Reflections on the History and Historiography of the Nomad Empires of Central Eurasia

Abstract

The first part of this essay deals with the difficulties created by the rarity of indigenous, written sources and the multiplicity of languages used in external sources. The ethnonyms and administrative terms these contain cannot be relied upon to determine the language spoken by a given people. Archaeological data are seldom convertible into historical terms. The second part examines the characteristic features of Central Eurasia as a historical entity. Emphasis is given to pastoral nomadism and its application to warfare. The third part deals with the question of long-distance, quasi transcontinental migrations, a much abused, unjustified cliché.

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