Oriented on making people closer

If Turkmenistan's foreign policy could be figuratively represented as a pyramid, its apex would undoubtedly be occupied by the neutral status, unique in its origin, delegated to the young state by the world community in 1995, and the base, (that is, the foundation upon which this entire edifice rests) would be comprised of the national traditions of good neighborliness, formed over a long period of time, which clearly focus the Turkmen people's attitude towards such a spiritual value as peace.

Hence, it is highly likely that by delving into the annals of history, we can not only comprehend the origins of Turkmen peaceableness as a defining trait of the national character, but also understand the peculiarities of present-day Turkmenistan's behavior on the international stage…

…For many years, the Turkmen land has been known, according to the vivid expression of chroniclers, as the "crossroads of seven roads". In ancient times, key links of the Silk Road passed through this fertile land, which earned the epithet "Great" we believe, not so much for the colossal achievements in transcontinental trade, but for the opportunity to conduct dialogue, provided to the peoples inhabiting very distant territories of the vast Eurasian space. After all, this truly Great Path, thousands of years ago, helped to reunite (seemingly antagonistic on the surface, but very close in inner content) the Buddhist East and Christian Europe, the Muslim South and the, for a time, pagan North.

And this mission, sent from Heaven, to bring together heterogeneous cultures, to unite diverse peoples and diverse people who worshiped all sorts of gods, created in the land where the Turkmens lived a special aura of spiritual harmony, which laid the foundation for such enduring qualities as peacefulness, tolerance and good neighborliness in their mentality. Hence, the hospitality, openness and sincere desire of the Turkmen people, which have become a byword, not only to understand, but also, having learned, to accept the culture of the people unknown to them.

In the ethnogenesis of the Turkmen people, many tribes and nationalities left their mark: the Scythians, Saks, Massagets, Dahs, Alans, Huns, Hephthalites, Sarmatians. The list of names of extinct ethnic groups can be continued, although we should note in passing that historians of hoary antiquity sometimes confused them, calling the same tribe by different ethnonyms, or vice versa, calling different nationalities by one ethnic name. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that the truly powerful foundation of the Turkmen pedigree consisted of a system of the most diverse ethno-roots.

The key role in the origin of the Turkmen people was played by the Oghuz - Turkic-speaking tribes, which in Arab chronicles were called "Ghuzz" and in Byzantine chronicles - "Uz". Some authors (both modern and medieval) believed that "Oghuz" and "Turkmen" are the same people. For example, Abu Reyhan Biruni argued that "when Ghuz accepted Islam, then (about him) they said: he became a Turkmen". Therefore, the opinion that the Turkmens received their original ethnic name from the name of the ancestor Oghuz Khan, it seems to us, has every right to exist. (By the way, one of the grandsons of the founder of the Turkmen nation Oghuz Khan was called Bechene. And in Russia, relying on the name of this man, the numerous hordes of Bechene's descendants was nicknamed "Pechenegs.")

In ancient times, the ancestors of the Turkmen, migrating in search of new lands, developed vast territories of Siberia, China, India, Asia Minor and Central Asia. Growing in numbers, they moved further to Iran, Syria and territories inhabited by Arabs, as well as to the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. They went, settling in distant lands, but sometimes losing their own lands, absorbing other nationalities, and sometimes dissolving themselves among other tribes, adopting the best of the culture of foreigners and, at the same time, enriching them with their life experience…

For many centuries, the Turkmens wandered along the roads of History, leaving traces of brilliant victories and bitter defeats on its winding path. It so happened that the lifestyle of a pastoralist-hunter developed in them an unsurpassed ability to stay in the saddle and shoot accurately from a bow, to act as a single team during collective hunting (similar in scale and nature to military-tactical exercises), to make multi-day transitions with a limited amount of water and provisions. And all these skills, dictated by the logic of survival in the conditions of regular clashes with the army of ill-wishers, were a consequence of the desire to break through to Eden, called on the sinful earth briefly - Peace.

Perhaps that is why in the mentality of the Turkmens, who lived for a long time in conditions of incessant wars, a special cult of peace-worship and good neighborliness was formed. And their excessive militancy, which is often mentioned in the annals, was a natural reaction to constant threats from outside.

From a very distant past, when the situation in vast territories was determined by proto-Turkmen states (Margush, Great Scythia, the Massaget kingdom, etc.), historical information about the peacefulness of the ancestors of the Turkmens, confirmed by modern scientists, has reached us.

Thus, the outstanding historian and Turkologist Lev Nikolayevich Gumilev noted in his works the important ability of the ancient Turks to live in peace and harmony with other peoples. An extensive layer of information about peace-creating acts is collected in the book by Professor Ovez Gundogdyeva "From the History of Turkmen Diplomacy". The author of this monograph points out that "even the famous ancestor of the Turkmens, the recognized sage of the ancient world, the Scythian Anacharsis, wrote in a letter to Croesus: "...we have weapons not against others, but for our own defense in case of need".

The Roman historian Pompey Trog, describing the just structure of the Scythian society, wrote with enthusiasm: "Oh, if the rest of mortals had such moderation and abstinence from the alien, of course, not so many wars would have taken place in all ages and in all lands".

When in the 6th century BC the founder of the dynasty of ancient Persian kings Cyrus II ordered the construction of bridges across the Uzboy River in order to transfer troops to the territory of present-day Turkmenistan, Queen of the Massagets Tomiris, wishing to stop the impending bloodshed peacefully, sent him a preemptive letter: "Abandon your intention! After all, you cannot know in advance whether it will be good for you or not..."

Already in the most ancient period, an important place was given to treaties between states to preserve peace. The most vivid page of Turkmen history was inscribed by the ancient country of Margush, recognized by most experts as one of the centers of world civilization. It was here, according to scientists, that the first world religion - Zoroastrianism - was born. In the Avesta - the sacred book of the adherents of this religion - there is an appeal "to be faithful to the treaty", addressed to both ordinary citizens and statesmen: "Between father and son, the treaty is a hundredfold. A thousandfold is the word between two countries!"

49 years before the birth of Christ, the ancestors of the Turkmen - the Huns (in China they were called "Xiongnu", and in Europe "Huns") - concluded with the ruler of the Celestial Empire the so-called "Oath Treaty". The document, which regulated the relationship between the two states, confirmed that from now on the Han Dynasty and the Huns "constitute one family and should never deceive or attack each other again... let our sons and grandsons from generation to generation in everything act in accordance with this oath".

And Turkmen history knew many such treaties, solemnly securing peace between peoples...

Of course, to maintain a stable peace, more or less regular contacts between powerful powers were necessary. Professor Gundogdyev notes that in the early stages of Turkmen history, stable ties were maintained mainly with neighboring states. Nevertheless, in the international activities of the ancestors of the Turkmen, the diplomatic experience of China, Rome, Greece, Byzantium, Persia and other powers was already used in that period. And, despite the sporadic nature of diplomatic relations, rather representative embassies, which included hundreds and even thousands of people, paid visits to the Turkmen states (for example, to Parthia, which spread its possessions from Mesopotamia to India). In another year, as L.N. Gumilev notes, up to ten (!) Chinese embassies arrived in these lands.

Peace on the land weary of wars depended on many factors. The mighty states divided it into spheres of influence, the small nations had long been conquered, so that the warlike powers had only one thing left - not to miss the moment when their main competitors for world domination would weaken, even for a short period. Therefore, their weakness, even if temporary, the states were forced to carefully conceal, for only the omnipotent could feel absolutely protected.

That is why, during the arrival of important embassies from competing countries, the receiving party often used such a spectacular technique as a demonstration of its military power. The preemptive "muscle flexing" in front of a likely enemy was used by powerful states throughout the history of mankind.

In the epic work "Oguznama", which sets out the ancient history of the Turkmen, legends and reality are intertwined in the most intricate way. In this creation of the national spirit there is a fragment telling about how Oguz Khan, having learned about the arrival of the Frankish embassy, sent troops to meet them... The Turkmen warriors, solemnly escorting the diplomats to their destination, were in full battle gear. Immediately after the completion of the mission, the Frankish ambassadors, having arrived in their homeland, told their sovereign about the intimidating power and greatness of Oguz's army. After listening to the story, the ruler of the Franks was forced, as it is said in the epic, "to tie a belt of obedience and submission to his body".

Oguz Khan repeated the same maneuver in front of the envoys of the Byzantines, which "instilled fear in their hearts", discouraging any desire to fight.

Using modern terminology, it can be said that in ancient times the use of preventive actions in the form of a demonstration of military power in front of ambassadors of foreign states served as a stabilizing factor in maintaining peace. Distant echoes of such rituals (though already lost their original meaning) can be observed today during protocol events of official visits.

The life experience suggested to our ancestors that it is better to demonstrate their military training to formidable opponents in a peaceful environment than to use it in war. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Turkmen practiced such "preventive actions" with a perfectly justified regularity.

Thus, while the envoys of the Emperor of the Celestial Empire Wu-di (who ruled in the II-I centuries BC) were moving towards the Turkmen land, they were already awaited at the border by a 20-thousand horse army by order of the ruler of Parthia. The formidable host of armed riders accompanied the Chinese embassy along the entire route, on the one hand, as if guarding the diplomats, and on the other - clearly demonstrating to them the power of the Parthian army.

Professor O. Gundogdyev cites the story of the medieval geographer Yakut, who, referring to the information of Ibn al-Fakih, told how the ambassador of the Umayyad Caliphate tried to persuade Suluk Khan to accept citizenship, which in fact meant a polite invitation to become a vassal. The Turkmen Khan, knowing the martial spirit of the Arabs, who by that time had successfully conquered North Africa, most of the Iberian Peninsula and other territories, nevertheless decided to reduce their aggressive appetites by demonstrating the capabilities of his army. Accompanied by ten standard-bearers, he invited the ambassador to a hill surrounded by a dense grove, and ordered the first warrior to unfurl the banner. And then, as if on wings, a detachment of ten thousand armed horsemen jumped out of the grove.

Subsequent actions, as documented by Yakut, further astonished the envoy of the foreign state: “One after another, all the standard-bearers unfurled their banners, and each time, ten thousand horsemen lined up beneath the hill. When all ten banners were unfurled, a hundred thousand riders, armed from head to toe, stood beneath the hill”.

Similarly, during the reception of the Chinese embassy, another Turkmen Khan named Shabolio acted in the same manner. Evidently, the proverbial saying 'If you want peace, prepare for war,' in its various linguistic forms, was already prevalent in that era distant from us. This confirms the idea that has not lost its relevance even today – the presence of one's own well-prepared army serves as a deterrent to the aspirations of other states to use military force to alter the world order in their favor.

However, it is worth recalling the words of Mubarakshah (an advisor to the Turkmen ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, Shamsuddin Iltutmish), which sound like a warning to those who excessively rely on military might: “No matter how numerous your army may be compared to the enemy's, do not seek war... A timely peace is better than an untimely war, as one cannot know (in advance) what the outcome of war will be. And such a peace is better than victory”.

Yet, in ancient times, not only by demonstrating military power, but also by showcasing the immense wealth of the ruler, it was possible to alter plans that a potential adversary might have been harboring. After all, dazzling luxury testified to the might of a state with which it was better not to engage in military adventurism. Therefore, such actions also helped to maintain the balance of a more than fragile peace at that time. This is evidenced by the historian Menander, who described the three-day reception accorded by Istemi Khan to the Byzantine Zemarchus – the envoy of Emperor Justinian II:

“They dined, and spent the entire day feasting in the tent. It was made of silk fabrics, artfully adorned with various colors... On the second day, they (the Byzantines) were moved to another tent, also lined and adorned with silk coverings... Dizabul (Istemikhan) sat on a couch, which was all of gold. In the middle of this chamber were golden vessels and sprinklers, and the barrels were also of gold... On the following day, they moved to another room, where there were wooden pillars covered with gold, as was the gilded couch, supported by four golden peacocks. Before the room, over a large expanse in length, carts were arranged, on which there was a great quantity of silver...”

As we can see, the ancient Turks arranged an extremely lavish reception for the Byzantines, and did so with provocative luxury, which Menander recorded in great detail in his dispatch. But it seems to us that, in addition to this, there are other, very important details in the message of the Byzantine historian for establishing truly stable contacts. These are his observations about a certain cultural affinity, which, as it turned out, takes place even among such outwardly dissimilar peoples – if one of them gifted the world with Orthodox culture, then the other people in Europe were called “barbarians”. But in his report to the emperor, the Byzantine chronicler truthfully noted that the “many images of quadrupeds, made of silver, presented to their eyes, were in no way inferior to those that are made among us”.

And such an interested, unbiased attitude towards each other has always been regarded as the first step towards building bridges of understanding, capable of bringing even the most irreconcilable opponents closer.

It is difficult to determine when on our planet representatives of different faiths began to argue on a topic devoid of common sense – 'whose god is better?' But over time, their confrontation, having reached its apogee, began to transform into fierce religious wars, leaving a bloody trail in people's memory. Therefore, at all times, the extent to which the ruling elite's approach to the issue of religion was delicate was of great importance in preserving peace. Turkmens, due to their mentality, have always been tolerant of representatives of other faiths. This is most clearly seen in the material of medieval states, including the multinational empire of the Great Seljuks, founded by the Turkmens in 1038.

The famous Russian orientalist, Academician V.V. Bartold, highly appreciated the role played in world processes by the people who laid the foundation of this mighty power: “Thanks to the formation of the Seljuk Empire, the Oghuz, or Turkmen, people acquired for the Muslim world such significance as none of the other Turkic peoples had in the Middle Ages”.

A great achievement of the Turkmen-Seljuks and their rulers was that, on the one hand, they united the Muslim world, which was disintegrating into conflicting sects, and on the other hand, they allowed citizens of their state to freely practice any religion. And yet – during the brutal Crusades, when streams of knights clad in armor poured into the Middle East, it was the Turkmen-Seljuks who stood up to defend both Muslims and representatives of other faiths, to whom, as Lane-Poole Stanley writes, “the Crusaders were most indebted for their frequent defeats”.

Many historical documents compiled by foreign chroniclers have been preserved about the peacefulness and righteousness of the Turkmen-Seljuk rulers, which gives us the opportunity to assess this information as unbiased. Thus, the Armenian author Kirakos Gandzaketsi writes that Sultan Malikshah “conquered the universe not so much by war and violence as by love and peace”. He is echoed by the Persian chronicler Sadr ad-din al-Husayni, who, in poetry-filled lines, reports that Sultan Alp Arslan “spread the wings of justice over his subjects and sheltered them under the shade of compassion and generosity”. No less curious is the information of the chronicler Michael the Syrian, who lived in the 12th century, on the basis of which one can judge that the Turkmen Sultan Kylych Arslan II, being a Muslim, patronized the heads of the Christian religion, and exempted the churches themselves from taxes.

Folk art is a real treasure trove of wise phrases that clearly illustrate the views of Turkmens on such enduring values as friendship, peacefulness, and good neighborliness. The unambiguous solution to the dilemma of “war or peace” in favor of the latter is evidenced by many objects of Turkmen material culture that have come down to us from the depths of centuries. One of them is a battle sword, stored in the metropolitan museum of Iran - a country neighboring Turkmenistan. On its sharp blade is clearly engraved: “A Turkmen will never draw a sword from its scabbard to direct it against a neighbor!”

Mubarakshah, whom we have already mentioned, in his treatise with the formidable title "Rules of Warfare and Courage" addressing the powerful of this world, persistently reminded them that "in past times, matters were conducted through polemics, debates, an abundance of knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, no one craved war and bloodshed... and the people of the world and states were unanimous in this".

Despite the fact that in the last centuries of Turkmen history there were periods of dark turmoil, internecine strife, historical amnesia, and spiritual stagnation, the Turkmen people, having gained independence, revived their best spiritual qualities and the ineradicable conviction that peace can be preserved by acting together as a whole world.

Today, from the high rostrum of the UN, Turkmenistan announces the main directions of its activities in the international arena. Without a doubt, tomorrow, the only acceptable model for the realization of the national interests of the Turkmen state will be the same foreign policy doctrine, based on the same principles of permanent neutrality, the origins of which go back to the beautiful features of the national character - peacefulness, religious tolerance, openness, and constant readiness for dialogue, developed by the Turkmens by ethno-cultural realities in the course of a long historical period.

And there is nothing surprising in this, for the road to the Future, in fact, originates in the Past...

Bekdurdy AMANSARYYEV

Photo: orient.tm