Cultural and Linguistic Dimensions of Diplomatic Communication in Central Asia: From Past to Present
67th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, Gotemba 2025
This study explores the cultural and linguistic aspects of diplomatic correspondence among the states of Central Asia, with a focus on language features, etiquette norms, and the evolution of discursive strategies in intergovernmental communication. Source materials include both archival documents from the 15th to 19th centuries and contemporary diplomatic texts – such as official notes, agreements, electronic communications, and government memoranda.
Drawing on materials like Tarikh-i Rashidi by Muhammad Haidar Dughlat (containing descriptions of exchanges between Moghulistan and neighboring khanates), Murat-i Abbasi (documenting correspondence between the Emirate of Bukhara and the Safavid and Ottoman empires), Russian-language diplomatic records from the Turkestan Governor-Generalship (such as letters from the Khivan Khan to Emperor Alexander II), as well as contemporary Kazakhstani diplomatic documents, the study identifies stable politeness formulas, modes of address, structural features, and etiquette regulators.
Particular attention is given to the influence of the Arabic-Persian tradition in the lexicon and rhetoric of official documents – evident in frequent expressions such as “with humble devotion” or “in the name of prosperity of the states” – as well as the use of metaphors to describe power and the status of the addressee. The impact of the Russian administrative tradition is also examined, especially its role in the standardization and stylistic shaping of diplomatic correspondence during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, with new developments in modern Kazakhstan.
The study further presents an analysis of current diplomatic communication practices, including archiving protocols, electronic diplomatic notes, and emerging forms of multilingual etiquette in an era of global transformation. The author highlights key contemporary challenges, such as the preservation of cultural specificity and stylistic precision in diplomatic language, and emphasizes the importance of diverse historical sources in the training of diplomatic personnel.
In conclusion, despite the pressures of digitalization and procedural standardization, Central Asian states–including Kazakhstan– strive to retain the cultural authenticity of their diplomatic language as a symbol of national identity. The cultural-linguistic dynamics identified in historical and modern sources not only reflect the past but also chart a trajectory for the future—at the crossroads of tradition, globalization, and technological change.
Keywords: Central Asia, diplomacy, etiquette, norm, correspondence, official style, discourse