EurasianStudies_0110..

January-March 2010 JOURNAL OF EURASIAN STUDIES Volume II., Issue 1.
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the Hungarian tribes probably concluded lots of treaties through their history, until they established the
state of Seven-Hungarians (Dentü Magaria or Hétmagyars).
The blood alliance was an ancient agreement within the steppe community that prescribed the rights
and obligations for the concluding parties. They had to say the oath together, in which they listed the
purpose of the alliance, including the tasks. At the end, they proclaimed a curse form, which contained
the punishment of those who broke the alliance. The orally concluded oath was to be sealed by blood, as
I mentioned above.
The sworn brotherhood was an effective protection mechanism for the steppe tribes, and contributed
greatly to the establishment of a nomadic or bow stretching state, because the equal tribes-leaders united
their powers and elected a khan or king above themselves. This kind of alliance not only helped the
unification, but also functioned as a safety-valve against the dictatorship of the ruler. In the course of
Eurasian steppe history it can be observed that the elected emperors did not have limitless powers, and
those questions, which affected the whole community – like wars, reforms, modifying administration or
code, etc. – were decided together at the parliament or kurultay.
Legislation
The earliest legislative organisation of the bow stretching or steppe people was the tribal assembly,
which was derived from an early clan forum. In these meetings, whose early Mongolian name was eye,
Hungarian was ser (szer) – the free herdsmen and clansmen took part. 25 The word ‘eye’ means unity,
which refers to the fact that the participants of the meeting must decide commonly in significant matters
like war or alliance, etc. 26 From eye developed the organisation of steppe parliament, which got the name
kurultay in the Middle Ages. 27 The legislation of the steppe people – compared to other societies in the
world – was a democratic one, because the participants chose the emperor, who became the military and
administrative leader, they decided in the matter of war and peace, and solved critical questions. The
decisions of the assembly had to be accepted by everybody. If the emperor or khan died without
nominating his successor, the kurultay had to deal with that issue. The Russian Vladimircov coined the
term steppe democracy, which is a very felicitous word, because the assembly was a very effective forum
of local political agency.
This kind of assembly can be found in the Hunnic state, as well. In the Chinese ancient chronicle, Shi
Ji, it is recorded that Huns had three big parliaments, where they argued the military, political and
economical affairs, and offered sacrifices to the ancestors and gods. “During the first month of the year
different leaders held a little assembly in the tent of Shanyu and offered sacrifice. During the fifth month
they held a great assembly in Longcheng, where they also offered sacrifices to Hunnic ancestors, Heaven
and Earth, and Gods and ghosts. In autumn, when horses are fat, they held a great assembly again. That
25 Gongor, 1978. 8, MNT 152, 154.
26 The name of the ancient Mongolian tribal meeting is eye, only later got a new name — kurultay.
27 Vladimircov, 1934. 100. Gongor, 1978. 8.
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