On June 12, 2025, the Chokan Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology hosted a scientific seminar titled “Chinese Sources Related to the History of Kazakhstan and the State of Their Utilization.” The event was organized by the Department of Ancient and Medieval History of Kazakhstan and Neighboring Countries of the Institute.
The aim of the seminar was to examine the content, types, and the degree of scholarly use of Chinese sources related to the history of Kazakhstan. During the seminar, particular attention was paid to information found in Chinese-language written sources and archival documents concerning the Kazakh Steppe, as well as the ethnic and political history of the Kazakh people. The seminar also included in-depth discussions on the application of these sources in contemporary Kazakh historiography and the challenges related to their academic integration. Ultimately, the seminar sought to explore ways to more actively incorporate Chinese sources into scholarly circulation and to demonstrate their potential for reinterpreting national history from new perspectives.
The seminar was opened with welcome remarks by Professor Ziyabek Ermukhanuly Kabuldinov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and General Director of the Chokan Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology. He emphasized that Chinese sources are among the key references for studying the early and medieval periods of Kazakhstan’s history, especially regarding the formation of Turkic peoples and their relations with China.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Sauyrkan Eldos, Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Ancient and Medieval History of Kazakhstan and Neighboring Countries of the Chokan Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, and a doctoral student at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. In his presentation, he provided a general overview of the current state of Chinese sources related to Kazakh history, highlighting the importance of their academic integration and utilization. He also reviewed the earlier generation’s efforts in studying Chinese archival documents related to Kazakh history.
The report divided the historiography of the utilization of Chinese sources into three main periods:
- First period (late 19th – early 20th centuries): The formation of the Russian Orientalist school and the initial academic efforts to incorporate Chinese records into scholarly research;
- Soviet period (1920–1991);
- Independent Kazakhstan period (1991 to present).
The seminar featured rich discussions and meaningful exchanges among the participants. This event served as an important platform for identifying new horizons in research and promoting the effective use of Chinese sources in reinterpreting national history.
