Sanal Molotkov, About the Development of the Kalmyk Nation: The Barbaric Past and Love of Freedom

Abstract

According to Sanal, the history of all nations have both negative and positive periods. Nations develop in stages as follows: primitive societies develop into barbaric ones and then into civilizations. The period of barbarism among many nations is associated with the time of heroes. The epos Jangar, for example, was created when the ancestors of the Oirats were barbarians. Barbarism is a period when states are being formed, while tribal relationships are still intact. With the development of states, tribal differences gradually disappear. Barbaric societies were free and egalitarian. In the epos Jangar, for example, when Jangar wrongly accuses one of his warriors, the others take the side of the latter. Barbarism can be also described as a military democracy. It was difficult to fight with barbarians, for they did not have centralized authority. After a defeat, barbarians could easily regroup, select a new leader and start a new war. Also, barbarians did not divide people into superior or inferior. Neither did they have religious intolerance towards others. In the 17th century when the Kalmyks came to the Volga region, the majority of them were Torghuts. Therefore, Kalmyk khans were from this tribal background. This does not mean however that the Torghuts suppressed other Kalmyk tribes, for the Kalmyks were still in their barbaric stage of development.