The legacy of the Golden Horde is an important part of Kazakhstan’s historical identity

On May 19, an international symposium titled “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture, Identity” was held at the Palace of Independence in Astana with the participation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Golden Horde occupies a special place in the history of Kazakhstan as a state that became the historical predecessor of the Kazakh Khanate and played a key role in the formation of the Kazakh people. It was during the Golden Horde period that the Turkic-Muslim civilizational space took shape, alongside the development of statehood, trade, culture, and diplomacy.

The President of the country has repeatedly emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory and deeply reexamining national history. The symbols and traditions of the Golden Horde continue to be reflected in the modern statehood of Kazakhstan. In particular, the name of the President’s residence, “Ak Orda,” is historically connected to the headquarters of the rulers of the Ulus of Jochi, while the name of the national currency, the “tenge”, originates from the monetary system of the Golden Horde.

Speaking at the symposium, the Head of State shared interesting historical insights.

“No historian doubts that the Golden Horde was a powerful empire that freely extended across the vast expanses of Eurasia and ruled over the territory of the Great Steppe. This is a recognized historical fact,” the President stated at the international symposium on the history of the Golden Horde.

According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Golden Horde became a political entity that connected East and West, and its history naturally remains the subject of numerous fundamental studies.

The Head of State noted that, unlike many states of that era, the Golden Horde demonstrated a principle of strategic openness in its development, which was reflected even in the appearance of its cities.

“At the height of its flourishing, the cities of the empire were not confined within fortress walls, but developed as spaces of intensive trade and high human mobility. This experience convincingly refutes the myth of an allegedly eternal conflict between the steppe and the city. On the contrary, it was precisely their interaction that created one of the most flexible models of medieval statehood”.

The President noted that the topic of the Golden Horde has not lost its relevance and holds special significance both for national history and for global historical scholarship. In this regard, Kazakhstan intends to continue the systematic and comprehensive study of this period in cooperation with the international academic community.

“It is important that this symposium has brought together different schools of research specializing in the history of the Golden Horde and the history of the Great Steppe. In this regard, it is only fair to note the role of Russian scholars, who for many years have been productively engaged in studying this vast subject and have succeeded in creating a substantial body of academic work that provides extensive knowledge about the Golden Horde. At the same time, the topic of the Golden Horde has gone beyond the boundaries of any one state and has attracted the attention of researchers from China, Mongolia, the United States, India, Pakistan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, and a number of European countries, and one could say that this topic is confidently making its way across the globe”, the President said.

The Head of State also expressed special gratitude to UNESCO for supporting Kazakhstan’s initiative to hold the symposium.