2025, vol. 13, no. 3. Gabdrafikov I.M., Kuchumov I.V.

2025, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 629-639

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2025-13-3.629-639

EDN: https://elibrary.ru/LKHBZM

   THE HISTORY OF THE MONGOL CONQUESTS AND THE GOLDEN HORDE
IN THE WORKS OF J. DE GUIGNES AND P.-CH. LEVESQUE

I.M. Gabdrafikov 1 * , I.V. Kuchumov 2
1 N.N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology
of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Moscow, Russian Federation

2 R.G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies,
Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Ufa, Russian Federation
* ildargab@yandex.ru

Abstract. Research objectives: This article analyzes sections of books by French historians Joseph de Guignes (1721–1800) and Pierre-Charles Levesque (1736–1812) devoted to the Golden Horde.
Research materials: The books “Histoire générale des Huns, des Turcs, des Mogols et des autres Tartares occidentaux…” (1757) by Joseph de Guignes and the “Histoire de Russie” (1812) by Pierre-Charles Levesque.
Results and scientific novelty: In the 18th century, two major works were published in France that described the history of the Golden Horde. These were the “Histoire générale des Huns, des Turcs, des Mogols et des autres Tartares occidentaux…” by the orientalist Joseph de Guignes and the “Histoire de Russie” by Pierre-Charles Levesque. For the first time, they introduced into scientific circulation some information about the history of the Golden Horde and other “Tatar” states of Eastern Europe of the 13th–15th centuries. Unfortunately, the scientific legacy of both de Guignes and Leveque has been forgotten in the West, and only recently has interest in it begun to return. De Guignes used sources in Oriental languages, whilel Leveque used materials mainly in Russian. This influenced the specifics of their description of the Mongol invasion of the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. Eastern sources did not allow de Guigne to give a detailed and accurate chronology of the Mongol conquests, the history of the Golden Horde, and its successors. On the contrary, Leveque was the first in Western historiography to draw on a wide range of documents in Russian, which he learned during his stay in Russia. The history of the Golden Horde and subsequent “Tatar” states is described by Leveque in sufficient detail and accurately enough for his time. In addition, Leveque consulted with Russian historians. It is important to note that this scholar tried to use factual material on the history of Russian-Mongolian relations to clarify and supplement the concepts of inter-civilizational dialogue that existed in his time.

Keywords: Golden Horde, Jochi Ulus, historiography, Joseph de Guignes, Pierre-Charles Levesque

For citation: Gabdrafikov I.M., Kuchumov I.V. The history of the Mongol conquests and the Golden Horde in the works of J. de Guignes and P.-Ch. Levesque. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2025, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 629–639. https://doi.org/ 10.22378/2313-6197.2025-13-3.629-639 (In Russian)

Financial Support: The research was carried out within the state assignment of the R.G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies – Subdivision of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, theme No. 1022040500508 1-6.1.1 “Socio-economic adaptation and social well-being of ethnic groups in the republics of the Ural-Volga region (on the example of the Republic of Bashkortostan)”.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Il’dar M. Gabdrafikov – Cand. Sci. (History), Senior Research Fellow of the Distributed Research Center for Interethnic and Religious Problems, N.N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (32а, Leninsky Avenue, Moscow 119334, Russian Federation); ORCID: 0000-0003-1666-519X. E-mail: ildargab@yandex.ru

Igor V. Kuchumov – Cand. Sci. (History), Senior Research Fellow, R.G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (6, Karl Marx Str., Ufa 450077, Russian Federation); ORCID: 0000-0002-4814-8317. E-mail: ivku@yandex.ru

Received  13.01.2025
Revised  17.08.2025
Accepted  01.09.2025