Iran and Turan Linked by Pen, Power, and People

Date: 10 November 2025 - 22:19

News ID: ۱۴۵۶۶۸

ASTANA/TEHRAN -- There have long been deep cultural connections and exchanges between the Iranian and Turkic worlds, historically known as Iran and Turan, according to Galiya Kambarbekova, an orientalist at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
These ties, evident across centuries, reflect not only political interactions but also rich intellectual and literary collaborations.
Persian manuscripts frequently recorded journeys to the Kazakh steppes, providing vivid accounts of the long and often harsh travels, as well as detailed observations of local customs, attire, and the daily lives of the people inhabiting the region.
Travelers described moving northward for weeks, enduring cold climates, and witnessing the Kazakhs’ reliance on fur clothing and nomadic strategies for survival.
The most extensive Persian sources emerged during the Mongol era, when the cultural and administrative sophistication of Iranian scholars came to the forefront.
When Hulagu, Genghis Khan’s grandson, conquered Baghdad and assumed the title of Ilkhan, he sought the expertise of Iranian historians to document historical events, marking the beginning of major collaborative literary and historical projects.
This resulted in seminal works such as Ala al-Din Ata Malik ibn Muhammad Juvayni’s Tarikh-i Jahangushay (The History of the World Conqueror), which provided the first comprehensive Persian accounts of Turkic-Mongol tribes, their political structures, geography, and social customs.
Later, Hulagu’s great-grandson Ghazan Khan commissioned Rashid al-Din’s monumental Jami’ al-Tawarikh (The Compendium of Chronicles), a sweeping chronicle encompassing the history of Genghis Khan, his successors, and numerous Turkic-Mongol tribes.
These works often traced the ancestry of these tribes back to Noah’s son Japheth, thereby integrating Turkic-Mongols into broader historical and religious narratives and emphasizing their significance within the larger Islamic and Eurasian world.
From the 13th through the 19th centuries, Persian chronicles consistently referenced Turkic-Mongol tribes, portraying them as dynamic participants in regional history.
Persian historians meticulously recorded the victories and defeats of Iranian shahs, crafting narratives that balanced heroic portrayals with factual accounts, while hagiographic and religious texts—detailing the lives of Sufi saints and sheikhs—offered further insight into political mediation, peace missions, and diplomatic relations.
These sources collectively provide a layered understanding of the social, cultural, and political milieu of the time.
Persian sources frequently mention Kassym Khan, portraying him as a commanding leader with striking presence, comparable in influence to Genghis Khan.
His capital in Saraishyk and his vast realm across Desht-i Kipchak are depicted with precision, including the challenges of harsh winters and Kazakh military strategies.
These texts highlight the Kazakhs’ unity, mobility, and adaptability, illustrating how the people maintained cohesion despite vast distances and environmental challenges.
Persian influence extended to Turkic chronicles as well. Works such as Kadırgali Jalairi’s Zhami‘ al-Tawarikh drew heavily on Rashid al-Din, chronicling the lineage of Genghis Khan and the early Kazakh rulers.
Later historical texts under the Timurids, as well as Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat’s Tarikh-i Rashidi, continued this tradition, often quoting or referencing earlier Persian sources to ensure historical continuity.
Kambarbekova emphasizes that intertextuality and continuity were central to medieval historiography, demonstrating the lasting influence of Persian scholarship on Turkic historical writing.
This intellectual interplay not only enriched the historical records but also cemented a shared literary and cultural heritage, reflecting centuries of intertwined destinies, exchanges of knowledge, and enduring connections between Iran and the Turkic world.