Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Central Eurasia. Amongst other historical actors, the herding communi-
ties of Turkic origin and a Mongol meritocracy descending from Genghis
Khan (the Töre) made the biggest contribution to the future Kazakh soci-
ety shaping its cultural fabric and political institutions. 15 The communities
of Kazakh pastoral nomads were organized into three loosely integrated
tribal confederations (Uly jüz , Orta jüz , and Qushi jüz ) governed by the
khans and sultans chosen among the Töre. Although their privileged status
was beyond question the political influence of individual Töre was tailored
to their personal credibility in the eyes of local communities whose taste
for a diffused and community-centered authority controlled their reach. 16
This system of Mongol patronage remained in place for over six centuries
until it was replaced by the Russian colonial administration, which was
installed on the steppe in the mid-19th century.
Standing outside the Kazakh tribal structure, the Töre, at the same time
were part of the society and, albeit their exclusive status, were the same
as the commoners in terms of language, religion, and a way of life. This
double-sided engagement of the ruling elite with the designated commu-
nities made their authority relevant in ordinary times and indispensable
at the time of political instability and military threat. This was because
most political leaders in Central Asia claimed blood affinity with Genghis
Khan and the Töre were positioned to create alliances across political and
cultural boundaries that divided the region. 17 The Kazakhs identified col-
lectively with particular Mongol khans and sultans in addition to a genea-
logical treatment of their own origins (the shejýre ), which guided social
relations on the steppe.
The shejýre, an important cultural resource, informed Kazakh oral tra-
dition by fostering a particular perception of history as a dynamic succes-
sion of individuals who shaped communities and events. Among those
individuals, Ablai - a son of Vali and a grandson of Ablai - is a major
figure. His life and his relations inspired traditional storytellers and with
the spread of literacy writers of different veins. But it is not the sheer
greatness of his accomplishments that attracted curious and creative minds
15 Töre is a term approximating in Kazakh language a 'dignified position' (Sultanov 1999: 58).
16 This capacity rarely extended beyond one jüz , oftentimes, not even beyond khan's ulus , a territori-
ally defined unit made of communities that personally expressed their loyalty to the khan (Tolybekov
1971: 90, 344 - 345 and 354).
17 This factor helps to explain the endurance of the Mongol supremacy among the Kazakhs and beyond
(Thackston 2002: xxxvi-xxxix).
Search WWH ::




Custom Search