Golden Horde Research Articles

PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN A WRITTEN MONUMENT SAFE SHEDS «GULISTAN BIT-TURKI»

The language of written monuments of the Golden Horde era is rich in such artistic and stylistic means as phraseological units and metaphors that reflect the worldview and way of life of the Turkic peoples. Therefore, the relevance of the research topic is due to the value of studying phraseological units and metaphors found in the written monument of the Sarai Safe «Gulistan bit-Turki» (hereinafter – «Turkshe Gulistan») of the Golden Horde period. The article analyzes phraseological units and metaphors in two aspects: structural-semantic and linguocognitive. Phraseological units and metaphors are divided into four lexical and semantic groups and their continuity with the Kazakh language is analyzed. Phraseological units and figurative expressions, collected in eight sections of the written monument, form the concept of «Man», which reflect the existence and knowledge of the people. They are intertwined with the religious knowledge of that period. The concept of «Man» is subdivided and analyzed according to the linguocognitive models «Man – power», «Man – satisfaction», «Man – about the benefits of laconicism». The practical significance of the work. Linguistic explanations of metaphors and phraseological units in the text of "Turkshe Gulistan" can be used in the practical development of semantic meta-marks of linguistic units of medieval texts of the historical subcorpus. They are being developed within the framework of the National Corpus of the Kazakh Language at the Institute of Linguistics Akhmet Baitursynov.

Alans and Chingizid States in 13th-15th Centuries

The article examines the relationship between the Alans and the Mongols during the latter’s global expansion. The aim is to present the main historical narratives on this issue. Various multilingual written sources from the 13th-16th centuries were used for the research. The historical-genetic approach allowed for the presentation of relevant source information outside the context of specific studies on different aspects of the problem. As a result, Alan-Mongol relations are traced within the complex of historical events, processes, and phenomena that constituted Mongol expansion. Conclusions are drawn that the Alans, inhabiting various regions of Eurasia, were drawn into the orbit of the internal and external political life of the Mongol Empire. It is asserted that despite the severe consequences of Mongol conquest, Caucasian Alania managed to integrate into the economic and political system of the Golden Horde, while Alan settlement enclaves and districts in its western and eastern parts, as well as Alans in Mongolia and China, were assimilated. Additionally, it is shown that ally-vassal relations with the Jochids played a crucial role for the North Caucasian Alans, involving them in confrontation with Timur’s empire on the side of Khan Tokhtamysh.

FEATURES OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING STRUCTURE OF THE GOLDEN HORDE CITIES OF THE LOWER VOLGA REGION

The Lower Volga region was the center of all trade routes, both economically and politically, until the collapse of the Golden Horde state. Starting from the 40-50s of the 13th century, in the Lower Volga region began the town-planning activities of the Golden Horde khans.  Since the cities of the Golden Horde arose not as a result of the long-term development of the settlement network, but with the support of the rule of the Golden Horde khans, the historical features of the cities include the absence of a traceable transition process from settlements to cities. In addition, some “typical” criteria for determining the urban character of a monument, for example the presence of fortifications, do not apply to the cities of the Golden Horde. In many cities of the Golden Horde, even very large ones, fortifications were not found until the civil strife of the 60-70s of the 14th century. The spread of Islam in the Golden Horde Volga region from the beginning of the 14th century influenced the development of Golden Horde architecture and decoration. The ornamental style of the architectural and planning structure of the Golden Horde cities of the lower Volga region was primarily under the strong influence of the masters of Central Asia, Transcaucasia and Iran.

Relations between Siberian and Kazakh Khanates in 15th-16th Centuries

This study explores the stages of interaction in the 15th-16th centuries between two Turkic post-Golden Horde states: the Siberian Khanate and the Kazakh Khanate. The role of the Kazakh factor in the ethnic history of the Siberian Tatars is examined. Primary sources such as chronicles, charters, treaties, and other published documents are utilized for analysis. It is demonstrated that the common tribal composition of these states is linked to the maintenance of close relations between their polities and institutional mechanisms inherited from the previous Golden Horde period. However, the formation of political entities (the Kazakh and Siberian Khanates) in the mid to late 15th century initiated processes leading to the emergence of distinct ethnic communities (Kazakhs and Siberian Tatars) within these states. The traditional belief in historical literature that Kuchum was a ‘Kazakh prince’ is challenged. The author disputes the position of Kazakh colleagues regarding the significant role of the ‘Kazakh’ factor, including Sultan   Urus-Muhammad, in the later period of the Siberian Khanate. The nature of Siberian-Kazakh relations in the 16th century was influenced not only by the interests of the khanates’ rulers but also by external challenges posed by the emergence of new powerful political centers and leaders. The research's relevance stems from the limited exploration of the topic and conflicting approaches to the history of the formation of the Siberian Khanate and the ethnic community of Siberian Tatars in modern historiography.

Military affairs in the Golden Horde and Turan: a comparative analysis

The purpose of the article is a historical reconstruction of the most important components of the military affairs of the Golden Horde and Turan, their comparative analysis, establishment of common features and differences, as well as clarification of the social and military-technical reasons that led to the military defeat and subsequent decline of Ulus Juchi. The research methodology, in addition to observing the principles of objectivity and historicism, consisted in the consistent application of the historical comparative method, its heuristic, analytical, descriptive functions and the function of identifying borrowings and influences. The scientific novelty is contained in the systematic application of a comparative analysis of the military affairs in Ulus Juchi and in the state of Timur, revealing the effectiveness of transfers and durability of elements of the military art of the Mongolian and Turkic ethnic communities. Conclusions. The author has found the military affairs of the Genghisids to be based on Mongolian military traditions and experience. Decimal system and the left-right arms and the center structuring underlay the military organization of the countries. Golden Horde and Ulus Chagatai preserved general military duty. Mobilization resource comprised hundreds of thousands of prepared warriors called horse-soldiers. The paper has identified that the would-be reinforcement training was naturally held in professional and living environments of the Nomads. It was battue hunting that played a significant role in military organization and tactics. The armies of Golden Horde and Turan consisted of light and heavily armed cavalry. The article has demonstrated that the Tymur’s infantry was of great importance and performed special vital urgent tasks but supporting role. Being a general, Tymur among the followers of Mongolian war principal was the first to take notice of the new tendency in military affairs. The army of Golden Horden was proved to successfully know the Nomads’ basic tactical techniques – “round dance”, “crow’s flock”, “shiuchi” and “tulgam”. “Tulgama” known as bypassing the enemy from one or two flanks and getting behind his lines when battling, was the most effective tactical military instrument of the Genghisids states. The Turan army lead by Tymur, was able to contrast “tulgama” with their own organizational and tactical innovations. Tymur covered cavalry corps of the left and right arms were by “canbulas” – protective corps with the number no less than the main divisions. Their clear task included to prevent the enemy’s cavalry from going around from the flanks. They fought together with the vanguard corps. The most important Tymur’s innovation was introducing a powerful rearguard – a corps of patches of twenty koshuns. Unlike the Golden Horde warriors, Tymur enriched the Mongolian art of war with systemic use of reserves. The paper has found that military organization of Golden Horde and Turan was tightly connected with the social structure. In the middle of the 14th century Ulus Dzhuchi survived the political crises “Great Confusion” that provoked increasing of centrifugal motion. After political anarchy, uluses were assigned to the Juchid clans. Bekliarbek (a stoker) position creation was a sign of feudalization and central power weakening in Golden Horde. The way Khan Tokhtamysh had distributed suurgals (patches) in order to increase the number of his adherents, didn’t bring power consolidation, but loose it contrariwise. In the Tokhtamysh army it was revealed with commanders (oglans and beks) betrayal. The Tymur’s state was in the ascendancy; allowance of uluses and suurgals was developed with establishing clear and definite military duties. Feudalization tendency hadn’t appeared clearly in Turan yet. That lead to more solidarity and motivation of the Tymur’s army in his resistance with Tokhtamysh.

Where Was Sarai, the “Capital” of the Jochid Ulus? Some Perspectives for Research on Sarai

Abstract Regarding Sarai – the “capital” of the Jochid ulus (Golden Horde) and the “metropolis of the Qipchaq Steppe” – it is the established theory that Old Sarai was located at the Selitrennoe site, and New Sarai at the Tsarevskoe site, both on the Akhtuba River. However, new theories that disagree with this have emerged: these theories claim that there was only one Sarai, or that Sarai was located at different places. First, I examine these new theories, and show that, indeed, there may have been two Sarais, old and new. Next, I argue the following possibilities: the lower Volga valley between Sarai–Hajji Tarkhan as winter camp and Ukek–Bulgar as summer camp was the “capital region” of the early Jochid ulus; Saraijuq has been discussed as being the khans’ burial grounds (qoruq), however, from archaeological surveys and the “[dynasty] table” (jadwal) in the Paris manuscript of Muntakhab al-Tawārīkh-i Muʿīnī, Sarai (and its suburbs) also assumed that role.

Рокыя Мөхәммәдиш татар хатын-кызларының милләт тормышындагы роле турында

The article analyses the views of a prominent representative of the Tatar emigration, teacher, journalist, and public figure Rukiya Mukhammadish on the Tatar woman and her role in the fate of the people. The work is accompanied by a publication written by Rukiya Mukhammadish in the newspaper “Milli Bayraq”, which was published in Mukden, Manchuria in 1935–1945. The publication made a considerable contribution to the enlightenment and the cultivation of national identity among the Tatars in the Far East. The presented source is dedicated to highlighting the role of the Tatar woman in the national education, life and history of the people in various periods of its existence. In the article “Woman in the Life of Our Nation”, R. Mukhammadish sets a goal to show the place of women in the family, in the life of the people and the state, and gives examples from various historical sources. According to the author, the position of women in the Turkic society was quite free; they were distinguished by their courage, determination and participated in solving not only family but also state-related issues. Women of the Golden Horde participated in the government affairs; in the Kazan Khanate, they ruled the country. The upbringing of mothers and Abystays helped to preserve Islam, their native language, and folk traditions. Thus, women fulfilled their responsibilities not only to their family, but also to the people and the country. The purpose of the presented article is to raise the national self-awareness (“milli barlyk”) of Tatar emigrants and disseminate historical knowledge among them. The relevance of documents of this nature lies in the fact that they are valuable sources for studying the life and features of the development of social and pedagogical thought of the Mukhadzhir Tatars.

I. SÜLEYMAN’IN OĞULLARININ SÜNNET DÜĞÜNÜNDEKİ TATAR HANZADESİNİN KİMLİĞİ ÜZERİNE

One of the homelands of the Turks in the world is the plains north of the Black Sea. The Crimean Khanate, which has existed in these plains for about 350 years, is the last of the independent Turkic states that dominated in the north of the Black Sea. Since its establishment, the Crimean Khanate established political, social, cultural and economic relations with other states and communities in and around the Black Sea. One of the main features that distinguishes the Crimean Khanate, which was one of the heirs of the Golden Horde State like the Kazan Khanate and the Astarhan Khanate, from other khanates is that the fact that this state endured longer. The most important factor for this is that the Khanate accepted the Ottoman Empire's subordination from its early period. All the Tatar Khanates that emerged from the Golden Horde State continued the tradition of their rulers being descended from Genghis Khan. Being of Genghis lineage ensured that all hanzades had a say in the state administration. Unable to ascend to the throne on their own, the hanzades needed the support of various states, which were their enemies. These states supported the hanzades in line with their own interests, and groupings emerged within the khanates. These groupings led to internal conflicts in time and Tatar Khanates did not last long. In the early period of the Crimean Khanate, as in other khanates, internal conflicts threatened the state with collapse soon after its foundation, but the state was prevented from collapse when it came under Ottoman rule in 1475. The Crimean khans, with the exception of Mehmet Giray Khan I, began to sit on the throne with the approval of the Ottoman sultan. However, in time, the Crimean khans desire for independence from the Ottoman Empire emerged. In order to prevent possible independence attempts, the Ottoman Empire implemented the tradition of having a hanzade of the Giray dynasty reside in their territory as a pledge.
 The splendid circumcision ceremony held for the şehzades in the Ottoman Empire have found a place in the works of Ottoman authors. In addition to the state officials, representatives of the states affiliated to the Ottoman Empire also attended these magnificent ceremonies. The Crimean hanzade living in the Ottoman lands also took their places in the protocol at official state ceremonies. One of these ceremonies was the circumcision ceremony of Süleyman I's sons in June-July 1530. The works of Celâlzâde Mustafa Çelebi's Tabakâtü'l Memâlik ve Derecâtü'l Mesâlik, Nişancızâde Mehmet Efendi's Mir'âtü'l Kâinât, Gelibolulu Mustafa Ali's Künhü'l Ahbâr, Peçevi İbrahim Efendi's Peçevi Tarihi contain valuable information about this circumcision ceremony. In our study, we think that the Crimean hanzade, who participated in the circumcision ceremony held in 1530 and was named as the son of Tatar Khan according to the authors, is a name contrary to what is written in Turkish sources. As a result of the researches conducted by us, it has been seen that the hanzades claimed in Turkish sources were not in Istanbul at the date of the circumcision ceremony. In this study, we have tried to determine the name of the hanzade, whose name could not be determined in Ottoman sources, based on Russian sources, and it was understood that Himmet Giray and Baba Giray could have been in Istanbul on the days of the circumcision ceremony. However, as a result of the analysis of the existing sources, it is stated that Himmet Giray may have died at a date before Baba Giray's arrival in Istanbul.

Русь и Орда: возможности реконструкции экономических процессов методами археозоологии

Our analysis of archaeozoological collections found on archaeological sites allowed to build a complex picture of the meat diet of medieval settlements in Eastern Europe and to reconstruct the structure of meat supply in Eastern European towns and villages in forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas, as well as to determine the similarities and differences in this structure across different landscapes and cultural zones. We found that the dominant meat in the diet of the medieval population in all studied landscapes, regardless of settlement form was beef. For Rus’ towns, which existed for several centuries, we identified the tendency to increase the share of beef in the meat diet from the early (12th century) to the latest (16th century and later) periods. Beef also dominated the meat consumption of townspeople in the Golden Horde in the 13th–14th centuries.
 The study shows that cattle were raised in rural settlements and regularly delivered to the towns for hides and meat. Nomadic cattle, such as sheep and horses were delivered to the towns and slaughtered episodically to produce hides. In the artisanal quarters of the towns, our archaeozoological research registered accumulations of domestic ungulate bones with a specific taxonomic and anatomical set – the remains of large-scale slaughter of nomadic and rural livestock. These quarters also did the primary processing of hides – our study found clear markers of processing industries in archaeozoological collections. The study of isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in more than 150 bone samples of domestic ungulates of forest and steppe areas proved the feasibility of using 13C isotope tags to capture the status of domestic ungulates: local and outsider; 15N isotope signals describe the contribution of farmed fodder to the diet of specific animals. We managed to discover the movement of nomadic steppe cattle from the arid zone for slaughtering and hides to the forest-steppe Bolgar town, and to record the fact of cattle exchange between steppe and forest territories, as well as between different regions of medieval Rus’.

LEXICO-SEMANTIC GROUPS OF WRITTEN MONUMENTS OF THE GOLDEN HORDE ERA

The article presents written monuments of the Golden Horde era of the XIV century, studying the language of the palace safe "Gulistan bit-Turks" and "Khosrow and Shirin", dedicated to several lexical and semantic groups: religious words, kinship, positions and professions held, social and social vocabulary, trade, intellectual, human qualities, fruits, astronomical topics, mood, military names, entertainment, proper names, gems, etc.  A statistical study of the collected thematic groups is carried out, their frequency is determined for the first time and the cause is investigated. The peculiarity of the use of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, polysemous words in the texts is indicated. They were compared with the use of some words in the modern Kazakh language and local colloquial dialects. Passing through the sound, morphological changes of words in the Arabic and Persian languages, the manuscript and modern Kazakh versions are considered in the Middle Ages, when the Kipchak economic discourse was formed and developed with specific examples, which formed the basis for the widespread spread of linguoeconomic discourse with the consolidation of economic terms in the modern Kazakh language. The article defines the semantic field of old words, divided into lexical and semantic groups by methods of comparative historical, semantic analysis, component analysis.

Ислам и пережитки доисламских верований в Золотой Орде по материалам архитектуры погребальных сооружений

The purpose of the study: To consider how monumental architecture, in particular memorial buildings, reflected the changes in society associated with the adoption of Islam in the Golden Horde and ties with other Muslim states. Research materials: Mausoleums which are the most numerous objects of monumental architecture explored throughout the territory of the Golden Horde. The paper considers both archaeological sites and various images of mausoleums: drawings of the 18th–19th centuries, and photographs of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Results and scientific novelty: On the basis of building technology in the Golden Horde, two areas of architecture are distinguished – building from brick (fired and raw) and building from stone. An analysis of the planning, construction techniques, architectural details of the mausoleums, and construction equipment leads to the conclusion that several directions can be traced in the composition of the Golden Horde memorial architecture. The influence of the Central Asian school associated with the construction of fired and raw bricks was very significant. The architectural forms of brick mausoleums, distributed mainly in the steppe zone, find direct analogies among the monuments of Central Asia, primarily Khorezm. In the monuments made in the technique of stone construction, the influence of Asia Minor and Transcaucasia can be traced. It is expressed both in the architectonics of buildings and in the use of certain building techniques. The Golden Horde tower mausoleums, most likely, were exact copies of those in Asia Minor and Azerbaijan. Along with the forms of memorial buildings typical for the Muslim world, there were buildings of archaic appearance in the ulus of Jochi. Pyramidal mausoleums were built there, the shape of which the researchers deduce from the tomb structures in the form of barrows; these can be associated with the Turkic memorial buildings of the 9th–11th centuries.

Золотая Орда глазами современников и очевидцев

The purpose of the study: To show how the Golden Horde was seen – its population, its way of life, appearances, occupations – by representatives of the European (Catholic) and Eastern (Muslim) worlds. Their impressions, set out in the corresponding narratives, not only created the image of this state, but also influenced later ideas about the peoples who inhabited the eastern steppes – “Tartaria”. Research materials: The main source on the history of the Golden Horde/Ulus of Jochi are the narrative works of medieval European and Arab-Persian authors. Most eastern narrativist writers had never visited the territory of this state. They drew their information either from the stories of traveling merchants and envoys, or from the writings of their predecessors in compilations. In this regard, the narratives created by Europeans, from the point of view of source studies, differ favorably from the Arab-Persian ones not only in their information content, but also in the directness of its transmission. Research results and scientific novelty: Almost all the narratives known to us related to the Golden Horde were created for political purposes. Accordingly, their content reflects precisely the political, military and dynastic history of this state. Those few authors who had the opportunity to observe the life of the Golden Horde with their own eyes and from the inside – Plano Carpini, Guillaume (Willem) Rubruk, Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta – recorded approximately the same things in their notes, namely that “Tatars” were nomads who fed on the products of cattle breeding and hunting, were unpretentious in everyday life, unpretentious in clothing, formally Muslims but in fact dual-religionists since they preserved pagan remnant traditions of nomads. It is almost impossible to establish the scale of urbanization of the Golden Horde from these narratives. Thus, from the point of view of historical source study, the available material objectively forms three main empirical directions in the study of the Golden Horde, each of which has its own subject, without intersecting and practically without interacting with each other: the archeology of the Golden Horde nomads, the archeology of settlements (cities), and socio-political history. Therefore, the modern presentation of the history of the Golden Horde has the character of essays which will evidently persist for quite a long time.

Творческая история комедии Наки Исанбета «Рыжий чичян и Черноволосая красавица»

The purpose of the study. The purpose of our research is to study the genesis of Naki Isanbet’s comedic text “Jiran chichan belan Karachach sylu” (“Red-haired chichyan and Black-haired beauty”, 1942). Materials and methods of research: The material for the study was preserved in the archives of Naki Isanbet’s “Red-haired chichyan and Black-haired beauty” comedy versions. Its study allows us to reconstruct the nature of the author’s idea. The study was conducted using genetic, cultural-historical, and comparative research methods, the choice of which is determined by the nature of the analyzed text. The novelty of the research consists in a comprehensive study of the history of the creation and existence of this comedy in Tatar culture and the identification of its role in popularizing information about the Golden Horde among the Tatars. Research results. Naki Isanbet’s comedy “Jiren chichan belan Karachach sylu” (“Red-haired chichyan and Black-haired beauty”, 1942) is a vivid evidence of the valorization of national cultural values during the Great Patriotic War. During the short period the playwright managed to perpetuate national images of heroes on the stage: Idegey, Tulyak, Jiren chichyan and Karachech sylu. Their roots go back to the glorious history of medieval Tatar states. During the Great Patriotic War, the voices of Jiren chichyan and Karachech sylu (14th century) were heard from the Tatar stage, and people got acquainted with the instructions of Jamukha chichyan (12th century). The performance and the work were banned by censorship. The work was published in 1963 and returned to the stage in 1999 (directed by Farid Bikchantaev).

Становление и развитие научного журнала «Золотоордынское обозрение»

In 2023, it will be ten years since the release of the first issue of our journal, “Golden Horde Review”. The decision to publish a special periodical was made by the Academic Council of the Marjani Institute of History of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences on April 16, 2013. During this past period of the journal’s activity, the editors managed to intensify research on the history of the Golden Horde and the Tatar Khanates, popularize Turkic-Tatar history at the international level, and introduce new sources into scientific circulation. From the first issues, the publication acquired a high degree of scientific inte­rest; the magazine has managed to gain popularity among a wide audience of researchers and interested readers. Over the ten years of its activity, the journal has received a worthy assessment from the Russian and international scientific community, has achieved high quality publications, and has consistently increased its rating in leading scientometric databases. The journal is included in the List of peer-reviewed scientific journals and publications of the Higher Attestation Commission for the publication of the main scientific results of dissertations. In 2017, the Golden Horde Review journal was included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) on the Web of Science Core Collection platform and the international SCOPUS database. The publication is also included in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Indexing in scientometric databases significantly increases the accessibility, popularity, and citations of the journal. Today, the scientific journal, “Golden Horde Review,” is one of the most popular and authoritative scientific publications among specialists in this field, as evidenced by the active participation of historians from many countries around the world in the scientific activities of the journal.

Проблема становления татарского сословия в Казанском ханстве (конкретно-исторические и теоретические аспекты)

The purpose of the study: Despite the publication of a significant number of works on the history of the Kazan Khanate, including the rethinking of old approaches to the study of the feudal class of this state, directly related to the Golden Horde Tatars, the problem of the formation and development of this state-forming stratum, which ascended in the Kazan yurt to the Tatars of Bulgar Vilayet Ulus Jochi, is still far from a final consensus. In this study, we focused on the analysis of the entire complex of issues related to the formation of the Tatar layer of the state that controlled it, and also on how both in the Kazan Khanate and in its political predecessor in the person of the Bulgar Vilayet, the ruling class was built on a clan basis. The system of power itself was based on the institution of Karacha-beks. The system of Karacha-beks, originally based on 4 leading clans, existed both in the Bulgar vilayet and in the Kazan Khanate, although the composition of the ruling clans in them differed. But in order to reveal the peculiarities of the clan composition of these two polities, a detailed – as far as the sources allow – analysis of the totality of information regarding the clans present there was carried out. In addition, the question of the ratio of nomadic and settled economy among the Tatars of the Kazan Khanate was also clarified. Research materials: the data of Russian chronicles, the Tatar source “Daftar-i Chingiz-name”, the works of Utemish-hadzhi, Abdulgaffar Kyrimi, Kadyr Ali-bek, materials of diplomatic correspondence of the 16th century, epigraphic materials, historical legends, and genealogical data were used in the work, associated with noble Tatars.Results and novelty of the study: The study showed that the Kazan Khanate did not inherit the former clan composition of the Tatar population of the time of the Bulgar vilayet, it was different, characteristic of the right wing of the Golden Horde and later the Greater Horde-Crimean polity. In addition, research of issues related to the formation of the Tatar stratum (estate) of the Kazan Khanate made it possible to formulate a hypothesis that it partially continued to lead a nomadic lifestyle throughout the entire period of the existence of this yurt, being in a complex interaction with the Tatars of the Nogai Horde. That allows us to take a new look in general at the question of the formation of the ethnic community of the “Kazan Tatars”, including such aspects as its territorial borders.

Некоторые особенности исламской культуры Хорезма в эпоху Золотой Орды

Research objective: To analyze the features of the Islamic culture of Khwarezm and the role of the Turkic languages in the dissemination of Islamic knowledge. Research materials: The article is based on information from various written sources and publications of Russian, Kazakh, Turkish source scholars and historians that shed light on the role of the Turkic languages in the religious culture of Khwarezm in the Golden Horde period. Results and scientific novelty: As a result of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that in Khwarezm, Islam was represented by various practices manifested in the organization of rituals, Mutazilism, Sufi teachings, and the cult of saints. In the pre-Golden Horde period, the Muslim written culture of the region was dominated by the Arabic, Persian, and Khwarezmian languages. From the middle of the 13th century, Turkic writings appeared in dictionaries, and from the 14th century, religious literature appeared in the Turkic language. The main settled centers of the Turkic languages of the Ulus Jochi were Volga Bulgaria, Khwarezm, and the Syrdarya territories. The close interaction of the Turkic-speaking peoples of these territories, coupled with the policy of a certain part of the political elite to support the use of Turkic languages, manifested itself in the growth in the number of works in Turkic languages and the beginning of the formation of a single Turkic literary language. In this complex process, Khwarezm played the role of repeating the Arab-Persian cultural traditions with the participation of a certain local Turkic component. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that, based on the analysis of sources and existing research, one can assume the development of the religious culture of Khwarezm based on the Arabic, Persian, and Turkic languages, which is confirmed by the increase in the number of works of a religious nature, the translation of the Holy Quran into the Turkic language, and the deve­lopment of Turkic religious terminology.

The Ideology and Practice of Rashism: Reconstruction of the Origins and Imperial Essence

The current russian-Ukrainian war is a continuation of the systemic strategy of the russian empire to subjugate Ukraine and destroy its identity. The ideology of this policy is fed by traditional historical narratives of moscow, updated according to the realities of today. The essence and strategy of the existence of the russian empire (regardless of the name of this state) is the total usurpation and use of the resources of subordinate countries and peoples while appropriating their material, cultural, and intellectual heritage. The criminal mechanisms for achieving this goal are totalitarianism and autocracy, aimed at ensuring absolute power over people. The organising principle of such a policy is a certain ideology, that is, a system of defining norms and rules for the functioning of the state. Its structure includes both inherited models of behaviour and acquired strategies of action according to the situational requirements of the time. In muscovy, the principles of eastern despotism, with its features of unconditional autocracy as a form of government, imperial "spiritual bonds," European trends of Byzantism (theocracy), communism, and fascism, were combined. For the Russian state in all its historical political forms (ulus-khanate-kingdom-empire-union-federation), the ideological toolkit of influence has always been part of the strategic arsenal of its expansionist advances. At the same time, the content itself of the respective ideologues could be variable, depending on the situational circumstances. During the time of Genghis Khan, this function was performed by the prescriptions of "Yasa," in the Christianized uluses of the Golden Horde (in Muscovy), Orthodoxy, in the USSR – Marxism-Leninism, in the modern rf – an eclectic mixture of both in the form of "spiritual bonds," with the addition of personalized despotism. The corresponding functional structures of power instilled such matrices into the real life of society, using their violent and destructive means and approaches, thus implementing the policy of totalitarianism.

Ислам и христианство на периферии Золотой Орды в Среднем Подонье

The purpose of the study is to analyze the data from the study of archaeolo­gical sites on the periphery of the Golden Horde in the Middle Don region, along with evidence from written sources about the spread of Islam and Christianity among the population of this area. Research materials: The paper examines the materials of Russian settlements, monuments of the Golden Horde circle (Novokharkovsky and Tagansky burial grounds), mausoleums near Krasnyi Village, and nomadic burials in the barrows. Written sources are involved (“Pimenov’s journey to Tsargrad,” the charters of Metropolitans Theognost and Alexei to the population of the Chervleny Yar). Results and scientific uniqueness: Archaeological materials allow us to talk about the coexistence of different confessional groups in the population on the periphery of the Gol­den Horde in the Middle Don region. The spread of Christianity in this area is associated with the Russian population. The information of the charters of Metropolitans Theognost and Alexei about the Christian population in the Prikhoper region is confirmed by the data of archaeological research. Among the population who left the Novokharkovsky burial ground, one can assume the spread of both Islam and Christianity. The influence of the traditions of Islam can be traced in the funeral rites of the Tagansky burial ground. The most striking evidence of the spread of Islam on the periphery of the Golden Horde in the Middle Don region is the mausoleums near Krasnyi Village. In the tombs studied in and around mausoleums, there are also remnants of paganism. Only a few nomadic burials in the barrows can be considered Muslim burials.

Следы животных на строительной керамике золотоордынского Солхата

The archaeological researches of the Crimean ulus of the Golden Horde discovered a multitude of finds in the cultural layers from the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, particularly building ceramic ware with footprints of animals. Such finds not only reflect the level of development of building technique, but also allow the one to determine the species composition of the fauna in the mediaeval Crimea, to amend the information on the economic and industrial activities of the population of Solkhat in the Golden Horde period. Among the footprints on bricks there are traces of canines (domestic dog and wolf), felines (cat), and artiodactyls (goat). Most of the footprints, 14 specimens, belong to canine animals, cat footprints are documented on four bricks, and only one artefact shows a footprint of goat’s hoof. This statistic is indirectly confirmed by the analysis of osteological materials, with a significant percentage of dogs’ remains and a little less of cats’. Goat’s bones are also rare; small cattle is mostly represented by sheep’s bones, the breeding area of which probably does not coincide with the place where Solkhat building ceramics were produced. The building ceramics with footprints of animals’ paws and hoofs originating from the excavations of the mediaeval settlement of Solkhat is published for the first time.

Арабская легенда серебряных монет со «стремявидной» тамгой

This article suggests a reading of the legend of the Golden Horde silver coins with a “stirrup-shaped” tamga, the inscription “minted in Crimea,” the motto “padishah of Islam,” and the lakab of the ruler: nuṣratun/al-dunya w-/al-dīn, or “the assistance to peace and faith.” The attempts to decipher the inscription showing abbreviations and inserted into the legend are restricted to the readings its ending, where A. K. Markov viewed “of the year six hundred and ninety,” and N. I. Veselovskii “of the year of eight hundred.” According to these readings, the first attributed the coins in question to the mintage of Iisu Nogai, giving him the khan’s title, and the second to the last years of Khan Toktamysh. N. P. Likhachev has run to the conclusion also shared by R. R. Fasmer that all the readings are doubtful. At present, the author of this article has attributed the silver coins with the “stirrup-shaped” tamga to the “Muslim” mintage of the master of the Crimean ulus Tuka Timur, a son of Jochi, that started in Crimea when Berke and the military elite of the Gorden Horde turned to Islam. The key to the reading of the mysterious legend is the silver dirhams minted in Konya by Izz ad-Din Keikavus II, a son of Giyas ad-Din Keikhusrov II, 658 AH (18.12.1259‒5.12.1260 AD), which until recently were attributed to Keikavus I and dated to 608 AH by S. Lane-Poole, A. K. Markov, A. Tewhid, and G. Hennequin. The legend on the Konya dirhams of Keikhusrov II written in the style similar to the legend on the “Muslim” coins of Tuka Timur reads: “Minted in the city of Konya in the year eight and five (=fifty) and six hundred.” There is an online publication with the correct definition of such a dirham originating from the oriental coins collection in the David Museum (Denmark), which publishers have attributed the spelling of the numerical “five” to the abbreviations dīvanī for the decade hamsin, which occur in the inscriptions of the mints of Saljūqiyān-i Rūm from 646 AH (26.04.1248‒15.04.1249) to the end of the Konya Sultanate (1307 AD). However, in this case the symbol seems to not correspond to the dīvanī abbreviation of “five” (o), though it resembles its indication tens as ones. The legend of the silver coins with “stirrup” tamga clearly show the dīvanī abbreviation “one” (o|) located on the imprint of the first coin stamp at hours 4‒5, and on all the later stamps at hour 12. The legend on the first coin stamp reads “This dinar was minted in Āḳrā in the year one (abbreviated as dīvanī) and six(ty), then ‒ six hundred,” and on the others as “You are minted in Āḳrā in the year one (dīvanī) and six(ty), then ‒ six hundred.” The initial date of the coin issue (661 AH) is not unexpected. It coincides with the date when Tuka Timur, Berke, and the military elite of the Golden Horde accepted Islam as the second religion of state (with the Tengri religion of the Mongols). which happened in the mid-661 AH. Especially important is the name of the mint Āḳrā, which appears together with the inscription on the same coin side as “minted in Crimea.” The same mint and the same mention of the Crimea (Qīrīm Āḳrā) appear on the “pre-Muslim” yarmaks of Tuka Timur, which preceded the coins with the “stirrup” tamga. Be that as it may, this article does not consider the question of the name and location of the Tukatimurids’ mint and the first “capital” of the Crimean ulus.