey. The work is characterized by the use of various expressive means for the purpose of idealization of the images and emotional perception of characters and events.

143-150

Authors: Useinov M.A.

In this article an attempt is made to open up and make the analysis of the creative work of one of the outstanding scholar-mathematician in the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries whose origin was from the Crimean Khanate – Hussein Ryfky Tamani ibn Muhammad ibn Kyrym Ghazi. At the beginning of the 19th century, during 11 years, the scholar was a leader (bashkhoja) of the Ground forces military-engineering school (Muhendishane-i berry-i Humayun) in Istanbul. The article provides a review of translations made by Hussein Ryfky into the Ottoman language of European scientists’ works, as well as of his own research works on Geometry, Engineering and Military science, Astronomy, Geography, and other disciplines. The author also presents the textbooks having for centuries become the basic textbooks in the Ottoman Empire for learning exact sciences in the military educational institutions. The author provides the analysis of the pedagogical and public activity of the scientist during the period of reforms Nizam-i-Jedid, as well as the short description of his activities during the student years. Hussein Ryfky Tamani made a synthesis of Western and Ottoman approaches to the science. His works became the corner-stone in the foundation of Ottoman Mathematical science at the beginning of the 19th century.

169-201

Authors: Beisembiev T.K.

The article continues a series of Beisembiev’s publications on “Jawāmi ul-Hikāyāt wa Lawāmi' ul-Riwāyāt” by Sadid al-Din Muhammad al-'Awfi (completed in the second quarter of the 13th century), the largest literary and historical prosaic work in Persian classical literature of pre-Mongol and Mongol periods. It contains a collection of over 2,100 stories (very poorly studied) on diverse subjects. Up to the present, a complete scholarly edition of this greatest historical source is not available. On the basis of all available publications and a MS copy of the early 14th century, Supplément Persan 95 (La Bibliothèque nationale, France), the author presents for the first time his Russian commented translation of 52 Awfi’s stories (hikayat) on Ghaznavids, Samanids, Karakhanids, Seljukids and Khwarizmshahs and gives their interpretation. The titles of the stories, absent in the original, are invented by the translator. Each title is indicated by those number in parentheses, which is specified in the fundamental study on ‘Awfi by Muhammad Nizam ud-Din. At the end of each story there is indicated, in square brackets, a bibliographical reference to the source, from which its translation was made. The “Repertoire” of ‘Awfi containing stories about the Samanids, Karakhanids, Seljukids and Khwarizmshahs is followed by a summarized table of all stories by ‘Awfi pertaining to these dynasties (totally 78 stories, from which 27 translated previously, with bibliographical notes to their publication). Analysis of the works on the dynasties in question by the famous academics (V.V. Bartold, V.A. Gordlevsky, C.E. Bosworth, S.G. Aghajanov, Z.M. Buniyatov, N.N. Negmatov and B.D. Kochnev) shows that, unfortunately, none of them pay due attention to the valuable information of ‘Awfi. The author hopes that his publication will provide a deeper understanding in study of Central Asian history as well as that of other regions in pre-Mongol period.

214-219

Authors: Sayfetdinova E.G.

Usmanov Center for Research on the Golden Horde and Tatar Khanates (Sh.Marjani Institute of History of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan) has once again become the organizer of a major international academic event aimed at illuminating source studies on the history of the Golden Horde and Turko-Tatar khanates. March 17–18, 2015, Kazan hosted the fourth international Golden Horde forum, which was attended by representatives from 11 countries: Russia, Great Britain, Netherlands, USA, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland, Kazakhstan, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Three international conferences and round table were held within the forum. The first research conference – “Source Study of the Golden Horde History: Traditions and Innovations” – was devoted to the important issues of source study of the history of the Golden Horde and the Turko-Tatar khanates. The second research conference was dedicated to the “Minting and Circulation of Money in the Golden Horde and Turko-Tatar Khanates in the Light of Source Studies”. The third conference was devoted to the theme: “The Crimean Khanate in International Diplomacy”. The theme of the round table of the fourth international Golden Horde forum was: “The Gene Pool of the Turkish Populations as a Historical Source”.

6-20

Authors: May T.

Although the Mongols used many of the tactics and strategies that steppe nomads had used for centuries, the Mongols refined steppe warfare so that this style of warfare reached its apogee during the Mongol Empire. Furthermore, the Mongols developed a style of warfare that made them possibly the greatest military force in history. This work examines several facets of the pre-dissolution period (1200–1260). With the dissolution of the Mongol Empire, Mongol warfare once again changed. In some areas it remained complex while in others it regressed to traditional forces of steppe warfare, still potent but not as effective as the pre-dissolution period.

51-64

Authors: Sabitov Zh.M.

The article examines a number of issues of the Golden Horde political development in 1256–1263. In particular, the author considers the circumstances of the Sartaq’s death and presents his own position regarding the death of Borakchin khatun. The author assumes the stance over the death of Ulagchi in the summer of 1259, around the same time as the death of kaghan Möngke. As a result, Berke came to power. On the kurultai, Berke was able to defeat Tuda-Mengu, a candidate supported by Borakchin khatun. The author presents his own identification of the “Tatar tsar Kutluby” mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1259–1262. The article contains a clarification of the chronology of the Berke’s coming to power in the Golden Horde. The author suggested that the two grandsons of Chagatai (Baiju and Suntay) served Berke because of his confrontation with Algu. The author identifies four reasons that influenced the Hulagu’s decision to start a war against Berke. The first reason was the Kublai’s promise to convey all conquered lands to Hulagu and his offspring. The second reason was allied relations with Algu, the ruler of Chaghataid ulus, who was inclined to military action against Berke and Arik-Boke. The third reason was Berke’s requirements regarding his share in the conquered lands. The fourth reason was potential support of the Hulagu’s claims to the Golden Horde throne by the side of Borakchin. Hulagu started a war against Berke, but the war between Algu and Arik-Boke as well as exposure and punishment of Borakchin, led to the Hulagu’s defeat in the war. Starting with 1260, the Egyptian rulers tried to establish diplomatic relations with Berke, but Berke sent the first letter to the Egyptian authorities only in May 1263, 5 months after the victory over Hulagu. This was due to the Berke’s fear of remaining alone against the coalition of Mongol uluses. The author also proposes his own identitication of Berke’s associates. Furthermore, the author believes that the uprising in Rus’ in 1262 was directed against the Golden Horde and not against the Empire.

81-87

Authors: Mirgaleev I.M., Sayfetdinova E.G.

The authors of this article consider an anonymous writing written in the Eastern Turkistan. This work was discovered in Tashkent in 1902 and was provisionally named “Tarikh-i Kashgar” by V.V. Bartold. Unfortunately, this work has not been fully studied despite the fact that it has been well known to the specialists. “Tarikh-i Kashgar” is written in the Turkic language similar to the language of many medieval literary works of the Golden Horde period. This work has never been translated into Russian in full, though already in 1969, an excerpt from “Tarikh-i Kashgar” was published in the collection of “Materials on the History of the Kazakh Khanates of the 15th–18th centuries”. “Tarikh-Kashgar” consists of 52 chapters. This article contains the transcription and translation of the 25th chapter on Jochi khan and his descendants.

103-128

Authors: Zaytsev I.V.

Prior to 1783, the historical development of Islam in Crimea is divided into at least two stages. The first stage is connected with the influence of the eastern lands of the Golden Horde, which included the Crimean ulus, as well as of the Mamluk Egypt. The second phase began in 1475 when, after the Ottoman conquest of the southern coast of the peninsula, the Crimean Khanate experienced strong cultural and religious influence of the Ottomans. However, the weakened Central Asian influence did not disappear completely, since the Ottoman Crimea was on the way of the Central Asian pilgrims. Beginning in the late 15th century, we see representatives of the ulama, Seyyids and revered sheikhs at the top of the hierarchy, among immediate circle of khans. The process of Islamization of the Khan’s court and the Office on the Ottoman style apparently was largely completed by the reign of Sahib Giray, who appears in the description of his panegyrist as a highly devout ruler. At the same time, the Crimean Islam gave birth to such a specific local phenomenon as worship of the Azizes – the graves of revered personages of the worldwide and local Islamic History.

150-162

Authors: Rustemov O.D.

The paper presents current issues of the style of Crimean legal documents (sidzhils) of the 17th–18th centuries. The subject of research is the traditions of making verbal portraits of people, who appear in the court decisions of the Crimean Khanate. The describing of people in the legal practice of the Crimean Khanate wore a traditional character and was not applied to all participants of the process. It also spoke about class inequality in this Muslim country. Such inequality was reflected in similes and metaphors, which were used in the preparation of verbal portrait. Typically, the compilation of some conditional descriptions of people was applied to the slaves who, for various reasons, appeared in court. Usually it would be the case, considering the slave’s redemption or another way of their release.Another way to identify people in the legal documents of the Crimean Khanate was a posting of their name, father’s name and place of residence. For more precise information, sometimes their position was reported in terms that existed in the Crimea in the specified period. As we know, it was time of the Ottoman language and Ottoman terminology. This article contains some examples of judicial decisions for the first time translated into Russian. The author considers the problem of official style in the Crimean Turkic language, which reflected the process of forming and fixing the style of legal chancery in the Crimean court registries of the 17th–18th centuries. Characteristically, the Ottoman written tradition replaced that of the Golden Horde during this period of the Crimean Khanate’s history.

187-196

Authors: Ismagilova M.R., Shagaviev D.A.

The presented fragment is the next part of the translation of the medieval poetic text “Qalandar-name” of Abu Bakr Qalanadar Rumi, who was a Sufi scholar from the Crimea. This Chapter is devoted to praises to ‘Uthman Dhu-l-Nurayn (The Owner of Two Lights), the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the third of the four Righteous Caliphs (al-Khulafa al-Rashidun). Within the ten rows, the author mentions the virtues of ‘Uthman, making the main emphasis on piety and charity of this Prophet’s companion. The Persian text is translated by Milyausha Ismagilova, a postgraduate student. Translation’s edition and comments are supplied by Damir Shagaviyev, the Head of Department of History of Religions and Public Thought, Shihab al-Din al-Marjani’s Institute of History (Kazan).

231-236

Authors: Sayfetdinova E.G.

This paper contains a review of the R.Yu. Pochekaev’s book “The Golden Horde Law”. The reviewer points out that the Pochekaev’s book is a significant academic research in both the study of the Golden Horde history and the law system of the Eurasian Turkic-Mongol peoples. This book is published by the Center for Research on the Golden Horde Civilization at the Sh.Marjani Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. For several years, the author of this book, R.Yu. Pochekaev, has been concerned with the the history of the Golden Horde State and its law system. He has published a number of works on this topic, the main conclusions of which are reflected in this generalizing work. The study is based on a wide range of sources (annals and chronicles, memoirs of contemporaries, bureaucratic and numismatic materials) and numerous studies including the works of foreign specialists in the original language. In his book, the author organically combines the latest achievements of research on both the Golden Horde history and theory and history of law. The book will be of interest to experts of the Golden Horde history and Orientalists, who are often faced with the legal aspects of the material under study.

240-242

Authors: Uskenbay K.Z.

This article contains a brief description of the International research confe­rence. The author gives a brief description of the papers presented at the conference. The following reports were presented at the conference: K.Z. Uskenbay. “The Kazakh Statehood during the Late Middle Ages in the Scientific Biography of K.A. Pishchulina”; A. Daulethan. “Formation of Kazakh Culture in the Era of the Mongol Uluses (13th–16th centuries)”; N. Kenzheahmet. “The Kazakh Kha­nate in the Chinese Sources (15th–16th centuries)”; I.M. Mirgaleev. “Activities of the Centre for Research on the Golden Horde History (Sh.Marjani Institute of History, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan) Aimed at Studying New Sources”; K.U. Torlanbaeva. “Ancient and Medieval Kazakhstan in Migration Processes”; Zh.Zh. Zhenis. “Continuity of Statehood and Traditional Worldview in the Empire of Genghis Khan”; A.P. Ermuhamedova. “The Oghuz Role in World History”; N.A. Atygaev. “Early Stage in the History of Kazakh Khanate in the Works of K.A. Pischulina”.

6-32

Authors: Khakimov R.S.

Researchers consider nomadic and sedentary cultures as evolutionary stages. The nomadic phase precedes a settled one as an inferior stage of civilization. The evolutionary view does not explain the combination of nomadic and settled cultures in the Golden Horde and the preservation of many features of nomadism in the future, up to the present day. A number of experts, in particular, Thomas Barfield believes that nomadic societies exist by levying tribute from the settled state, which raises doubts. The Eurasian nomadic civilization is associated with the organization of vital activity in the conditions of steppe climate zone requiring constant migrations aimed at producing a sufficient amount of livestock. Robbery and receiving tribute from other societies is not its main characteristic. More important for it is a specific arrangement of humans, animals, and vehicles allowing the movement of large numbers of people over long distances. The nomads were not so strongly tied to the land as sedentary people. The structure of society was not built according to a vertical hierarchy but on the clan system. The nomads provoked the Great Migration and created a number of nomadic empires as well as the Golden Horde, the top of nomadic civilization. The ability to integrate different peoples in the uniform State was associated with openness and toleration of nomadic culture. The nomads took advantage of warfare methods through mobility, effective combinations of weapons, horses, vehicles, and skills training of combat operations. Their army was not hired or regular but represented the people-army. The ability to effective warfare contributed to the nomadic expansion and exploration of the Eurasian space. The nomadic culture of the Golden Horde had its own characteristics associated with the conjunction of nomadic and settled population in the uniform State. Nomadism does not disappear as a culture and mentality over time. Large spaces and lack of federalization stimulate a return to the clan relations even today. Globalization, with its transparent boundaries, reproduces many of the elements of nomadism: mobility, openness, tolerance, non-hierarchical administrative system.

50-67

Authors: Hautala R.

The first mention of the Mongols appears in Latin sources in 1221. According to these sources, the Mongol army, which accomplished a number of conquests in Central Asia, Persia, and Transcaucasia, consisted of baptized nomads. Latin authors asserted that at the head of this army stood a certain David, “king of the Indies”, which sought to help the Middle Eastern Christians and “liberate” Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Undoubtedly, the Latin sources meant by the “deeds of king David” the first western campaign of the Mongols led by Genghis Khan, which began in 1219 and was directed against the Central Asian sultanate of Khwarezm. These Latin sources were written at the time, when the troops of Genghis Khan had already conquered Khwarezmian territory in Central Asia and began military actions in Khorasan, while the separate divisions of the Mongols led by Jebe and Subedei invaded Transcaucasia and inflicted the first serious defeat to the Christian kingdom of Georgia. Even though the later Oriental sources indicate the presence of certain baptized nomads in the Mongol army, at the moment it is known for certain that the bulk of the nomadic army of Genghis Khan did not adhere to the Christian religion and the Mongol divisions led by Jebe and Subedei were sent by Genghis Khan in the west in pursuit of the former Khwarezmian Sultan Muhammad rather than for the “liberation” of Jerusalem or provision of any tangible support to the Middle Eastern Christians. Thus, the early Latin information about the Mongols contains relatively accurate description of the western conquests of Genghis Khan, but represent a specific explanation for the Mongol expansion, which does not correspond to historical reality. This article represents an attempt to explain this distortion of reality. In the first part of the article, the author gives a brief description of the Latin sources containing information about the “king David’s” advance to the west. In the second part, the author attempts to find an explanation for the distortion of historical reality in Latin sources by considering the information of these sources in the ideological context of the Fifth Crusade.

95-105

Authors: Zainuddinov D.R.

The article deals with the problem of translation of Persian and Turkic lexical units in Arabic texts written between the 13th and 16th centuries. Author examines as an example an excerpt from the work of Ibn Khaldun (732/1332 – 808/1406) translated by V.G. Tiesenhausen. The author provides comments to the given translation and presents his own translation. The author also presents original analysis of the source both about the relations between Golden Horde and Constantinople and on the battle of Homs in 680 AH between Mangu Timur, son of Hulagu, and the Mamluk sultan al-Mansur. The author tries to prove that Mengu-Timur, son of Togan, did not participate in that war. This article also presents new sources of such authors as Yunini Kutb ad-din Musa ibn Muhammad (640/1242 – 726/1326), Yafi’I Abdulla ibn As’ad (698 – 768 AH) and bibliographic collection of al-Markisi Taki ad-din (died in 845 AH).

128-135

Authors: Akhmetzyanov M.I.

The article is aimed at studying the relationship between the modern Tatar publicistic and medieval written monuments of the Golden Horde, Crimea, and Kazan Khanate. Since the medieval Tatar written monuments are syncretic in content, they have the features of many types of genres of contemporary written document. In this case, the article sets the task to emphasize the similarity of these monuments with modern documents with publicistic content. As a result of research the author found that the medieval Tatar official yarlyks, charters and letters are the precursors of contemporary governmental letters and agreements. The only difference is that they are likely to reflect the official State ideology, whereas the modern Tatar publicistics reflect the public reaction to the news in the life of society.

146-158

Authors: Minnegulov Kh.Yu.

The Tatar verbal art of the 15th–18th centuries developed over more than three centuries and reflected, reflects very complicated, contradictory, and tragic periods in the history of the Tatar people. This is a time of the Golden Horde disintegration and formation on its vast territory of the Crimean, Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, Nogai, and Kasimov khanates. This is a time of establishing, rise, and conquest of the Tatar States. This is a time of severe colonial oppression, loss of a significant part of the spiritual and material values accumulated over the centuries. Moreover, at this stage of history, and especially after the elimination of Kazan and Astrakhan khanates, the population living in the Crimean khanate gradually begins to separate from the relatively uniform linguistic, cultural, and ethnic Tatar space due to the tangible Ottoman influence. Therefore, we should consider the verbal art of this era in three aspects and under three items: 1) Tatar literature of the Kazan khanate period (middle of the 15th – middle of the 17th centuries), including not only the Kazan khanate’s literature, but also of other Tatar States and, in particular, of the Astrakhan, Siberian, Nogai, Crimean, Kasimov khanates, as well as of the Great Horde; 2) Crimean Tatar verbal art of the 15th–18th centuries, that is, of the Crimean State including not only the Crimean peninsula, but also large areas of the Wes­tern Ciscaucasia, Northern Black Sea coast, as well as areas of the Azov region. Of course, this division of more than three centuries’ literary development is, to some extent, arbitrary. At the same time, it contributes to the formation of a certain idea about the Tatar verbal art’s development during the mentioned centuries.

178-206

Authors: Beisembiev T.K.

The article continues a series of Beisembiev’s publications [9; 13; 14] on “Jawāmi ul-Hikāyāt wa Lawāmi’ ul-Riwāyāt” by Sadid al-Din Muhammad al-‘Awfi (completed in the second quarter of the 13th century), the largest literary and historical prosaic work in Persian classical literature of pre-Mongol and Mongol periods. It contains a collection of over 2,100 stories (very poorly studied) on diverse subjects. Up to the present, a complete scholarly edition of this greatest historical source is not available. On the basis of all available publications and a manuscript copy of the early 14th century, Supplément Persan 95 (La Bibliothèque nationale de France), the author presents for the first time his Russian commented translation of 52 Awfi’s stories (hikayat) on the Ghaznavids, Samanids, Karakhanids, Seljukids and Khwa­rezmshahs and provides their interpretation. The titles of the stories, absent in the original, are invented by the translator. Each title is indicated by those number in parentheses, which is specified in the fundamental study on ‘Awfi by Muhammad Nizam ud-Din [40]. At the end of each story there is indicated, in square brackets, a bibliographical reference to the source, from which its translation was made. The “Repertoire” of ‘Awfi containing stories about the Samanids, Karakhanids, Seljukids and Khwarezmshahs is followed by a summarized table of all stories by ‘Awfi pertaining to these dynasties (totally 78 stories, from which 27 translated previously, with bibliographical notes to their publication). Analysis of the works on the dynasties in question by the famous academics (V.V. Bartold, V.A. Gordlevsky, C.E. Bosworth, S.G. Agadjanov, Z.M. Bu­niya­tov, N.N. Negmatov and B.D. Kochnev) shows that, unfortunately, none of them pay due attention to the valuable information of ‘Awfi. The author hopes that his publication will provide a deeper understanding in the study of Central Asian history as well as that of other regions in the pre-Mongol period.

215-219

Authors: Sayfetdinova E.G.

The International Scientific and Practical conference “Actual Problems of the Study and Preservation of the Islamic Legacy of the Crimea” dedicated to the 700th Anniversary of the Mosque of Uzbek khan (the oldest surviving mosque in the peninsula) has been held in Simferopol (Crimea) 14th–18th October 2014. The conference has been attended by scholars from both the regions of Russia and from near and far abroad.Conference was organized by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea, Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University, Tatar Museum of Art, Foundation for the Support of Islamic culture, science and education. After the end of sessions, there has been approved a resolution, which identified the key recommendations for the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Crimea.

6-24

Authors: Khakimov R.S.

Author of this article examines the relationship between history and ideology. Apart from the purely academic approach allowing to create an objective picture of the past events, history is widely used for ideological purposes. This is facilitated by the ability of the characters, events, and symbols of the past to motivate people to those or other actions, to consolidate the society around the significant ideas. Often, the intervention of ideology in exposition of history leads to a distortion of the past. Attitude to the Tatar factor in world history is an example of such an approach. Despite the achievements of the humanities, a false “story” about the Tatars, the Golden Horde has been preserved until today.The rewriting of history does not always act as its distortion or excuse for specific policies. It may be caused by the need for a modern interpretation of the past in connection with the emergence of new problems. In such a case rethinking of the past becomes a way both of overcoming the backwardness of society in one or another sphere and of correcting missed opportunities. Some “birthmarks” of this system emerge in connection with the return of Russia to capitalism. Russia faces the task of overcoming the “Long Middle Ages” through assimilation of the achievements of modern civilization.

50-56

Authors: Mirgaleev I.M., Khamidova Ch.I.

The authors of the present study describe the Rashid al-Din’s work “Shuab-i pandjghana” obtained from the archives of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul and containing genealogies of the reigning dynasties of the “five peoples”. The article contains a brief description of the previous study of this important Rashid al-Din’s work. The authors also analyze the information on the “Shuab-i pandjghana” contained in the A.P.Grigoryev’s study. The authors present their own version about how “Shuab-i pandjghana” got to Anatolia, how the latest version of Rashid al-Din’s work corresponds to his famous composition “Jami al-tawarikh”. The study contains comparison of the information given in two Rashid al-Din’s works – “Jami al-Tawarikh” and “Shuab-i pandjghana”, which shows the difference between them. The authors believe that the information gathered for “Jami al-tawarikh” was the main source, but then some additions and corrections were made. The authors of the article also make an attempt to determine the date when this genealogy was created. They think that this genealogy was compiled later than it is considered to be based on the information given in the preface of the “Shuab-i pandzhgana” and the genealogies. Also one of the arguments is that while writing such a large-scale work as “Jami al-tawarikh” it is difficult to prepare other complex work as genealogies. In the authors’ opinion the fact that the manuscript nowadays is known only in one copy counts in favor of the point of view that the work refers to the end of author’s life. According to the article, by using “Shuab-i pandjghana” one can both accurately trace the genealogy of the Batuid rulers in the Golden Horde and also have an excellent background information for understanding the genealogies of other Jochid branches.

69-76

Authors: Kemaloglu I.

Istanbul, throughout its history, has accommodated many states and civilizations. Therefore, the city besides having different names, also has monuments and places of worship belonging to various cultures and faiths. Due to this characteristics of the city there are Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian and Protestant churches along with the mosques and synagogues. Although the Mongols of Genghis Khan has never ruled Istanbul, one of the churches in the city is called Church of St. Mary of the Mongols. Called Despina khatun by the Mongols, St. Mary, whose names is given to the church, is the daughter of a Byzantine emperor Michael VIII. The Byzantine emperors paid importance to establish kinship ties both with Golden Horde and Ilkhanid states. Through the princes they aimed at preserving the balance and wanted to please the khans. Pursuing this policy, Mary had married to an Ilkhanid khan, Abaqa. After his death she returned to Istanbul and devoted herself to religion. Surviving until present, the church that was built and named by herself in Istanbul attracts attention both with its story of foundation and its name.

96-112

Authors: Khaydarov T.F., Dolbin D.A.

The article reviews the reasons for origin and consequences of spreading for the second plague pandemic in the Golden Horde. By applying scientific data from biology, climatology, medicine, and history, authors come to a conclusion that a large number of natural plague pestholes existed initially in the Ulus of Jochi. Numerous historical sources mentioned plague outbreaks but all of them were of purely local character. The bubonic type of plague characterized by a longer period of illness and an insignificant number of lethal episodes was spread more widely. In the mid-40s of the 14th century a new form of disease, the lung plague, came into existence. It was corpse blackening of the deceased from this type of plague that gave name to the whole pandemic – the “Black Death”. The speed of its progress and spreading significantly exceeded those of the bubonic type and 100% of mortality was recorded among the diseased. However, as historical data show, the outbreak of the lung plague continued in the territory of the Golden Horde from 1346 to 1349. In their article authors prove that one of the most important reasons for the emergence of the lung type was the change in migration flows of Eurasian rodents caused by depletion of nutritional resources in the steppe and serious climatic changes. All other outbreaks of the Black Death are viewed as continuation of the first wave of the disease and their emergence is explained through activity of two natural pestholes (the Relict North-Western and the Lower Volga ones). Consequences of the the first wave were much less substantial for the Ulus of Jochi than those of the following outbreaks (in 1364, 1374, and 1395). The main consequences of the next waves of the disease were: final establishment of 4 political centers (Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Bulgar and the Crimean uluses, and the Blue Horde) striving for political leadership in the territory of the former Golden Horde; establishment of a new ethnic group of the Volga Tatars; and strengthening of Islam’s position in the region.

134-147

Authors: Rudenko K.A.

The article considers the beginning of the Mongol invasion of Europe, a key moment in the history of Europe. Written sources contain little information about these events. Therefore, the main sources are the archaeological materials. Archaeological findings help us to reconstruct the process of the conquest of Volga Bulgaria. It was the first State that the Mongols conquered during the Western campaign. We can find out the nature of the changes in the Bulgar region of the Golden Horde, which occurred during the second half of the 13th century, both by exploring materials of such major Bulgarian cities as Bilyar, Bolghar, Juketau, Iski-Kazan (which became later the Golden Horde urban centers) as well as by studying the materials of rural settlements. If the hillforts’ materials indicate both the preservation of pre-Mongol traditions and significant innovations, then the materials of rural settlements are different and very individual. Insufficient research of the Golden Horde settlements does not allow us to make generalizations and detailed analysis. But we can identify a number of leading directions in the different periods of the Golden Horde history on the basis of the excavation of some settlements in the Western Trans-Kama region.

166-197

Authors: Gulevich V.P.

The first third of the 15th century was difficult and the most important period in formation of the Crimean Khanate. Despite the importance of the Crimea for the Golden Horde, it was rather peripheral district. The impossibility to control the situation on the peninsula has led to the fact that the Emir Idegei and his khans returned to the practice started by Toktamysh Khan at the end of the 14th century and allowed a local Chingizid Khan Bek-Sufi (from the genus of Tuka-Timur) to rule in the Crimea. As a ruler of the Crimean Ulus, Beck-Sufi Saray recognized the power of the Saray khans, whose governors were constantly in Solkhat. Khan Dawlet Berdi, brother of Beck-Sufi Khan, also received the approval from the Ulugh Muhammad Khan to rule in the Crimea, but tried to seize the power in the Golden Horde and lost. Thus, there is no reason to remove the date of the emergence of the Crimean khans and Crimean Khanate itself from 1442 to 1420. On the contrary to the accepted view of the active intervention of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas in the history of the Golden Horde, an objective analysis of the sources for the period of 1400–1430 does not confirm this.

208-215

Authors: Sabitov Zh.M.

In 2013 R.P. Khrapachevsky published a monograph “The Polovtsy-Kuns in the Volga-Ural Interfluve (according to the Chinese sources)”. The review outlines all the advantages and disadvantages of this academic work. Two main advantageous moments in the book under review are as follows. Full biography of Tutuq translated into Russian. More extensive argument of the thesis about the correct reading of the name of a distant ancestor of Tutuq (Qu-nien “Kunan” rather, than Quchu). Otherwise, the book under review contains a large number of errors which nullify those advantageous points raised above. It is worth noting that in terms of historiography R.P. Khrapachevsky ignores and does not use a lot of work on the Kipchaks, such as the works of S.M. Akhinzhanov, Ya.V. Pilipchuk, P. Pelliot, etc. Also the hypothesis that the Hunan (tribal chief of Tsubu tribe) is identical to Kunan (ancestor of Tutuq) is very perspective. The hypothesis of R.P. Khrapachevsky that Hunan and Kunan are two different people are not reasoned. In his book R.P. Khrapachevsky put forward the following theses: the real name of the Tutuq’s ancestor was not Qu-chu (Kucuk) but Qu-nien (Kunyan in the interpretation of R.P. Khrapachevsky). The name of Kunyan, who was the leader of the tribe of Kuns and ancestor of Tutuq, is translated as a “sample (example) of the Kuns”. According to R.P. Khrapachevsky, Inasy, the grandson of Kunyan, was born about 1115–1120 and died between 1208 and 1217. So, Kunyan was born in the middle of 12th century and led the migration of Kuns. The horde of Inasy first encountered the Mongols in 1208–1210 to help Khudu, chief of the Merkit tribe. All theses of R.P. Khrapachevsky contradict the primary sources’ information and hypotheses of other authors who have studied the Kipchaks. According to the Yuan-shi and Nasavi, the ruling tribe of Kipchaks was Bayaut but not Kun.

218-233

Authors: Hautala R.

The article contains a report on the international conference “Mobility and Transformations: Economic and Cultural Exchange in Mongol Eurasia” held in Jerusalem from 29th June to 1st July, 2014. The conference was organized by the Israel Institute of Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The main scope of the conference was to find an answer to the question: how the various forms of mobility, i.e. migration of large groups of people and broad dissemination of ideas and artifacts, affected the formation of intercultural exchange in the Mongol Empire of the 13th–14th centuries, and how great was the influence of these transformations? In particular, special attention in the conference was paid to the reconstruction of the cultural, commercial, religious, and intellectual exchanges within the Mongol Empire. The conference participants presented their reports on specific thematic panels. Therefore, the author describes them separately, including a brief description of the report of each participant. The participants of the conference reflects, to some extent, actual interests of contemporary researchers of the Mongol Empire.

6-21

Authors: Khakimov R.S.

Historical studies are based on the assumption that there is a reference-starting point of the space-time – the Zero point of coordinate system. Due to the bifurcation in the Zero Point, the course of social processes changes sharply and the probabilistic causality replaces the deterministic one. For this reason, changes occur in the structure of social relations and statehood form as well as in the course of the ethnic processes. In such a way emerges a new discourse of the national behavior. With regard to the history of the Tatars and Tatarstan, such bifurcation points occurred in the periods of the formation: 1) of the Turkic Khaganate, which began to exist from the 6th century onward and became a qualitatively new State system that reformatted old elements in the new matrix introducing a new discourse of behavior; 2) of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria, where the rivers (Kama, Volga, Vyatka) became the most important trade routes determining the singularity of this State. Here the nomadic culture was connected with the settled one and Islam became the official religion in 922; 3) and of the Golden Hordе, a powerful State with a remarkable system of communication, migration of huge human resources for thousands of kilometers, and extensive trade, that caused severe “mutations” in the ethnic terms and a huge mixing of ethnic groups. Given the dwelling space of Tatar population and its evolution within Russia, it can be argued that the Zero point of Tatar history, which conveyed the cultural invariants until today, begins in the Golden Horde. Neither in the Turkic khaganate nor in the Bulgar State, but namely in the Golden Horde. Despite the radical changes, the Russian Empire failed to transform the Tatars in the Russians. Therefore, contemporary Tatars preserved the Golden Horde tradition as a cultural invariant.

31-48

Authors: Hautala R.

The present article contains the Latin text, Russian translation, and commentary to the yarlyk of Uzbek khan (1312/13–1341). Uzbek khan granted this yarlyk to the Franciscans of the Golden Horde 20th March, 1314. Apparently, the original text of yarlyk was written in the Khwarezmian idiom of the Kipchak language. However, the original text of yarlyk has not been preserved as well as a number of other yarlyks of the Golden Horde khans, which survived only in the late Russian translation. Fortunately, this yarlyk was translated into Latin and, subsequently, this translation was rewritten by anonymous British copyist in the first half of the 14th century. Arthur Christopher Moule discovered this medieval copy of yarlyk along with several other Franciscan documents in one of the codices (D. Ii. 3.7.) stored in the Cambridge University Library. In 1924, Moule published the first and only edition of the yarlyk’s copy together with other Franciscan sources, provided with a thorough preface of Michael Bihl. The text of this Uzbek’s yarlyk have never been translated into modern languages. For this reason, the content of yarlyk has been known only to a narrow circle of specialists studying the Catholic missionary activity in the Mongol Empire. In turn, the scholars of the Golden Horde history, including researchers of the Jochid official documentation, have been unaware of this important legal document up to the present time. The content of Uzbek khan’s yarlyk points out that this document was based on the previous yarlyks of khan Mengu-Timur (1267–1282) and khan Tokhta (1291–1312). Thus, the content of yarlyk allows us to define the time of an emergence and future activities of the Franciscans in the territory of the Golden Horde. Furthermore, this information provide further evidence on the religious tolerance practice of the Jochid khans. In this context, the most significant is an indication of the Uzbek khan’s tolerant attitude toward Christians, despite the fact of his conversion to Islam.

80-102

Authors: Pilipchuk Ya.V.

This article considers the relationship between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Khanate of Kazan. The aim of this study is to analyze the dynamics and characteristics of the relations of the Kazan Khanate with Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Jagiellonian eastern policy is rightfully considered as one of the most important policy directions of the Polish Kings and Grand Dukes of Lithuania in the 16th century. Researchers have traditionally paid much more attention to the history of relations of the Crimean Khanate with Lithuania and Poland. Relations of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Kazan Khanate have been considered in the source study articles by D. Mustafina and B. Trepavlov analyzing the content of documents preserved in the Lithuanian State Archives (Lithuanian Methric). The main theme of this article is the military and political history of Eastern Europe in the first half of the 16th century. The author aims to clarify to what extent the European policy of the Kazan Khanate depended on the personalities of Sahib Giray and Safa Giray and their personal relations with Sigismund I the Old. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the author is the first to present to the researchers’ attention a complete picture of the Kazan-Lithuanian relations rather than focusing on particular issues of relations between the individual Grand Dukes and khans. The article examines the history of the interaction of the Kazan Tatars with Lithuanians and Poles in the context of relations of Lithuania with the Russian State and Crimean Khanate. Attempts to establish an anti-Russian alliance were undertaken during the first half of the 16th century. Mohammed Amin, from the dynasty of Ulugh Muhammad, expressed interest in the establishment of the union in 1506 only by the fact that it was profitable for him. In 1516–1518, the proposals of Sigismund I the Old to make an alliance did not meet the response in Kazan. In general, the dynasty of Ulugh Muhammad was not a supporter of rapprochement with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The real union between the Kazan Tatars and Lithuanians became possible only during the second rule of Safa Giray in Kazan. Only once and namely in 1535–1537, the Lithuanians supported Kazan in the war against the Russians. The continuous contact between the Kazan Khanate and Grand Duchy of Lithuania was only possible when the alliance was supported by the Crimean Khanate. Mutual raids of the Cossacks of Grand Duchy of Lithuania and troops of the Tatar frontier beys were one of the main destabilizing factors in the relationship between the Jagiellonians and Girays. The Kazan embassy to the Lithuanians and Poles in 1551 found no response from Sigismund II Augustus. The Jagiellonians were not interested in an alliance with the Kazan Tatars. Only the Crimean Girays and eastern Nogays were the staunch allies of Kazan.

121-138

Authors: Maslyuzhenko D.N.

The author of this article identifies the daily and political traditions in the Khanate of Abu al-Khair, which researchers traditionally call the “State of nomadic Uzbeks”. This State was created in the south of Western Siberia in the 1430’s and annexed by military means to the land of Shiban’s (the younger brother of Batu) descendants. The overwhelming majority of researchers consider it as a Muslim State since its very foundation, substantiating their allegations by indication both on the reading of khutba in honor of Khan after he took the “throne of Sain Khan” and on the presence of the sheikhs and Sufis in his entourage. At the same time, the authority of Abu al-Khair had the strong support of nomadic elite of more than twenty tribes. Precisely this elite, its inquiries and interests, which were advocated on the nobility councils, formed the existing political and daily traditions. These traditions reflect the preservation of Turko-Mongol customs among nomadic populations. We can find analogies of these practices in the earlier customs among the precursors of post-Golden Horde State, i.e., in the Mongol Empire and the ulus of Jochi. Traditions of the Abu al-Khair’s Khanate represented a phenomenon of cultural inertia, which were restored in the conditions of Islamization and could become the adats. This effect is particularly significant in view of the specific attitude of Sufi tariqats to the phenomena of social life. In political terms, of particular importance among these was the restoration of the Toy and the related kurultay that could take place in accordance with the existing steppe (animals) calendar. The khans restored the ritual of robes and belts’ distribution as the main mechanism for redeployment of posts and responsibilities among the steppe aristocracy. Military tradition was also focused on samples of the previous time, which was particularly manifested in the selection of wings and avant-garde. In the course of military operations, there was the prevalent practice of magical rites known since the early Middle Ages and aimed at influencing the weather by means of the magic stone “yada” and Yadachi-sorcerers.

153-174

Authors: Schamiloglu U.

This paper presents in summary form results of the author’s study of the Turkic-Muslim sources. A number of Turkic narrative sources are preserved to us from the post-Golden Horde time, i.e. period of the successor States of the Golden Horde of the 15th–18th centuries. These narrative sources (mainly chronicles) are of fundamental importance for the study of the Eurasian history in the 13th–18th centuries. Since most of these works are available only in the original Turkish, they remain inaccessible and sometimes even unknown to the main part of modern scholars. Therefore, the author provides an overview of these historical writings, together with a more detailed study of one particular work, “Umdet ul-Ahbar / Umdetul-ahbar”. He expresses the hope that this review will contribute to the integration of the Turkic sources in the study of the western Eurasian history. This article contains several examples showing how useful can be this later source for understanding the history of the ulus of Jochi in the 13th century. The author pays special attention to this source’s information both about the existence of “ruling clans (tribes)” and on the role of the Karachi beys and kurultay in the government of the ulus of Jochi and post-Golden Horde States. The author emphasizes the role of Shiban and his descendants in determination of the Jochid foreign policy, in the implementation of their conquests in the West and distribution of the uluses in Eastern Europe and, in particular, in the Crimea. Although the later Turkic-Muslim sources require a more detailed analysis, this article represents the first pioneering step in this direction.

191-206

Authors: Korpela J.

The east European trade of slaves was big business. It had long roots at least from the age of Vikings and thousands of prisoners were transported yearly from Crimea and Kazan’ – Astrakhan to the markets of Central Asia, Asia Minor and Mediterranean area and finally even to India. The wars of the 15th and 16th centuries may have increased the number of northern slaves in the Muscovite – Volga markets. The slaves of the trade were divided into two main categories. First there were ordinary cheap manpower and secondly extraordinary cases which were bought for the harems for noble families and as luxury. The point of this article is to illuminate the difference between baptized and unbaptized persons in the connection of the slave trade. It is namely curious that this religious aspect was stressed so seriously, and therefore it requests for an explanation. This phenomenon belongs only to the late 16th century. The state formation had created the Baptism as a criterium for the subject of ruler and this as a side product the protection against slave trade. From the author’s point of view one should pay attention to: 1) The slave trade of blond (nemci) girls must have been a big issue already early, because the administration building did not of course form the request. 2) Earlier the religion of the trading objects was a concern of the Church but not of the ruler. When the new economic thinking created an idea of realm economy, the people living in the realm became to means of production and tax payers. This required to limit their kidnapping away. 3) Because the religion became to be a criterium in state formation it became accidentally also a qualification of slave trade. 4) The traders did not take otherwise care of religious issues in this connection, and therefore the illegal trade may have continued also with baptized persons.

215-227

Authors: Sabitov Zh.M.

The author of this review examines four main types of errors contained in the B.A. Muratov’s book “Ethnogenesis of the Bashkirs: Historiography and Contemporary Research”. Factual errors. The author often makes factual errors by inventing some facts or ideas, which he attributes to certain researchers. Methodological errors. An improper use of the population genetics methods has led the author of this monograph to incorrect conclusions. The author does not use at all such methods as multidimensional scaling, calculation of genetic distances, AMOVA, cluster analysis, etc. In turn, the author incorrectly uses such methods as the construction of phylogenetic networks and the allocation of close haplotypes based on networks of clusters. The author has not made a selection of modal haplotype (haplotype of the founder). He made a lot of mistakes in calculating TMRCA (the lifetime of the first common ancestor) based on genealogical and evolutionary rates of mutations. One of the main error is the small sample size for the study of Bashkir clans (n=45). Therefore, the conclusions drawn from such a small sample, are poorly reasoned. Historical fantasy. For example, B.A. Muratov quite unreasonably hypothesizes about the genetic connection of the Bashkir tribe Burzyan with the Mongol tribe Kiyat-Bordjigin. He also put forward unsubstantiated hypotheses about the genetic connection of the same Bashkir tribe Burzyan with Kurds, Ossetians-Digorians, Berendeys. At the same time. Muratov, naturally, did not provide any genetic evidence (belonging to a common terminal SNP-marker). Grammatical mistakes. The main thesis of the B.A. Muratov’s book sounds like: the Bashkirs are (certain) “Turanians”. The main mistake here is the identification of SNP-marker Z2123 with the ethno-religious category of “Turan”. This identification is not methodologically correct as social constructs and genetic markers are different in nature of their appearance, functioning and development. Thus, the mixing of genetic markers and ethno-religious is not methodologically correct when reconstructing history

237-243

Authors: Maslyuzhenko D.N., Tataurov S.F.

The article summarizes the results of the Second National Research Conference “History, Economics and Culture of the Medieval Turko-Tatar States of Western Siberia”, which was held in Kurgan on 17th–18th April 2014. 38 researchers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine participated at the Conference. The Conference was focused on several topics. On the first day, the Conference started with the issues of the Shiban’s ulus history and a role of the Shibanids in the history of the Golden Horde, including the issue of the borders of these lands, the ulus of Jochi’s place in its administrative structure, the participation of representatives of the dynasty in the events of the Great Zamyatnya (i.e, the Great Distemper) and strives of the 1420’s. There were also discussed the ethnic and political processes in the Tyumen and Siberian Yurt. Considerable attention was paid to the Turkization of the Western Siberian population and formation of various groups of the Siberian Tatars. Researchers have noted the limitations of the source base of the late-medieval history of the region and the need for a comprehensive approach to the research involving experts in the fields of history, archaeology, ethnography, anthropology, linguistics. A separate debate was held on the role of the Nogai and Bukhara factor in the history of the Kuchum Siberian khanate. On the second day, there were discussed various aspects of the Turkic-Tatar peoples’ occurrence from the Ural-Irtysh interfluve to the Russian State. There were presented reports both on the policy and destiny of the Kuchum descendants and legal and military aspects of the Tatar yurtes’ subordination. There was held a discussion about two versions of the Ichkinski Tatar ethnogenesis as a special group of the Tatar population of the region. Thereupon, the conference participants called for a cautious stance on the use of ethnic reconstructions in Turkic history and their use in the construction of modern inter-ethnic relations in Russia. There were also presentations on issues of spiritual and material culture of the Tatar peoples of Western Siberia. Considerable attention was paid to the Islamization of the Turkish-Tatar groups in Western Siberia and the existence of Islamic institutions in the region by under Russian power.