Eurasian Authoritarianism: Origins, Structure, and Legacy

Eurasian Authoritarianism: Origins, Structure, and Legacy presents a bold analysis of the enduring patterns of authoritarian rule across Eurasia. Kuanysh S. Sazan argued that the modern autocratic regimes in Russia, China, and Central Asia are not deviations from global norms, but continuations of deeply entrenched governance models shaped by centuries of militarized statehood. Tracing a derivation from the Mongol Empire through the Tsardom of Russia and Imperial China, the book reveals how centralized control, strategic coercion, and elite-managed power transitions have remained defining features of governance in the region.
Rather than viewing these regimes as reactive or purely ideological, Eurasian Authoritarianism demonstrates how these structures reflect an inherited logic of rule, where state power is inseparable from military and bureaucratic dominance. The study challenges Western frameworks that assume a natural trajectory toward democratization, arguing instead that Eurasian autocracies evolve within their own historical and geopolitical imperatives. Sazan provides a compelling perspective on why these regimes survive and remain an enduring threat striving for dominance in global politics by unveiling the evolution mechanisms of these regimes. Essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and anyone seeking to understand the resilience of Autocracy in the modern world.

Kuanysh Sazan is a scholar of international studies and finance, specializing in authoritarian political systems. He holds a doctor of international studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS (2023) and a PhD in finance from Kazakhstan. With over 20 years of experience in international finance, research, and government, he has held senior positions in Kazakhstan’s financial sector and worked with the IMF and Société Générale.