Is it possible for the ancient steppe to be sedentary?

Is there any way for the steppe to develop into an area primarily settled by sedentary or at least semi-sedentary peoples like its neighbors during antiquity? Where would be the major centers of power/population in this non-nomadic steppe, and what would be the fate of persia, rome and china with a lack of nomadic invaders?

Personally, I think it would be awesome to see Xiongnu/Scythian/Jurchen/Turkic states popping up and changing the entire political, economic and cultural face of Eurasia.
 
I'm not sure that's feasible, unless you go back far enough to somehow butterfly away the domestication of the horse.

On the steppe, horse riding is an immensely valuable skill. And by the nature of their life nomadic people will always have an edge in that skill over sedentary neighbors. Any society that decided to be sedentary on the steppe would face overwhelming pressure by nomadic, horse riding neighbors in its infancy. They would be sitting ducks, so to speak. And without any natural barriers for protection they probably couldn't survive that for long. There's also the fact that a sedentary life style in large parts of the steppe would simply not be as bountiful as in the fertile river valleys of China for example. Meaning that sedentary steppe people would have even less resources to fight any nomadic neighbors.

A semi-sedentary state is possible, in which horse riding and horse raising is still a large focus. But at that point they are really not that different from OTL steppe conquerors and raiders.
 
i don't think it would be possible since the advantage the geography has for the nomadic life style. although an interesting outcome could possible be the expanding of empires like china. on numerous occasions the Chinese launched huge campaigns against the steppe nomads, but they would just ride off frustrating the Chinese. With established settlements the population wouldn't be able to just leave and they would be conquered by the empires closest to them.
 
Maybe not initially, but I think that without further nomadic expansion that the Dnieper, Don valley in Europe and the area between the Fergana Valley and Aral sea to be outside nomadic domination even if not necessarily non-nomadic in of themselves.
 
Top