ASTANA – Three historians from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia explored how the Golden Horde continues to shape the historical narratives and identities of their countries during a podcast organized by Kazakh historian and Golden Horde researcher Zhaksylyk Sabitov.
From left, Gaibulla Babayarov, Zhaksylyk Sabitov and Damir Iskhakov discussed how the Golden Horde continues to shape the historical narratives and identities of their countries during a podcast. Photo credit: Sabitov’s youtube channel
The discussion highlighted both the shared historical legacy of the medieval empire and the distinct national perspectives that have emerged across Central Asia and the Volga Region.
According to Damir Iskhakov, an ethnologist and researcher of Tatar ethnogenesis at the Marjani Institute of History in Kazan, perceptions of the Golden Horde have changed significantly in recent decades.
“There was a time when many Kazakhs believed their origins lay primarily with the Kipchaks or other earlier peoples rather than the Golden Horde. Today, historical evidence and the composition of Kazakh clans clearly demonstrate a direct connection with the Golden Horde,” he said.
He added that growing scholarly interest has strengthened understanding of the Golden Horde’s contribution to the formation of the Kazakh nation.
Gaibulla Babayarov, a specialist in ancient Turkic epigraphy and numismatics at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Tashkent, noted that bringing together experts from different countries enriches understanding of the Golden Horde.
“Each country has its own unique perspective, which makes discussions like this especially valuable,” Babayarov said.
Babayarov highlighted that the Golden Horde is often mistakenly viewed as unrelated to Uzbekistan’s history.
“In reality, the Golden Horde period played an important role in the ethnogenesis of the Uzbek people,” he said.
While most of present-day Uzbekistan belonged to the Chagatai Ulus, the country’s northwestern territories, particularly Northern Khorezm, were part of the Golden Horde. Many Uzbek clans originated in the Dasht-i Kipchak, with Babayarov estimating that nearly half of traditional Uzbek tribal groups trace their roots to that region.
“For this reason, the histories of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Ulus should be studied together rather than separately. They share common roots and represent a shared historical heritage,” he said.
Clan system united Turkic peoples
The discussion also focused on the Golden Horde’s clan structure.
Iskhakov described the subject as one of the least studied areas of medieval history because of the limited number of surviving historical sources.
“One of our main tasks today is to trace how a relatively small number of original clans, perhaps 12 or 14, eventually evolved into the much larger clan system described in the Edige epic, which refers to the ‘Ninety-Clan Horde.’ What is remarkable is that many of these clans can still be traced among various Turkic peoples,” Iskhakov said.
He also noted that the Golden Horde was organized through a strict hierarchy of clans. The ruling dynasty was closely connected through marriage alliances with the leading emir families that helped govern the state.
Babayarov added that Soviet-era scholarship often overlooked clan history in Uzbekistan because Uzbeks were portrayed primarily as a settled people rather than a society with strong tribal traditions.
He noted that ethnonyms and clan names remain preserved in village names across much of Uzbekistan, particularly in the Samarkand, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions.
Balancing genetics and history
Sabitov urged caution when interpreting genetic research in historical studies.
“Genetics is an important research tool, but it should not be used to determine who is or is not a ‘real’ representative of an ethnic group,” he said.
He noted that genetic studies often produce various conclusions depending on the questions researchers ask.
“If you search for similarities among Turkic peoples, you will find similarities. If you search for differences, you will find differences. Ethnicity cannot be reduced to DNA,” he said.
Iskhakov agreed, saying genetics is useful for tracing family relationships over several centuries but becomes much less reliable when applied to medieval populations.
“Ethnic identity is shaped primarily by shared historical memory, language and culture. Genetics represents only one small part of that much larger picture,” Iskhakov said.
Revisiting Tatar history
Iskhakov also recalled how Soviet historiography largely excluded the Golden Horde from the history of the Tatars.
He said that during the Stalin era, official scholarship promoted the theory that modern Tatars descended exclusively from the Volga Bulgars. While the Golden Horde was portrayed as unrelated to Tatar history.
Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union did historians begin integrating the Golden Horde into mainstream interpretations of Tatar ethnogenesis.
“Today, the Golden Horde occupies its rightful place in the multi-volume history of the Tatar people. We now recognize the contributions of the ancient Turks, the Bulgar period, the Kipchaks and the Golden Horde as equally important stages in our shared history,” Iskhakov said.
