French historian Marie Favereau’s The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World has been published in Kazakh, with a print run of 1,000 copies. The edition was produced by Kazakhstan’s Steppe & World publishing house with support from the French Embassy, DKNews.kz reports.
Favereau presented the book at the Cassackia gallery in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, on September 10. The event explored the Golden Horde’s political organization, economy and influence on trade and diplomacy across medieval Eurasia.
Examining the Golden Horde from within
The book examines the history of the Golden Horde, also known as the Ulus of Jochi, through its institutions, social structures and relationships with other regions. It places the legacy of nomadic societies within the wider history of Eurasia.
Favereau drew on research and collaboration across several countries, including Kazakhstan. Speaking at the presentation, she described the work behind the book:
“This book grew out of my research journey. As a student at the Sorbonne, one of Paris’s most prestigious universities, I was the first to devote my research to the Golden Horde. At the time, this field of study barely existed, but I was determined to pursue it, and the work took many years. In total, it took me 20 years to write the book I would have wanted to read as a student. Although the book was written in France, it was the result of international collaboration. During my research, I visited various countries, including Kazakhstan, where I met colleagues and conducted research on the ground. In that sense, this is truly a story of scholarly partnership and friendship between France and Kazakhstan.”
The book first appeared in English in 2021, followed by a French edition in 2023. Its Kazakh title translates as The Golden Horde: How the Steppe Empire Changed the World.
Bringing the research to Kazakh-speaking readers
The publication forms part of the French Embassy’s support for translating scholarly works and other books for young readers into Kazakh.
Sylvain Guiaugué, France’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, explained the embassy’s involvement and offered his assessment of the book:
“Translating this work into Kazakh supports the transmission of knowledge and continuity in scholarly research, while giving readers in Kazakhstan access to a fuller and more comprehensive account of the Golden Horde’s history. This is the first work to examine the Golden Horde from within, with particular attention to its organization, system of government, economy and social life. The French Embassy was especially pleased to support the publication of this valuable work as part of our cooperation projects in the humanities and social sciences.”
Steppe & World publishes Kazakh translations of international literature alongside works by local authors. Its founder, Raissa Sairan Kadyr, said bringing this particular study to readers carried a personal responsibility:
“Publishing this book is a great honor and responsibility for our publishing house. I considered it my duty as a publisher to bring The Golden Horde, a study of our own history, to readers in Kazakhstan. Every Kazakh should read this book.”
The author’s tour continues to Turkestan
Before visiting Astana, Favereau held meetings at the National Academy of Sciences and the National Library of Kazakhstan in Almaty. A French literature corner also opened at the library with support from the French Embassy and Alliance Française Almaty.
Her Astana program included meetings at Cassackia and Maqsut Narikbayev University. The next planned stop on her Kazakhstan tour is Turkestan.
Translation also carries Kazakhstan’s literature to audiences abroad. Our report on Persian translations of Abai’s poetry and prose examines how readers in Iran are gaining access to the Kazakh poet and thinker’s work.
