Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires

by David Chaffetz

A captivating history of civilization that reveals the central role of the horse in culture, commerce, and conquest. No animal is so entangled in human history as the horse. The thread starts in prehistory, with a small, shy animal, hunted for food. Over time, the domestication of horses, followed by the advent of riding, powered mighty Persian, Mongol, Mughal. For more than two millennia, from Iran and Afghanistan to China, India, and, later, Russia, the deep and ancient bond between humans and their horses connected a vast continent, forged trade routes, linked cultures, and fueled war machines. Scholar of Asian history David Chaffetz tells the story of the steppe raiders, rulers, and traders who amassed power and wealth on horseback from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources―in Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese―Chaffetz presents a groundbreaking new view of what has been known as the “Silk Road,” and a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization. 30 illustrations

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Animals, Horses, Audiobook, Anthropology, China

448 pages, Hardcover

Published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Jolanta (knygupė)]

DNF @80%
viduramžių dabartinės (daugiau/mažiau) rusijos teritoriją vadinti rusija (russia) - na, nžn...
šiaip jau, pagrine, knyga apie mongolų imperiją. ks ten likusiuose 20 proc. po tokių kliurkų man jaunebeįdomu. kažkuriame review skaičiau, kad ir apie arklius jis klaidą įvėlė. va taip ir pradedi nebepasitikėt pasakojama istorija "/

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! Chaffetz provides a long sweep through the last 4000+ years on the Asian Steppe and the critical economic, strategic, and military role that horses played during that time.

While the writing is accessible, it can also involve some significant challenges. As it can be imagined when covering a broad sweep of history, there are hundreds of names for people, towns, geographical markers, horse breeds, and horse tack. It can be difficult to keep everything in view as the loci of activity shifts around the steppe and into the neighboring geographical areas as the centuries roll by. There are maps to aid this process and their is an extensive glossary provided as an appendix. There are also hundreds of detailed end notes, a selected bibliography, and a summary timeline provided. The appendices cover over 80 pages. Unfortunately there is no index in this reader copy. If included in the final version, that would provide a much needed aid for future researchers.

The amount of extant historical records covering this geographic area was a surprise to this reader as recent archaeology has unearthed critical resources long buried. For a reader more familiar with European and North American history this was an important expansion of knowledge highlighting concurrent events half a world away that still have bearing on events of today as the world grows ever more global.

By many measures this is an important work, in particular the nuance this summary applies to the generally used concept of the "silk road" which Chaffetz suggests could also be thought of in terms of "horse power".

This work is highly recommended as it highlights the past history of various areas around the globe that are critical to the global conversation today, including, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India, and China. The work may have been enhanced by brief summaries at the outset of each chapter or section which summarizes the parallel events happening around the world which may provide helpful context to readers less familiar with the Asia trajectories.

Thanks to the publishers for this advanced reader edition provided through a GoodReads GiveAway. The review is my own. 4 stars.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author covers thousands of years tracing the impact horses have had on cultures and growth of countries. He begins with the domestication of horses and branches into farming, hunting, trading and warfare. Quite fascinating and well done to keep it interesting as he covers so much historical turf. Excellent nonfiction book.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. It is clear the author isn’t a horse person though. I was baffled by some of his interpretations of his research (the trot didn’t exist until later??? When horses have always trotted) though I will now be looking into these sources myself. From a human history standpoint it’s fascinating. The equine history though is rudimentary at best.

[Andres Felipe Contreras Buitrago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen libro que siempre se centra en la creación de imperios y la importancia que ha tenido el caballo para eso, a veces el autor se desvía, pero se entiende para dar un contexto necesario, que muchas personas no conocen, pero es un buen libro, que tiene ideas novedosas en torno a las caballos.

El primer capítulo empieza con el hogar originario de los caballos los cuales provienen de américa del norte hace 3,5 millones de años, estos cuadrúpedos se dirigieron hacia Asia, la primera relación con los humanos fue para obtener la carne de caballo la cual era muy bueno durante la era del hielo, pero luego quedarían los caballos solo en los pastizales de las estepas de Asia central, hacia el 3700 antes de cristo en Kazajistán se descubren los primeros corrales de caballo, empiezan a haber adaptaciones para que los caballos no tengan miedo de los humanos.

De la yegua se obtiene la leche importante para los pastores inclusive en la fermentación se preparan alimentos como el kumis, estos caballos en un principio eran muy pequeños para servir de tracción era el ganado el que servía de tracción. Aquí el autor no se expone como el caballo tiene algunas características especiales como el ser un luchador, para estar lejos sin perderse y capaz de conseguir pasto en la nieve, otra idea importante es que los caballos se alejaron del mundo de la agricultura porque hacían mucho daño por lo que la vida de los pastores nómadas se distanció del mundo sedentario.

Los primeros en montar a caballo tal vez fueron los niños, los primeros caballos que se adaptan a los humanos no tenían fuerza suficiente para cargar un hombre por lo que había que dejarlo descansar por mucho tiempo, en medio oriente existían un tipo de caballo, aunque no eran los usados para las guerras, los caballos también son importantes porque viajan largas distancias en busca de pastos y agua, esto llevó a que los criadores de caballos se extendieron por todas las estepas de Asia central.

Eurasia central cuenta con grandes lagos y mares interiores, en los que hay grandes pastos perfecto para los caballos, hay pocas, pero sí las necesarias para que crezca el pasto, además se cuentan con árboles de distintas especies, en varios lugares de Asia central como está marcando se intercambiaban productos como carne y leche por pan.

El segundo capítulo empieza con los creadores de caballos de Afganistán que llegan a los centros comerciales de medio oriente para intercambiar sus productos, en las civilizaciones de este lugar se usaban principalmente los burros, pero no eran los mejores para la guerra. la gran innovación que se dio fue la invención de la rueda y con ello crear vehículos de dos ruedas maniobrables ligeros y en las que se podía enganchar caballos, estos carros primero se usaron para la caza y luego para la guerra, con los carros también se mejoraron los instrumentos para manejar a los caballos como las hebillas, bridas y riendas, los carros fueron importantes ya que los caballos todavía no podían aguantar a una persona con armadura.

Hacia el 3000 y el 1200 antes de cristo, surgen los primeros guerreros que conducen carros, las migraciones de pueblos esteparios hacia Europa oriental hicieron que llegaran los carros y caballos, el pueblo de los aurigas fue el que llevó los carros y caballos a medio oriente, se reclutaron a muchos de estos para adquirir la nueva tecnología, patrón que se repitió tanto en china como en india, los hititas por ejemplo, contratan a un hombre entrenador de carros. los primeros caballos llegaron a china en el 1200 a.c, estos formaron alianzas con la élite esteparia para obtener sus carros, fue muy común el uso de estos últimos para las batallas como se demostró en la expansión egipcia, pero luego quedarían obsolescencia los carros de combate para dar paso a la caballería la cual surgió entre el siglo V y IV a.c

Estos caballos en un primer momento surgieron para la caza, los mismos equinos se estaban volviendo más fuertes y se estaba haciendo una cría selectiva para hacer a estos más grandes, fuertes y rápidos, por lo que estos podían aguantar a un adulto con armadura. se da la innovación de la primera silla de montar la cual es liviana y sencilla, se crean cuerdas livianas para controlar el caballo y con ello se da la invención del arco compuesto, esta última arma necesitaba de mucha fuerza y destreza para usarla, no se podía usar el arco largo en la caballería, inclusive llevaba 3 años hacerse este tipo de arco y los primeros en usar esta gran innovación fueron escitas.

Estos últimos pueblos usaron caballos castrados y no sementales los cuales serán más fáciles de domar, esto condujo a que las invasiones de estos pueblos tuvieran una gran ventaja por el uso de caballos, estos pueblos estuvieron presentes en china en el período de los reinos combatientes por lo que fue necesario reclutar a este pueblo para aprender a domar los caballos de guerra.

Las fuerzas de Gog y Magog, demuestran la impresión que causaba en la época los jinetes montados, la gran demostración que se vio en el uso de caballos para expandir un imperio fueron en los asirios, estos dependen en sus fronteras de criadores de caballo y necesitaron de la ayuda de los escitas, los Medos por ejemplo contaban con arneses y cuerdas para manejar caballos. El imperio asirio serviría de inspiración para el siguiente que serían los persas, estos absorbieron a los pueblos creadores de caballo, y no necesitaron de estos de manera externa ya que los persas también eran grandes montadores de caballo. el rey ciro segundo inclusive mandó a crear tres ganaderías para tener sus propios caballos y se marcaba la caballería, los persas inclusive contaban con una caballería élite, los caballos también se usaban en el sistema de correos persa para mantener unidos su imperio, era una relación mutua el tener los caballos y un imperio puesto que necesitaba grandes recursos el mantener la caballería persa.

El autor menciona que, pese a tener grandes caballos los persas seguían a uno en la sombra de los escitas, el autor nos habla que en esa época era una carrera armamentística por la cría de caballos, por supuesto que los persas contaban con mucho dinero para apoyar la cría y alimentación de los ganados, pero como se demostró en una carrera y en la guerra contra los escitas, estos últimos tenían una gran ventaja.

En la india existía una gran dificultad para mantener caballos allí debido a la humedad del lugar, en la india su fértil suelo hacía que existiera mucha agricultura y por ende menos caballos, por lo que se usó principalmente el elefante para la guerra, pero la victoria de Alejandro Magno contra los elefantes demostró la inferioridad de este animal, puesto que los caballos podían contarse en mayores números. Para el siglo IV a.c, empiezan a surgir los primeros caballos y elefantes en india, para conseguir a los animales era necesario conseguirlos desde Pakistán además que su cuidado requería tratamientos especiales, había toda una logística para mantener a estos animales, pero fue gracias a estos que por ejemplo los Maurya se expandieron por toda india.

Los pueblos esteparios de china aprendieron del arte de la guerra y de la caballería de los escitas, los hunos, como los llama al autor eran mercenarios que daban caballos de guerra a cambio de oro y plata, por ejemplo, el primer emperador Qin, logró su victoria gracias a una mejor caballería, en el imperio de este aún se usaban carros y caballería, existió todo una burocracia en torno a los caballos. La dinastía Han, creó todo un ministerio para los caballos, pero era difícil obtener a los caballos, en china las condiciones no eran las óptimas para criar a los caballos debido a los pastos poco saludables y la poca alfalfa que había, los caballos hunos por su parte eran más agresivos.

Los pueblos esteparios en china eran importantes ya que eran los que daban caballos a las diferentes dinastías a cambios de productos, cuando había un excedente de caballos en estos pueblos estos iban a la guerra por lo que aumentaba su demanda, estos también hacían ataques contra china para conseguir mejores tratos comerciales. El autor habla de cómo los Hunos, en china llevaron a cabo todo un imperio basado en los escitas, pero finalmente para el 124 a.C los Han ganaron a un gran costo humano a estos pueblos nómadas.

La mayor conquista china se llevó a cabo para obtener los mejores caballos, lo que querían los chinos era el valle de Ferghana, ya que allí existían los mejores recursos para tener un caballo, aunque los chinos lograron su objetivo implicó un gran gasto imperial, pero pudieron derrotar a los pueblos esteparios y con ellos dividirlos y que no haya un solo monopolio para conseguir a estos animales.

Los Yuezhi, serían los nuevos amos de las estepas, los cuales suministraron caballos a los chinos, en la india también se llevaba a cabo la venta de caballos, aunque a los indios les era más difícil defenderse de los ataques nómadas, los kushán fueron los primeros en dominar las estepas y caballos, inclusive su imperio se basó en la venta de caballos, su gran poder de debió a que estaban en la intersección de grandes civilizaciones como la china, india e iraní.

El impacto de los kushán fue importante al criar caballos más altos y fuertes, con ello surgen las primeras razas distintas, según el cliente, con ellos, los caballos adquieren las primeras características modernas. el autor luego pasa a escribir las caravanas comerciales que se daban durante la ruta de la seda, por lo que fue importante aprender a defender a estas caravanas que eran importantes para los pueblos esteparios, los mercados de caballo eran importantes en distintos lugares como en china, aunque allí eran más controlados no como en india en que las ferias comerciales eran mucho más abiertas, los indios usaron todo para conseguir a los caballos por eso usaron los para comerciar con otros pueblos como los jemeres o rajas, ya que estos sí tenían oro y plata la cual era la que se usaba para el intercambio con caballos.

La seda era muy importante para los pueblos esteparios ya que era muy buena para protegerse de los insectos y era muy cómoda, aquí el autor sostiene la tesis de que en vez de hablar de una ruta ala sea se podría hablar también de una ruta de los caballos, por ejemplo la dinastía Tang, gastado el 10% de su presupuesto en caballos cosa que también pasaba en la india, por medio del océano indico también se realizaba el comercio y los caballos, la seda era intercambiada por caballos por lo que existió una gran demanda por este producto posteriormente china exportará el té para intercambiar a estos animales.

Hablando de china en este lugar los caballos cada vez más se relacionaban con el poder y lo artístico, la dinastía Tang puso mucho énfasis en la caballería ya que contaban con muchos de estos, el nuevo rival para esta dinastía serían los turcos celestiales, los cuales estarían dedicados a criar caballos para comerciarlos con los chinos. los turcos fueron los primeros en crear las sillas de montar, diferentes civilizaciones llevaron a que ya no se usarán la espada corta sino el sable curvo y se pasará de las jabalinas a las lanzas en el uso de los caballos, los estribos también fue una de las grandes innovaciones que fue llevada a cabo por pueblos esteparios que llevaron a otros lugares como Europa central, la armadura de cuero y los cascos para los caballos también se empezaron a usar.

Surgen las primeras escuelas de caballería como la iraní la cual contaba con un entrenamiento más largo y jinetes que requerían de más fuerza y destreza, en arabia se usaban más los camellos y por ende los caballos eran más escasos, pero estos eran muy buenos para correr distancias cortas, en la relación entre turcos y árabes se demostró la superioridad del caballo turco. En China los principales maestros de caballo eran turcos o iraníes.

Ante la caída de la dinastía tac muchos pueblos esteparios migraron hacia otras tierras en busca de mejorar sus condiciones económicas, en este trayecto mejoraron sus técnicas de casa y se empezaron a usar halcones para la casa, es aquí donde surgen los khitans, los cuales eran grandes cazadores y logran crear un imperio gracias a esto, surge también la caza por batida, la cual consistía en rodear al enemigo con flechas y crear una falsa apertura. Los khitans, pese haber controlado gran parte de China, siguieron manteniendo una vida esteparia pero posteriormente la dejarían de lado.

El muro de Gorgan, el cual iba desde el mar caspio hasta la cordillera de Aladagh, y la una la cual separaba el mundo agrícola del estepario y la cual tuvo sus antecedentes desde ciro hasta los persas sasánidas, estos últimos lo usaron para defenderse de los hunos blancos, los chinos también llevaron a cabo la construcción de su muralla para excluirse de los pueblos esteparios. en esta época los turcos se convierten al islam por lo que surgen los turcomanos, iniciando la expansión Selyucida gracias a su caballería, asentarse en diferentes lugares, pero no olvidaron su pasado estepario, posteriormente serían reemplazados por los kipchak, esos últimos llegaron a atacar La Rus de Kiev, capturando su rey en 1185.

También los turcos lograron conquistar en la india gracias a sus caballos y sus buenas líneas de suministros por lo que los llevó a saquear los templos hinduistas llenos de riqueza, el sultanato de Delhi, pudo abastecerse de caballos, ya que en la india era muy importante abastecerse de caballos, este sultanato era el que tenía el monopolio de la importación de estos, importante que el autor menciona la idea de lo frágiles que son los imperios esteparios y llega un nuevo líder mucho más fuerte.

Con esto llegamos al octavo capítulo el cual es uno de los grandes imperios esteparios a manos de Gengis khan, los Jin, los cuales reemplazaron a los khitans, no dejaron de lado las estepas, sino que le prestaron mucha más atención al instigar conflictos entre los pueblos esteparios, cosa que el autor nos demuestra pasó entre los mongoles y los tártaros, en la expansión de Gengis Khan ya había otros pueblos criadores de caballo como los alanos, turcomanos y kipchak. la ventaja de los pueblos estepario se dio gracias a su entrenamiento en la lucha y casa, nos muestran algunas características del imperio mongol, en estos últimos los caballos eran importantes por lo que era necesario revisar los pastos previos a las conquistas y con ello se movían millones de cabezas de ganado en el imperio mongol.

Los mongoles también usaron los caballos para establecer una gran red de comunicación, los mongoles también llevaban a cabo una gran compra de caballos hacia otros pueblos su expansión se detuvo en siria la cual no era un lugar apto para los caballos mongoles y los mamelucos contaban con una gran ventaja, la dinastía yuan mongola, tenía un control muy estricto sobre quienes podían usar los caballos.

El noveno capítulo se centra en Timur y cómo irán sea que había convertido en una potencia para los caballos, el imperio timúrida contaba con los mejores caballos los cuales procedían de distintos lugares, en las campañas de este hacia la horda dorada consiguieron gran botín como caballos, esto se anexaron territorios ricos en pastos y no lugares que no contaban con estas características como lo era siria o india. Una de las grandes innovaciones de Timur es que pueden llevar forraje para los caballos por medio de los camellos esto implicó que podían estar en campaña todo el año. En el imperio timúrida también se llevó a cabo una caballería más profesionalizada en la que se aprendieron nuevas maniobras e incorporaron el uso de artillería.

Otro imperio importante que se basó en los caballos fue el mogol, la conquista de baúl sobre Kabul fue importante ya que era una tierra rica en caballos, por lo que decidió aventurarse sale a india ya que había una dinastía afgana en conflicto interno y necesitaba de la búsqueda de más botín para satisfacer a sus guerreros, sumado que contaban con la mejor artillería de la época la otomana, un imperio que ayudó mucho fueron los safávidas los cuales también contaban con una caballería fuerte y numerosa.

Los mogoles profesionalizaron la caballería, Akbar, organizó meticulosamente los establos y se lleva a cabo una gran inspección de caballos por ejemplo estos eran pagados en oro y no en plata además que los regalos hacia la corte se basaban en caballos y dagas el 50% del presupuesto estatal estaba destinada a la caballería, se importaba desde asia central 100.000 caballos por año, las condiciones en india para mantener un caballo eran tan distintas que se usaron otros alimentos como azúcar o chiles para mantener a esos caballos.

En la expansión del imperio mongol los diferentes reinos al sur de la india debieron importar caballos desde el océano indico para defenderse de este imperio, uno de los imperios que fomento esto fueron los portugueses los cuales habían creado un barco especial para llevar a cabo los caballos los nuevos grandes criadores de caballos serían los marathas, estos contaban con caballos buenos para ataques relámpagos. Los iraníes en 1737 conquistaron el imperio mongol los afganos también derrotaron a los safávidas gracias a su caballería, pero no lograron mantener un imperio duradero.

El décimo capítulo inicia con el imperio Qing, el cual era despiadado y también protector con los pueblos de las estepas de china, esta nueva dinastía siempre tuvo el apoyo de los criadores de caballo, el apoyo de los Ming a los jurchen, sentenció a que estos tuvieran un gran apoyo de otros pueblos esteparios y con ello creó la dinastía Qing, estos aprendieron de los errores de anteriores pueblos que conquistaron a china ya que continuaron con ciertas costumbres este pares y respetaron en las provincias las reglas Ming, estos contrataron a pastores para conseguir más caballos y absorben mucho de los caballos al punto de que hubo una escasez.

Posteriormente se nos describen como una de las incursiones de los pueblos mongoles occidentales lleva que los Qing, lleven a cabo una gran campaña para pacificar a estos pueblos, que se nos describen los grandes suministros para los caballos y el primer genocidio del que se puede hablar una gran victoria para los Qing, algo que ninguna otra dinastía anterior consiguió.

Otro pueblo que también era importante los caballos eran para Moscú, los cuales debieron de tratar con los tártaros que quedaban para conseguir los caballos, con esto se nos describen los cosacos y los tártaros que quedaban y sus incursiones bajo los caballos importante mencionar que los cosacos fueron importantes para la expansión del imperio ruso y fueron incorporados al ejército del zar, importante distinguir que estos eran cristianos y hablaban lenguas eslavas m

[Paul A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the histories that I read about nomadic pastoralists or Central Asia tend to use a more chronological approach to telling their stories and while that's not a bad approach, it's very easy to get bogged down in names and places that are difficult to get familiar with unless you've seen them many times before. Here, Chaffetz takes more of a microhistorical approach by focusing specifically on "horse power" and how human-horse relationships have evolved over the millennia.

As equestrian technology and the horses themselves developed, the way humans rode, cared for, and venerated horses changed accordingly. Whether they were being used to pull Sintashta chariots across the steppe, bearing Mongol and Mamluk horse archers into battle, or contesting a ball on a polo field, horses have been an integral part of human lives for so long. It's important that that part of our collective history is preserved and so I'm glad that books like this are being written.

[Peter Henningsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very comprehensive history of horses and horsemen in the Eurasian steppes. Sometimes bewildering in the author’s use of terminology. This is however ameliorated by maps and glossaries of names, terms, and places which, for a reader who is not already deeply familiar with the regions or their topography, prove essential. If you are wiling to make your way through the density of the fact packed narrative it is very informative and worth your while.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a book to read rather than listen to. Unfortunately, my library only had the audio version available, so that drove my choice. I imagine I might have given the text 4 or even 5 stars.

There's a quote at the end that struck me. I can't find it in its entirety, but it begins, "the children of the twentieth century struggle to imagine a transition away from petroleum, whose dominance looks to last for no more than 150 years," and ends pointing out how people at the end of the 19th century would have struggled to imagine a transition away from the horse. Yet by the beginning of the 20th century, "the age of horse power itself had ended, and petroleum, not grasslands, became the strategic resource that both enabled empires and was indispensable to their defense."

Sometimes its useful to be reminded of the long arc of history.

[Meenakshisankar M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book that details the connected history of horses alongside humans in economical activity and empire-building. For more than 3000 years, horses were the engines that powered various civilizations emerging from the steppe regions and later most of Eurasia that became powerful empires. I was particularly impressed with the details of the important role of the horse in the Persian, Mongol and Mughal empires. The author uses archaeological evidences along with references from literature and history to build a brilliant narrative that illustrates the ever-lasting impact of the horse on human culture.

[A.M. Swink · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Raiders, Rulers, and Traders’ tells the story of the people who first domesticated horses and used them to build empires. Focusing on the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe, the book charts the tenuous yet strong bond forged between horse and human in the conquest for continental dominance.

I was very taken with the early history here, particularly how mares were first selectively bred for milk production. This meant the steppe people bred higher doses of oxytocin, the love hormone, into the first domestic horses. I enjoyed the link made between this and establishing an interspecies bond as strong as that between man and dog, despite the very late and surface-level domestication of horses.

The book makes a very compelling case for the power of holding horses, superior horses. The steppe peoples went from hired Scythian raiders and cavalry for sedentary civilizations to moving in and taking over those empires for themselves, creating the mighty khanates. Particular attention is paid to the trade routes winding through the steppe and the rise and fall of many warrior dynasties. The fates of Mongolia, Iran, India, China, Russia and the Stans, most notably Afghanistan, intertwine in this incredible, complex history. The struggle between war and peace, expansion and contraction, and the lengths people would resort to for better horses were highly compelling. The book reaches beyond Genghis Khan (though he gets his own chapter) to reveal a power struggle facilitated by the Eurasian steppe, one that far predates later colonial histories of these nations.

The affections these different steppe peoples clearly had for their horses, and the traditions that rose up in their societies around them, were another highlight for me. Particularly when it came to the Han and Tang dynasties, which do not get near enough coverage in other equestrian histories. The rich knowledge available here taught me so much I hadn’t known about the horse’s history in Eurasian nations - I learnt something new with every chapter.

Well-researched and seamlessly worded, this book is an eminently readable nonfiction title (I even found myself reading the notes at the end of the book because so much of what gets mentioned is fascinating). For those interested in eastern history, ancient history, Eurasian history, and equine history, this book is an absolute must-read. It’s a love letter to the nomadic people of the steppe, whose decision to herd horses radically changed history.

[Omar Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Chaffetz's Raiders, Rulers, and Horsemen stands out vividly within historical literature not merely for its compelling narratives or incisive analyses, but especially for its exceptional technical grasp of horses, horsemanship, and equine-centered culture. Chaffetz does not approach horses as mere vehicles of conquest or distant symbols of power; instead, he engages with the horse as a living, breathing partner whose presence fundamentally shaped human civilization.

Chaffetz demonstrates an impressively nuanced understanding of equine biology and behavior, from feeding practices to movement dynamics. His descriptions of horse care, nutrition, and breeding practices reveal deep familiarity with the subject, showcasing an authenticity that horse enthusiasts and professionals will particularly appreciate. The meticulous attention to detail regarding equine stamina, adaptation, and the logistical realities of cavalry travel enriches his historical analyses, grounding abstract historical events in tangible, believable circumstances.

Chaffetz compellingly redefines the famous "Silk Road," arguing convincingly that it should be considered primarily a "horse road." He emphasizes how this crucial trade route depended heavily on the movement, trading, and breeding of horses, as much as—or even more than—the silk and goods traditionally associated with it. This perspective underscores the indispensable role horses played not only for nomadic societies but also for sedentary empires, which frequently relied on peoples' horsemanship and horse-breeding expertise on the periphery of their territories to achieve military dominance and territorial conquest.

Moreover, Chaffetz adeptly explores how the demands of horse-based societies—particularly nomadic empires—shaped everything from economic systems to military strategies. His depiction of horse breeding empires, their rise, management, and logistical complexities, is both illuminating and refreshing, bridging scholarly rigor with practical insight.

This book is a rare gem for readers fascinated by horses and their historical significance. Chaffetz's expertise transforms familiar historical landscapes into vibrant arenas where horses and humans coexist in intricate, interdependent harmony. Raiders, Rulers, and Horsemen offers a technically rich and deeply satisfying exploration of how equine culture profoundly influenced the ebb and flow of human history.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a horse centric history focused on the great conquerors of the Central Asian Steppes from the Scythians to the Huns to the Mongols and all of the neighboring nations who were influenced by them. The technology of equestrian warfare developed over time from chariots to cavalry on horseback and then to bits, saddles and finally stirrups. Weaponry, protective gear, breeding and tactics also developed over time so that each time a new wave of horsemen rolled down from the steppes they were more formidable than their predecessors. By the time the Mongols came along, the mass armies of horsemen were truly awesome. They lived off the land as they travelled, but did so like swarms of locusts, leaving little in their wake after feeding the soldiers and horses. I had always thought that the only thing that kept the Mongols from conquering the entire world was the death of the khan and ensuing infighting, but according to Mr. Chaffetz who sees everything through a horse's eyes, they conquered every place that was suited to their form of warfare, which worked well on the steppes, but not so well in the forests of northern Europe. Another interesting horse centric perspective was his idea that the Silk Road really should have been called the Horse Road because the principal commodity being traded was horses. The silks and spices were convenient take alongs that the horses could carry and that could serve as currency as the caravans travelled east and west.

The key part of horse culture that is entirely absent in this military-focused book is the role of the horse in transport and industry. After all, the armies (and the citizen taxpayers who supported the armies) used horse-drawn wagons to carry merchandise, and horses were essential to farming, milling and any industry that needed muscle power. I guess every author has to pick and choose his subjects so that books don't go on forever, but this one felt incomplete to me.

[James (JD) Dittes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at the history of Asia through the medium of the horse -- and the people who used it to conquer the world.

The horse as it originated on the Steppe was a small creature, similar in size to its cousin, the onager or wild ass. Its growth in height, strength, and endurance goes to human domestication and ingenuity. And along the way, the horse and the human grew special bonds.

Chaffetz actually makes a strong case that the famed Silk Road from China to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea might better be known as the "Horse Road" as it was a highway for horse trading with the great empires: Rome, Persia, India, and China, even as it later became -- in the Middle Ages -- the route of conquerors like Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.

This is a history of the horse, but I learned fascinating new things as well about three great civilizations: China, India and Iran. In the waning years of horse-power, Chaffetz shows how Russians used Cossack horse-borne armies to create a vast empire that gobbled up central and northern Asia. The "iron horse" or steam train would take over from the horse after that animal's 2000-year reign on the battlefield.

Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of the book in return for this honest review. If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on the book, check out the Substack I wrote on what Chaffetz says about the rise and migration of the people called Turks: https://jamesdittes.substack.com/p/cl...

[Eddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is yet again another AI POS book. I've seen this trend because the last near 15 out of 15 nonfiction books I've read are all haphazardly written poorly written scattered and I've been calling them fast fact dumps. And then it hit me these books are all written by AI. And they suck all these stupid AI books are exorbitantly long and at best they should be a magazine article but the authors lengthen a magazine article into a book so they can I guess make more money and maybe go on some lecture circuit because there's absolutely no money in a magazine article and you could probably squeeze some dimes out of a book even though it's a piece of trash garbage AI puke.

The idea of this sounded okay but the book is just stupid scatterbrain facts that are inconsistent with each talking about I mean look at the stupid title horses. The main title makes it sound like it's great raiders rulers and traders but really it's none of that it's just about horses and horse being technology and I guess used in war okay great that's a magazine article not some overly long book I just couldn't take it and I stopped listening after a couple hours it's really really bad I'm tired of these fast fact dump AI books. And this piece of crap was published last year promise you it's ai and stay away from this it's a waste of time

[Nightwitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating overview of steppe history (mostly Central Asia and vicinity) focusing on the horse and the ways in which its domestication and breeding affected the history of the region, particularly as regards war and trade. Full of interesting details on horses (I was not a horse girl in childhood so it was all new to me) and history alike. It covers a broad range of history - from 40,000 BCE to the present day - and I will say I found the older segments considerably more interesting; as technology developed and changed, the basic thesis - that possession of horses, and cavalry, was the defining factor in warfare and trade in the steppe regions - felt a little more tenuous. That said, finding a good overview of the history of Central Asia that does not approach it entirely as "a clash of [non Central Asian] empires" when it hits the nineteenth century is difficult so I still found this incredibly readable and informative. Well-written and informative and excellent - this was a great read and I breezed right through it.

I received an ARC for free but these are my own honest opinions.

[Jes · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Review for personal recollection and reflection only***

This book was interesting, though I believe it was a mistake to "read" this book as an Audiobook because that prevented me from reviewing any potentially helpful maps, endnotes, or other reference materials. That made it some parts of the book very hard to follow, especially the names of people and places. I found some of the facts about horses to be the most interesting, though I did doubt some of these facts. For instance, the author claimed that early horses could not trot but offered no evidence of this or explanation for why this would be true (e.g., a difference in anatomy). I researched this "fact" and could find nothing to support that claim. I did find it interesting--a credible--that initially selecting for a horse's ability to bond with humans was incidental. Early horse breeders "selected" for greater milk production. Greater milk production was correlated with higher oxytocin levels, which is, of course, the bonding chemical.

Overall, fairly interesting.

[Charles Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

96%

Full disclosure. I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. I'm not a horse person. I'm in economist, and then this stuff comes up. And I'm, like, oh my God, what a rich history around the economy of horses, especially in the Middle East, but culture Horse milk. Oh, wow, is the Silk Rose being really the horse roads and just thinking about how they were used for economic purposes. Transportation of Goods, uh, the way that we bonded with them. It's impressive To think about all of these things, Actually rather astounded. I didn't know they would this Rich and deep of an identity, bonding and culture with horses, uh, obviously. I know that there has been a lot of Existing Culture for it that Largely Sunset at this point, And it has become more bespoke and Niche, but I'm just like, wow, Well, thank you horses. You have helped to drive forward so much Humanity and As well, Really. I mean, we wouldn't even have made so many of these inventions without horses, So I don't know where we would be without them. That's crazy.

[andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

As made clear in this text, there is little question of the historical significance of man's association with the horse. Chaffetz lays out how the course of that relationship evolved in the Eurasian steppe from hunting the horse's small ancestors thousands of years ago to domesticating the animal and ultimately using them in warfare (first pulling chariots and later carrying the individual combatant). The horse's critical role in trade is also discussed (the Silk Road could well have been termed the Horse Road).

My interest dwindled in reading the details of the histories of what seemed to be a countless number of Eurasian entities over the last 3000 years. One aspect of the most famous of these empires (the Mongol empire of Genghis Khan) stands out in relation to the theme of the book: When the Mongol horde moved across the steppe it often was comprised of over 200,000 warriors and as many as a million horses and ultimately "the habitat of the horse determined the territorial ambitions of Genghis Khan".

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the link between horses and civilization, particularly empires. But it goes much further and deeper to the spreading of culture, religion and ideas that changed the world. This is not only a tale of history of but diet, genetics, archaeology and other fields of study. It covers a huge span of time from prehistory to the early 20th century and while the focus in on the Eurasian steppe other areas are also covered. Sometimes I could get lost with the different names of people and areas but there are some maps that help. But overall, I thought it was very readable and thoroughly documented with lots of footnotes.

Definitely an must read for anyone interested in history. The horse and its connection to humanity has changed the world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at role of horse in Eurasia over last 3000 years. Horses were originally small animals hunted for meat that were later domesticated and were kept for milking (more productive than cows in early days) and the breed larger for riding. Author shows that the trading of horses was more valuable than silk in early days of Silk Road and was driving power to opening up trading across Eurasia from west Europe to the steepes to china and India. Considerable detail is covered on the great empires developed from Huns to mongols, gengis khan and many emperors and rulers all the to 1900 when machine guns and gasoline power finally supplanted the horse as key to power. There is lots of scholarly detail I skimmed but I learned most by looking at the overview of developments over 3000 years and 2 continents

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In essence, the author argues that horse trade, not silk (if anything, raw silk was used more as a payment method rather than luxury clothing item), was the main reason silk road formed. Horse was a major "technology" back in the day, as horses have much better ability to fight (through usage of artilary) compared to other method of fighting. In fact, many kingdoms' rise and fall has a lot to do with the hose trade. In addition, many times horse traders themselves becomes rulers, as they can see from their own trade if a kingdom was falling apart or not.

- After Qianlong's successful war against the Oirats, genocide occurred right afterwards (initially with introduction of small pox to kill Oirstes, then enslaved them and shipped people loyal to the imperial court to the region). The court then named the area Xinjiang (or new territory)

[JournalsTLY]

A book that re-orientate the well known historical trading “Silk Route” , transforming it to be seen as the “ Horse Route “ - that beyond silk , the number of horses , the monetary values and the political power involved actually revolved around horses more than silk .

Horse power indeed - and till the advent of mechanical transportation , he who owns or who could supply or sell horses shaped the kingdoms and fiefdoms of the nations.

Other than dynasties , fascinating to read about how different horses adapt (and thus fight best ) to different terrains and pastures .

And i gather than nations that don’t have native horses eg India ( and even mainland China ) did not have empire building beyond their “natural” borders - unlike the Mongols and Persians who ranged far and wide to conquer
.

[Nolan Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those historical treatments that makes one wonder how we even got this far.

Great descriptive writing, really clear environments and individuals and societies, solid argument for horses as a key ingredient in civilization as a whole. The author did a good job of tying development of societies and the breeding of horses together in a pretty firm narrative, and the focus resting on Western Asia as opposed to Eastern Europe was refreshing.

As a book on history, great. As a book on horses, great. If one is looking for in depth examples of historical horses in the Americas(Spaniards/Native Americans) this is not it.

All in all, a compelling look at a part of history that not many in the USA know or care about, and it's all the more interesting because of it.

Would recommend, would read again.

[Francesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read! I very much enjoyed reading this erudite history of humans and horses and how the latter contributed to the development of civilization. Chaffetz has an impressive command of history, both in terms of breath across geographies and in terms of details. I took away that horse is mainly warhorse, and that although horse made great contributions to economies, agriculture, and transportation, it has predominantly dominated the war sign, until technology overtook its utility. If there is a small caveat in all this is that after reading 400 pages on horses, you might think that strategies, leadership, and big ideas didn't matter much in history, as long as you had the right horses! Great book.

[Alex Dikelsky]

I was thinking this would be more about HHI (human-horse interaction) over time, which is how it begins but it becomes a more history of empires as the book goes on. According to the author, horses were the reason empires could exist in Asia, and also having enough horses for an empire required expansion for more grazing land.

I thought 19th century China was a little strange, but the reason they were like that was because every previous cataclysmic invasion came from the steppe, not the coastline. The Huns, Mongols, Khitan, Jurchens & Manchus all invaded them on horseback, not with a navy. That's why they had so many horses but no sea power.

It also demonstrates how temporary everything has been with oil, people rode horses for four millennia while petroleum is ~150 years old.

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a history of the horse with a focus on its central importance in the growth of empires over the course of two millennia. It is, in effect, a high of the horse as a technological innovation and a great resources versus earlier alternatives such as the chariot. This story is not new and word has been out on the critical role of horses in history for quite a while, although Chaffetz updates the story to incorporate new results and provides an engaging account. If one is unfamiliar with the history, this book is a must read. It is also excellent as a refresher on why the Mongols were so successful.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the taming of horses to Russian use of cavalry in World War I.

It's a long history. The development of tack features heavily. Actually breeding lines of horses comes rather late, though very early the horse breeders would geld most of the colts. War in the Middle East. China's desperate and lengthy attempt to keep up a cavalry when its land is unfit for pasture -- not enough selenium -- and farmers encroach at such pasture that exist, plus the steppe people having the advantage of unrelating hunting and herding to keep their horses in peak condition. The massive horse trade. The use of hunting, which was often a prelude to war. Genghis Khan. The difficulties of supply in the regions where the horses grew most naturally. The Mughals in India. The effect of people in marginal land in India adding pony herds; they produced massive horse fairs and changed pilgrimage destinations. Russian cavalry, how Ivan the Terrible claimed descent from Genghis Khan to the Great Game between Britain and Russia.

A lot of history.

[Gil · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is one thing I love in nonfiction works like that of "Raiders, Rulers, and Traders" it's the focus on both the micro and macro elements of history. I enjoyed how the horse weaved not in just the lives of those making decisions on an empire scale, but also for the common folk. I loved the mix of anecdotes from history with hard statistics on costs, breeding, and battles. I loved how it stressed that human history repeats, how horses played such a key role in history and how so many factors led to horses being displaced. If you love learning history, particularly of that of Asia, then consider giving this a read.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this interesting in depth study at how the horse is argued as the more important thing than silk along the Silk Road and how it influenced so many cultures along the thousands of miles, in how it affected agriculture, empires militarily, society, and the economies through millennia. It also looked at how the horse moved from North America towards Asia and its impact. It goes all the way up to the present times when the horse is no longer important militarily. The maps and pictures are put within chapters instead of at the end which really helps keep the flow of reading. Excellent.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a challenging read for me. The central focus was the role of the horse—its breeding, training, feeding, marketing, and veneration—on the cultures and politics of central Asia. The conflicts between the mobile horse breeders and the settled agrarians, the treaties and diplomacy that allowed horse markets to exist, and the impact of all this on the regional history are covered in detail. Too much detail, too much specialized knowledge, too much presumed background information all combined to limit my enjoyment.