Theme 3. Kazakhstan in the period of the Mongol invasion

1) The sources on the history of the Mongols. Historiography of the history of the Mongols.

A period of the Mongol invasion in XIII-XIV cc. A very important source on the history of the Mongols is “The Secret history of Mongols”. This source was translated into a few languages. The source gives more detailed interesting and important information about the history of the Mongols, Mongol state, about activity of Genghis khan and Ugedei khan.Next important source is “The collection of chronicles” by Rashid ad-Din. The source consists of the three parts. The first partdevotedto the history of the Mongols and the Turkics. The second part is about the history of well known states and nations of the world including India, China, Europe and etc. There existed the third part, which was not remained. Next important source is “Genghis khan, history of a conqueror of the world” by Juvayni. Next important source is “History of the Mongols and journey to Mongolia by John of Plano Karpini and William of Rubruck”. As the professor, the author of the numerous works on the history of the Mongol empire Z. Kinajatuly pointed out “The historiography, which devoted to the biography of the Genghis khan exceed 800 titles”. It is known, that the history of Mongol empire was interpretated ambiguously by the historians of different times. According to this conception in the first period which finished in 1206, Genghis khan introduced defined contribution to the concern consolidation of the Mongols and creation of the first Mongol state. In the second period – which started after 1206 and adopted aggressive type from 1211, it played a negative role. During this period the historical, creative role of the Genghis khan’s successors started. The uluses which were created by the successor of Genghis khan introduced to the world new orders, the basis of many national states were cre at ed. Nowadays some historians including Z. Kinajatuly suggest new conceptions on the history of Kazakhstan in the Mongol period. And this conception is defined as a new period in the Mongol epoch – “Kazakhstan in the Mongol period, struggles of the Genghis khan’s successors for creation of separate Kazakh state”.

2) Kazakhstan in the period of the Mongol invasion. By the middle of the XII- at the beginning of the XIII cc. on the territory of Central Asia (contemporary Mongolia) different nomadic Turkic -speaking and Mongol tribes such as the Oirats, the Merkits, the Tatars, the Mongols, the Naimans, the Kereits and etc. settled (nearly 20 tribal union). Son of the Yesukei bakhadur – Temujin. In 1206 in the upper of the Onon river Temujin called Great meeting – Kurultai. All the territory and the population of the country are divided into 3 military and administrative districts: right wing (barungar), left wing (zhungar) and center (gol). Each district divided into tumens, consisting of ten thousand people, and each " one thousand" - from ten " hundreds", the latter - from ten " tens". In 1207 - 1209 Genghis khan's army, making devastating attacks, subordinated the Uyghurs living in the territory of modern East Turkestan. In 1211 he with a large number of armies made a campaign to Northern China, took Beijing and other cities. In 1211 Genghis khan started Eastern trip. During this trip he defeated Tangut state Thi Thja, captured western China and the capital Chinju (Beijin). In 1219 Genghis khan started western trip. The cause was “Otrar catastrophe”.Genghis khan attached great value to a campaign to Kazakhstan and Central Asia as the way to Eastern Europe and Forward Asia opened from here. His reason for invasion was so-called " Otrar catastrophe". Genghis khan in the summer of 1218 for the purpose of, mainly, military investigation sends the caravan consisting of 500 camels loaded with goods to Central Asia. Together with Mongols-spies there were 450 people. On the way the caravan stopped in Otrar. The governor of Otrar Gair khan suspected the merchants of espionage then ordered to kill them and to plunder a caravan. It was the cause for Genghis Khan to start a war against Khoresm, but the true reason, of course, was aggressive policy of a ruling heads of Mongols.By the beginning of the war Genghis khan collected big force and in September 1219 his 120 - 150 thousand army moved from the banks of the Irtysh where he spent summer, to the west through Zhetysu. People actively fought against Genghis khan’s army, firmly and courageously protecting lands, not wishing to reconcile to a fate, prepared to them by conquerors. Especially striking example of heroism showed Otrar's inhabitants, five months of resisting to 10-thousand group thrown onto this city. The western trip of Genghis khan lasted for 5 years. As a result of western trip the Mongol army conquered the territory of Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, Khurasan, Afghanistan, Northern India, Northern Iran, Southern region of Rus. Consequently, the territory of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia entered into the structure of Mongol empire. The author of ‘The collection of chronicler’ Rashid ad-Din claims that Genghis khan had approximately 500 wives and concubines. The territory of Kazakhstan entered into the structure of three Mongolian uluses.The most part of steppe spaces of the north of the country and the areas from the upper reacher of the Irtysh to Alakul lake and farther to west to Or and Syr-Darya rivers enterd Juji’s ulus. Southern and Southeast Kazakhstan entered Shagatay’s ulus. Also ulus included East Turkestan and Maverannahr. Northeast Kazakhstan was a part of Ugedey’s ulus, which included the territory of western Mongolia, the areas of the upper Irtysh and Tarbagatai.Genghis khan’s hordes were carried by all-destroying avalanche on steppes, the cities and rural lands.

3) Kazakhstan in the structure of the Golden Horde. The sources on the history of the Golden Horde are of considerable quantity. They were written in many languages – in Russian, Armenian, Greek, Mongol, Chinese, Czeck, Arabian, Turkiс, Persian and etc. An important source for studying of the Mongol invasion in South Kazakhstan and Middle Asia is “Genghis khan. History of the world conqueror” by Al-Malik Juvayni. “The collection of Chronicler” by Rashid ad-Din is the most important source on the history of the Mongols and Turkic nations of the XII-XIII cc. The second volume “The collection of chronicler” contains the information on the ethnic structure of the tribes, toponymy, historical geography, political history of Kazakhstan of the period of its entering in the structure of Mongolian uluses, and etc. A lot of data on the social and economic, political development of Juji ulus in world historical science were taken from the works of European authors – Plano Karpini, Willian Rubruck and Marco Polo, written during their trips to the headquarters of the Great Mongol khan: Plano Karpini – 1245-1247, Willian Rubruck – 1253-1255, Marco Polo – at the end of the XIII century. Were a purposeful political action: the goal of the travelers was collecting as more data of very diverse character about military, economic and social and political structure of the Mongol Empire as possible. Studying the history of the Golden Horde started as early as in the beginning of XIX c. the Russian historian A.M.Shlezer brought up a problem to discuss the great urgency and ne c essity of studying “Mongol” period in the Russian history. The Russia Academy of Sciences announced a contest to bring up the problem on the Mongol invasion of the Eastern Europe and the history of the Golden Horde for the second time. In 1835 extensive research work of the German orientalist Joseph von Hammer –Purgstall was presented to Academy of Sciences. The historiography of the Golden Horde increased with new researches in the Soviet period. A huge important contribution to the research of the Mongol invasion and Golden Horde was made by the historians of the second half 30-es XX c. Among these works, consecrating to the social and economic history of the Mongols, the monograph of B.Y.Vladimirthov. B.Y.Vladimirthov determined social structure of the Mongols as original form of feudalism – “nomadic feudalism”, economic basis which was feudal property to the grassland. An important monograph on the history of Golden Horde belongs to B.O. Grekov and A.I.Yakubowski “Golden Horde”, was published in 1937. This research is in fact the first resumptive work on history of the Golden Horde. The monograph consists of the three parts. The first part “The formation and development of the Golden Horde in the XIII-XIVcc.” – 8 chapters, the second part “the Golden Horde and Russia” – 7 chapters and third part “Collapse of the Golden Horde”- 5 chapters. As we can see the monograph covers all history of the Golden Horde, from the Mongol invasion, the formation of the Golden Horde and the collapse of Golden Horde. Multitude works on the history of the Golden Horde were published. Among them the researches of M.G.Safargaliev, N.L. Yegorov, G.F. Feodorov- Davidov and other researchers. They studied the problems of economy, social structure, political history, historical geography of the Golden Horde. In connection with the death of Juji in 1227, his successor Batu came to the power (Batu is the second son of Juji). According to the “Turkic’s family tree” of Abulgazy “On hearing about the death of Juji Genghis khan grieved and declare mouming. He asked Otchugin to set off to the Deshti Qipchaq and to proclaim the second son of Juji – Batu as a khan. Everybody unanimously recognized the power of Batu. Rashid ad-Din wrote about this event “Orda, supporting the decision of Genghis khan, throned Batu himself on their father’s place”. In 1227 Genghis khan died. But death of Genghis khan did not change the policy of his successors. They made every effort to fulfill the will of the founder of dynasty – to capture new lands. At the Kurultai of the Mongol’s elite (aristocracy) a decision was taken about a military campaign to Eastern Europe. In 1236-1242 the western campaign of Mongols took place. As a result of western campaign the Mongols came up to Eastern Europe – to the Danube river. Mongol’s troop captured Poland, Luthuania, Czeck, Hungary, Caucasia, and Crimea. After the campaigns Batu returned to the Volga stepps and had established the Golden Horde. Until 1269 the Golden Horde was a member of the Mongol Empire. The Mongol Empire included the Golden Horde, Shagatay’s state and Ulus of Tulyi. The Golden Horde appeared at the turn of the Europe and Asia. Its position determined its role and significance in the life of the Eurasian continent. The capital was Sarai-Batu (near contemporary Astrakhan), then it moved to the Sarai-Berke. Batu khan founded powerful, greatest steppes state of the Middle Ages. The population of the Golden Horde varied. The Mongols were minor, main bulk of Mongols remained in Mongolia. The bulk of the population of the Golden Horde were Turkic nations, Qipchaqs-polovez of Kazakhstan, Povolzh’e, Prichernomor’e, inhabitants of Khorezm, Volga Bulgaria, the Russian Principality which was conquered by Mongols. After finishing western campaign to the Eastern Europe, Batu decided to share the Horde between his brothers, who participated in these campaigns Orda Edzhen and Shaiban. The Northeastern of the Zhetysu, vast region of the pool Irtysh, the steppes of the Ulytau and Karatau entered into the Orda Ezhen’s ulus. Actually from the middle XIIIc. Orda Ezhen’s ulus was independent state, which is called in the Eastern sources as Ak Horde. Abulgazy reports about Shaibanids ulus “To west from his ulus, that is vast space between foothills Ural and the Tobol, the Zhaik, the Irgiz Rivers in the summer, in the pool Aral Sea, the Shu, the Sarisu and lower of the Syr-Darya rivers in the winter”. Afer the death of Batu, Berke camе to the power (1257-1266) –the third son of Juji. Under Berke the golden horde finally separated from Mongol Empire. A new capital of the Golden Horde was Sarai Berke (on the Volga, above Sarai Batu, not far from of the contemporary Volgagrad). He started more intensed town-planning. Berke khan engaged the scientists, poets, theologians, craftsmen and merchants from Iran, Egypt, Khorezm. Aloud trade and diplomatic relations enlived with eastern countinent.