A History Of Russia Central Asia And Mongolia Vol 1 Inner Eurasia From Prehistory To The Mongol Empire < Original >

Report: A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Vol. 1

Author: David Christian Publisher: Blackwell Publishers Year: 1998

The Indo-European Migration Debate

One of the most crucial sections of the volume deals with linguistics. Christian presents the compelling evidence that the speakers of Proto-Indo-European were likely the herders of the Volga-Ural steppes. From Inner Eurasia, these languages spread westward to Europe (Latin, Greek, Germanic) and eastward to Central Asia (Tocharian, Iranian). Thus, the "barbarian" steppe was, in fact, the cradle of a language family that would dominate half the world.

Part III: The Turkic Empires and the Rise of Nomadic States (500 – 1000 CE)

This section is arguably the book’s most brilliant, as Christian tackles the complex political history of the Göktürks, Uyghurs, and Khazars. Report: A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Vol

The Realm of the Gokturks: For a century (552-659 CE), the Turkic Khaganate ruled an empire from Manchuria to the Black Sea. Christian asks: How? His answer lies in the management of ideological distance. The Turkic rulers used shamanistic authority, a flexible clan hierarchy (the Ashina clan), and a non-territorial understanding of "state." A nomadic state did not control land lines; it controlled mobility corridors and loyalty networks.

The Khazar Enigma: The only steppe empire to embrace Judaism, the Khazar Khaganate is a case study in adaptation. Located at the Volga trade route, the Khazars shifted from raiding to commerce. Christian argues that their conversion to Judaism was a strategic "neutrality" move—allowing them to trade with both Muslim merchants (Arabs) and Christian ones (Byzantines) without endorsing either. Decentralized Authority: The Khagan (emperor) ruled with the

The Volga Bulghars and Rus’: Crucially, Christian begins weaving in the origins of the Rus’ (Vikings) not as "founders of Russia," but as one mercantile-nomadic group among many. He shows that the Rus’ adapted steppe military tactics and trade routes. The "Russian" state of Kyivan Rus’ is presented not as a European transplant, but as a hybrid frontier society on the edge of Inner Eurasia.

Part III: The Rise of the Turkic Empires and the Uighur Legacy (500 – 1200 CE)

Before Genghis Khan, there were the Göktürks (Turks). In the 6th century CE, the Turkic Khaganate emerged from the Altai mountains, creating the first transcontinental empire that explicitly identified as "Turkic." The Uighur Interlude When the Turkic Khaganate collapsed,

Christian argues that the Turks perfected the "Inner Eurasian" imperial model:

  1. Decentralized Authority: The Khagan (emperor) ruled with the support of autonomous tribal leaders.
  2. Commercial Integration: They did not just raid China; they taxed the Silk Road. The Sogdian merchants of Central Asia became the financial backbone of Turkic power.
  3. Script and Ideology: The Turks developed the Orkhon script (the earliest surviving Turkic writing), as seen on the Orkhon Valley inscriptions in modern Mongolia. These texts reveal a sophisticated political ideology that justified rule based on divine mandate (Tengri, the sky god) and the maintenance of trade.

The Uighur Interlude

When the Turkic Khaganate collapsed, the Uighurs took over (744-840 CE). For Christian, the Uighur Khaganate is the "great exception" that proves the rule. Unlike most steppe nomads, the Uighurs abandoned their mobile capital and built a fortified, urban center: Ordu-Baliq. They adopted Manichaeism as a state religion and became patrons of art and agriculture. However, their turn toward "Outer Eurasian" styles of governance made them vulnerable. When the Kyrgyz smashed their army, the Uighur model vanished, reverting to classic mobility. This historical lesson was not lost on the Mongols.

Part III: The Turkic Khaganates and the Islamic Shift

The mid-first millennium CE saw a revolution in Steppe politics.