Domestic scientists have discovered a rare
medieval manuscript containing valuable information about the relationships of
the Kazakh Khanate with neighboring states, particularly Moghulistan. The only
copy of the document, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, was found in
a library in Moscow during a foreign expedition as part of the Archive 2025
program. The book titled «Tarikh» was written in Persian and is considered by
experts to be a continuation of the well-known work «Tarikh-i Rashidi.» The
manuscript's value is underscored by the fact that its content has not been
fully translated. Renowned orientalist Oleg Akimushkin deciphered less than
half of the manuscript back in the 1970s, indicating that it still contains
many interesting facts about the history of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, which
can now be fully explored. Notably, a copy of the book has been brought to
Kazakhstan.
«You can see here in the book that there
are comments on the edges of the pages that may refer to the text itself, but
usually, there are texts of prayers or other remarks. In addition, there are comments
on the main text, which also represent valuable information that has not yet been
translated. Any researcher interested in this can access the primary sources;
they can come to our center and conduct research on the manuscript,» said Almat
Absalikov, chief expert at the National Center of Manuscripts and Rare Books.
