Thursday 7 May 2015

La Horde d'Or par Marie Favereau et Jacques Raymond


Au XIIIe siècle, les descendants du fils aîné de Gengis Khan s’imposèrent dans l’aile occidentale de l’empire mongol. Du lac Balkhach à la vallée du Danube, des steppes de Sibérie au nord de l’Iran, un monde se constitua autour de la Horde d’Or, la cour des khans nomades. Bien avant la formation de l’empire russe, ceux qui se nomment aujourd’hui Tatars, Ouzbeks, Kazakhs, Russes, Ukrainiens, Mongols… vécurent côte à côte dans un espace où le mode de gouvernance passait non par les armes mais par les contrats et les allégeances commerciales. Cette période a longtemps été considérée comme celle du « joug tatar », source de tous les maux pour les nationalistes russes. Le présent ouvrage en prend le contre-pied. Il retrace l’histoire de la Horde d’Or et montre la complexité de cet héritage dans les discours et les pratiques culturelles des peuples d’aujourd’hui à travers des lieux photographiés sur l’ensemble des terres autrefois dominées par les khans.
Marie Favereau est docteur en Histoire de l’université de La Sorbonne-Paris IV et de l’università degli Studi di San Marino. Après avoir été membre de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire, elle a travaillé comme chercheur à l’Institut des études avancées de Princeton et à l’université de Leyde. Elle est actuellement assistante de recherche à l’université d’Oxford où elle poursuit ses travaux sur la Horde d’Or et l’histoire comparée des empires nomades.
Les photos de Jacques Raymond – auteur d’une quinzaine de livres de photos – ont toutes été prises en période hivernale de fin novembre à fin mars.
  • La horde d'or : Les héritiers de Gengis Khan (French)

    by Marie Favereau  (Author), Jacques Raymond  (Photographer)

  • Publisher: Editions de La Flandonnière (26 Sept. 2014)
  • Language: French
  • ISBN-10: 2918098167




22.10.2014 Marie Favereau (Oxford): Europe and Russia - Besides, we always learn from others!



Marie Favereau (Oxford): Europe and Russia - Besides, we always learn from others!


700 - years Jubilee of Khan Uzbek mosque in Solkhat (Old Crimea) – the oldest one in Eastern Europe – was celebrated at 14-18 October in Crimea (Russia) by Government of Crimea, scientists from different countries and muslim leaders from different regions of Russia and Belorussia. There were specialists in Middle Ages from Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and also the unique specialist in Golden Horde history from Western Europe - Marie Favereau, Researcher at Oxford University – Nomadic Empires ERC Project. She was invited by Uncommercial charitable fund "FUND FOR SUPPORT OF ISLAMIC CULTURE, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION" (Moscow).



Let us ask her what was her interest to participate the International Scientific Conference in Simferopol, to visit Solkhat (Old Crimea) and Bakhchysarai, which in the past was a capital of the Crimean Khanate?





- There are so few specialists in Golden Horde in Western Europe, is not? Why are you interested in it and what is the main Idea of your Book in French about this subject in history of Humankind?

- It is true indeed that there are very few specialists of the Golden Horde in Western Europe. It is not traditional to teach and write about this topic and it is also quite difficult. You need to read Turkish and Russian and you must come to Russia to study the archaeological material, the coins and the archives.



At La Sorbonne in Paris, I had the chance to meet a professor in medieval History who was from Eastern Europe; he supported my choice to study the History of the Tatars and the Golden Horde. I recently published a book about my research in which I cover the History of the Jochid khans from the 13th to the 16th century. My objective is to make these pages of History better known in Western Europe and to show that Tatar Islamic culture is very rich.



- What is your Impression about Crimea today? About 700 - years Jubilee of Khan Uzbek masjeed?

- I was very impressed by the organization of the conference, the high level of the papers and the fruitful discussions. The fact that Muslim dignitaries and academics join forces to build such important social projects deserves all respect. This is very positive and I hope that it will go on.


- What do you plan for developing your Studies in history of Crimea and Golden Horde in the whole?




- I plan to develop the collaboration with my Russian and Tatar colleagues. I am organizing an international conference in May 2015 at Leiden University called “The Golden Horde in a Global Perspective: Imperial strategies”. My wish is to see more constructive debates among academics from Europe and from the Russian Federation. I will also invite students as I hope that the new generations of scholars would continue the dialogue we are trying to engage and the projects we want to set up.


- Are Europe and Russia with its Golden Horde roots - the one world or different Civilisations in constant Contradictions?

- I don’t see Europe and Russia as two monolithic blocks; both are complex structures full of internal contrasts. I have as much interest for the history of my country as for the history of Russia because this is Humankind history and I am a citizen of the world. Besides, we always learn from others.


Marie Favereau (Researcher at Oxford University – Nomadic Empires ERC Project)



Text and photos by Jannaty Sergey Markus (Moscow), October 2014

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