Atlas of the "Nomadic Rome"
A.S. ZHELEZNIAKOV
CH. DASHDAVAA

The Atlas would graphically and convincingly demonstrate the role of Mongolian nomads in dynamics of cultural and technological changes, in shaping of process of exchange of material, cultural and spiritual values among ancient and medieval states and communities. It is with the nucleus of the nomadic world – Mongolia – that the first stage of human “globalization” taking place in the period from the 3rd century B.C. to the 14th century A.D. is linked. Mongolia is the source and the cradle of nomadic empires (Kaganates and Khanates) and many nomadic states (Uluses) that in their own turn became Kaganates or Hordes (princedoms) in various regions of Eurasia. Far removed from the centers of the great sedentary civilizations, located in alpine zone surrounded by steppes, picturesque Orkhon valley more than once turned into the core of the nomadic world with its own capitals and palaces.  The initial impetus to this “Nomadic Rome” was given by Chenghiz Khan whose son and heir Ugedey has founded Kharakhorum, the capital of Mongolian Empire. The role of this 15 centuries long period of the world history is hard to overestimate. It is only to be regretted that there are no comprehensive studies analyzing and summing up the processes of the first “globalization”. To a certain extend the Atlas is filling the gap in the world historiography by showing how men of that epoch and geographical location solved geographical, demographical, habitational, religious, material and technological problems.

The Scheme for the Research of Civilization Trends in Modern Mongolia
Vlladimir Rodionov

There are two main points of view, two general trends concerning Mongolia’s civilization identity in the Mongolian political and scientific discourses – the Central Asia and the Northeast Asia trends. Moreover, civilization’s identity mainly depends on the external impulses, such as Chinese, Russian, American, Japanese, the processes of developing international regions, their structures and organizations. To understand the way of main impulses we created the scheme. Using this scheme a researcher can fix different levels and kinds of the Mongolian civilization trends’ creation. Our attention concerns all trends of this process, concentrating upon subjective construction meta-regional spaces.

Erdeni Zuu — Buddhist monastery on the ruin of Ancient Capital of Mongolian Empire
Anna D. Tsendina

Erdeni Zuu was founded in 1586. It was the first Buddhist monastery of Khalkha, Northen Mongolia. Erdeni Zuu originated as the ancestral cloister of Khalkha’s ruler Khan Abatai, later turned into the religious centre of virtually entire Northern Mongolia but towards the 18th century had lost its significance and become a venerated yet provincial monastery giving way to Ikhe Khure, residence of Khalkha’s head churchman Jebtsundamba Khutuktu. These phenomena can be accounted for by the fact that Erdeni Zuu which came into existence prior to the determinant rise of the Gelugpa sect in Tibet and Mongolia, for a long time remained devoted to the religious cults of the Sakyapa sect and was gradually eased out by the Gelugpa monasteries.

Cartographical Research of Turkish and Russian Sources on the History of Ottoman Possessions on the Territory of Crimea in the 16th-18th Centuries
Oxana M. Kurnikova

The Crimean peninsula has a great history. It has a lot of important and many-sided historical events, but unfortunately it is studied not comprehensively.

During the Late Middle Ages in the 16th-18th centuries the Crimean peninsula was a part of the Ottoman Empire. It is generally known that in 1475 Turks conquered all the Genoa’s and Byzantine’s colonies in Crimea. Ottomans have left the internal steppe part of the Crimean peninsula to Crimea Khan as vassalage. The southern coast of Crimea and Kerch peninsula became sultan’s possession. Unfortunately this fact is not well known. Ottomans have renamed Genoa’s Kaffa to Kefe and have made it the capital of the same name Liva (sandjack). From 1475 to 1774 the Crimean peninsula over three centuries was in subjection to the Ottoman Empire. Villages and the lands of Eialet were the sultan’s possessions and they were operated by treasury. There was a deputy in Kefe, called pasha and assigned from Istanbul. The other cities were in charge of Kaza (kadalick). They were managed by kadi.

The Ottoman period in the history of Crimea is very interesting for study, because it is insufficiently known. Our domestic oriental studies usually regard the Crimean peninsula history as the history of Crimean khanate. The Crimean khanate is more detailed studied in different aspects. There are many researches devoted to political, social, economic and cultural history of the khanate. Western historians give much attention to this subject. They studied various aspects of the history of Ottomans possessions in Crimea. But despite separate publications and documents analyses devoted to Ottomans possessions there are no special researches, which can summarize the data of Russian, Turkish, Crimean and European sources of the history of Ottomans possessions. In this connection the Southern coast of Crimea and Kerch peninsula over 3 century are still not studied. Social, economic, demographic, religious and other researches of Crimean khanate mismatch for the territory of the Ottomans possessions, because there was formed different structure of authorities, taxation etc. In this case the research of the history of Ottomans possessions in 16th-18th is independent and very topical task.

Our research deals with the following problems: determination littorals borders of the sultan’s kadalicks, comparing quantity and names of their villages, studying numerical, ethnographical and confessional structure of population.  We collected various maps of the Crimean peninsula and Crimean towns. Our study is relying on Turkish and Russian sources of the 16th-18th centuries. The results of our research were reflected on maps, tables and diagrams.

In spite of the fact that this part of the history of Crimea seemed to be studied sufficiently (the period of Ottoman presence in Crimea), this period has never being considered for this aspect.