The 11th lecture of the Youth Salon series hosted by the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University (PKUIAS), was held on April 20, 2025. Themed as “Descendants of the Golden Horde or a Revolutionary Class? —Two Pathways of Identity Construction Among the Volga Tatars in the Early 20th Century,” the salon invited Zhou Sicheng, an associate professor in the Department of History, Tsinghua University, to make the keynote speech. Shi Yue, a tenured associate professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Peking University, served as the moderator. Zan Tao, deputy director of PKUIAS and a professor in the Department of History, PKU, and Dong Yu, a lecturer at the School of History, Capital Normal University, served as discussants.

Zhou Sicheng first outlined the origins of his research, then briefly traced the definition and history of the Volga Tatars. Zhou Sicheng proposed that nationalism, socialism, and Islamism formed a triangular relationship in the 20th century. Despite the strong tensions among them, these three forces were intertwined by the intellectual elite of ethnic minorities under Tsarist Russia, led by the Tatars. He suggested a reexamination of the concepts of “Pan-Islamism” and “Pan-Turkism,” advocating for understanding their essence and evolution through a restoration of the historical context of that time.

During the discussion session, the faculty and students engaged in in-depth exchanges. Zan Tao affirmed the exemplary academic value of Zhou Sicheng’s presentation, noting that the lecture seamlessly integrated elements and perspectives spanning intellectual history, textual analysis, multilingualism, and transnational studies. He emphasized that despite the urge to be trendy in academic discourse, scholars must remain committed to such fundamental research. Guided by local consciousness and building upon existing research trajectories, scholars should actively engage with major themes within broader disciplines while simultaneously examining “old problems” through meticulous detail. This dual approach not only advances the academicization of sensitive topics but also provides young scholars with a viable path to elevate their research standards and produce outstanding scholarly work. Dong Yu remarked that the triangular relationship proposed by Zhou Sicheng reminded us that addressing sensitive issues requires confronting class dynamics alongside ethnic and religious considerations. Shi Yue supplemented Prof. Zhou Sicheng’s presentation from the perspectives of translation and historical sources. Participating students also discussed with faculty members on various topics, including Kazakhstan’s shifting historical narratives regarding the Golden Horde’s legacy.