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Peculiarities of Conducting Military Affairs in Ancient Tribes of Kazakhstan

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Peculiarities of Conducting Military Affairs in Ancient Tribes of Kazakhstan ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 25 · 2015 · 3 original scientifi c article UDC 355.48:316.324.3(574)"637" received: 2015-05-16 PECULIARITIES OF CONDUCTING MILITARY AFFAIRS IN ANCIENT TRIBES OF KAZAKHSTAN Gaukhar BALGABAYEVA Elmira NAURYZBAYEVA Utegen ISENOV Aygul TASKUZHINA Aygul AMANTAYEVA Tolkyn ERISHEVA Kostanay State Pedagogical Institute, 118 Tarana Street, Kostanay, 11000, Kazakhstan e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This article analyzes the genesis of military affairs in the early period of formation of society in Kazakhstan. The paper examines a number of socio-economic factors of the Bronze Age, which infl uenced the evolution of the mili- tary art. Moreover, it describes the military caste of the early nomads and the participation of women in the military and political activities of nomadic groups. The authors conclude that the development of the military art is based on socio-cultural phenomena that occurred in high antiquity and is closely related to the psychological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of the human species. Keywords: military affairs of nomads, nomads, military estate, ancient tribes of Kazakhstan PECULIARITÀ DELL’ISTITUZIONE DEL SETTORE MILITARE NEI POPOLI ANTICHI DEL KAZAKISTAN SINTESI L’articolo analizza la genesi del settore militare nel primo periodo della formazione della società in Kazakistan. Lo studio prende in esame vari fattori socioeconomici risalenti all’età del bronzo che infl uenzarono l’evoluzione dell’ar- te militare. Inoltre, descrive la casta militare dei primi nomadi e la partecipazione di donne nelle attività militari e po- litiche dei gruppi nomadi. Gli autori concludono che lo sviluppo dell’arte militare si basa su fenomeni socioculturali che si verifi carono in tarda antichità e sono strettamente connessi con le caratteristiche psicologiche, fi siologiche e comportamentali della specie umana. Parole chiave: questioni militari dei nomadi, nomadi, tenuta militare, antichi popoli del Kazakistan 433 ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 25 · 2015 · 3 Gaukhar BALGABAYEVA et al: PECULIARITIES OF CONDUCTING MILITARY AFFAIRS IN ANCIENT TRIBES OF KAZAKHSTAN, 433–440 INTRODUCTION systematizing the sets of arms of many Siberian and Central Asian cultures of the Hun-Sarmatian time, trac- The study of the history and the development of ing the evolution and identifying the regularities of the armed forces is not only scientifi cally, but also social- development of military affairs of Central Asian peoples ly and politically relevant, because the solution to this (MIAA, 2003)1. problem contributes to the scientifi c patriotic education, Taking into account the insuffi cient knowledge of and further improvement of military affairs. the genesis of military affairs in the territory of Kazakh- The peculiarities of the development of military af- stan, this paper is the fi rst to consider the military affairs fairs in the territory of Kazakhstan in ancient times (from from its very origin in the prehistoric era, in the period ancient times to the fi fth century CE) were determined of sedentary mixed agriculture and the formation of the by the following reasons: nomadic society, which allows identifying the historical Firstly, while studying the military affairs of nomads, origins of many characteristics of weapons, military or- an important fact is completely overlooked – the fact that ganization and military art of nomads, which were not nomadism developed on the basis of its predecessor, the predetermined directly by the nomadic lifestyle. This sedentary farming and cattle husbandry economy of the concerns the role of infantry in the early nomad period, Bronze Age; therefore, the elements of culture, includ- the development of fortifi cation art, the widespread oc- ing military affairs, were to a certain extent infl uenced currence of original weapons of foot soldiers – com- by the previous period. bat knives, daggers, heavy armor, etc. This approach Secondly, the so-called “nomadic” economy is char- allows reconsidering the role of external borrowings in acterized as multi-structural; at that, the balance of its the development of the spiritual and material culture various elements and characteristics (cattle breeding, of nomads and recognizing its many phenomena as a agriculture, handicrafts, nomadic intensity, level of in- genetic continuation of the traditions of the previous volvement in regional trade, etc.) at different stages of period of social development from ancient times to the the genesis of nomadism was different, which defi nitely Bronze Age. affected the development of military affairs. The history of studying the problems, related to the RESEARCH METHODS development of nomads’ military affairs is inextricably connected with the general history of nomad studies. In The main cognitive and research methods used were the second half of the 19th century, Russian and Eurasian the historical-comparative method, based on the analyt- oriental studies began to develop the military-historical ical and inductive approach, and the historical method, subject in relation to Eurasian nomads; at that, the re- which provides for establishing the cause and effect re- search objects were the military organization, strategy lations and the dynamics of the object under study. In and tactics of medieval Mongols and their successors addition, the systems method was used, considering the (Dienera, 2013). The researchers of this period focused object of study as a unity of interconnected elements. In on the relationship between the peculiarities of nomads’ this case, we examine military affairs as a system com- military affairs and the peculiarities of their economy. prised of individual elements, i.e. weapons, military or- However, an in-depth analysis of the latter was not car- ganization, and military art. Each of these elements in ried out, while the studies were superfi cial, which was turn consists of separate components. caused by a poor source base (Ivanin, 2003). A signifi cant contribution to the study nomads’ mili- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION tary affairs was made by Valikhanov’s (1985) ethno- graphic and source-studies works, devoted to specifi c The mechanism of appearance of the military stra- aspects of military and historical problems. A wide range tum in the ancient society was relatively simple. The ac- of materials on the armament of ancient and medieval cumulation of excess products in the productive econ- nomads, and fortifi cation was accumulated. The main omy inevitably led to the possibility of engaging not in written sources were introduced into the scientifi c use production, but in a forced redistribution of accumu- in the same period. lated excess products of the neighboring communities At present, there exists a developed and successfully (Bichurin, 1998). tested analytical model of weapon-studies researches, The high social signifi cance of the performed func- which includes the systematization of various weapons tion for the protection of the community determined the types, the typological classifi cation of armaments, the higher social status of soldiers, compared to common- consolidation of the analysis results into a single set of ers. Especially high was the status of the military lead- combat equipment, and the reconstruction of the struc- er – the chieftain, who managed community resources ture of the military organization and the peculiarities during frequent military clashes. The appearance of a of the art of war (Kushkumbayev, 2001). This allowed special group of military professionals laid the founda- 1 MIAA, A. Margulan Institute of Archeology Archive. Report on work of the Central Kazakhstan expedition for 2002. Almaty, 2003. 434 ANNALES · Ser. hist. sociol. · 25 · 2015 · 3 Gaukhar BALGABAYEVA et al: PECULIARITIES OF CONDUCTING MILITARY AFFAIRS IN ANCIENT TRIBES OF KAZAKHSTAN, 433–440 tion for the establishment of the art of war, as it became The historical basis of the myth about the Amazons possible to continuously and purposefully accumulate is the confrontation with belligerent tribes. It is interest- and pass on the experience in this fi eld of human activ- ing to analyze the information provided by Herodotus. ity (Allaniyazov, 1996). He talks about the origins and customs of Sauromates’ The development of military affairs was closely re- gender equality (if one were to use modern terminology) lated to the establishment of potestarian relations, and, in their environment. Sauromate women, he says, uphold subsequently, the state. This period witnessed the distin- their ancient traditions: along with their husbands, and guishing of a class of people, who managed and coordi- even without them, they hunt and ride on horseback, and nated the work of commons. Emerging power relations wear the same clothes as men do. No female could marry – subordination, i.e. potestarian relations, inevitably as- before she killed her fi rst enemy, and some died without sumed the form military-potestarian ones, since the only ever marrying (Historians of Rome, 1969, 110-117). support of tribe rulers was the social stratum of soldiers The signifi cant role of women in the military organi- with necessary skills and competence. zation of the steppe is evidenced by materials of buri- This military stratum initially served as internal se- al grounds along the middle reaches of the Don River. curity, preventing the disintegration of weakly econom- An example of this is mound 16 of the Durovka burial ically-consolidated military-potestarian unions during ground, which belonged to a woman aged
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