Majmu al-Tawarikh as a Source on Historical Figures of the Chagatai Ulus and Moghulistan

Introduction. The history of the Chagatai Ulus and Moghulistan remains an understudied area of medieval historiography, which is nonetheless essential enough and can yield a lot to researchers engaged in exploring the history of medieval Genghisid states. And it is Majmu al-Tawarikh by S. Akhsikendi which proves a most valuable source on the theme, since it contains a wealth of historical knowledge on Eastern peoples of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, including Kalmaks, Kyrgyzes, Moghuls, etc. Goals. The study examines Majmu al-Tawarikh for data relating to the Chagatai Ulus and Moghulistan, attempts a comparative analysis of the manuscript and other available sources on the investigated states, and seeks to determine the value of the text for Oriental historical science. Materials and methods. The work focuses on published sections of the well-known translations of Majmu al-Tawarikh and Zafarnama. In addition, the historical reliability of the identified data has been verified via the epic poem of Edige, Materials in the History of Kazakh Khanates, and History of Kazakhstan from Persian Sources. The key research principles include those of historicism and systemicity, while the key research methods are the comparative historical and ideographic ones. Results. The paper examines Majmu al-Tawarikh and analyzes data pertaining to the past of the Chagatai Ulus and Moghulistan, provides a historiographic review to explain the significance of the source. Despite some scholars tended to criticize Majmu al-Tawarikh for a variety of revealed inaccuracies and phantasmagorias, they did recognize its certain value. Majmu al-Tawarikh mentions names of a number of khans and emirs of the Chagatai Ulus and Moghulistan — with reported coincidences or differences in other sources. The work sets forth and substantiates a hypothesis that Zafarnama (‘Book of Victories’) by Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi may have been a fifth source for the author of Majmu al-Tawarikh. Conclusions. Majmu al-Tawarikh contains essential information on the history of the Chagataid states, as well as on the history of neighboring territories and peoples. However, the study of the obtained information should be approached critically, and it is urgent to compare the latter to related messages included in other sources. The introduction of the data into scientific discourse shall significantly expand and supplement contemporary historical knowledge on medieval Central Asian states.

1. Abuseitova M. Kh. (comp., ed.) Collections from Thirteenth-to-Nineteenth Century Writings [of Persia] (History of Kazakhstan from Persian Sources 5). Almaty: Daik-Press. 2007. 476 p. (In Russ.)

2. Akerov T. A. About ethno-political associations of Kyrgyz and Keraites during the Mongolian period (Based on the version of the epic “Manas”, given in the book “Majmu at-Tawarikh” by Akhsikendi S. (XVI c.). Sayan-Altai Scientific Review. 2016. No. 4(16). Pp. 4–14. (In Russ.)

3. Akerov T. A. Keraites in the version of the epic “Manas”, given in the book “Madjmu at-Tawarikh” by Akhsikendi S. (XVI c.). Mir Evrazii. 2016. No. 1(32). Pp. 13–22. (In Russ.)

4. Akerov T. A. Majmu al-Tawarikh as a Historical Source: A Complete Translation, Analysis, and Comments. Bishkek: Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University, 2017. 348 p. (In Russ.)

5. Akerov T. A. The Golden Horde in the legendary work “Majmu al-Tawarikh” by S. Akhsikendi. Golden Horde Civilization. 2016. No. 9. Pp. 158–162. (In Russ.)

6. Akerov T. A., Sabitov Zh. M. Military-political activity of Pulat-Khan of the Golden Horde in the east of the Ulus of Jochi according to the Majmu at-Tavarikh. In: Maslyuzhenko D. N., Tataurov S. F. (eds.) Medieval Turko-Tatar States of West Siberia: History, Economy, and Culture. Conference proceedings (Kurgan, 21–22 April 2017). Kurgan: Kurgan State University, 2017. Pp. 21–25. (In Russ.)

7. Akhsikendi S. Majmu al-Tawarikh. M. Dosbolov, O. Sooronov (eds.). Bishkek: Akyl,1996. 126 p. (In Kyrg. and Russ.)

8. Akhsikendi S. Majmu al-Tawarikh: Collected Excerpts. V. Romodin (foreword, transl., etc.). Leningrad, 1963. 110 p. On: Bizdin.kg. Manuscript Collection. Available at: https://new.bizdin.kg/media/books/Madzhmu_t-tavarikh._Perevod_Romodina.pdf (accessed: 25 May 2023). (In Russ.)

9. Akhsikendi S. Majmu al-Tawarikh: Excerpts. Facsimile. A. Tagirdzhanov (ed., foreword, etc.). Leningrad: Leningrad State University, 1960. 200 p. (In Russ.)

10. Albekov T., Akimova T. (comps.) Historical Legends (The Words of Ancestors 85). T. Akimova (ed.). Astana: Foliant, 2012. 416 p. (In Kaz.)

11. Barthold V. V. Turks: Twelve Lectures in the History of Central Asian Turks. Almaty: Zhalyn, 1993. 192 p. (In Russ.)

12. Baypakov K. M., Kozybayev M. K., Kumekov B. E., Pishchulina K. A. (eds.) History of Kazakhstan: From Earliest Times to Present Days. In 5 vols. Vol. 2: Kazakhstan in the Late Middle Ages. Almaty: Atamura, 2010. 624 p. (In Russ.)

13. Bukhari H. T. Sharaf-nāma-i-shāhī (‘Book of the Shah’s Glory’). Pt. 1. Moscow: Nauka — GRVL, 1983. 536 p. (In Russ.)

14. Edige: An Epic Poem of Nogais. N. Suyunova (ed.). Moscow: Nauka. 2016. 512 p. (In Russ.)

15. Ibragimov S. K., Mingulov N. N., Pishchulina K. A., Yudin V. P. (comps.) Materials in the History of Kazakh Khanates, Fifteenth to Eighteenth Centuries: Collections from Persian and Turkic Writings. Alma-Ata: Nauka (Kazakh SSR), 1969. 487 p. (In Russ.)

16. Isaeva A. K. Interpolations of “Manas” epic (From “Madjmu at-Tavarikh” to “Aikol Manas”). Izvestiya VUZov Kyrgyzstana. 2016. No. 1. Pp. 163–167. (In Russ.)

17. Jamal al-Qarshi. Al-Mulhakat bi-s-Surah. A. Muminov (ed.) (History of Kazakhstan from Persian Sources 1). Almaty: Daik-Press, 2005. 416 p. (In Arab., Pers. and Russ.)

18. Petrov K. I. Kyrgyzes on Their Way to the Tian Shan, and Their Relations with Oirats: Thirteenth to Fifteenth Centuries. B. Pashkov. Frunze: Kirghiz SSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. 212 p. (In Russ.)

19. Ploskikh S. V. Written monuments of Kyrgyzstan in the Manuscripts Fund of the National Academy of Sciences. Pis’mennye Pamiatniki Vostoka. 2009. No. 2(11). Pp. 192–203. (In Russ.)

20. Romodin V. A. (ed.) The Kyrgyz and Kyrgyzstan: Historical Materials. Vol. 1. Moscow: Nauka — GRVL, 1973. 280 p. (In Russ.)

21. Sabitov Zh. M. Minor characters of the Edige epic poem. In: Kydyrali D. K. (ed.) The Golden Horde: History, Nationhood, Cultural Heritage. Nur-Sultan: Gylym, 2019. Pp. 97–112. (In Russ.)

22. Sabitov Zh. M. The “Majmu al-Tawarikh” as a source on the history of the Jochid Ulus. Golden Horde Review. 2017. Vol. 5. No. 3. Pp. 577–590. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2017-5-3.577-590

23. Sabitov Zh. M., Kambarbekova G. A. Information about Toktamysh Khan from Majmu al-Tavarih. Turkological Studies. 2018. Vol. 1. No. 3. Pp. 67–82. (In Russ.)

24. Sultanov T. I. Genghis Khan and Genghisids: Destined to Rule and Struggle for Power. Moscow: AST, 2021. 448 p. (In Russ.)

25. Sultanov T. I. Historiography of the ethic and political history of the Jochid and Chaghataid Uluses. Golden Horde Review. 2017. Vol. 5. No. 1. Pp. 74–92. (In Russ.)

26. Sultanov T. I. Nomads around the Aral Sea in the Fifteenth to Seventeenth Centuries: Issues of Ethnic and Social History. Moscow: Nauka — GRVL, 1982. 134 p. (In Russ.)

27. Yazdi Sh. al-D. A. Zafarnama (‘Book of Victories [of Amir Timur]’). A. Akhmedov (foreword, transl., etc.); B. Knopov (ed.). Tashkent: San’at, 2008. 486 p. (In Russ.)

28. Yudin V. P. Moghuls of Moghulistan and Moghulia: Tribal-clan clusters and ethnic ties with Kazakhs and other neighboring peoples. In: Yudin V. P. Central Asia in the XIVth-XVIIIth Centuries as an Orientalist Saw It. Almaty: Daik-Press, 2001. 384 p. (In Russ.)