Nomadic Empires and State Formation

• In Event: 2129 - Section on Comparative-Historical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 4. Institutions - Emergence and Development

Abstract

This paper explores historical experience of the so-called “barbarian states”, i.e. the premodern empires formed by the Inner Asian nomads (e.g., the Xiongnu, the Huns, and the Mongols). It claims that the steppe tribal confederations turned into the centralized empires when the nomads launched large-scale military expeditions, conquered other societies, and had to maintain their domination by using extratribal authority structures. However, a shift towards centralization and sedentarization undermined the nomads’ main advantage vis-a-via settled farmers, their mobility. Transferring a function of taxation to the native princes and local bureaucrats resulted in weakening of the imperial center and strengthening of the centrifugal forces. When the power of the nomadic aristocracy had become undermined by the conflicts and the internecine wars, the subordinate rulers have overthrown the power of their nomadic masters.

Author

• Pavel I. Osinsky, Appalachian State University