Abstract
With the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, began a new stage of formation of a historical model of the country focused on internal processes in the context of world-historical events. The study aims to address ethnopolitical processes, perceptions and ideas about the Kazakh steppe reflected in Western European literature. The study systematised information on Western European studies of ethnopolitical processes in the Kazakh steppe, presenting key data on the authors, and the impact of European Asian contacts on the perception of Kazakh society. The study demonstrated that Western European literature is substantial in shaping the image of the Kazakh lands and people in the European mind.