Nomads and The Outside World

Abstract

The book titled Nomads and The Outside World was written by Anatoly M. Khazanov in 1984. The work was translated into Turkish by Ömer Suveren and published by Eastern Library Publications under the name Göçebe ve Dış Dünya.

The structure of our book review was created based on the following 3 questions:

1. What are Khazanov's main claims in the book and the elements that support his claims?

2. Does the author view the nomadic state as a state or as a stage in the transition to a state?

3. Considering the different sources on the nomadic state and the criticisms brought to the work, what is the place and importance of the book in the relevant literature?

In the study, the most advanced level of development reached by nomadic communities was determined as the stage before the emergence of the state, and this stage was called 'stratified society' or 'chiefdom'. According to Khazanov, a nomadic society can only be described as an 'early class society', even when differentiations emerge. In addition, the emergence of the nomadic state mostly occurred as a result of the invasion of settled agricultural communities, was built on the social foundations they inherited from the settlers, and was short-lived. The author's view and the theory of conquest are parallel to each other. Nomadic states emerged with the conquest of settled people, and the internal dynamics of their societies alone are not enough to sustain these states for a long time. These states have to adapt to a settled life in order to exist. States that show this harmony are already losing their nomadic state character. In line with all these issues, it is understood that the author sees the nomadic state not as a state but as an early state. Khazanov stated that it is important to examine nomadism with all its internal and external systems, structures, functions and relationships, and emphasized that nomadism should be accepted as an integral part of human history.

Even Spooner, who brought the most important criticism to the book, stated in the introduction of his article that the book Nomad and the Outside World is a remarkable work in terms of pastoralism and important researchers studying the nomadic state discussed Khazanov's idea and included it in their works.m When the book's comparative treatment of nomadism types in different geographies, its classification of nomadic states and types of pastoralism, the richness of the sources used in the text and the original ideas brought to the relevant field are evaluated, it can be seen that the book Nomad and the Outside World is positioned as a masterpiece in literature.