The Code of Honour: why bravery conferred influence amongst the Turkmen of the 19th century
In the mid-19th century, a Russian officer and researcher traveling along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea sought to understand who commanded the greatest respect and influence in Turkmen society. The answer he received in conversations with local people proved particularly revealing. In his report to the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, On the Turkmens of the Eastern Coast of the Caspian Sea, the author specifically noted: “The bravest among the Turkmens enjoys both respect and influence”.
The traveller’s observations suggest that in Turkmen society of that period, high status could not simply be acquired through birthright or wealth. Within the nomadic way of life of the 19th century, where everyday existence required constant readiness to protect one’s family, guard livestock, undertake arduous migrations, and resolve difficult disputes, personal courage and decisiveness were of particular importance.
The researcher did not record an institution of hereditary nobility among the Turkmens that possessed an unquestionable right to authority. Instead, social standing and practical influence appear to have depended largely on an individual’s personal reputation: the more trust a person earned through his actions and courage, the stronger his authority within the community became.
