The Horse in Cultural Memory

This study examines the symbolic meanings attributed to the horse in Turkish and Chinese civilisations through a comparative historical analysis. A qualitative methodology is employed, drawing on Turkic oral epics, Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk, and selected Chinese historiographical sources, with particular reference to the Heavenly Horse (tianma) and horse administration practices (ma zheng). The study aims to analyse the role of the horse as a cultural and symbolic element within differing socio-economic and political contexts. It is found that in Turkish steppe culture, the horse is associated with freedom, mobility, warfare, and collective identity, whereas in Chinese civilisation it is linked to imperial authority, military logistics, and state power, as evidenced by Ferghana horse campaigns. Despite structural differences, the horse is shown to function as a shared symbolic expression of power and legitimacy. It is concluded that the horse operates as a cultural bridge within the historical relationship between Turkish and Chinese civilisations

Civilization · Historiography · Horse · Politics · The Symbolic · Turkish · Cultural and Sociopolitical Studies · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Linguistics and Cultural Studies