ENU reviewed little-studied Manchu sources on the history of Kazakhstan

On April 10, on the eve of Science Day and in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and the 25th anniversary of the «Отырар кітапханасы» Scientific Center, a scientific seminar was held titled «History of the Kazakh Khanate: Archive Data in the Manchu Language».

The moderator of the event, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Danagul Makhat, delivered the opening remarks. She emphasized the urgency of a comprehensive study of Manchu documents as unique primary sources that, until now, have not been the subject of fundamental research in the historiography of the Kazakh Khanate.

The keynote speaker, Chief Researcher of the scientific center Yerkinzhan Sylamkhan, highlighted the following key areas in his research: The majority of Manchu archival data concerning the Kazakh Khanate, its khans, and sultans is concentrated in the First Historical Archives of China (Beijing). The archive houses approximately 2 million Manchu documents covering the entire Qing Empire period (1636–1912). Of these, more than 100,000 documents pertain to Xinjiang and Central Asia. These materials have yet to be fully translated or introduced into broad scientific circulation. The Manchu language was the official state language of the Qing Empire. It gained special status and widespread use in the 18th century during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1735–1796). A number of documents from this era were recorded exclusively in Manchu script. This period marked the establishment of relations between the Kazakh Khanate and the Qing Empire amidst significant geopolitical shifts. To date, only a small fraction of these documents has been published. For instance, in the 12-volume "Catalogue of Manchu Archival Collections on the Xinjiang Region," six volumes specifically concern Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and Xinjiang. Furthermore, there is a 283-volume collection of Manchu archives, of which only the first 30 volumes have been translated into Chinese so far.

During the seminar, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Tursynkhan Zakenuly emphasized the source-critical value of Manchu data and justified the necessity of establishing a specialized scientific research center. The Director of the Confucius Institute, Yntykhan Kalban, addressed the issues of training qualified personnel in Manchu studies and the translation of written heritage, noting that such work would elevate national historiography to a qualitatively new level.

Scholars of the scientific center stressed that Manchu sources, which replenish the source base of national history, clearly attest to the geopolitical influence of the Kazakh Khanate. This, in turn, provides a foundation for studying the settlement history of Kazakh communities in border regions at a new methodological level. Doctoral students from the Department of History of Kazakhstan attending the seminar noted that access to such sources would significantly expand the evidentiary base for dissertation research.

Bringing previously unstudied Manchu documents from Chinese archives into scientific circulation allows for a clear definition of the geopolitical status of the Kazakh Khanate within the system of international relations and strengthens the evidentiary basis of national historiography on a global scale.