ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the Golden Horde as one of the largest political powers in Eurasian history and urged scholars to study its legacy objectively and without political bias. Addressing an international symposium on the Golden Horde in Astana on May 19, Tokayev said the empire connected East and West and influenced the development of many civilizations and states.
“Today, no historian questions the power of the Golden Horde, an empire that ruled the Great Steppe and spanned the vast expanses of Eurasia. This is a historical fact. The empire, which connected East and West and had a significant influence on the development of various civilizations and the formation of states, was one of the largest political entities in history.
Another indisputable fact,” said Tokayev. Kazakhstan has convened more than 350 scholars from over 25 countries for the international forum, reframing the medieval Eurasian empire as a key driver of trade, governance and cultural exchange across the continent. It has become one of the largest academic gatherings dedicated to the study of the Golden Horde and its role in shaping Eurasian civilization and identity.
Tokayev also cautioned against portraying the Golden Horde solely through the lens of military conquest, saying its intellectual, economic and institutional contributions deserve greater attention. He thanked UNESCO for supporting Kazakhstan’s efforts to preserve and promote the heritage of the Great Steppe, emphasizing that the history of the Golden Horde belongs to all humanity and can serve as a foundation for dialogue and cooperation between nations.
Tokayev highlighted the intellectual legacy of thinkers such as Al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, whose ideas shaped the region’s cultural and spiritual traditions. He also pointed to the Golden Horde’s sophisticated governance system, legal traditions, diplomacy, trade networks and monetary system as evidence of a highly developed civilization.
According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan views the Golden Horde as an important part of its historical continuity and statehood. He announced that a separate volume dedicated to the Golden Horde will be included in the new academic history of Kazakhstan and proposed launching a large-scale international publishing project on the subject.
Tokayev said history should unite rather than divide nations. He reiterated that because the world is at a “historic crossroads and faces a civilizational choice,” it is “critically important to unite the efforts of respected and professional scholars to present the shared history as a factor that brings peoples together.” “It is essential to understand that historical assessment must be absolutely objective and politically neutral,” he added.
He announced that the forum would be held regularly and that a special resolution adopted at the end of the event would help strengthen international cooperation and research on the history and legacy of the Golden Horde. The symposium brought together historians, archaeologists, orientalists, Turkologists, political scientists, diplomats, museum representatives and international organizations from Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East.
The program included an opening ceremony, an exhibition on Golden Horde heritage, plenary discussions and ten specialized scientific sections.