Turkic Origins of the Traditional Kazakh Historical Thought and Islamic Influence on its Formation

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The study aims to determine the Turkic origins of the traditional Kazakh historical thought and Islamic influence on its formation and to provide a scientific reconstruction of the Kazakh Khanate's history. Methods: Methodological analysis of the medieval-era written sources presupposes the usage of the methods of forecasting and assumption, comparison and scientific reconstruction, aimed at the disclosure of the content of scientifically-confirmed events and facts that can be found in genealogical tables, genealogies, and traditional written sources. Genealogy is used as an auxiliary method. Findings: As a result, the functions of genealogical data as a unique historical source that reveals the essence of the social and political relationships and social institutions of the traditional Kazakh society were classified. Thus, greater emphasis was placed on the religious and spiritual aspects of ethno-political processes in the society, which previously were not covered in the fundamental studies based on ideological postulates. The paper also provides the periodization of the Kazakh historical thought formation and development, systematizes the process of integration of the Islamic historical thought and the foundations of the Turkic worldview into the genealogical data that strengthened the tribal structure of the Kazakh society. For the first time, the concept of transformation of the ancient Turkic notion of the sacredness of the authority over the Islamic spiritual and political values advocated by the Turko-Islamic Sufi Ahmad Yasawi as a basis of the state ideology of the Kazakh Khanate was proposed. The Kazakh shezhire (genealogy) as a genre of oral history was evaluated methodologically. Applications/Improvements: The results of this study can be used in teaching relevant disciplines such as history, sociology, political science, etc. at higher educational institutions, and as sources for research papers and dissertations.