World Heritage Cultue Preservation Paper
I have always been of the mindset, 'Once you stop learning, you start dying.' I'm always up for a challenge, which leads me to this. Kazakhstan is a huge country in Central Asia. I had always been somewhat interseted in Kazakhstan. When I was little I would look at the map hanging on our kitchen wall and wonder why I had never heard anything about such a massive country. As I got older I did some research and was shocked to see how modern present day Kazakhstan looked. I'm not entirely sure what I expected it to be like, but the stikingly beautiful Astana was defenity not it. So naturally when the opportunity arose to write a paper on any country that I wanted, I went with Kazakhstan. This paper will focus on some of the highlights in Kazakh history. I will split this paper up into three sections, first the Pre-Classical (3700-3100 BCE), then Classical (800 BCE-500 CE), and lastly the Post-Classical (1093 CE-1636 CE).
The Botai People of Ancient Kazakhstan
3700-3100 B.C.E
Domestication of Horses
The image above shows the bones of a horse excavated at one of the Botai sites in modern day Akmola Province in Northern Kazakhstan. Four Botai villages have been discovered thus far: Botai, the largest village and the one for which the culture is named, Roshchinskoe, Krasnyi Yar, and Vasilkovka IV. There is evidence at all four sites that suggest the Botai people were domesticating horses as early as 3700-3100 B.C.E, a millennium earlier than previously thought.
Modern day fermented mare milk known as 'Kumiss'
There is also substantial evidence that the Botai people milked their horses like they do in modern Kazakhstan. In the settlement of Krasnyi Yar and Vasilkovka IV, milk residue has been found on the inside of ancient pottery. Fermented mare’s milk is full of vitamins and nutrients, which would be necessary for the Botai people who consumed mostly meat.
Modern day Kazakh horse corral
Evidence of enclosures has been found at various Botai sites. There have been an overwhelming amount of horse remains found in these suspected enclosures. More evidence pointing to the Botai keeping horse corrals is the discovery of elevated levels of Phosphorus as well as 15N within the confines of the corral. Phosphorus is commonly found in soil that has been enriched by manure over a long period of time, Whereas 15N may point to horse urine in the soil.
The image above shows the bones of a horse excavated at one of the Botai sites in modern day Akmola Province in Northern Kazakhstan. Four Botai villages have been discovered thus far: Botai, the largest village and the one for which the culture is named, Roshchinskoe, Krasnyi Yar, and Vasilkovka IV. There is evidence at all four sites that suggest the Botai people were domesticating horses as early as 3700-3100 B.C.E, a millennium earlier than previously thought.
Modern day fermented mare milk known as 'Kumiss'
There is also substantial evidence that the Botai people milked their horses like they do in modern Kazakhstan. In the settlement of Krasnyi Yar and Vasilkovka IV, milk residue has been found on the inside of ancient pottery. Fermented mare’s milk is full of vitamins and nutrients, which would be necessary for the Botai people who consumed mostly meat.
Modern day Kazakh horse corral
Evidence of enclosures has been found at various Botai sites. There have been an overwhelming amount of horse remains found in these suspected enclosures. More evidence pointing to the Botai keeping horse corrals is the discovery of elevated levels of Phosphorus as well as 15N within the confines of the corral. Phosphorus is commonly found in soil that has been enriched by manure over a long period of time, Whereas 15N may point to horse urine in the soil.
How do we know?
Butchering cut marks from stone tool on horse bone from Krasnyi Yar
It appears the Botai people were dependent on horses for survival. Considering they lived in permanent villages with populations as high as 200 persons, it would have been extremely difficult to rely on hunting alone to sustain the whole settlement. It is believed that the Botai kept horses for food as well as livestock. At the excavation site of Botai, 90% of the 300,000 animal bones fragments found were from horses alone. Cut marks on the bones that could have been only made by manmade tools send a rather clear message that the horses were kept for slaughter.
"The chopping methods indicate a concentration on dividing the carcasses into smaller portions and extracting marrow. For sufficient fat intake, marrow and bone grease would have been an important part of the diet."
"Botai: Early Horse Herders on the Steppes of Northern Kazakhstan," 2.2 Sedentary Horse Pastoralism, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2009.
Botai dress carved out of a horse phalanx
The unearthing of hundreds of artifacts made from horse remains reveals information to which we would otherwise never have had access. For instance, carvings of women's dresses give us a good idea of the kind of clothes the Botai people wore.
"Hundreds of bone artifacts were made from the remains of horses, including female figurines from phalanges. These shed light on the dress construction and decorations of the women of Botai"
"The Early Horse Herders of Botai" Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Musem, The Kansas University, 2014.
Cord-wrapped paddle 2-ply and S-twisted impressions
Ladder patterned cloth impression on a ceramic artifact
Not only do we have an Idea what the dresses looked like, we also know how they made them. The findings of cord impressions proved invaluable to understanding the craftsmanship of the Botai. If it weren't for these cord and cloth impressions we would have no idea how versatile the Botai people were in weaving and sewing. They used methods such as the 2-ply S-twist to make clothes, baskets, ropes, and other types of woven goods. With these impressions, we can now even make replicas of the cordage the Botai used.
"Based on the appearance of the Botai cloth impressions they probably represent simple twined cloth made from a blast fiber. It appears that two-ply S-twist threads were used, just as was the case for the cordage."
Olson, Sandra L. and Harding, Deborah G. "Woman's Attire and Possible Sacred Role in 4th Millennium Northern Kazakhstan," Are All Warriors Male?: Gender Roles on the Ancient Eurasian Steppe, Edited by Katheryn M. Linduff and Karen Sydney Rubinson, Chapter 4 page 83, AltaMira Press, 2008.
Butchering cut marks from stone tool on horse bone from Krasnyi Yar
It appears the Botai people were dependent on horses for survival. Considering they lived in permanent villages with populations as high as 200 persons, it would have been extremely difficult to rely on hunting alone to sustain the whole settlement. It is believed that the Botai kept horses for food as well as livestock. At the excavation site of Botai, 90% of the 300,000 animal bones fragments found were from horses alone. Cut marks on the bones that could have been only made by manmade tools send a rather clear message that the horses were kept for slaughter.
"The chopping methods indicate a concentration on dividing the carcasses into smaller portions and extracting marrow. For sufficient fat intake, marrow and bone grease would have been an important part of the diet."
"Botai: Early Horse Herders on the Steppes of Northern Kazakhstan," 2.2 Sedentary Horse Pastoralism, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2009.
Botai dress carved out of a horse phalanx
The unearthing of hundreds of artifacts made from horse remains reveals information to which we would otherwise never have had access. For instance, carvings of women's dresses give us a good idea of the kind of clothes the Botai people wore.
"Hundreds of bone artifacts were made from the remains of horses, including female figurines from phalanges. These shed light on the dress construction and decorations of the women of Botai"
"The Early Horse Herders of Botai" Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Musem, The Kansas University, 2014.
Cord-wrapped paddle 2-ply and S-twisted impressions
Ladder patterned cloth impression on a ceramic artifact
Not only do we have an Idea what the dresses looked like, we also know how they made them. The findings of cord impressions proved invaluable to understanding the craftsmanship of the Botai. If it weren't for these cord and cloth impressions we would have no idea how versatile the Botai people were in weaving and sewing. They used methods such as the 2-ply S-twist to make clothes, baskets, ropes, and other types of woven goods. With these impressions, we can now even make replicas of the cordage the Botai used.
"Based on the appearance of the Botai cloth impressions they probably represent simple twined cloth made from a blast fiber. It appears that two-ply S-twist threads were used, just as was the case for the cordage."
Olson, Sandra L. and Harding, Deborah G. "Woman's Attire and Possible Sacred Role in 4th Millennium Northern Kazakhstan," Are All Warriors Male?: Gender Roles on the Ancient Eurasian Steppe, Edited by Katheryn M. Linduff and Karen Sydney Rubinson, Chapter 4 page 83, AltaMira Press, 2008.
Thong-smoother made from mandibles
Excavation uncovered an immense amount of small harpoons made out of horse bone. Originally thought to be used for fishing, researchers quickly realized that the harpoons were more likely used for hunting wild game. The fish bones found at the sites were actually smaller than the harpoons themselves, therefore making them useless for fishing.
Thong-smoothers are another exciting discovery. They strongly suggest that the Botai people not only domesticated horses but also rode them. Other tools such as lassos, bridles, and whips have also been found, only strengthening this theory.
"Some horse bones -- J-shaped pieces of jaw, with the teeth knocked out -- appear to be tools. Inside the crook of the J, the bones show wear, suggesting they were used as "thong smoothers." Controlling horses, Olsen noted, would require lots of leather bridles, whips, hobbles and lassoes. Carefully cutting a horse hide in a spiral shape yields a thin leather thong several yards long, but twisted. Drawing the thong along the edge of the thong smoother, however, would straighten it and make it usable."
Spice, Byron, Science Editor, Post-Gazette. "Pittsburgh zooarchaeologist builds the case for domestication of horse," Post-Gazette, Health & Science, 2002.
Even with the immense amount of evidence to support the theory that the Botai people domesticated horses, some people are still skeptical. They believe the Botai may have tamed their horses as opposed to domesticating them. In the book "Documenting Domestication" published by University of Californa Press, former Carnegie Museum of Natural History Curator of Anthropology, Sandra Olsen writes on how it would have been nearly impossible for the Botai people to keep their horses from mating, and therefore domesticating them.
"it seems unlikely that wild mares and stallions would be captured, tamed, and even perhaps trained for riding but prevented from breeding with each other. This scenario requires thorough isolation of the two sexes in separate corrals to avoid any contact during estrus. One mistake and the tame population would suddenly become a breeding one. Overcoming the powerful natural urges of horses to breed is especially difficult given that, even today, domestic horses in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia are released from the corrals in the evening and driven overland to graze through the night on natural pasture. Only a couple of horse herders may drive as many as 250 horses at a time, and even with the aid of persistent herding dogs, control is never absolute."
Olsen, Sandra L, "Early Horse Domestication on the Eurasian Steppe." Documenting Domestication, Edited by Melinda A. Zeder, Daniel G. Bradley, Eve Emshwiller and Bruce D. Smith, Chapter 17, University of California Press, 2006.
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With that being said the opposing side does make fair points. Marsha Levine, a retired University of Cambridge academic of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, reviewed the horse bones found at the Botai site and determined that all the horses were wild. She believes that because the female to male ratio was far more typical of a wild population than a domesticated one.
"Makarova, and the American arehaeozoologist Sandra Olsen of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh all concluded that at least some of the Botai horses were domesticated. In opposition, the archaeozoologists N. M. Ermolova, Marsha Levine, and the German team Norbert Benecke and Angela von den Dreisch concluded that all the Botai horses were wild. 28 Levine found some pathologies in the Botai vertebrae but attributed them to age. Benecke and von den Dreisch showed that the Botai horses exhibited a narrow range of variability in size, like Paleolithic wild populations. The ages and sexes of the Botai horses were typical of a wild population, with a 1:1 ratio between the sexes, including all age groups, even colts and pregnant mares with gestating fetuses. Everyone agrees that whole herds of wild horses were killed by the Botai people, using herd-driving hunting techniques that had never been used before in the Kazakh steppes, certainly not on this scale. Were the hunters riding or on foot? Native American hunters on foot drove bison herds over cliffs before the introduction of horses to the Americas by Europeans, so herd driving was possible without riding."
Anthony,David W. "The Horse The Wheel and Language," Chapterr 10, Princeton University Press, 2007.
Thong-smoother made from mandibles
Excavation uncovered an immense amount of small harpoons made out of horse bone. Originally thought to be used for fishing, researchers quickly realized that the harpoons were more likely used for hunting wild game. The fish bones found at the sites were actually smaller than the harpoons themselves, therefore making them useless for fishing.
Thong-smoothers are another exciting discovery. They strongly suggest that the Botai people not only domesticated horses but also rode them. Other tools such as lassos, bridles, and whips have also been found, only strengthening this theory.
"Some horse bones -- J-shaped pieces of jaw, with the teeth knocked out -- appear to be tools. Inside the crook of the J, the bones show wear, suggesting they were used as "thong smoothers." Controlling horses, Olsen noted, would require lots of leather bridles, whips, hobbles and lassoes. Carefully cutting a horse hide in a spiral shape yields a thin leather thong several yards long, but twisted. Drawing the thong along the edge of the thong smoother, however, would straighten it and make it usable."
Spice, Byron, Science Editor, Post-Gazette. "Pittsburgh zooarchaeologist builds the case for domestication of horse," Post-Gazette, Health & Science, 2002.
Even with the immense amount of evidence to support the theory that the Botai people domesticated horses, some people are still skeptical. They believe the Botai may have tamed their horses as opposed to domesticating them. In the book "Documenting Domestication" published by University of Californa Press, former Carnegie Museum of Natural History Curator of Anthropology, Sandra Olsen writes on how it would have been nearly impossible for the Botai people to keep their horses from mating, and therefore domesticating them.
"it seems unlikely that wild mares and stallions would be captured, tamed, and even perhaps trained for riding but prevented from breeding with each other. This scenario requires thorough isolation of the two sexes in separate corrals to avoid any contact during estrus. One mistake and the tame population would suddenly become a breeding one. Overcoming the powerful natural urges of horses to breed is especially difficult given that, even today, domestic horses in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia are released from the corrals in the evening and driven overland to graze through the night on natural pasture. Only a couple of horse herders may drive as many as 250 horses at a time, and even with the aid of persistent herding dogs, control is never absolute."
Olsen, Sandra L, "Early Horse Domestication on the Eurasian Steppe." Documenting Domestication, Edited by Melinda A. Zeder, Daniel G. Bradley, Eve Emshwiller and Bruce D. Smith, Chapter 17, University of California Press, 2006.
.
With that being said the opposing side does make fair points. Marsha Levine, a retired University of Cambridge academic of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, reviewed the horse bones found at the Botai site and determined that all the horses were wild. She believes that because the female to male ratio was far more typical of a wild population than a domesticated one.
"Makarova, and the American arehaeozoologist Sandra Olsen of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh all concluded that at least some of the Botai horses were domesticated. In opposition, the archaeozoologists N. M. Ermolova, Marsha Levine, and the German team Norbert Benecke and Angela von den Dreisch concluded that all the Botai horses were wild. 28 Levine found some pathologies in the Botai vertebrae but attributed them to age. Benecke and von den Dreisch showed that the Botai horses exhibited a narrow range of variability in size, like Paleolithic wild populations. The ages and sexes of the Botai horses were typical of a wild population, with a 1:1 ratio between the sexes, including all age groups, even colts and pregnant mares with gestating fetuses. Everyone agrees that whole herds of wild horses were killed by the Botai people, using herd-driving hunting techniques that had never been used before in the Kazakh steppes, certainly not on this scale. Were the hunters riding or on foot? Native American hunters on foot drove bison herds over cliffs before the introduction of horses to the Americas by Europeans, so herd driving was possible without riding."
Anthony,David W. "The Horse The Wheel and Language," Chapterr 10, Princeton University Press, 2007.
The Scythian/Saka People of Classical Kazakhstan
The classical age (800 B.C.E.-500 C.E.)
The classical age (800 B.C.E.-500 C.E.)
The Massagetae People vs. Saka Tigrakhauda People
The Syr Darya is one of Central Asia's major water sources. It is believed that the Massagatae people were one of the many nomadic tribes that lived along this river. There is much debate on whether the Massagatae were the same as the Scythians/Saka. Both groups were fierce warriors who were incredibly sufficient on horseback and foot. Both used brass to forage their favored weapon, the battle axe, though both groups used bows and spears often as well. Gold was also a big part of both groups. Massagatae and Saka both adorned their horses and headgear with gold plating.
http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/saka/saka3.htm
This is the kind of outfit a Saka prince would wear.
The image above is of The Golden Warrior, a statue of a Saka nobleman who was probably a prince. The skeletal remains of an eighteen-year-old adorned with a gold-plated uniform and surrounded by golden animal artifacts was found in a burial mound located in Issyk, Kazakhstan.
https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/styles/gallery-thumb/public/uploads/managed/galleries/1E8_72dpi.png?itok=FT4X1Mkf
https://oi.uchicago.edu/gallery/apadana#1E12_72dpi.png
As you can see, both the statue and this cave carving that was found in Persepolis depict people wearing pointy hats. In the writings of the ancient historian Herodotus, he described seven different types of Saka people which will be further explained later on. One of those groups were the Sakâ tigrakhaudâ, or the ‘Saka with the pointed hats.’ it is said that the height of the cap would have been an indication of status - the tallest caps being reserved for the senior-most ruler or king.
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| http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/saka/saka3.htm
This is the kind of outfit a Saka prince would wear.
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| https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/styles/gallery-thumb/public/uploads/managed/galleries/1E8_72dpi.png?itok=FT4X1Mkf https://oi.uchicago.edu/gallery/apadana#1E12_72dpi.png |
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Massagatae vs. Scythians
In ancient Eurasia, powerful nomadic tribes ruled the steppes. One of those tribes were the Massagatae. The Massagatae were a particularly vibrant group with various traditions such as cannibalizing their elderly. In the writings of Herodotus, he distinguishes the Massagate from the Scythians by talking about their different customs of marriage and worship.
"Now for their customs: each man marries a wife, but the wives are common to all. The Greeks say this is a Scythian custom; it is not, but a custom of the Massagetae . There, when a man desires a woman, he hangs his quiver before her wagon, and has intercourse with her without fear.
1.216.2
Though they fix no certain term to life, yet when a man is very old all his family meet together and kill him, with beasts of the flock besides, then boil the flesh and feast on it.
1.216.3
This is held to be the happiest death; when a man dies of an illness, they do not eat him, but bury him in the earth, and lament that he did not live to be killed. They never plant seed; their fare is their livestock and the fish which they take in abundance from the Araxes .
1.216.4
Their drink is milk. The sun is the only god whom they worship; they sacrifice horses to him; the reasoning is that he is the swiftest of the gods, and therefore they give him the swiftest of mortal things"
In ancient Eurasia, powerful nomadic tribes ruled the steppes. One of those tribes were the Massagatae. The Massagatae were a particularly vibrant group with various traditions such as cannibalizing their elderly. In the writings of Herodotus, he distinguishes the Massagate from the Scythians by talking about their different customs of marriage and worship.
"Now for their customs: each man marries a wife, but the wives are common to all. The Greeks say this is a Scythian custom; it is not, but a custom of the Massagetae . There, when a man desires a woman, he hangs his quiver before her wagon, and has intercourse with her without fear.
1.216.2
Though they fix no certain term to life, yet when a man is very old all his family meet together and kill him, with beasts of the flock besides, then boil the flesh and feast on it.
1.216.3
This is held to be the happiest death; when a man dies of an illness, they do not eat him, but bury him in the earth, and lament that he did not live to be killed. They never plant seed; their fare is their livestock and the fish which they take in abundance from the Araxes .
1.216.4
Their drink is milk. The sun is the only god whom they worship; they sacrifice horses to him; the reasoning is that he is the swiftest of the gods, and therefore they give him the swiftest of mortal things"
Tomyris the Massagatae Queen
In 530 B.C.E, Cyrus the Great was looking to expand his empire eastward into Central Asia. He had his sights set on conquering the nomadic tribes surrounding the Syr Darya, one of which was the Massagatae tribe. Cyrus, not wanting to cause unneeded bloodshed, sent a letter to the Massagatae queen, Tomyris, offering her his hand in marriage. Tomyris was not impressed. She knew that Cyrus was only after her power and her tribe so she refused. Cyrus then made a plan to trick the Massagatae warriors. He sent his troops over the borders to set up camp, instructing them to have a banquet and to poison all the food and drink. His troops did as he asked and left the tent empty as a lure like an Anglerfish, luring in its unsuspecting prey with the promise of food only to be swallowed up instead. Sure enough, the Massagetae, led by Tomyris’s son Spargapises, attacked the camp at night. The Massagatae were surprised and overjoyed when they were met with an empty tent occupied only with the food they had no idea had been poisoned. The Massagatae warriors ate the food in celebration, thinking that Cyrus’s man had retreated. That was obviously not the case and as soon as Spargapises and his men were unconscious, Cyrus' men went into the tent and slaughtered most of Massagatae warriors and took the others captive, one of which was Spargapises. When Tomyris heard that her only son had been captured she sent a letter to Cyrus of warning saying:
“Cyrus who can never get enough blood, do not be elated by what you have done; it is nothing to be proud of if, by the fruit of the vine—with which you Persians fill yourselves and rage so violently that evil words rise in a flood to your lips when the wine enters your bodies—if, by tricking him with this drug, you got the better of my son, and not by force of arms in battle. [3] Now, then, take a word of good advice from me: give me back my son and leave this country unpunished, even though you have savaged a third of the Massagetae army. But if you will not, then I swear to you by the sun, lord of the Massagetae, that I shall give even you who can never get enough of it your fill of blood.”
Cyrus brushed off her warning which was a really bad idea in retrospect. Once Spargapises came out of his drugged daze, he asked to be freed from his bonds. Cyrus agreed and undid his bonds and the minute Spargapises was free he was so overcome with shame that he killed himself in hopes of hanging on to some piece of the honor he had. When Tomyris heard of this she called upon her troops. She was ready to fulfill her promise. Cyrus, on the other hand, was ready to expand his kingdom. When the Massagatae and the Persians met in battle it was so bloody and so ferocious that Herodotus called it,
“[This fight] I judge to have been the fiercest ever fought by men that were not Greek; and indeed I have learned that this was so.”
Although both sides suffered major losses, the Massagatae decimated the Persian forces including Cyrus himself. After the battle, Tomyris searched the bodies of the fallen Persians with a skin filled with human blood to find Cyrus. When she found him made sure she kept her promise.
“she pushed his head into the skin, and insulted the dead man in these words: [5] “Though I am alive and have defeated you in battle, you have destroyed me, taking my son by guile; but just as I threatened, I give you your fill of blood.” Many stories are told of Cyrus' death; this, that I have told, is the most credible.”
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The post-classical age (1300C.E.-1640 C.E.)
In 530 B.C.E, Cyrus the Great was looking to expand his empire eastward into Central Asia. He had his sights set on conquering the nomadic tribes surrounding the Syr Darya, one of which was the Massagatae tribe. Cyrus, not wanting to cause unneeded bloodshed, sent a letter to the Massagatae queen, Tomyris, offering her his hand in marriage. Tomyris was not impressed. She knew that Cyrus was only after her power and her tribe so she refused. Cyrus then made a plan to trick the Massagatae warriors. He sent his troops over the borders to set up camp, instructing them to have a banquet and to poison all the food and drink. His troops did as he asked and left the tent empty as a lure like an Anglerfish, luring in its unsuspecting prey with the promise of food only to be swallowed up instead. Sure enough, the Massagetae, led by Tomyris’s son Spargapises, attacked the camp at night. The Massagatae were surprised and overjoyed when they were met with an empty tent occupied only with the food they had no idea had been poisoned. The Massagatae warriors ate the food in celebration, thinking that Cyrus’s man had retreated. That was obviously not the case and as soon as Spargapises and his men were unconscious, Cyrus' men went into the tent and slaughtered most of Massagatae warriors and took the others captive, one of which was Spargapises. When Tomyris heard that her only son had been captured she sent a letter to Cyrus of warning saying:
“Cyrus who can never get enough blood, do not be elated by what you have done; it is nothing to be proud of if, by the fruit of the vine—with which you Persians fill yourselves and rage so violently that evil words rise in a flood to your lips when the wine enters your bodies—if, by tricking him with this drug, you got the better of my son, and not by force of arms in battle. [3] Now, then, take a word of good advice from me: give me back my son and leave this country unpunished, even though you have savaged a third of the Massagetae army. But if you will not, then I swear to you by the sun, lord of the Massagetae, that I shall give even you who can never get enough of it your fill of blood.”
“[This fight] I judge to have been the fiercest ever fought by men that were not Greek; and indeed I have learned that this was so.”
Although both sides suffered major losses, the Massagatae decimated the Persian forces including Cyrus himself. After the battle, Tomyris searched the bodies of the fallen Persians with a skin filled with human blood to find Cyrus. When she found him made sure she kept her promise.
“she pushed his head into the skin, and insulted the dead man in these words: [5] “Though I am alive and have defeated you in battle, you have destroyed me, taking my son by guile; but just as I threatened, I give you your fill of blood.” Many stories are told of Cyrus' death; this, that I have told, is the most credible.”
The Mausoleum of Khoia Ahmed Yasawi stands unfinished in Turkestan, Kazakhstan. It was built under the instruction of Tamerlane in 1398 in honor of the man it was named after, Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1103
In this picture you get a better look at the unfinished side of the Mausolem. Construction was halted when Tamerlane died in 1405. Now, it stands as one of the best preserved Timurid structures in central Asia
The Mausoleum of Khoia Ahmed Yasawi stands unfinished in Turkestan, Kazakhstan. It was built under the instruction of Tamerlane in 1398 in honor of the man it was named after, Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
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| http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1103 In this picture you get a better look at the unfinished side of the Mausolem. Construction was halted when Tamerlane died in 1405. Now, it stands as one of the best preserved Timurid structures in central Asia |
(It looks odd because the Cyrilic script didn't transfer)
This image above is of the Karashash-ana Mausoleum in a small town in Southern Kazakhstan near Shymkent called Sayram. The mausoleum was built over the grave of Aisha Bibi--the mother of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi--to commemorate her. Legend says that Aisha Bibi was well known throughout her community for possessing the supernatural abilities to cure diseases and see other people's dreams.
Aisha Bibi loved to take care of those who were sickly or disabled. She also happened to be the daughter of a nobleman, Sheikh Musa, a man who was not only very well known in Sayram but also very rich. An academic culture was thriving in Sayram at that time. Because of her father's wealth, she was one of the most educated women of her time. Even though she was wealthy she was wary of material goods and very modest. She worked extremely hard to raise and educate her children as best she could. She must have done something right because her son went on to become an influencer himself in the famed city of Yassi (nowadays Tukestan.)
"The real name of Karashash Ana was Aisha – Bibi, she was the daughter of the famous in Sairam Sheikh Musa. In the XI century, when Aisha Bibi lived in the region science, culture and art were rapidly developing. The mother of the great scholar Hodja Ahmed was one of the enlightened, educated and well-bred women of his era. She is identified with the ideal of motherhood."
'Mousolem Karashah Ana', ontustiktravel.kz
The Life of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Not much is known about the life of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi himself. He was born in 1093 in Sayram but he spent most of his childhood in Yassi and later died there at the age of 66. He was a Sufi poet, a mystic and a massive influence in Central Asia in terms of mystic thought. When he was seven years old, his father Shaikh Ibrahim died. When he was eleven, he went to seek out Shaikh Arystan Baba, one of the most astounding Turkic Shaikhs, to receive training. Arystan was impressed with the boy's maturity and took him on as a pupil. Sadly, Arystan Baba died when Yasawi was still quite young. So, in order to continue his spiritual education, he left Yassi and went to study with Yusuf Hamdani in Bukhara, an ancient city in current-day Uzbekistan. He eventually returned to Yassi, though this time to teach rather than to be taught.
Khoja Ahmed Yasawi preached love and tolerance for all. Over time he gained a huge following of converted Sufi Islamists. He transformed the city of Yassi into a place of higher learning and intellectual growth. People would come from all around to be in the city at the intellectual center of the Kazakh Steppes. In his book Divani Hikmet or ‘book of wisdom’ he talked about the importance of living with dignity and to always follow God.
“Yasawi was the eponymous founder of the Yasawi Sufi order. Among the peculiarities of this order one can mention the vocal form of the rites “dhikr-i arra”, and the participation of women in Sufi ceremonies. Yasawi initiated the first Sufi literary work in Turkic language, called Diwani Hikmet (“Book of Wisdom”). It is a collection of mystical stories and poems, which call upon people to lead a noble life and be aware of God. In it the principles of the Islamic worldview and the moral decline of society are narrated. Diwani Hikmet, the first mystical work written in Turkic, received wide recognition throughout the Turkic world. Historical accounts indicate that poets in Yasawi Sufi tradition kept updating Diwani Hikmet, as needs emerged. This book was spread across Central Asia by wandering dervishes (Persian word for someone who follows a Sufi Muslim ascetic path through certain rituals), and stories claim to have reached 99 000.”
(It looks odd because the Cyrilic script didn't transfer)
This image above is of the Karashash-ana Mausoleum in a small town in Southern Kazakhstan near Shymkent called Sayram. The mausoleum was built over the grave of Aisha Bibi--the mother of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi--to commemorate her. Legend says that Aisha Bibi was well known throughout her community for possessing the supernatural abilities to cure diseases and see other people's dreams.
Aisha Bibi loved to take care of those who were sickly or disabled. She also happened to be the daughter of a nobleman, Sheikh Musa, a man who was not only very well known in Sayram but also very rich. An academic culture was thriving in Sayram at that time. Because of her father's wealth, she was one of the most educated women of her time. Even though she was wealthy she was wary of material goods and very modest. She worked extremely hard to raise and educate her children as best she could. She must have done something right because her son went on to become an influencer himself in the famed city of Yassi (nowadays Tukestan.)
"The real name of Karashash Ana was Aisha – Bibi, she was the daughter of the famous in Sairam Sheikh Musa. In the XI century, when Aisha Bibi lived in the region science, culture and art were rapidly developing. The mother of the great scholar Hodja Ahmed was one of the enlightened, educated and well-bred women of his era. She is identified with the ideal of motherhood."
'Mousolem Karashah Ana', ontustiktravel.kz
The Life of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Not much is known about the life of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi himself. He was born in 1093 in Sayram but he spent most of his childhood in Yassi and later died there at the age of 66. He was a Sufi poet, a mystic and a massive influence in Central Asia in terms of mystic thought. When he was seven years old, his father Shaikh Ibrahim died. When he was eleven, he went to seek out Shaikh Arystan Baba, one of the most astounding Turkic Shaikhs, to receive training. Arystan was impressed with the boy's maturity and took him on as a pupil. Sadly, Arystan Baba died when Yasawi was still quite young. So, in order to continue his spiritual education, he left Yassi and went to study with Yusuf Hamdani in Bukhara, an ancient city in current-day Uzbekistan. He eventually returned to Yassi, though this time to teach rather than to be taught.
Khoja Ahmed Yasawi preached love and tolerance for all. Over time he gained a huge following of converted Sufi Islamists. He transformed the city of Yassi into a place of higher learning and intellectual growth. People would come from all around to be in the city at the intellectual center of the Kazakh Steppes. In his book Divani Hikmet or ‘book of wisdom’ he talked about the importance of living with dignity and to always follow God.
“Yasawi was the eponymous founder of the Yasawi Sufi order. Among the peculiarities of this order one can mention the vocal form of the rites “dhikr-i arra”, and the participation of women in Sufi ceremonies. Yasawi initiated the first Sufi literary work in Turkic language, called Diwani Hikmet (“Book of Wisdom”). It is a collection of mystical stories and poems, which call upon people to lead a noble life and be aware of God. In it the principles of the Islamic worldview and the moral decline of society are narrated. Diwani Hikmet, the first mystical work written in Turkic, received wide recognition throughout the Turkic world. Historical accounts indicate that poets in Yasawi Sufi tradition kept updating Diwani Hikmet, as needs emerged. This book was spread across Central Asia by wandering dervishes (Persian word for someone who follows a Sufi Muslim ascetic path through certain rituals), and stories claim to have reached 99 000.”
When Khoja Ahmed Yassawi was 63 he retired and dug himself an underground cell where he spent the rest of his days in solitude. In 1398 Tamerlane came in and conquered Yassi. He decided that Yasawi’s tomb was not grand enough so he allocated a vast amount of money into building a grander place of worship to honor Yasawi, the Mausoleum Khoja Ahmed Yasaw. The mausoleum is not the most notable of the Timurid architecture but it definitely is the first. The Timurid style usually is categorized by its intricate geometric patterns made with turquoise blue tiles. The image below shows some of the craftsmanship needed to construct these masterpieces. 
Most of the other Timurid structures are in Uzbekistan, like the three madrasas (schools) of Registan. It was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis – and a place of public executions. It is framed by three madrasahs of distinctive Islamic architecture.
https://hiveminer.com/Tags/beg,samarkand/Recent
On the left is the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the center is the Tilya-Kori Madrasah and on the right is the Sher-Dor Madrasah.
The Ulugh Beg Madrasah was built by Timurid ruler, Ulugh Beg in 1417 C.E. Ulugh Beg himself was a man of science, he was a mathematician, astronomer, and a poet. After the construction of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, he invited scholars from all around the region to teach with him. He loved to debate and give lectures. The Ulugh Beg Madrasah used to be a lage complex of buildings but the only thing left now is the school. Ulugh Bag's uncle, Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur, wrote about what the complex used to look like.
"Amongst Ulugh Beg's buildings inside the town are a college and a hospice (khanaqah). The dome of the hospice is very large: few so large are known anywhere else in the world. Near these two buildings he constructed an excellent hot bath...; he had the pavements in this made of all sorts of stone. There is no bath like this in Khurasan or anywhere else in Samarkand....To the south of the college is his mosque, known as the "Carved Mosque" because its ceiling and walls are all covered with carved islimi and pictures made of inlaid woods..."
The Sher-Dor was commissioned in 1619 by Yalangtush Bakhadur and completed in 1636. The name Sher-Dor translates to 'School with Lions, or Possessing Lions' Yalangtush Bakhadur built the school to be a mirror image of the Ulugh Beg at least originally. He ended up staying from the path a little. he made the Sher Dor slightly bigger and fancier than the Ulugh. There are a few strange things about the building. For instance, there is no Mosque which is very odd especially for the time period. Some theorize that this is because there is a Mosque right across the courtyard in the Ulugh Bag.
"Sher-Dor Madrasah still features two impressive ribbed domes flanking its portal (Ulugbek’s once had such domes too.) structure is a rectangle in plan too, though shorter, for there is not a mosque at its end."
Another unusual aspect is the depictions of men and woman in the mosaics,
"This mosaic motif is unique to medieval Islamic historic buildings, since depicting animals and people is against sharia. However, the designers of the madrasah seem to have tried to find a compromise: the creatures are fantastical, and the human face of the sun has both male and female features."'REGISTAN SQUARE,' centralasia-travel.com
http://registontravel.com/en/city/samarkand
Tilya-Kori Is the biggest and grandest building out of the three. It was built ten years after the Sher-Dor in 1619 and was completed in 1631 and was also under the construction of Yalangtush Bakhadur. Sadly he died shortly before completion so he would never see the completed work.
When Khoja Ahmed Yassawi was 63 he retired and dug himself an underground cell where he spent the rest of his days in solitude. In 1398 Tamerlane came in and conquered Yassi. He decided that Yasawi’s tomb was not grand enough so he allocated a vast amount of money into building a grander place of worship to honor Yasawi, the Mausoleum Khoja Ahmed Yasaw. The mausoleum is not the most notable of the Timurid architecture but it definitely is the first. The Timurid style usually is categorized by its intricate geometric patterns made with turquoise blue tiles. The image below shows some of the craftsmanship needed to construct these masterpieces.
Most of the other Timurid structures are in Uzbekistan, like the three madrasas (schools) of Registan. It was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis – and a place of public executions. It is framed by three madrasahs of distinctive Islamic architecture.
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| https://hiveminer.com/Tags/beg,samarkand/Recent On the left is the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the center is the Tilya-Kori Madrasah and on the right is the Sher-Dor Madrasah. |
"Amongst Ulugh Beg's buildings inside the town are a college and a hospice (khanaqah). The dome of the hospice is very large: few so large are known anywhere else in the world. Near these two buildings he constructed an excellent hot bath...; he had the pavements in this made of all sorts of stone. There is no bath like this in Khurasan or anywhere else in Samarkand....To the south of the college is his mosque, known as the "Carved Mosque" because its ceiling and walls are all covered with carved islimi and pictures made of inlaid woods..."
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The Sher-Dor was commissioned in 1619 by Yalangtush Bakhadur and completed in 1636. The name Sher-Dor translates to 'School with Lions, or Possessing Lions' Yalangtush Bakhadur built the school to be a mirror image of the Ulugh Beg at least originally. He ended up staying from the path a little. he made the Sher Dor slightly bigger and fancier than the Ulugh. There are a few strange things about the building. For instance, there is no Mosque which is very odd especially for the time period. Some theorize that this is because there is a Mosque right across the courtyard in the Ulugh Bag.
"Sher-Dor Madrasah still features two impressive ribbed domes flanking its portal (Ulugbek’s once had such domes too.) structure is a rectangle in plan too, though shorter, for there is not a mosque at its end."
Another unusual aspect is the depictions of men and woman in the mosaics,
"This mosaic motif is unique to medieval Islamic historic buildings, since depicting animals and people is against sharia. However, the designers of the madrasah seem to have tried to find a compromise: the creatures are fantastical, and the human face of the sun has both male and female features."'REGISTAN SQUARE,' centralasia-travel.com |
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| http://registontravel.com/en/city/samarkand Tilya-Kori Is the biggest and grandest building out of the three. It was built ten years after the Sher-Dor in 1619 and was completed in 1631 and was also under the construction of Yalangtush Bakhadur. Sadly he died shortly before completion so he would never see the completed work. |
Conclusion:
Even though Kazakhstan as a country has only existed for 25 years, it still has an incredible history. Who knows what would have happened if the Massagatae hadn't killed Cyrus the Great, or if the Botai people never domesticated the horse? Of course, these events would have occured eventually in some other fashion, but the important thing is that they occured in modern-day Kazakhstan. The history of the Kazakh Steppes is important and should be studied further, especially in the West. Trying to find good sources on historical Kazakhstan is nearly impossible and unless you have to write a paper on it, the liklyhhod of the average person in the West learning about Central Asia, and Kazakhstan in particular, is nearly impossiple unless you can read Cyrilic. It's incredible to see how people in modern day Kazakhstan still keep the traditions of their nomadic ansesters alive. Modern Kazakhstan has acomplished so much in terms of secularization, equality, fuel efficiency and architecture.
Kazakhstan has been through many radical changes, evolving from sun worshiping nomadic tribes, to a focal point of Islamic academics, to part of the Soviet Union, eventually becoming an independent nation.
Conclusion:
Even though Kazakhstan as a country has only existed for 25 years, it still has an incredible history. Who knows what would have happened if the Massagatae hadn't killed Cyrus the Great, or if the Botai people never domesticated the horse? Of course, these events would have occured eventually in some other fashion, but the important thing is that they occured in modern-day Kazakhstan. The history of the Kazakh Steppes is important and should be studied further, especially in the West. Trying to find good sources on historical Kazakhstan is nearly impossible and unless you have to write a paper on it, the liklyhhod of the average person in the West learning about Central Asia, and Kazakhstan in particular, is nearly impossiple unless you can read Cyrilic. It's incredible to see how people in modern day Kazakhstan still keep the traditions of their nomadic ansesters alive. Modern Kazakhstan has acomplished so much in terms of secularization, equality, fuel efficiency and architecture.
Kazakhstan has been through many radical changes, evolving from sun worshiping nomadic tribes, to a focal point of Islamic academics, to part of the Soviet Union, eventually becoming an independent nation.
Uhhg, some of the formatting things I changed didn't save. Hope this is still acceptable.
ReplyDelete1. One primary source from the pre-classical age that interested me was the one on how it was nearly impossible for the Botai people to domesticating their horses. This shows their insistence on control.
ReplyDelete2. In the classic era, statues and this cave carving that was found in Persepolis depict people wearing pointy hats. This was a form of creative/artistic expression.
3. The Mausoleum of Khoia Ahmed Yasawi stands as one of the best preserved Timurid structures in Central Asia.
4. In 2016, there were protests in Kazakhstan due to the announcement of land reforms by their government. Even though the protests were huge, there were no violent crackdowns. Overall, I think the author did a good job of properly conveying sources and giving you a clear picture of what the country of Kazakhstan was like before present day.
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI can tell that you really enjoyed writing about Kazakhstan's history. The Botai people and their domestication of the horse as well as their customs of drinking kumiss and using horse bones to carve pictures--the picture of the Botai dress carved out of bone is really interesting. Furthermore, I enjoyed learning about Queen Tomyris of the Massagatae people and the killing of Cyrus!
Lastly, your post-classical works illustrating the rise of Islam and more particularly, the Sufi brand of Islam in Kazakhstan is very enlightening. I would have liked to have read more on Sufism in your blog and its importance in the Central Asian steppe particularly during the Timurid period. Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is also an interesting figure, I would have liked to read some of his poetry.
Overall, very nice job Sophie!
Thank you so much! I would have loved to include some poetry, but sadly I couldn't find anything creditable. Thanks for your feedback!
Delete