Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-021-00564-7
RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Interdisciplinary approach to studying written nomadic sources in the context of modern historiology Akmaral Ibrayeva1* , Assemgul Temirkhanova2, Zaure Kartova1, Tlegen Sadykov2, Nurbolat Abuov1 and Anatoliy Pleshakov1
Abstract This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to analyze textual sources from nomadic civilization. Linguistic analysis has been increasingly used due to the emergence of a huge array of autochthonous and authentic written sources. It is impossible to extract the necessary historical information from those sources without using a new research method. This study aims to apply discourse analysis to medieval textual sources called edicts published in 1400–1635 by the leaders of the Central Asian states. This approach is expected to enable a detailed study of the structure of edicts, as well as speech patterns and terms used in the text. The results of the study revealed the structure of the examined edicts, as well as socio-cultural, economic, and communicative features of the nomadic society. First, the discourse repertoire of Edicts from Sygnak is rather unique, as evidenced by comparative analysis of patents from the cities of Sygnak, Sayram and Turkestan located in the Syr Darya basin. Second, edicts in this study refect the result of the mutual infuence of sedentary and mobile lifeways. Third, the arguments behind certain speech patterns used in the examined edicts emerged under the infuence of Turkic traditions. Keywords: Discourse analysis, Document structure, Edicts, Nomadic civilization, Oral historiology
Introduction documents with the content and legal form characteristic One of the major challenges of nomadic research is the to contracts. Consequently, having a legal force, they dif- insufcient number of textual sources, which hinders fered from other documents of that time and thus con- historical criticism. Tere are two possible solutions to stituted a separate type of sources. Edicts were issued to this problem. Scholars can either improve their research grant a person with special privileges: provide with land, approach or intensify eforts in the study of autochtho- exempt from taxes, appoint to positions, as well as ofer nous texts. In the past, the Nomads developed a system other social and legal benefts. Te right to issue edicts of edicts, a formal written command from the ruler, belonged to the authorities; however, given that their fre- which historians can now address in their research. Te quent replacement was the norm, the practice of edicts’ inscriptions, issued by local authorities, were determined reconfrmation was also quite a usual matter. Initially, by the ethnic ways of life. Tus, they varied between nomadic research was focused on the ancient Turkic the ethnic groups. By their nature, these edicts were the rune stones, ancient Turkic literature, and genealogical records, also known as the shezhire. Te edicts, however, are more suitable for determining historical timeline and *Correspondence: [email protected] reasons behind certain events than the above sources, 1 Department of History of Kazakhstan and Socio‑Humanitarian yet these autochthonous and authentic texts are poorly Disciplines, M. Kozybaev North Kazakhstan University, Pushkin Street, 86, Petropavlovsk 1500000, Kazakhstan studied. It is difcult to overestimate the importance of Full list of author information is available at the end of the article edicts as primary sources of facts about the studied era
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and information about certain events that took place at Te historical research often makes use of the meth- the time. Today, edicts rarely became the focus of histori- ods of multiple disciplines, such as paleography, diplo- cal research. macy, sphragistics, and archeography. As scholars are Te present paper attempts to apply discourse analy- currently shifting their attention to the quantitative sis to the Khan’s edicts issued by Central Asian rulers to and qualitative analyses of historical sources, the inter- the cities of Sygnak, Sayram and Turkestan in the period disciplinary approach is becoming more popular than from 1400 to 1635. Te research subject is represented ever. Given the efort to discover new types of histori- precisely by the edicts of the Golden Horde (yarlyks) cal sources, there is a need to fnd appropriate methods written according to specifc canons [1]. for their analysis and interpretation. One of the most Research historiography. Te problem of edict trans- popular interdisciplinary felds of inquiry is discourse lation into Kazakh language was addressed in a large analysis. number of previous studies. Ibatov [1], who explored In modern historiology, a discursive approach previ- the written culture and clerical traditions of the Golden ously described by Hayden White is becoming increas- Horde, contributed eight translations, among them dip- ingly popular. Hayden White sought to conceptualize lomatic texts or bitiks, edicts, and texts of several seals. the linguistic dimension of historical writing. For this, he Turkish scientist A.N. Kurat was fruitfully engaged in drew his attention to fxed speech patterns and stylistic act research. He studied edicts and bitiks that Turk- nuances. According to him, an object of research gradu- ish khans received from the Khans of the Golden Horde ally becomes a subject of discourse [8]. Consequently, and the Crimea. Tese documents are now maintained speech patterns found in similar texts can be an object in the Topkapı Palace Museum [2]. A signifcant portion of discourse analysis. Trubina notes that the adjective of edict translations was from A. M. Özyetgin [3], who “poetic” used by Hayden White to describe the nature of focused on edicts of the Golden Horde, Crimean and historian’s work should be understood through the prism Kazan khanates. of the word “poiesis”, which means the process of making, Scientists from Tatarstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan production, and creation [9]. In White’s view, there is an were much more successful in exploring the world of element of poetry in every historical unit out there, and edicts. Aksanov [4], for example, provided comprehen- his Metahistory presents the analysis of rhetorical and sive insights into the patents of privileges of the Juchi narrative structures of historical writing [9]. Ulus, later known as the Golden Horde, dated back to Michel Foucault [10] defnes discourse analysis as a the XIV-XVI centuries. After many years of research that method of investigation through which various discur- he spent in archives, manuscript repositories and muse- sive formations can be explored, such as notions, objects, ums in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Kyiv, Odessa, and strategies, etc. Tis technique can help researchers iden- Simferopol, he found a huge array of edicts. Te author tify a connectedness between historical sources based analyzed 61 authentic nobility patents in Turkic language on specifc characters found within texts and trace the and introduced 53 references for other researchers to change of those characters over time. Te founder of this examine. Grigoryev [5] presented the structure analysis research feld, Émile Benveniste, drew a line between lan- of edicts from Mongolia, China, Central Asia and Iran, guage and speech (discourse) [11], which enables iden- which survived till now. Tese documents date back to tifcation of patterns of connectedness between phrases the XIII-XV centuries and are written in Mongolian, Chi- found within the same discourse. Te presence of the nese, Turkic, Persian and Arabic languages. Pochukayev same speech patterns, borrowed words, and expressions is a researcher notable for applying novel approaches to in historical text indicates the existence of certain events the study of edicts. He saw edicts enclosing the law of the or public institutions that lead to their appearance. In Golden Horde. Comparing edicts with similar legislative this connection, changes over time in the structure of the acts of other nations, such as institutions and proclama- edict should be considered systematically. tions of Roman emperors and capitularies, decrees, and Te past decade saw a growing interest in discourse bulls of European monarchs, the author distinguished investigation among researchers in various humanities certain trends in the national and legal development of and social science disciplines, such as sociology, his- the Golden Horde [6]. A group of scholars, who exam- tory, ethnography, literary criticism, and philosophy, ined a signifcant amount of historical sources from the along with linguistics. Tere is no specifc school to deal Mausoleum of Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, put with the methodology of discourse analysis, but there on scientifc display documents that are now stored in are a number of studies devoted to discourse investiga- private and state collections in Almaty, Turkestan, Tash- tion methods. One of such works is Discourse Analysis kent and St. Petersburg. Tese pieces of legislative writ- as Teory and Method by Louise Phillips and Marianne ings are devoted exclusively to the Mausoleum [7]. Jørgensen. It brings together all interesting and useful Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 3 of 9
information from a broad range of disciplines, such as As the number of written artefacts expands, it becomes linguistics, sociology, psychology, and more [12]. evident that some categories of textual sources are exclu- Te discourse method was mostly used in philological sive and require other approaches to studying them, and linguistic research. At the same time, the nomadic including the interdisciplinary method. Current develop- research has always been dominated by linguistic stud- ments in diplomacy, sphragistics, and textology pose new ies, and Turkology as a science began with the study of research challenges. One of them is the reconstruction of written sources. Te increasing popularity of discourse the structure of the written document in order to deter- analysis stems from the fact that most historical sources mine whether documents belong together, that is, to link about the nomads extant are oral. Te oral tradition a given document to a specifc category of documents. of nomadic civilization has its grounds in psychologi- Sylvia Bendel Larcher [14] sees discourse as a social cal and socio-cultural factors [13]. Te oral data aside, process of understanding how to interpret and shape the scholars focused on textual sources can determine if world. From this perspective, the discourse not only cap- the historical text is reliable by looking at two variables: tures historical events, but also allows building a timeline the time the source has been around, and the presence of those events. Tis allows tracing changes that took of new speech patterns in the primary structure of the place in society throughout history. Larcher [14] dis- text. From this perspective, the use of interdisciplinary tinguishes six dimensions of discourse analysis, namely solutions is rather reasonable. theme (thema), geographical location (geografscher- Te purpose of this work is to examine Edicts from raum), time period (zeitpanne), text medium (medium), Sygnak using the discourse method. In Turkology participants (akteure), and the type of text (textsorte). Let and medieval studies, there are many types of edicts, us have a closer look at these dimensions. including mulk-nameh (charters of privilege), shert Te object of discourse analysis in this study is a corpus edicts (loyalty statements), waqf-nameh (charters on of edicts that have a socio-economic orientation. Te- endowment), tarkhan grants (documents granting matic unity of discursive texts determines their seman- judicial and tax immunity), bitiks (diplomatic letters), tic and stylistic homogeneity. Edicts under study cover and so on. However, there are diferences in the use of a broad range of land-related and social issues, such as speech units within edicts and in the structure of edicts land tax immunity. It can be argued that there was an themselves. Tis work focuses on comparing speech established procedure for preparing and issuing edicts, units in edict texts of the Middle Ages with the help of which was normalized by public institutions. Te hier- discourse analysis. archy of edicts comprises land ownership documents, documents for tax exemption, and documents providing privileges and benefts. Te Tarkhan grants, for example, Methods imply nine privileges that were granted to a tarkhan or Te research process comprises the following stages: military contingent commander. Tese topics correspond to diferent thematic levels of the discourse. 1. Selecting the literature through the exploration of In regards to geographical distribution, the discourse historiographic materials and discourses on history, develops and all changes are put on paper. After the col- and examining the methods of historians in study- lapse of the Golden Horde, edicts were the major type of ing medieval written sources. Defning the range of regulatory acts among khanates. Tis entailed the wide- methods for written sources analysis and historio- spread use of edicts in the XV–XVI centuries. At this graphical review enables the next stage of research. point, the structure of edicts underwent minor changes, 2. Analyzing the array of historical sources selected in namely the new versions of sections, such as inscriptio stage one, which were not studied previously. Tis (where addresses of the person to whom the document stage lays groundwork for making unique fndings. was issued for appeared), dispositio (where a decision Te content analysis of edicts not only revealed the that has been made is detailed), and sanctio (confrm- distinctive features of those written sources, but also ing of the dispositio or a warning), were introduced. Te showed how important they were in the context of procedure of issuing edicts, however, remain as it was. historiology. Furthermore, edicts became known as part of ofcial 3. Synthesizing the entire range of historical sources business documentation, and new types of edicts have available to authors with the view of discussing their been developed. scientifc novelty and reliability. Tis stage ends with It is obvious that texts or discourses and discourse the display of research results. structures within these texts must have appeared at some 4. Reaching conclusions. point in history. First they have been run within nomadic societies and military democracies, and then become Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 4 of 9
part of sedentary societies that adapted ofcial texts in a muftis) in later edicts indicates the adoption of Islam and certain way. the integration of Muslim institutions into the legal sys- In the XIII through XVI centuries, edicts were pro- tem of the Golden Horde [17, 18]. duced by a narrow circle of people called scriveners Besides clergy, the important members of medieval (bitikchi), who were trained to write legal documents. society were representatives of military-feudal nobility Te term “bitikchi” has a Uighur origin and means “a and civil administration, such as yuzbegi (captains over clerk”. Tere were also translators called kelemechi [15]. hundreds) and minbegi (captains over thousands), rulers Undoubtedly, bitikchi and kelemechi both has a high of the districts and regions, and tax collectors. Te Edict social status. Scriveners could infuence the text of the of 1597–1598 by Abu-l-Ghazi Abdallah-Khan-Bahadur- edict, but did not change its structure and content. Sultan is devoted to “venerable emirs, great arbabs, min- Participants in the discourse are addressees and begi, yuzbegi, mirkhazars, raiyyats, [native] community, addressers belonging to diferent administrative ranks and all residents [living in the area]…” [16]. All of them or without distinction of one. Hence, edicts can enclose were granted signifcant plots of land or received support information about the approximate number and compo- at the expense of taxpayers. In the Edict of 1598, a num- sition of discourse participants, their social class, demo- ber of drinking springs and several irrigation channels graphic, experiential or attitudinal backgrounds. Tese are called the “mulks of Sygnak residents” [16]. insights can help expand our knowledge of the institute Specifc types of texts defne the boundaries of dis- of tarkhanism integral to nomadic society. Additional course. In written speech, discourse developed across information that can be extracted from edicts can shed the most important areas of socio-economic activity. light on issues surrounding social mobility, status roles, Tis helps to reveal how public perceptions of the forms and status-driven relationships. of ownership and the structure of social institutions Let us consider the following pieces of writing as an changed over time. Tis also enables the use of sociologi- example. One of the earliest edicts by Mengu-Timur, the cal tools in historical research [19]. frst khan of the Golden Horde, written in 1267 begins with the following words: Results Tis section presents the results of heuristic search, “By the power of the eternal God, Mengu-Timur namely a list of previously unstudied textual sources, hereby orders darugi [civilian governors], princes of as well as the results of comparative structural analysis cities and villages, princes of the army, scriveners, applied to edicts of the XIV–XVI centuries. A classifca- customs ofcers, traveling ambassadors, falconers, tion of the existing edicts was proposed, which is based and hunters…” [6]. on a novel methodological approach. Finally, the section Te edict of 1398 by Timur-Kutlug, however, addresses reports on the results of discourse analysis. people with other titles, as evident by the following Te list of previously unstudied textual sources com- phrase: prises documents known as Edicts from Sygnak, which include the following patents from the cities of Sygnak, “…orders oglans of right and left wings… captains Sayram and Turkestan located in the Syr Darya basin: over thousands, captains over hundreds, captains over tens, qadis [Islamic judges], muftis [legal 1. Patent of 1400/1401 from Timur Amir—by this doc- experts], sheikhs [heads of religious orders], sufs, ument, Amir Timur appoints Siraj al-Din Shaykh as scriveners of the Chamber, tribute collectors, cus- shaykh al-Islam in Sygnak and grants him tarkhan- toms ofcers, road workers, bukauls [quartermas- ate, i.e., exemption from taxes. Copy, written in the ters], tutkauls [heads of the outposts], coachmen, Turkic language; market supervisors…” [16]. 2. Patent of 1543/1544 from Abu’l-Ghazi Abd ar- Edicts under study cover an even broader range of Rahim-Khan-Bahadur-Sultan—according to this addressees. Te Edict of 1634/1635 by Abu-l-Ghazi document, Sirat-Shaykh-nakib was appointed as a Ubaydallah-Khan-Bahadur-Sultan, for example, reaches judge of Sygnak. Original version, written in the Tur- out to “…sayyids, great religious scholars, valiant scholars, kic language; high-ranking emirs, venerable qazis, sheikhs and sages”, 3. Patent of 1597/1598 from Abu’l-Ghazi Abdallah- as well as “noble arbabs, the great (and) small kedhuda Khan-Bahadur-Sultan—according to this document, [paterfamilias], and raiyyats [farmers]”, namely khodjas Shaybanid Abdallah-Khan II gave a number of irriga- (small independent landowners) and shariks (farmers tion canals to the residents of Sygnak (at the request who rent land from large landowners) [16]. Te appear- of Maulana Kamal al-Din). Original version, written ance of members of the Muslim clergy (qadis, sheikhs, in the Persian language; Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 5 of 9
4. Patent of 1634/1635 from Abu’l-Ghazi Ubaydallah- Te textual analysis of edicts shows that these docu- Khan-Bahadur-Sultan—this document confrmed the ments refected, to a certain extent, the needs of nomadic rights of the mazar (religious institution) Ziya ad- society of that time. Te structure and content of edicts Din-Shaikh Sygnaki for Hisarchuk spring near Syg- are something more than just a sign of progress in the nak (similarly to the Patent of 1597/1598 from Abu’l- clerical culture, as commonly suggested. Edicts became Ghazi Abdallah-Khan-Bahadur-Sultan). In addition what they are as a result of social shifts in agrarian legal to the provision of Allama-yi Sygnaki’s descendants and other relations. In general terms, written sources with the waqf lands (waqf is an inalienable charitable emerged as a solution that improved the purpose-driven endowment under Islamic law) they were also given performance of distinct institutions. the privileges of tarkhanship. Original version, writ- Based on data from the edicts, nomadic tribes in the ten in the Turkic language; XIV century had strong institutions of tarkhanship and 5. Waqf Charter from Timur Amir to the mosque soyurghal, which permitted the inheritance of a tarkhan Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, issued in the late title and a piece of land on condition that the holder XIV − early XVI centuries—according to this docu- perform military service in the Golden Horde. Edicts ment, at the end of the XIV century or the begin- indicate that feudal lands and allotments, especially win- ning of the XV century, Amir Timur endowed Khoja ter pastures, had clear borders that were protected by Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum with a number of irri- their owners. Tis is evidenced by the following phrase gated lands along with irrigation canals as a waqf. from the edict by Abul-Ghazi. “Te winter residence of Original version, written in the Persian language (as Shah-Bekht Khan [the grandson of Abulkhair Khan] was of today, the Charter is kept in the collection of docu- located one oasis up the river from that of Berke Sultan ments of the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental [the son of Yadiger Khan],” it says [22]. Tis assertion Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of shows that pastures that belonged to Shah Bekht Khan Uzbekistan) [20]. shared borders with pastures that belonged to Berke Sul- tan. Furthermore, both land plots had owners. Another Tese sources were selected based on the following cri- proof of the existence of feudal land ownership is the teria: (1) the textual source was considered to be reliable transfer of land by inheritance, governed by the propri- through critical analysis; (2) the size of the text is enough etorship or soyurghal grants. to extract meaningful information; (3) the content of the Until now, scientists made judgments about the land- written source enables the establishment of structural, law institution of soyurghal based on tarkhan grants or genetic, and transformational connections between facts. narrative sources of external origin. Even through the Terefore, textual sources under study were arranged in translations of soyurghal grants have long been avail- accordance with the objective connections between them able, their nature and specifcs have not been the focus [21]. of extensive research. Future studies should close this gap Edicts from Sygnak can be broken into several sections, because soyurghal grants represent one of the most sig- which appear in earlier and later documents: nifcant and valuable groups of edicts issued during the Invocation, where reference to God appeared; Golden Horde period. Intitulatio, where the name and title of the person from Te research practice has shown that additional infor- whom the document was issued appeared; mation can be found through the exploration of stylis- Inscriptio, where addresses of the person to whom the tic nuances and terminology of the formal text. One of document was meant for appeared; these nuances is the use of the word “sözum” (my word) Notifcatio, where the announcement appeared; in the intitulatio, which function was to indicate the Dispositio, where a decision that has been made is person making the proclamation [23]. All of the edicts detailed; extant had this component, which implied the highest Sanctio, where the instructions were given; command, decree, or order. It exists alongside the phrase Corroboratio, an authentication of the document; “a degree with tamgha of [name of the person issuing the Eschatocol, which was a closing protocol. degree]” in corroboratio, where tamgha was a tribal sign For discourse analysis, a representative corpus of texts [23]. Tese discourse structures were used to give pat- is required and a set of criteria should be developed. Te ents a name until the middle of the XVI century. Since choice of texts and criteria depends on the discourse the second half of the XVI century, all privileges in cor- being analyzed, on the research interest, and on a prob- roboratio were called yarlyks or edicts (written comman- lem the scholar is intended to solve. In full-fedged inves- dants). Tere were also diferent terms used in the main tigation, on should keep in mind that textual sources arise test of the document to diferentiate the edicts, namely against the background of specifc events in the society. mulk-nameh, berat, and maaf-nameh. Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 6 of 9
Edicts were drawn up in full accordance with the documents have elements of tarkhan grants (exemption norms of the language used to create stamps. In from taxes and land consolidation). tarkhan grants of the Golden Horde, each section of Particularly noteworthy are the key words that travel the document is of fundamental importance. Based from one edict to another. Tey designate relevant issues on the presence or absence of structural elements, a and refect both time-specifc ideas and stereotypes, as scholar can determine if the document is integral and well as social and economic priorities. Based on edicts, authentic. Te classifcation of ofcial acts can thus be one can trace changes in agricultural production mod- performed by comprehensively examining the levels of els of the nomads, as well as exogenous and endogenous the discourse and its thematic hierarchy. Tis can help issues infuencing social development during the forma- scholars investigate the evolution of feudal and other tion of statehood in the XIV-XVI centuries. Tus, ofcial institutions of nomadic society. acts (edicts) refect the result of the mutual infuence of Te analysis of Edicts from Sygnak indicated that docu- sedentary and mobile lifeways [24]. Edicts from South- ments in this collection of written sources belong to the ern Kazakhstan are dominated by waqf deeds, which are category edicts. Diplomatic analysis confrmed that the similar to that from Timur Amir to the mosque Ahmed Charter from Timur Amir to the mosque Ahmed Yasawi Yasawi and from Abu-l-Ghazi Ubaydallah-Khan-Baha- is an endowment document waqf-nameh. Te organiza- dur-Sultan. It is questionable, however, whether there tion of this document is consistent with the ofcial acts were waqf lands in the settled agricultural oases and cit- of the XIV–XVI centuries. Te primary structure of ies in the southwestern Zhetysu, since there is no infor- waqf-nameh can be divided into three parts (introduc- mation about those in the written sources [24]. Tere tory protocol, main text, and closing protocol) and 8 sec- are evidences on the widespread possibility of land own- tions. Now, let us examine the Charter to the mosque ership for Muslim clergy across cities in the Syr Darya Ahmed Yasawi. Te structure of its introductory protocol basin. Tose areas have long been the center of settled (invocation, intitulatio, and inscriptio) is similar to that in culture, agriculture, and trade, favored by the nomadic the Patent of 1400–1401. Te main text of the document population of Desht-i Qipchaq. Te Muslim clergy had (notifcatio, sanctio, and corroboratio) comprises all of enough economic power to infuence the nomadic soci- the elements integral to waqf-nameh. Finally, there is no ety, as evidenced by several waqf documents. closing protocol. Te nomadic traditions have infuenced the content of Te Patents of 1400/1401, of 1543/1544, of 1597/1598, ofcial acts. Tere were many institutions, such as free- and of 1634/1635 comprise a number of structural ele- dom of travel, securing of land to clans and tribes, etc. ments specifc to edicts. Classifying structural elements In tarkhan grants, one of the most valuable privileges (parts and sections) of edicts and diferentiating the was the right to free travel. Another privilege, most likely changeable and unchangeable components of the text is originated from the mobile lifeway, was the exemption of conducive to the reconstruction of the edict. mobile tribes from various taxes [25]. Consequently, the In modern historiology, documents analysis involves rights and obligations enshrined in the edicts stemmed the use of methods from multiple academic disciplines from the very essence of the nomadic way of life. Te rul- that are concerned with document structure and hand- ers or khans took care not only to settle the non-popu- writing. Research methods from related disciplines, such lated areas but also to maintain the traditional, that is, as linguistics and philology, can also be used in document mobile system of living, and edicts are the refection of analysis. Discourse analysis is a new technique used in those eforts. linguistics, which can further be applied alongside meth- Te arguments behind certain speech patterns are ods from the humanities. crucial in document reconstruction. Grigoryev has rec- Te results of discourse analysis in this study revealed reated 6 diferent edicts. Tese documents were rather the following. Te discourse repertoire of Edicts from well analyzed, but the comparison of speech patterns and Sygnak is rather unique. Te use of clarifcation-giving structural elements between the authentic main text and headings, such as maaf-name, mulk-nameh, berat, bitik, its Russian translation revealed interpolations, transposi- etc. in the dispositio section of the edicts enables the clas- tions of words and phrases and other inconsistencies [5]. sifcation of authentic textual sources collected under Te proposed research procedure will allow establishing the title of Edicts from Sygnak. Classifying edicts from the authenticity of edicts. the cities of Sygnak, Sayram, and Turkestan, the follow- Edicts from khans objectively and promptly refect the ing types of documents were distinguished. Among fve socio-economic changes occurred in the Golden Horde edicts issued in Syr Darya between XIV and XVI centu- and subsequent khanates throughout the history. Sin- ries, one is a soyurghal grant, two waqf deeds, and other gle facts and events can only be established based on two charters of privilege to military ofcers. However, all data available in edicts, since other authentic historical Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 7 of 9
sources do not cover many socio-economic processes of the textual source over time can be seen not only in its the past. In these circumstances, edicts become a truly external appearance, but also in its content. Tis is due invaluable source on medieval history. the evolution of both ofcial documents and historical methodology. Discussion Discourse analysis is a set of analytical methods of ana- Te results of discourse analysis are consistent with con- lyzing texts generated in various socio-political, cultural, clusions drawn about discursive regularities by Michel historical contexts [27, 28]. One of the most promis- Foucault. Take, for example, the case of Natural History ing areas in historical science today is the functionality in the Classical period. “It does not use the same con- of nomadic society, as a common social system in the cepts as in the XVI century,” Foucault says, explaining medieval period. From this perspective, edicts with their that “some of the older concepts, such as genus, species, insights into the industries of nomadic civilizations catch and signs are used in diferent ways; new concepts, such interest. Tese sources provide signifcant information as structure, emerge; and others, like that of organism are about the ethnopolitical history, economy, and spiritual formed later” [26]. Michel Foucault was certain that the culture of nomadic society. Te specifcity of edicts is that general arrangement of the statements and their suc- they were the major tool in resolving socio-economic and cessive arrangement in particular wholes altered in the land issues among sedentary and mobile population of seventeenth century, governing the emergence and recur- the Golden Horde in the XIV–XVI centuries. rence of concepts. He says “It was the way in which one Te Kozybayev’s approach to understanding the past of wrote down what one observed and, by means of a series nomadic society is based on the civilizational analysis of of statements, recreated a perceptual process; it was the historical sources. In Kozybayev’s opinion, oral sources relation and interplay of subordinations between describ- should be widely used in the study of Turkic peoples with ing, articulating into distinctive features, characterizing, common roots and a common history, such as Kazakhs, and classifying; it was the reciprocal position of particular Kyrgyz, Uighurs, and Uzbeks. According to him, each observations and general principles; it was the system of of them have the right to consider Mirza Muhammad dependence between what one learnt, what one saw, what Dulati to be a native historian because “he passed down one deduced, what one accepted as probable, and what a frst-class source of information about the last 200 years one postulated” [26]. of political, cultural, and socio-economic development of In this respect, the discourse under study not only several Turkic peoples that occupied a vast region, Mogo- records historical events, but it also allows us to follow listan” [29]. the journey of nomadic nations towards statehood. By Karibaev et al. [30] contributed to historical knowledge comparing the same kinds of texts issued in diferent through the exploration of consequences of socio-polit- times, one can look closer at many phenomena happen- ical transformation of the Golden Horde. Te authors ing in medieval society and study the evolution of feudal focused on investigating the interaction between political institutions from the moment of their creation to disap- institutions and settled population based the latest theo- pearance. Gradually, as the volume of research material retical and conceptual approaches of historical science to grows, more and more attention is drawn to the develop- the study of political history. Te authors shed light on ment of nomadic societies, and our knowledge of what is the methods and principles of research concerning the similar and diferent about sedentary and mobile peoples life and behavior of nomadic peoples. At the same time, becomes increasingly disputable. As a result, new con- the extrapolation of previous historical experience is cru- cept will appear. cial for adequately determining the place of nomadic civi- Foucault’s assertion that the foundation of the oral or lization in the world history [30]. written discourse, the living speech, is “the way in which At the same time, it became possible to highlight the the modes of approximation and development of the state- historical and cultural signifcance of edicts as one of ments are linked to the modes of criticism, commentary, the most important components of the cultural life of and interpretation of previously formulated statements, the Turkic-speaking peoples. Te structural analysis of etc. It is this group of relations that constitutes a system edicts proves that edicts have their origins in traditions of conceptual formation” and allows considering the text of the Turkic-speaking peoples. Tis study agrees with not only as object of written culture, but also as concept Usmanov’s opinion that “the culture of writing that gave carrying within itself a piece of historical memory [26]. rise to legal tradition resulted from the symbiosis of sev- Tis methodological approach signifcantly expands the eral cultures, where the absorbers were Turkic-speaking ways of data extraction from oral and written sources. peoples, such as Uyghurs in Central Asia, Kipchaks in Applying the discourse method according to Syl- Eastern Europe, and sedentary population of Bulgar and via Bendel Larcher [14], it was found that alterations to Khorezm” [31]. Te ofcial acts, which originated locally Ibrayeva et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:90 Page 8 of 9
under the infuence of Kipchak’s written and cultural Declarations traditions, underwent a number of changes and came to Competing interests their complete physical appearance over time. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Author details Conclusion 1 Department of History of Kazakhstan and Socio‑Humanitarian Disciplines, M. Kozybaev North Kazakhstan University, Pushkin Street, 86, Petropav- In modern historiology, documents analysis involves the lovsk 1500000, Kazakhstan. 2 Department of History of Kazakhstan, L. use of methods from multiple academic disciplines that Gumilyov, Eurasian National University, Pushkin Street, 11, Nur‑Sultan 010000, are concerned with document structure and handwrit- Kazakhstan. ing. Research methods from related disciplines, such as Received: 16 April 2021 Accepted: 14 July 2021 linguistics and philology, can also be used in document analysis. Discourse analysis is a new technique used in linguistics, which can further be applied alongside meth- ods from the humanities. References Based on the discourse investigation in this study, the 1. Ibatov A. Khan’s Decree Epoch Law. 2017;2:33–8. following conclusions were drawn. First, the discourse 2. Kurat AN. 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