Written source · German

Falck's contributions to the topography of the Russian Empire

A Swedish naturalist's expedition papers of 1768 to 1774, arranged by Georgi, covering the steppes, their ruins and the Tatar, Bashkir, Kirghiz and Kalmyk peoples.

Full title Contributions to the Topographical Knowledge of the Russian Empire, 3 volumes (vol. 1 itinerary Orenburg steppe and Siberia; vol. 3 the peoples: Tatars, Kalmyks, Kirgis-Kaisaks)

Johann Peter Falck; J. G. Georgi (ed.)

Read the 8 passages Open the original book

Johann Peter Falck, a Swedish pupil of Linnaeus in Russian service, led an Academy expedition through the Volga, Orenburg steppe, Urals and western Siberia from 1768 until his suicide at Kazan in 1774. J. G. Georgi arranged his unfinished papers, added material of his own and from others, and published them in three volumes in 1785 and 1786. Volume 1 is topography, including a list of old ruins and tombs in the Kirghiz and Kuma steppes; volume 3 describes the peoples, among them the settled Tatars, Bashkirs, Kirghiz-Kaisaks and Kalmyks. The corpus copies are poor Google scans; quotes here were checked against the page images because the OCR is badly garbled.

How they knew: Part eyewitness
Who “Tartar” means here: Mainly the Turkic Muslim peoples of the Russian Empire: settled Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian Tatars, the Bashkirs, and the Kirghiz-Kaisaks (Kazakhs), whom Falck describes as wholly Tatar in looks and character; Kalmyks are treated separately.
Why read it: Its list of 'old remains in the steppes' is a rare catalogue of real ruins, tombs and burial mounds on the Kazakh and Kuma steppes as known in the 1770s, told with names, local legends and treasure-hunting stories.
Watch out: Georgi's editing blurs what Falck saw himself and what came from other informants (such as the interpreter Bardanes). The OCR of all three scans is garbled Fraktur, so every quote was read from the page image.

What it says: 8 passages

Cities Madjar (Budyonnovsk), Kuma Riverruins as known in the 1770s

The stone houses of ruined Madjar on the Kuma

Editorial contextDescribing the Kuma steppe, the book says the land once had settled people, as shown by ruined towns. On the left bank of the Kuma lie the ruins that Kalmyks call Madsharinka Balgusun, 'the beautiful city Madjar': a ditched enclosure with house foundations, gravestones with inscriptions and seven stone houses still standing. One Arabic inscription was said to record that the people of Madjar left the city for lack of wood and moved into the mountains.

… houses and various gravestones with inscriptions, and also seven standing stone houses of moderate size. The gravestones are said to have partly Arabic, partly unknown inscriptions. On one with an Arabic inscription it is said to read that the people of Madjar left the city because of a shortage of wood and moved into the mountains.
Working translation
Original wording
… Häuser und verschiedenen Grabsteinen mit Inschriften, auch noch sieben stehende steinerne Häuser von mäßiger Größe. Die Grabsteine sollen theils arabische, theils unbekannte Aufschriften haben. Auf einem mit arabischer Inschrift soll stehen: daß das Volk der Madschari die Stadt wegen Holzmangel verlassen und ins Gebürge gezogen sey.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1785)

See the original page (p. 102)

About Former inhabitants of Madjar; named by Russians, Kalmyks and Tatars

Keep in mind

The inscription's content is reported ('soll stehen', 'is said to read'), not read by the author.

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Cities Zungharia and the Kazakh steppeas known in the 1770s

Few old ruins, many new towns

Editorial contextIntroducing his list of old remains, the author says that in Zungharia more recently destroyed and newly built towns are known than ancient ruins, though on the Ili stand the ruins of a town with four stone towers. The Kazakh steppes, he adds, seem hardly fit for settled farming, yet he lists the 'remains of former inhabitants' known to him: ruins, stone mosques, tombs and burial mounds.

In Zungharia more recently destroyed and newly built towns are known than ruins of old ones. On the Ili river … are the ruins of a town with 4 stone towers. … The Kirghiz steppes, like the Kuma and Kalmyk steppes, seem hardly capable of European cultivation with permanent dwellings, farming … yet the following remains of former inhabitants have become known to me.
Working translation
Original wording
In der Soongorey sind mehr neuzerstörte und neuerbauete Städte als Ruinen von alten bekannt. Am Ilibache … sind Ruinen einer Stadt mit 4 steinernen Thürmen. … Die Kirgisischen Steppen, scheinen wie die Kumanische (S. 97.) und Kalmückische kaum eines europäischen Anbaues mit beständigen Wohnungen, Ackerbau … fähig, doch sind mir folgende Nachbleibsel voriger Bewohner bekannt geworden.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1785)

See the original page (p. 394)

About Zunghars, Kirghiz-Kaisaks (Kazakhs) and earlier inhabitants

A note on this quote

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Buildings Kazakh steppe (Kowda and Irgiz rivers)as known in the 1770s

A cube-shaped tomb that nobles wanted to be buried beside

Editorial contextThe list describes a masonry tomb of 'father' Baitak shaped like a cube, 3 to 4 fathoms across, where every Muslim prays and every noble ('white bone') wishes to be buried. It adds a stone tomb on the Irgiz said to hold Abulkhair, the Kazakh khan of the Little Horde (killed 1748), and notes the ruins of a town the Kazakhs call Dzhanket on the Syr Darya and of the 'formerly important town' Saraichik on the lower Ural.

On the Kowda (see before) is a masonry tomb of the father (ata) Baitak. It has the form of a cube 3 to 4 fathoms across. Every Muslim performs devotions here, and everyone of white bone, that is of the nobility, wants to be buried here. … On the Irgiz, at [the place of] the elder Barbi, p. 387, is a stone tomb in which Abulkhair is said to rest.
Working translation
Original wording
Am Kowda (S. vorh.) ist ein gemauert Begräbniß des Vaters (ata) Baitak. Es hat die Form eines Würfels von 3 bis 4 Faden im Durchschnitt. Jeder Muhamedaner hält hier Anbetungen, und jeder mit weißen Knochen oder von Adel, will hier begraben seyn. … Am Irgis des Acksakal Barbi S. 387. ist ein steinern Grabmahl, in welchem Abulchair ruhen soll.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1785)

See the original page (p. 395)

About Kirghiz-Kaisaks (Kazakhs)

A note on this quote

OCR normalized (checked against the page image; the OCR text is badly garbled).

Buildings Kazan region and the Volga1770s

Tatar log houses with a broad bench and a built-in cauldron

Editorial contextThe book says the houses of settled Tatars are built of logs and laid out like Russian ones. Inside, a broad bench (urunduk) serves as table, bed and chairs, covered with carpets for the rich and felt for the poor, and there is a hearth (chuval) with an iron cauldron built into it. It adds that the Tatars keep their very simple homes very clean. On the same page the author declines to count the Caucasus 'Mountain Tatars' as Tatars, saying their origin is too uncertain.

The houses of the settled Tatars resemble the Russian ones in being built of logs … Their rooms contain a broad bench (urunduk), which serves as table, bed and chairs and is covered with carpets among the rich and felt among the poor, and a hearth (chuval) with a built-in iron cauldron (tagan), and some chests with clothes, utensils and the like.
Working translation
Original wording
Die Häuser der ansäßigen Tataren gleichen in der Bauart von Blokwerk … den rußischen. Ihre Stuben enthalten eine breite Ruhebank, (Urunduk) die Tisch, Bette und Stühle vertrit und bey reichen mit Teppichen, bey armen mit Filzdecken belegt ist und einen Kamin (Tschuwal) nebst eingemauerten eisernen Kessel (Tagan) und einige Kasten mit Kleidern, Geräte u. d. gl. enthält.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1786)

See the original page (p. 477)

About Settled Tatars of the Russian Empire (Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian)

Keep in mind

This part closely follows Georgi's own Description of All the Nations (W282).

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Show 4 more passages

Daily life Bashkortostan1770s

Bashkir summer evenings on kumys

Editorial contextIn summer the Bashkirs lived almost entirely on soured mare's milk. The men, with little to do, went from yurt to yurt emptying the milk skins in cheerful talk, and kumys was strong enough that on warm summer evenings nearly all the men were drunk. The same page says a bride was paid for in livestock: the author saw a young wife who had cost 200 head, namely 60 horses, 40 cows and 100 sheep.

In summer they live almost only on soured mare's milk (kumys), and as they are idle, the men go in company from one yurt to another and empty the milk skins amid cheerful conversation. Yet kumys has so much spirit that on warm summer evenings one finds nearly all the men drunk.
Working translation
Original wording
Sie leben des Sommers fast einzig von gesäuerter Pferdemilch (Kumiß), und da sie müßig sind, gehen die Mannsleute in Kosch von einer Jurte zur andern und leeren die Milchschläuche unter fröhlichen Gesprächen aus. Der Kumiß hat doch so viel Geist, daß man an den warmen Sommerabenden fast alle Mannsleute betrunken findet.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1786)

See the original page (p. 534)

About Bashkirs

A note on this quote

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The name Kazakh steppe1770s

'Kir Kasak': the Kazakhs of the steppe

Editorial contextThe chapter on the 'Kirghiz' (the Kazakhs) says they are divided into three hordes, and that two of them call themselves Kir Kasak, which the author derives from kir, 'steppe or wilderness', and kasak, 'daredevil'. He describes 'my Kirghiz' as wholly Tatar in looks and temperament, with little courage but a strong taste for raiding, though they spare their captives. It shows how the Russian name 'Kirghiz' was then used for the people now called Kazakhs.

… the two others call themselves Kir Kasak, from kir, wilderness, and kasak, daredevil. … My Kirghiz are entirely Tatar in appearance and temperament, well grown … They have little courage but a great inclination to robbery, yet they are not murderous, but spare their prisoners.
Working translation
Original wording
… die beiden andern nennen sich selbst Kir Kasak, von Kir Wüste und Kasak Wagehals. … Meine Kirgisen sind ganz von tatarischen Ansehen und Gemüthscharacter, wohl gewachsen … Sie haben wenig Muth, aber große Neigung zum Rauben, doch sind sie dabey nicht mörderisch, sondern schonen die Gefangenen.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1786)

See the original page (p. 540)

About Kirghiz-Kaisaks (Kazakhs) of the Middle and Little Hordes

Keep in mind

The etymology is the author's; the character sketch is a frontier stereotype.

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Strange tales Near the Caspian Sea (exact place not given)1717 (Bekovich-Cherkassky's expedition to Khiva)

Stone towers, idols and Tibetan scrolls by the Caspian

Editorial contextIn the same list the author repeats a report that General Bekovich, on his disastrous march to Khiva, found remains near the Caspian made up of four stone towers, stairs, idols and rolled-up 'Tangut' (Tibetan-script) writings. The same page also lists a ruined stone mosque on the Or and a tomb said to have been built by Khan Janibek. The Caspian report is second-hand, but it shows that ruins with idols and Tibetan writings in the steppe were already being reported in the 18th century.

General Bekovich, on his unfortunate march to Khiva, came upon remains near the Caspian Sea which consisted of 4 stone towers, stairs, idols and also rolled-up Tangut writings.
Working translation
Original wording
Der General Bäkewitsch traf auf seinem unglücklichen Zuge nach Chiwa, nahe an der Kaspischen See Ueberbleibsel an, die in 4 steinernen Thürmen, Treppen, Götzenbildern, auch aufgerolleten tangutischen Schriften bestanden.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1785)

See the original page (p. 394)

About Unknown former inhabitants; report from Bekovich's Khiva expedition

Keep in mind

Hearsay about an expedition of 1717 that ended in massacre; no location or witness is given.

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Strange tales Near Irtetskoe outpost, Orenburg line1746

Treasure hunters buried in the ruins, 1746

Editorial contextThirty versts from the Utva river stood remains of masonry that the Kazakhs called Turalbash, or Charaba, 'brown horse's head'. When Cossacks tried to dig for treasure in them in 1746, four were buried alive, and 'since then they have been left in peace'. It is a small, real-life story of treasure hunting in steppe ruins.

Near the Irtetskoe outpost (p. 176), 30 versts from the Utva, are remains of masonry which the Kirghiz call Turalbash, also Charaba, that is 'brown horse's head'. When in the year 1746 Cossacks wanted to search for treasure in them, 4 were buried; since then they have been left in peace.
Working translation
Original wording
Gegen Irtezkoe Vorpost (S. 176), 30 Werst vom Utwa sind Trümmer von Mauerwerk, die die Kirgisen Turalbasch, auch Charaba d. i. brauner Pferdekopf nennen. Als im Jahr 1746 Kasaken Schätze in denselben suchen wolten, wurden 4 verschüttet; seit dem haben sie Friede.

J. P. Falck, arranged and supplemented by J. G. Georgi (1785)

See the original page (p. 395)

About Kirghiz-Kaisaks (who named the ruins) and Cossack treasure seekers

A note on this quote

OCR normalized (checked against the page image; the OCR text is badly garbled).

The fine print

How we know

firsthand The author saw the places or people described.

firsthand observation 1768-1774 on the Orenburg-Siberian Academy expedition (Falck died 1774 at Kazan); arranged posthumously by Georgi

Research notes

Georgi compiled from Falck's incomplete papers and added material; the third volume on peoples overlaps Georgi's own Beschreibung aller Nationen.

Why it matters

Contains the fullest eighteenth-century German ethnography of the Kirgis-Kaisak hordes and of the Bukharan traders of Siberia, and a systematic topography of the Orenburg frontier line; complements Pallas and Rychkov.

Places named

Volga; Orenburg steppe; Kazakh steppe frontier; Ural; western Siberia (Tobolsk, Barabinsk, Tara); Kolyvan and Altai

Peoples named

Turkic and Central Asian peoples and states

Western Mongols (Oirat, Dzungar, Kalmyk)

Kalmyks

Golden Horde and its Tatar successor khanates

Indigenous peoples of Siberia and the North Pacific

Ostyaks (Khanty)

Kazakhs (Kirgis-Kaisaks); Bashkirs; Kalmyks; Kazan and Siberian Tatars; Teleuts; Ostyaks; Bukharans in Siberia

Keep exploring

The witness before

1768 to 1774Georgi's catalogue of all the peoples of the Russian EmpireA German academician's 1770s encyclopedia of the empire's peoples, with a whole section on the 'Tatar nations'.Compiled from others · 4 passages

The witness after

1768 to 1770Lepekhin's journal of the Volga and Ural journeyA Russian academician's day-by-day journal of 1768 to 1770, through Tatar, Chuvash, Mordvin, Kalmyk and Bashkir country on the Volga and in the southern Urals.Eyewitness · 14 passages

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