Which peoples of the world speak Turkic. Historical information of the ancient Turkic people

The ancient Turks are the ancestors of many modern Turkic peoples, including the Tatars. The Turks roamed the Great Steppe (Dashti-Kypchak) in the expanses of Eurasia. Here they conducted their economic activities, on these lands they created their own states. The Volga-Ural region, located on the periphery of the Great Steppe, has long been inhabited by Finno-Ugric and Turkic tribes. In the second century AD, other Turkic tribes also migrated here from Central Asia, known in history as the Huns. In the 4th century, the Huns occupied the Black Sea region, then invaded Central Europe. But, over time, the Hun union of tribes broke up and most of the Huns returned to the Black Sea region, joining other local Turks.
The Turkic Khaganate, created by the Turks of Central Asia, existed for about two hundred years. Among the peoples of this kaganate, written sources point to the Tatars. It is noted that this is a very numerous Turkic people. The tribal association of the Tatars, located on the territory of modern Mongolia, included 70 thousand families. The Arab historian pointed out that due to their exceptional greatness and authority, other tribes also united under this name. Other historians also reported about the Tatars living on the banks of the Irtysh River. In frequent military clashes, the opponents of the Tatars usually turned out to be the Chinese and Mongols. There is no doubt that the Tatars were Turks, and in this sense they are close relatives (and to a certain extent can also be attributed to the ancestors) of the modern Turkic peoples.
After the collapse of the Turkic Khaganate, the Khazar Khaganate came into power. The possession of the kaganate extended to the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and the Crimea. The Khazars were an association of Turkic tribes and peoples and "were one of the remarkable peoples of that era" (L. N. Gumilyov). Exceptional religious tolerance flourished in this state. For example, in the capital of the state, Itil, located not far from the mouth of the Volga, there were Muslim mosques, prayer houses of Christians and Jews. Seven equal judges worked: two Muslims, a Jew, a Christian and one pagan. Each of them resolved the lawsuits of people of the same religion as him. The Khazars were engaged in nomadic cattle breeding, agriculture and gardening, and in the cities - crafts. The capital of the kaganate was not only a center of handicrafts, but also of international trade.
In the years of its heyday, Khazaria was a powerful state, and it was not for nothing that the Caspian Sea was called the Khazar Sea. However, the military actions of external enemies weakened the state. The attacks of the troops of the Arab Caliphate, the principality of Kyiv and the hostile policy of Byzantium turned out to be especially tangible. All this led to the fact that at the end of the tenth century Khazaria ceased to exist as an independent state. One of the main components of the Khazar people were the Bulgars. Some historians of the past pointed out that the Scythians, Bulgars and Khazars are one and the same people. Others believe that the Bulgars are the Huns. They are also mentioned as Kipchaks, as Caucasian and North Caucasian tribes. In any case, the Bulgar Turks have been known from written sources for almost two thousand years. There are many interpretations of the word "Bulgar". According to one of them, 6ulgars are river people or people associated with fishing. According to other versions, “Bulgars” can mean: “mixed, consisting of many elements”, “rebels, rebels”, “wise men, thinkers”, etc. The Bulgars had their own state formation - Great Bulgaria in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, with the capital - r. Phanagoria, on the Taman Peninsula. This state included lands from the Dnieper to the Kuban, part of the North Caucasus and the steppe expanses between the Caspian and Azov seas. Once the Caucasus Mountains were also called the chain of the Bulgar mountains. The Azov Bulgaria was a peaceful state, and often fell into dependence on the Turkic Khaganate and Khazaria. The state reached its greatest prosperity under the rule of Kubrat Khan, who managed to unite the Bulgars and other Turkic tribes. This khan was a wise ruler who achieved remarkable success in ensuring a peaceful life for his fellow citizens. During his reign, Bulgar cities grew, crafts developed. The state received international recognition, relations with geographical neighbors were relatively stable.
The position of the state deteriorated sharply after the death of Kubrat Khan in the middle of the 7th century, and the political and military pressure of Khazaria on Bulgaria intensified. Under these conditions, there were several cases of resettlement of significant masses of Bulgars to other regions. One group of Bulgars headed by Prince Asparukh moved west and settled on the banks of the Danube. A large group of Bulgars, led by the son of Kubrat Kodrak, went to the middle Volga region.
The Bulgars who remained in the Sea of ​​Azov ended up as part of Khazaria along with the Lower Volga Bulgars-Saksins and with other Turks of the state. However, this did not bring them eternal peace. In the 20s of the 7th century, Khazaria was attacked by the Arabs, during which the large Bulgarian cities of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov were captured and burned. Ten years later, the Arabs repeated their campaign, this time they plundered the Bulgar lands in the vicinity of the Terek and Kuban rivers, captured 20 thousand Barsils (the travelers of the century as part of the Bulgar people singled out Barsils, Esegels and, in fact, Buggars). All this caused another massive campaign of the Bulgar population to their fellow tribesmen in the Volga region. Subsequently, the defeat of Khazaria was accompanied by other cases of Bulgar migration to the middle and upper reaches of the Itil (the Itil River, in the understanding of that time, began with the Belaya River, included part of the Kama and then the Volga).
Thus, mass and small migrations of the Bulgars to the Volga-Ural region took place. The choice of the resettlement area is quite understandable. Here several centuries ago the Huns lived and their descendants continued to live, as well as other Turkic tribes. From this point of view, these places were the historical homeland of ancestors for certain Turkic tribes. In addition, the Turkic peoples of the middle and lower Volga region maintained constant close ties with the kindred peoples of the Caucasus and the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov; the developed nomadic economy more than once led to the mixing of different Turkic tribes. That's why. the strengthening of the Bulgar element in the middle Volga region was quite an ordinary phenomenon.
The increase in the Bulgar population in these areas led to the fact that it was the Bulgars who became the main forming element of the Tatar people, formed in the Volga-Ural region. At the same time, it should be taken into account that no more or less large people can trace their genealogy from only one single tribe. And the Tatar people in this sense is not an exception, among its ancestors one could name more than one tribe, and also indicate more than one influence (including Finno-Ugric). However, it is the Bulgars that should be recognized as the main element in the composition of the Tatar people.
Over time, the Turkic-Bulgarian tribes began to make up a fairly large population in this region. If, moreover, we take into account their historical experience in state building, then there is nothing surprising in the fact that the state of Great Bulgaria (Volga Bulgaria) soon arose here. In the initial period of its existence, Bulgaria in the Volga region was, as it were, a union of relatively independent regions, vassal dependent on Khazaria. But, in the second half of the 10th century, the supremacy of a single prince was already recognized by all specific rulers. There was a common system of paying taxes to the common treasury of a single state. By the time of the collapse of Khazaria, Great Bulgaria was a fully formed single state, its borders were recognized by neighboring states and peoples. In the future, the zone of political and economic influence of Bulgaria extended from the Oka to the Yaik (Urals). The lands of Bulgaria included areas from the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama to the Yaik and the lower reaches of the Volga. The Khazar Sea became known as the Bular Sea. “Atil is a river in the region of the Kipchaks, it flows into the Bulgar Sea,” wrote Mahmud Kashgari in the 11th century.
Great Bulgaria in the Volga region became a country of settled and semi-sedentary population and had a highly developed economy. In agriculture, the Bulgars used iron plowshares to plows already in the 10th century, the Bulgar Saban plow provided plowing with a layer turnover. The Bulgars used iron tools for agricultural production, grew more than 20 types of cultivated plants, were engaged in gardening, beekeeping, as well as hunting and fishing. Handicraft reached a high level for that time. The Bulgars were engaged in jewelry, leather, bone carving, metallurgical, pottery production. They were familiar with iron smelting, and began to use it in production. The Bulgars also used gold, silver, copper and their various alloys in their products. “The Bulgarian kingdom was one of the few states of medieval Europe, in which, in the shortest possible time, conditions were created for the high development of handicraft production in a number of industries” (A.P. Smirnov).
Since the 11th century, Velikaya Bulgaria has been the leading trading center in Eastern Europe. Trade relations developed with the closest neighbors - with the northern peoples, with the Russian principalities and with Scandinavia. Trade with Central Asia, with the Caucasus, with Persia, with the Baltics unfolded. The Bulgarian merchant fleet ensured the export and import of goods by waterways, and by land trade caravans went to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The Bulgars exported fish, bread, timber, walrus teeth, furs, specially processed leather “Bulgari”, swords, chain mail, etc. From the Yellow Sea to Scandinavia, jewelry, leather and fur products of Bulgar craftsmen were known. The minting of own coins, begun in the 10th century, contributed to the further strengthening of the position of the Bulgarian state as a recognized center of trade between Europe and Asia.
Bulgars, in their bulk, adopted Islam as early as 825, i.e. almost 1200 years ago. The canons of Islam, with their call for spiritual and physical purity, for mercy, etc., found a special response among the Bulgars. The official adoption of Islam in the state has become a powerful factor in the consolidation of the people into a single organism. In 922 Almas Shilki, the ruler of the Great Bulgaria, received a delegation from the Baghdad Caliphate. A solemn prayer service was held in the central mosque of the capital of the state - in the city of Bulgape. Islam became the official state religion. This allowed Bulgaria to strengthen trade and economic relations with the developed Muslim states of that time. The position of Islam soon became very stable. Western European travelers of that time noted that the inhabitants of Bulgaria are a single people, "holding the law of Mukhammetov more firmly than anyone else." Within the framework of a single state, the formation of the nationality itself has also been basically completed. In any case, the Russian chronicles of the 11th century note here a single, Bulgar people.
Thus, the direct ancestors of modern Tatars were formed as a nationality in the Volga-Ural region. At the same time, they absorbed not only related Turkic tribes, but also partially local Finno-Ugric ones. The Bulgars more than once had to defend their lands from the encroachments of greedy robbers. The incessant attacks of the seekers of easy money forced the Bulgars even to move the capital; in the 12th century, the city of Bilyar, located at some distance from the main water artery - the Volga River, became the capital of the state. But, the most serious military trials fell on the lot of the Bulgar people in the XII century, which brought the Mongol invasion to the world.
Within three decades of the XIII century, the Mongols conquered a significant part of Asia and began their campaigns on the lands of Eastern Europe. The Bulgars, conducting intensive trade with Asian partners, were well aware of the danger posed by the Mongol army. They tried to create a united front, but their call for neighbors to unite in the face of a deadly threat fell on deaf ears. Eastern Europe met the Mongols not united, but disunited, divided into warring states (Central Europe made the same mistake). In 1223, the Mongols utterly defeated the combined forces of the Russian principalities and the Kipchak warriors on the Kalka River and sent part of their troops to Bulgaria. However, the Bulgars met the enemy on the distant approaches, near the Zhiguli. Using a skillful ambush system, the Bulgars, led by Ilgam Khan, inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mongols, destroying up to 90% of the enemy troops. The remnants of the Mongol army retreated to the south, and “the land of the Kypchaks was freed from them; whoever escaped from them returned to his own land ”(Ibn al-Athir).
This victory brought peace to Eastern Europe for a while, and trade that had been suspended was resumed. Apparently, the Bulgars were well aware that the victory won was not final. They began active preparations for defense: cities and fortresses were fortified, huge earthen ramparts were poured in the area of ​​the Yaik, Belaya rivers, etc. At the then level of technology, in such a short period of time, such work could be carried out only with a very high level of organization of the population. This serves as an additional confirmation of the fact that by this time the Bulgars were a single, close-knit people, united by a common idea, the desire to preserve their independence. Six years later, the Mongols attacked again, and this time the enemy failed to penetrate the main territory of Bulgaria. The authority of Bulgaria, as a real force capable of resisting the Mongol invasion, became especially high. Many peoples, primarily the Lower Volga Bulgars-Saksins, Cumans-Kipchaks began to move to the lands of Bulgaria, thereby contributing their share to the composition of the ancestors of modern Tatars.
In 1236 the Mongols made their third campaign against Bulgaria. The subjects of the country fought fiercely, defending their state. For a month and a half, the Bulgars selflessly defended the besieged capital - the city of Bilyar. However, the 50,000th army of the Bulgar Khan Gabdulla Ibn-Ilgam could not resist the onslaught of the 250,000th Mongol army for a long time. The capital has fallen. The following year, the western lands of Bulgaria were conquered, all fortifications and fortresses were destroyed. The Bulgars did not reconcile themselves to the defeat, the uprisings followed one after another. Bulgars almost 50 years of hostilities against the conquerors, which forced the latter to keep almost half of their troops on the territory of Bulgaria. However, it was not possible to restore the full independence of the state, the Bulgars became subjects of the new state - the Golden Horde.

In the old days there was no means of transportation faster and more convenient horse . On a horse they transported goods, hunted, fought; on a horse they went to woo and brought the bride to the house. Without a horse, they could not imagine farming. A delicious and healing drink, koumiss, was obtained (and is still being received) from mare's milk, strong ropes were made from the hair of the mane, and soles for shoes were made from the skin, boxes and buckles were made from the horn coating of hooves. In a horse, especially in a horse, his position was valued. There were even signs by which you can recognize a good horse. The Kalmyks, for example, had 33 such signs.

The peoples that will be discussed, whether Turkic or Mongolian, know, love and breed this animal in their household. Perhaps their ancestors were not the first to domesticate a horse, but perhaps there are no peoples on earth in whose history a horse would play such a role. big role. Thanks to the light cavalry, the ancient Turks and Mongols settled on a vast territory - the steppe and forest-steppe, desert and semi-desert spaces of Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

On the globe about 40 peoples live in different countries speaking in Turkic languages ; more than 20 -in Russia. Their number is about 10 million people. Only 11 out of 20 have republics within the Russian Federation: Tatars (Republic of Tatarstan), Bashkirs (Republic of Bashkortostan), Chuvash (Chuvash Republic), Altaians (Altai Republic), Tuvans (Republic of Tuva), Khakass (The Republic of Khakassia), Yakuts (The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)); among Karachays with Circassians and Balkars with Kabardians - common republics (Karachay-Cherkess and Kabardino-Balkaria).

The rest of the Turkic peoples are scattered throughout Russia, in its European and Asian regions and regions. This Dolgans, Shors, Tofalars, Chulyms, Nagaibaks, Kumyks, Nogais, Astrakhan and Siberian Tatars . The list can include Azerbaijanis (Derbent Turks) Dagestan, Crimean Tatars, Meskhetian Turks, Karaites, a significant number of whom now live not in their original land, in the Crimea and Transcaucasia, but in Russia.

The largest Turkic people of Russia - Tatars, there are about 6 million people. The smallest - Chulyms and Tofalars: the number of each nation is just over 700 people. northernmost - Dolgans on the Taimyr Peninsula, and southernmost - Kumyks in Dagestan, one of the republics of the North Caucasus. The most eastern Turks of Russia - Yakuts(their self-name - Sakha), and they live in the north-east of Siberia. A most western - Karachays inhabiting the southern regions of Karachay-Cherkessia. The Turks of Russia live in different geographical zones - in the mountains, in the steppe, in the tundra, in the taiga, in the forest-steppe zone.

The ancestral home of the Turkic peoples is the steppes of Central Asia. Starting from the II century. and ending in the 13th century, pressed by their neighbors, they gradually moved to the territory of present-day Russia and occupied the lands where their descendants now live (see the article "From primitive tribes to modern peoples").

The languages ​​of these peoples are similar, they have many common words, but, most importantly, the grammar is similar. As scientists suggest, in ancient times they were dialects of the same language. Over time, the closeness was lost. The Turks settled on a very large area, stopped communicating with each other, they had new neighbors, and their languages ​​could not help but influence the Turkic ones. All Turks understand each other, but, say, Altaians with Tuvans and Khakasses, Nogais with Balkars and Karachays, Tatars with Bashkirs and Kumyks can easily come to an agreement. And only the Chuvash language stands apart in the Turkic family of languages.

Representatives of the Turkic peoples of Russia differ greatly in appearance. . in the east This North Asian and Central Asian Mongoloids -Yakuts, Tuvans, Altaians, Khakasses, Shors.In the west, typical Caucasians -Karachays, Balkars. And finally, the intermediate type refers in general caucasoid , But with a strong admixture of Mongoloid features Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Kumyks, Nogais.

What's the matter here? The relationship of the Turks is more linguistic than genetic. Turkic languages are easy to pronounce, their grammar is very logical, there are almost no exceptions. In ancient times, nomadic Turks spread over a vast territory occupied by other tribes. Some of these tribes switched to the Turkic dialect because of its simplicity and over time began to feel like Turks, although they differed from them both in appearance and in traditional occupations.

Traditional farming , which the Turkic peoples of Russia were engaged in in the past, and in some places they continue to be engaged in now, are also diverse. Nearly all were grown cereals and vegetables. Many raised cattle: horses, sheep, cows. Excellent herdsmen have long been Tatars, Bashkirs, Tuvans, Yakuts, Altaians, Balkars. However deer bred and still few are bred. This Dolgans, northern Yakuts, Tofalars, Altaians and a small group of Tuvans living in the taiga part of Tuva - Todzha.

Religions among the Turkic peoples too different. Tatars, Bashkirs, Karachays, Nogais, Balkars, Kumyks - Muslims ; Tuvans - Buddhists . Altaians, Shors, Yakuts, Chulyms, although adopted in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Christianity , always remained secret worshipers of shamanism . Chuvash from the middle of the XVIII century. considered the most Christian people in the Volga region , but in recent years some of them return to paganism : they worship the sun, the moon, the spirits of the earth and the dwelling, the spirits-ancestors, without refusing, however, from orthodoxy .

WHO ARE YOU, T A T A R Y?

Tatars - the most numerous Turkic people of Russia. They live in Republic of Tatarstan, as well as in Bashkortostan, Udmurt Republic and adjacent areas Ural and Volga regions. There are large Tatar communities in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities. And in general, in all regions of Russia, one can meet Tatars who have been living outside their homeland, the Volga region, for decades. They have taken root in a new place, fit into a new environment for them, feel great there and do not want to leave anywhere.

There are several peoples in Russia who call themselves Tatars . Astrakhan Tatars live close to Astrakhan, Siberian- V Western Siberia, Kasimov Tatars - near the city of Kasimov on the river Ok a (on the territory where serving Tatar princes lived several centuries ago). And finally Kazan Tatars named after the capital of Tatarstan - the city of Kazan. All these are different, although close to each other peoples. However just Tatars should be called only Kazan .

Among the Tatars distinguish two ethnographic groups - Mishari Tatars And Kryashen Tatars . The former are known for being Muslims do not celebrate the national holiday Sabantuy but they celebrate red egg day - something similar to the Orthodox Easter. On this day, children collect colored eggs from home and play with them. Kryashens ("baptized") because they are called that because they were baptized, that is, they accepted Christianity, and note not Muslim but Christian holidays .

The Tatars themselves began to call themselves that way quite late - only in the middle of the 19th century. For a very long time they did not like this name and considered it humiliating. Until the 19th century they were named differently: Bulgarly" (Bulgars), "Kazanly" (Kazan), "Meselman" (Muslims). And now many demand the return of the name "Bulgars".

Turks came to the regions of the Middle Volga and the Kama region from the steppes of Central Asia and the North Caucasus, crowded by tribes that moved from Asia to Europe. The migration continued for several centuries. At the end of the IX-X centuries. a prosperous state, the Volga Bulgaria, arose on the Middle Volga. The people living in this state were called Bulgars. Volga Bulgaria existed for two and a half centuries. Here agriculture and cattle breeding, handicrafts developed, there was trade with Russia and with the countries of Europe and Asia.

The high level of Bulgar culture in that period is evidenced by the existence of two types of writing - ancient Turkic runic(1) and later Arabic which came along with Islam in the 10th century. Arabic language and writing gradually replaced the signs of ancient Turkic writing from the sphere of state circulation. And this is natural: the entire Muslim East, with which Bulgaria had close political and economic contacts, used the Arabic language.

The names of remarkable poets, philosophers, scientists of Bulgaria, whose works are included in the treasury of the peoples of the East, have survived to our time. This Khoja Ahmed Bulgari (XI century) - a scientist and theologian, an expert on the moral precepts of Islam; WITH ulaiman ibn Daoud al-Saksini-Suwari (XII century) - the author of philosophical treatises with very poetic titles: "The light of the rays - the truthfulness of secrets", "The flower of the garden, delighting sick souls." And the poet Kul Gali (XII-XIII centuries) wrote the "Poem about Yusuf", which is considered a classic Turkic-language work of art of the pre-Mongolian period.

In the middle of the XIII century. Volga Bulgaria was conquered by the Tatar-Mongols and became part of the Golden Horde . After the fall of the Horde in 15th century . a new state arises in the Middle Volga region - Kazan Khanate . The main backbone of its population is formed by the same Bulgars, who by that time had already experienced the strong influence of their neighbors - the Finno-Ugric peoples (Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts), who lived next to them in the Volga basin, as well as the Mongols, who made up the majority of the ruling class of the Golden Horde.

Where did the name come from "Tatars" ? There are several versions of this. According to the most widespread, one of the Central Asian tribes conquered by the Mongols was called " tatan", "tatabi". In Rus', this word turned into "Tatars", and they began to call everyone: the Mongols, and the Turkic population of the Golden Horde subject to the Mongols, far from being monoethnic in composition. With the collapse of the Horde, the word "Tatars" did not disappear, they continued to collectively call the Turkic-speaking peoples on the southern and eastern borders of Rus'. Over time, its meaning narrowed down to the name of one people who lived on the territory of the Kazan Khanate.

The Khanate was conquered by Russian troops in 1552 . Since then, the Tatar lands have been part of Russia, and the history of the Tatars has been developing in close cooperation with the peoples inhabiting the Russian state.

Tatars excelled in various types of economic activity. They were wonderful s farmers (they grew rye, barley, millet, peas, lentils) and excellent cattle breeders . Of all types of livestock, sheep and horses were especially preferred.

Tatars were famous as beautiful artisans . Coopers made barrels for fish, caviar, sour, pickles, beer. Tanners made leather. Kazan morocco and Bulgar yuft (original locally produced leather), shoes and boots, very soft to the touch, decorated with applique from pieces of multi-colored leather, were especially valued at fairs. Among the Kazan Tatars there were many enterprising and successful merchants who traded throughout Russia.

TATAR NATIONAL CUISINE

In Tatar cuisine one can distinguish "agricultural" dishes and "cattle-breeding" dishes. The first ones are soups with pieces of dough, cereals, pancakes, tortillas , i.e., what can be prepared from grain and flour. To the second - dried horse meat sausage, sour cream, different types of cheese , a special kind of sour milk - katyk . And if you dilute the katyk with water and cool it, you get a wonderful thirst-quenching drink - ayran . well and belyashi - round pies fried in oil with meat or vegetable filling, which can be seen through a hole in the dough, are known to everyone. festive dish the Tatars considered smoked goose .

Already at the beginning of the X century. the ancestors of the Tatars accepted Islam , and since then their culture has developed within the Islamic world. This was facilitated by the spread of writing based on Arabic script and the construction of a large number of mosques - buildings for holding collective prayers. Schools were created at mosques - mektebe and madrasah , where children (and not only from noble families) learned to read the holy book of Muslims in Arabic - Koran .

Ten centuries of written tradition have not been in vain. Among the Kazan Tatars, in comparison with other Turkic peoples of Russia, there are many writers, poets, composers, and artists. Often it was the Tatars who were the mullahs and teachers of other Turkic peoples. Tatars have a highly developed sense of national identity, pride in their history and culture.

{1 } Runic (from the ancient Germanic and Gothic runa - "mystery*") is the name given to the most ancient Germanic writings, which were distinguished by a special inscription of characters. The ancient Turkic writing of the 8th-10th centuries was also called.

VISIT TO X A K A S A M

In southern Siberia on the banks of the Yenisei River another Turkic-speaking people lives - Khakass . There are only 79 thousand of them. Khakasses - descendants of the Yenisei Kyrgyz who lived more than a thousand years ago in the same area. Neighbors, the Chinese, called the Kyrgyz " hyagas"; from this word the name of the people came - the Khakass. By appearance Khakasses can be attributed to Mongoloid race, however, a strong Caucasoid admixture is also noticeable in them, which manifests itself in lighter skin than other Mongoloids and lighter, sometimes almost red, hair color.

Khakasses live in Minusinsk basin, sandwiched between the Sayan and Abakan ridges. They consider themselves mountain people , although the majority live in the flat, steppe part of Khakassia. Archaeological monuments of this basin - and there are more than 30 thousand of them - testify that a person lived on the Khakas land already 40-30 thousand years ago. From the drawings on the rocks and stones, one can get an idea of ​​how people lived at that time, what they did, who they hunted, what rituals they performed, what gods they worshiped. Of course, it cannot be said that Khakass{2 ) are direct descendants of the ancient inhabitants of these places, but there are still some common features between the ancient and modern population of the Minusinsk Basin.

Khakass - pastoralists . They call themselves " threefold people", because three types of livestock are bred: horses, cattle (cows and bulls) and sheep . Previously, if a person had more than 100 horses and cows, they said about him that he had "a lot of cattle", and they called him a bai. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. The Khakass led a nomadic lifestyle. Cattle were grazed all year round. When horses, sheep, cows ate all the grass around the dwelling, the owners collected property, loaded it onto horses and, together with their herd, went to a new place. Having found a good pasture, they set up a yurt there and lived until the cattle again ate the grass. And so up to four times a year.

Bread they also sowed - and learned this a long time ago. An interesting folk way, which determined the readiness of the land for sowing. The owner plowed a small area and, having exposed the lower half of his body, sat down on the arable land to smoke a pipe. If, while he was smoking, the bare parts of the body did not freeze, it means that the earth has warmed up and it is possible to sow grain. However, other nations also used this method. While working on arable land, they did not wash their faces - so as not to wash away happiness. And when the sowing was over, they made an alcoholic drink from the remnants of last year's grain and sprinkled the sown land with it. This interesting Khakass rite was called "Uren Khurty", which means "to kill an earthworm". It was performed in order to appease the spirit - the owner of the earth, so that he would not "allow" various kinds of pests to destroy the future crop.

Now the Khakass quite willingly eat fish, but in the Middle Ages they were treated with disgust and called it "river worm". To prevent it from accidentally getting into drinking water, special channels were diverted from the river.

Until the middle of the XIX century. Khakass lived in yurts . Yurt- comfortable nomadic dwelling. It can be assembled and disassembled in two hours. First, sliding wooden grates are placed in a circle, a door frame is attached to them, then a dome is laid out from separate poles, while not forgetting about the upper hole: it plays the role of a window and a chimney at the same time. In summer, the outside of the yurt was covered with birch bark, and in winter - with felt. If you properly heat the hearth, which is placed in the center of the yurt, then it is very warm in it in any frost.

Like all pastoralists, the Khakass love meat and dairy products . With the onset of winter colds, cattle were slaughtered for meat - not all, of course, but as much as needed to last until the beginning of summer, until the first milk of cows that went out to pasture. Horses and sheep were slaughtered according to certain rules, dismembering the carcass at the joints with a knife. It was forbidden to break bones - otherwise the owner will have cattle transferred and there will be no happiness. On the day of the slaughter, a celebration was held and all the neighbors were invited. Adults and children are very loved pressed milk foam mixed with flour, bird cherry or lingonberries .

There have always been many children in Khakas families. There is a proverb "A man who has raised cattle has a full stomach, and a man who has raised children has a full soul"; If a woman gave birth and raised nine children - and the number nine had a special meaning in the mythology of many peoples of Central Asia - she was allowed to ride a "consecrated" horse. The horse, on which the shaman performed a special ceremony, was considered consecrated; after him, according to the beliefs of the Khakas, the horse was protected from trouble and protected the entire herd. Not every man was even allowed to touch such an animal.

In general, the Khakass many interesting customs . For example, a person who managed to catch the sacred bird flamingo while hunting (this bird is very rare in Khakassia) could woo any girl, and her parents had no right to refuse him. The groom dressed the bird in a red silk shirt, tied a red silk scarf around its neck and carried it as a gift to the bride's parents. Such a gift was considered very valuable, more expensive than any kalym - a ransom for the bride, which the groom had to pay to her family.

Since the 90s. 20th century Khakass - by religion They shamanists - annually celebrate the national holiday Ada Hoorai . It is dedicated to the memory of the ancestors - everyone who has ever fought and died for the freedom of Khakassia. In honor of these heroes, a public prayer is held, a ritual of sacrifice is performed.

THROAT SINGING OF THE KHAKAS

Khakasses own the art of throat singing . It's called " hai ". The singer does not utter words, but in low and high sounds flying out of his throat, one hears the sounds of an orchestra, then the rhythmic clatter of horse hooves, then the hoarse groans of a dying beast. Undoubtedly, this unusual art form was born in nomadic conditions, and its origins must be sought in ancient times. throat singing is known only to the Turkic-speaking peoples - Tuvans, Khakasses, Bashkirs, Yakuts - and also to a small extent to the Buryats and Western Mongols, in which there is a strong admixture of Turkic blood. It is unknown to other nations. And this is one of the mysteries of nature and history, not yet revealed by scientists. Throat singing is only for men . You can learn it by training hard from childhood, and since far from everyone has enough patience, only a few achieve success.

{2 ) Before the revolution, the Khakasses were called Minusinsk or Abakan Tatars.

ON THE CHULYM RIVER UCHULYMTS EV

On the border of the Tomsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory in the Chulym river basin lives the smallest Turkic people in terms of numbers - Chulyms . Sometimes they are called Chulym Turks . But they talk about themselves "Pestyn Kizhiler", which means "our people". At the end of the 19th century there were about 5 thousand people, now there are just over 700 left. Small peoples living next to large ones usually merge with the latter, perceive their culture, language and self-consciousness. the neighbors of the Chulyms were Siberian Tatars, Khakasses, and from the 17th century - Russians who began to move here from the central regions of Russia. Some of the Chulyms merged with the Siberian Tatars, others merged with the Khakass, and others with the Russians. Those who still continue to call themselves Chulyms, almost lost their native language.

Chulyms - fishermen and hunters . At the same time, they catch fish mainly in the summer, and hunt mainly in the winter, although, of course, they know both winter ice fishing and summer hunting.

Fish was stored and eaten in any form: raw, boiled, dried with and without salt, crushed with wild roots, fried on a spit, mashed caviar. Sometimes the fish was cooked by placing the skewer at an angle to the fire so that the fat flowed out and it dried out a little, after which it was dried in an oven or in special closed pits. Frozen fish was mainly for sale.

Hunting was divided into hunting "for oneself" and hunting "for sale". ". For themselves they beat - and continue to do so now - elk, taiga and lake game, put snares on squirrels. Elk and game are indispensable in the food of the Chulyms. Sable, fox and wolf were hunted for the sake of fur skins: Russian merchants paid well for them. Bear meat was eaten themselves, and the skin was most often sold to buy guns and cartridges, salt and sugar, knives and clothing.

Still Chulyms are engaged in such an ancient activity as gathering: wild herbs, garlic and onions, wild dill are collected in the taiga, in the floodplain, along the banks of lakes, dried or salted, and added to food in autumn, winter and spring. These are the only vitamins available to them. In autumn, like many other peoples of Siberia, the Chulyms go out with their whole families to collect pine nuts.

Chulyms knew how make cloth out of nettles . Nettles were collected, tied into sheaves, dried in the sun, then kneaded with hands and crushed in a wooden mortar. All this was done by children. And the yarn itself from cooked nettles was made by adult women.

On the example of Tatars, Khakasses and Chulyms, one can see how the Turkic peoples of Russia are distinguished- in appearance, type of economy, spiritual culture. Tatars outwardly most similar on Europeans, Khakasses and Chulyms - typical Mongoloids with only a slight admixture of Caucasoid features.Tatars - settled farmers and pastoralists , Khakass -pastoral nomads in the recent past , Chulyms - fishermen, hunters, gatherers .Tatars - Muslims , Khakasses and Chulyms once accepted Christianity , and now return to the ancient shamanic cults. So the Turkic world is both united and diverse at the same time.

CLOSE RELATIVES OF BURYATY AND KALMYKI

If Turkic peoples in Russia more than twenty Mongolian - only two: Buryats and Kalmyks . Buryats live in Southern Siberia on the lands adjacent to Lake Baikal, and further to the east . In administrative terms, this is the territory of the Republic of Buryatia (the capital is Ulan-Ude) and two autonomous Buryat districts: Ust-Orda in the Irkutsk region and Aginsky in the Chita region . Buryats also live in Moscow, St. Petersburg and in many other large cities of Russia . Their number is more than 417 thousand people.

The Buryats formed as a single people by the middle of the 17th century. from the tribes that lived on the lands around Lake Baikal more than a thousand years ago. In the second half of the XVII century. these territories became part of Russia.

Kalmyks live in Lower Volga region in the Republic of Kalmykia (capital - Elista) and neighboring Astrakhan, Rostov, Volgograd regions and Stavropol Territory . The number of Kalmyks is about 170 thousand people.

The history of the Kalmyk people began in Asia. His ancestors - Western Mongolian tribes and nationalities - were called Oirats. In the XIII century. they were united under the rule of Genghis Khan and, together with other peoples, formed the vast Mongol Empire. As part of the army of Genghis Khan, they participated in his campaigns of conquest, including those against Rus'.

After the collapse of the empire (the end of the 14th - the beginning of the 15th century), unrest and wars began on its former territory. Part Oirat taishas (princes) subsequently asked for citizenship from the Russian tsar, and during the first half of the 17th century. in several groups they moved to Russia, in the steppes of the Lower Volga region. The word "Kalmyk" comes from the word halmg", which means "remnant". So they called themselves those who, having not converted to Islam, came from Dzungaria{3 ) to Russia, unlike those who continued to call themselves Oirats. And since the 18th century the word "Kalmyk" became the self-name of the people.

Since then, the history of the Kalmyks has been closely connected with the history of Russia. Their nomad camps protected its southern borders from sudden attacks by the Turkish Sultan and the Crimean Khan. The Kalmyk cavalry was famous for its speed, lightness, and excellent fighting qualities. She participated in almost all the wars waged by the Russian Empire: Russian-Turkish, Russian-Swedish, the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, the Patriotic War of 1812.

The fate of the Kalmyks as part of Russia was not easy. Two events were especially tragic. The first is the departure of a part of the princes dissatisfied with the policy of Russia, together with their subjects, back to Western Mongolia in 1771. The second is the deportation of the Kalmyk people to Siberia and Central Asia in 1944-1957. on charges of aiding the Germans during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Both events left a heavy imprint in the memory and in the soul of the people.

Kalmyks and Buryats have a lot in common in culture , and not only because they speak close and understandable to each other languages ​​that are part of the Mongolian language group. The point is also different: both peoples up to the beginning of the 20th century. were engaged nomadic pastoralism ; in the past were shamanists , and later, although at different times (the Kalmyks in the 15th century, and the Buryats at the beginning of the 17th century), adopted Buddhism . Their culture combines shamanic and Buddhist features, rites of both religions coexist . There is nothing unusual about this. There are many peoples on earth who, officially considered Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, nevertheless continue to follow the pagan tradition.

Buryats and Kalmyks are also among such peoples. And although they have many Buddhist temples (before the 20s of the XX century, the Buryats had 48 of them, the Kalmyks - 104; now the Buryats have 28 temples, the Kalmyks - 14), but they celebrate traditional pre-Buddhist holidays with special solemnity. For the Buryats, this is Sagaalgan (White month) - New Year's holiday, which occurs on the first spring new moon. Now it is considered Buddhist, services are held in its honor in Buddhist temples, but, in fact, it was and remains a national holiday.

Every year, Sagaalgan is celebrated on different days, as the date is calculated according to the lunar calendar, and not according to the solar one. This calendar is called the 12-year animal cycle, because each year in it bears the name of an animal (the year of the Tiger, the year of the Dragon, the year of the Hare, etc.) and the “named” year is repeated every 12 years. In 1998, for example, the year of the tiger began on February 27th.

When Sagaalgan comes, it is supposed to eat a lot of white, i.e. dairy, food - cottage cheese, butter, cheese, foam, drink milk vodka and koumiss. That is why the holiday is called "White month". Everything white in the culture of the Mongolian-speaking peoples was considered sacred and was directly related to holidays and solemn ceremonies: white felt, on which the newly elected khan was raised, a bowl with fresh, freshly milked milk, which was brought to the honored guest. The horse that won the race was sprinkled with milk.

And here Kalmyks celebrate the New Year on December 25 and call it "dzul" , and the White month (in Kalmyk it is called "Tsagaan Sar") is considered by them as a holiday of the onset of spring and was not connected with the New Year in any way.

At the height of summer Buryats celebrate Surkharban . On this day, the best athletes compete in accuracy, shooting from a bow at felt balls - targets ("sur" - "felt ball", "harbakh" - "shoot"; hence the name of the holiday); horse races and national wrestling are arranged. An important moment of the holiday is the sacrifice to the spirits of the earth, water and mountains. If the spirits were appeased, the Buryats believed, they would send good weather, abundant grasses to pastures, which means that the cattle would be fat and well-fed, people would be full and contented with life.

Kalmyks have two similar holidays in summer: Usn Arshan (blessing of water) and Usn Tyaklgn (sacrifice to water). In the dry Kalmyk steppe, much depended on water, so it was necessary to make a sacrifice to the spirit of water in a timely manner in order to win its favor. At the end of autumn, each family performed the rite of sacrifice to fire - Gal Tyaklgn . A cold winter was approaching, and it was very important that the "owner" of the hearth and fire be kind to the family and provide warmth in the house, yurt, wagon. A ram was sacrificed, its meat was burned in the fire of the hearth.

Buryats and Kalmyks are extremely respectful and even affectionate towards the horse. This is one of the characteristic features of nomadic societies. Any poor man had several horses, the rich owned large herds, but, as a rule, each owner knew his horses "by sight", could distinguish them from strangers, and gave nicknames especially to his beloved. Heroes of all heroic legends (epos Buryat - "Geser ", Kalmyks - "Jangar ") had a beloved horse, which was called by name. He was not just a mount, but a friend and comrade in trouble, in joy, on a military campaign. battlefield, obtained "living water" to bring back to life. The horse and the nomad were attached to each other from childhood. If at the same time a boy was born in the family, and a foal in the herd, the parents gave him to his son at full disposal. They grew up together, boy fed, watered and walked his friend. The foal learned to be a horse, and the boy learned to be a rider. This is how the future winners of the races, dashing riders grew up. Short, hardy, with long manes, the Central Asian horses grazed in the steppe all year round on pasture. They were not afraid no cold weather, no wolves, fighting off predators with strong and accurate blows of hooves.The excellent war cavalry more than once put the enemy to flight and caused amazement and respect both in Asia and in Europe.

"TROIKA" IN KALMYK

Kalmyk folklore surprisingly rich in genres - here and fairy tales, and legends, and the heroic epic "Dzhangar", and proverbs, and sayings, and riddles . There is also a peculiar genre that is difficult to define. It combines a riddle, a proverb and a saying and is called a "three line" or simply "troika" (no-Kalmyks - "gurvn"). The people believed that there were 99 such "threes"; in fact, there are probably many more. The youth loved to arrange competitions - who knows them more and better. Here are some of them.

Three of what is fast?
What is the fastest in the world? Horse legs.
An arrow, if it is dexterously thrown.
And thought is fast when it is smart.

Three of what is full?
In the month of May, the freedom of the steppes is full.
A child is fed, that is fed by his mother.
A well-fed old man who raised worthy children.

Three of those who are rich?
The old man, since there are many daughters and sons, is rich.
The skill of the master among the masters is rich.
The poor man, at least in that there are no debts, is rich.

In three lines, improvisation plays an important role. A participant in the competition can come up with his own “troika” right off the bat. The main thing is that the laws of the genre are observed in it: first there must be a question, and then an answer consisting of three parts. And, of course, meaning, worldly logic and folk wisdom are necessary.

{3 ) Dzungaria is a historical region on the territory of modern Northwest China.

TRADITIONAL BOOT COSTUME

Bashkirs , who for a long time maintained a semi-nomadic lifestyle, widely used leather, skins and wool for making clothes. Underwear was sewn from Central Asian or Russian factory fabrics. Those who early switched to a sedentary lifestyle made clothes from nettle, hemp, linen canvas.

Traditional male costume consisted of shirts with a turn-down collar and wide trousers . Over the shirt they wore a short sleeveless jacket and going out into the street caftan with a standing collar or a long, almost straight dressing gown made of dark fabric . Know and mullahs went to dressing gowns made of motley Central Asian silk . In the cold time of the Bashkirs dressed in spacious cloth robes, sheepskin coats or sheepskin coats .

Skullcaps were everyday headwear for men. , in the elderly- dark velvet young- bright, embroidered with colored threads. They put on over skullcaps in the cold felt hats or cloth-covered fur hats . In the steppes, during snowstorms, warm fur malachai, which covered the back of the head and ears, saved.

The most common shoes were boots : the bottom was made of leather, and the leg was made of canvas or cloth fabrics. On holidays they were changed to leather boots . Met at the Bashkirs and bast sandals .

Woman suit included dress, bloomers and sleeveless jacket . The dresses were detachable, with a wide skirt, they were decorated with ribbons and braid. It was supposed to be worn over the dress short fitted sleeveless jackets, sheathed with braid, coins and plaques . Apron , which at first served as work clothes, later became part of the festive costume.

Headdresses varied. Women of all ages covered their heads with a scarf and tied it under their chin. . Some young Bashkirs under scarves wore small velvet caps embroidered with beads, pearls, corals , A elderly- quilted cotton hats. Sometimes married Bashkirs worn over a scarf high fur hats .

PEOPLE OF THE SUN RAYS (Y KU T Y)

The people, who in Russia are called Yakuts, call themselves "Sakha"." , and in myths and legends it is very poetic - "people sun rays with reins behind their backs." Their number is more than 380 thousand people. They live in the north Siberia, in the basins of the Lena and Vilyui rivers, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Yakuts , the northernmost pastoralists of Russia, breed cattle and small cattle and horses. Kumys from mare's milk and smoked horse meat - favorite foods in summer and winter, on weekdays and holidays. In addition, the Yakuts are excellent fishermen and hunters . Fish are caught mainly with nets, which are now bought in a store, and in the old days they were woven from horsehair. They hunt large animals in the taiga, and game in the tundra. Among the methods of extraction there is known only to the Yakuts - hunting with a bull. The hunter sneaks up on the prey, hiding behind the bull, and shoots at the beast.

Before meeting the Russians, the Yakuts almost did not know agriculture, they did not sow bread, did not grow vegetables, but they were engaged in gathering in the taiga : they harvested wild onions, edible herbs and the so-called pine sapwood - a layer of wood located directly under the bark. She was dried, crushed, turning into flour. In winter, it was the main source of vitamins that saved from scurvy. Pine flour was diluted in water, a mash was made, to which fish or milk was added, and if they were not, they ate it just like that. This dish has remained in the distant past, now its description can only be found in books.

The Yakuts live in a country of taiga paths and full-flowing rivers, and therefore their traditional means of transportation have always been a horse, a deer and a bull or a sleigh (the same animals were harnessed to them), boats made of birch bark or hollowed out from a tree trunk. And even now, in the age of airlines, railways, developed river and sea navigation, people travel in remote areas of the republic just like in the old days.

The folk art of this people is surprisingly rich . The Yakuts were glorified far beyond the borders of their land by the heroic epic - olonkho - about the exploits of ancient heroes, wonderful women's jewelry and carved wooden goblets for koumiss - chorons , each of which has its own unique ornament.

The main holiday of the Yakuts - Ysyakh . It is celebrated on Konya June, on the days of the summer solstice. This is the holiday of the New Year, the holiday of the Revival of nature and the birth of a person - not a specific one, but a person in general. On this day, sacrifices are made to the gods and spirits, expecting patronage from them in all upcoming affairs.

RULES OF THE ROAD (YAKUT VARIANT)

Are you ready for the road? Be careful! Even if the path ahead of you is not very long and difficult, the rules of the road must be observed. And each nation has its own.

The Yakuts had a rather long set of rules for "leaving home" , and everyone tried to observe it, who wanted his journey to be successful and he returned safely. Before leaving, they sat down in a place of honor in the house, facing the fire, and threw firewood into the stove - they fed the fire. It was not supposed to tie shoelaces on a hat, mittens, clothes. On the day of departure, the household did not rake the ashes in the oven. According to the beliefs of the Yakuts, ashes are a symbol of wealth and happiness. There is a lot of ashes in the house - it means that the family is rich, little - poor. If you scoop up the ashes on the day of departure, then the departing person will not be lucky in business, he will return with nothing. A girl getting married, when leaving her parents' house, should not look back, otherwise her happiness will remain in their house.

To keep everything in order, sacrifices were made to the "owner" of the road at crossroads, mountain passes, watersheds: bundles of horsehair were hung, pieces of matter torn from the dress, copper coins and buttons were left.

On the road, it was forbidden to call the objects taken with them by their real names - it was supposed to resort to allegories. There was no need to talk about the upcoming actions along the way. Travelers who stop on the banks of the river never say that they will cross the river tomorrow - there is a special expression for this, translated from Yakut approximately like this: "Tomorrow we will try to ask our grandmother there."

According to the beliefs of the Yakuts, objects thrown or found on the road acquired a special magical power - good or evil. If a leather rope or a knife was found on the road, they were not taken, as they were considered "dangerous", but a horsehair rope, on the contrary, was a "happy" find, and they took it with them.

The Turks are the generalized name of the ethno-linguistic group of the Turkic peoples. Geographically, the Turks are scattered over a vast territory, which occupies about a quarter of the entire Eurasian continent. The ancestral home of the Turks is Central Asia, and the first mention of the ethnonym "Turk" dates back to the 6th century AD. and it is connected with the name of the Kök Türks (Heavenly Türks), who, under the leadership of the Ashina clan, created the Türkic Kaganate. In history, the Turks are known as: skilled cattle breeders, warriors, founders of states and empires.

Turk is quite an ancient name. It was first mentioned in Chinese chronicles in relation to a certain group of tribes from the 6th century BC. AD The nomadic territory of these tribes extended to Xinjiang, Mongolia and Altai. Turkic tribes, Turkic languages ​​existed long before their ethnonym was recorded in the annals of history.

From the speech of the Turkic tribes, the Turkish language originates, from their common name - the name of the Turkish nation (in Turkish "Turk", in Russian "Turk"). Scientists distinguish the meanings of the words "Turk". and "Turk". At the same time, all the peoples who speak Turkic languages ​​are called Turks: these are Azerbaijanis, Altaians (Altai-Kizhi), Afshars, Balkars, Bashkirs, Gagauz, Dolgans, Qajars, Kazakhs, Karagas, Karakalpaks, Karapapahis, Karachays, Kashkais, Kirghiz, Kumyks, Nogais, Tatars, Tofs, Tuvans, Turks, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Khakases, Chuvashs, Chulyms, Shors, Yakuts. Of these languages, the closest to each other are Turkish, Gagauz, South Crimean Tatar, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, which make up the Oguz subgroup of the Turkic group of the Altaic language family.

Although the Turks are not historically a single ethnic group, but include not only kindred, but also assimilated peoples, nevertheless, the Turkic peoples are a single ethno-cultural whole. And according to anthropological features, one can distinguish Turks belonging to both the Caucasian and Mongoloid races, but most often there is a transitional type belonging to the Turanian (South Siberian) race. Read more → Where did the Turks come from? .

The Turkic world is one of the most ancient and numerous ethnic groups. The first settlements of the ancient ancestors of the modern Turkic peoples stretched from east to west from Lake Baikal to the Ural Mountains, separating Asia from Europe. In the south, the territory of their habitat was covered by the Altai (Altan-Zoltoy) and Sayan Mountains, as well as Lakes Baikal and Aral. In the ancient historical era, the Turks from Altai penetrated into northwestern China, and from there around 1000 BC. a significant part of them moved to the West.

Then the Turks also reached that part of Central Asia, which is called Turkestan (the country of the Turks). Over time, part of the Turkic tribes migrated to the Volga, and then through the Dnieper, Dniester and Danube - to the Balkans. Among those Turkic tribes that found shelter in the Balkan Peninsula in the second half of the 11th - first half of the 13th centuries were the ancestors of the modern Gagauz. The Balkans (Balkanlar - from Turkish) have been used since the beginning of the 19th century and mean "impassable, dense, wooded mountains."

L.N. Gumilev. Ancient Turks. Central Asia on the eve of the creation of the Turkic state, con. 5th century

Today, the Turkic peoples are collectively called the "Turkic world".

Reconstructions of the appearance of the ancient Turks (Göktürks)

By the beginning of the XXI century. 44 Turkic ethnic groups were recorded. This is 150-200 million people. The largest Turkic state in the world with a population of 75 million (2007) is Turkey. A small part of the Turkic world is the Gagauz people, most of whom live in the Republic of Moldova. The disunity of the Turkic tribes, settling in vast territories led to a significant difference in their linguistic features, although in ancient times they all spoke two or three ancient Turkic dialects. The Turkic population is divided into eight geographical regions:

1. Türkiye;
2. Balkans;
3. Iran;
4. Caucasus;
5. Volga-Ural;
6. Western Turkestan;
7. Eastern Turkestan;
8. Moldova-Ukraine (over 200 thousand Gagauz).

About 500,000 Yakuts (Sakhas) live in Siberia, about 8 million Turkic people live in Afghanistan, over 500,000 people in Syria, and 2.5 million Turkmen in Iraq.

The Göktürks were a strong nomadic people of Turkic origin and were the first people who launched a massive invasion of modern Central Asia and conquered the local Iranian-speaking, Indo-European peoples. Their people were not entirely Caucasoid or Mongoloid, but were a Mongoloid-Caucasoid mixed race, according to anthropologists. Read more → Turkic world - Huns (Huns), Gokturks... .

The Turkic Khaganate controlled part of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Siberia, part of the Caucasus and Western Manchuria. They fought against 100% Mongoloid, East Asian, Chinese civilization. They also fought against other civilizations, Central Asia and the Caucasus, which were 100% Indo-European.

Turkic Khaganate at its peak

Gökturk from Altai

Gökturk V-VIII AD, from Kyrgyzstan

Göktürks from Mongolia

According to anthropologists, racially these people were 67-70% Mongoloid, and with 33-30% Caucasoid admixture, from a technical point of view they are closer to the Mongoloid race, but with an admixture. Also, they were often quite tall.

It is interesting that among them there were reddish and brown hair with gray and green eyes.

Museum of the Turkic memorial complex Khushuu Tsaidam (Mongolia). Thanks to the incredible work of Mongolian and Russian archaeologists, the museum has become a true repository of valuable exhibits of the ancient Turkic era.

The work of Nurer Ugurlu "Turkic peoples" is dedicated to the Turkic ethno-linguistic community living today in various regions of the world, whose migration flows in the past were directed to Central Europe, the Far East, and India. The influence of the Turkic peoples was spread from the Danube to the Ganges, from the Adriatic to the East China Sea, and reached Beijing, Delhi, Kabul, Isfahan, Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, the Balkan Peninsula. We discussed the most interesting fragments of the book with its author Nurer Ugurlu.

Khalil Bingel: How can one evaluate the historical past of the Turkic peoples?

Nurer Ugurlu: The book describes the history of numerous Turkic peoples living in Asia, Europe, Africa, which today are represented in various regions of the world. The concept of “people” can be defined as a human community, tribal union (“budun”), or ulus (“ulus”), whose members are connected with each other in terms of tribe and clan by common customs, language and culture. The tribal union is a close cooperation and association of the ancient Turks, formed from various tribes, which were characterized by political dependence. In different sources, this term is used in different meanings. The category “bodun”, which appeared for the first time in the Orkhon writings (VIII century), was used to designate all communities: local and foreign, nomadic and settled. In this regard, if we talk about the concept of "people", then it was used to name the Turkic communities formed from tribes of various sizes - both in relation to the Göktürks and Tobgaches (they invaded China), and for the Oguzes, Karluks, Uighurs, Kirghiz, Tatars. Initially, to define the people's community in the Orkhon writings, such terms as "black-bones people" ("kara kamag" or "kara bodun") or simply "bodun" were also mentioned. Muhammad al-Kashgari (XI century) noted in the "Collection of Turkic Dialects" that the term "budun" originated from the Chikil dialect, and interpreted it as "people" and "nationality". Western scholars have replaced the term "bodun" with the terms "people" and "volk". In the XIV century, in some works written during the period of the Golden Horde and Khorezm, this term is quite rare, and, referred to as "buzun", it is used to denote the concept of "people". In later literature, this term does not occur at all. Tribal unions were separate communities, each of which had separate lands and leaders. The associations were headed by kagans, who, depending on the size of the territories and population, bore such titles as “yabgu” (“yabgu”), “shad” (“şad”), “ilteber” (“ilteber”). Tribal unions, most of which were part of the Turkic Khaganate and were mentioned in the Letters of the Gökturks, once a year sent various gifts to the Khagan and confirmed their dependence on him, during the war, for example, supplying the fighting army with reinforcements. Thanks to the governors sent from the center, the kagans in many respects carefully controlled the tribal unions subordinate to them.

- Where were the first settlements of the Turks?

The Turks are one of the most ancient and permanent peoples in world history. This is a large folk community, the history of which goes back over four thousand years. Its territories of settlement cover Asia, Europe, Africa. The first settlements of the Turkic peoples were, first of all, the plateaus of Central Asia. These are vast territories stretching from the Khingan Mountains in the east to the Caspian Sea and the Volga River in the west, from the Aral-Irtysh watershed in the north to the Hindu Kush mountain system in the south. The plateaus of Central Asia were predominantly spacious steppes. Fertile territories were located from the northern sections of the Caspian and Aral Seas and Lake Balkhash to the Khingan Mountains. Sandy steppes in the south of these territories sometimes ended in deserts. The region of sandy steppes connected the fertile lands stretching from the Altai Mountains from east to west. Historians, considering the territories of Central Asia as the most ancient region of the settlement of the Turks, explore them, highlighting two areas - to the north and south of the Tien Shan. The region south of the Tien Shan is East Turkestan. The north of this territory covers the Altai Mountains, the Dzungarian Plain and the Irtysh River. These territories were inhabited by dynamic, nomadic Turkic communities. Initially, depending on the territory, the Turks were engaged in agriculture, and with significant climatic changes, they switched to cattle breeding. To find pastures for animals, they were forced to roam. This circumstance predetermined the semi-nomadic life of the Turkic peoples.

- What ideas about the "homeland of the Turkic peoples" exist in historical science?

Scholars involved in the study and research of the Turkic history of Claproth and Vamberi, relying on Chinese sources, attributed the foothills of the Altai Mountains to the “homeland of the Turkic peoples”. According to the well-known Turkologist Radlov, this territory covered the region of modern Mongolia to the east of Altai. Based on the similarity of the Turkic and Mongolian languages, Ramstedt assumed that the Turks originated from Mongolia. A well-known expert on Turkic history in Central Asia, Bartold, also attributed the region on the territory of Mongolia to the homeland of the Turkic peoples. Today, these views are outdated, and the territory in question needs to be expanded. Linguistic and archaeological research shows that the homeland of the Turkic peoples stretches west of the Altai Mountains. According to the famous Turkologist Nemeth, the homeland of the Turkic peoples should be sought on the territory of modern Kazakhstan, namely between the Altai and Ural mountains. In the course of archaeological and ethnographic research conducted in the southern regions of Siberia and the region of the Altai Mountains, some results were obtained related to the ancient territories of the settlement of the Turkic peoples. As noted in Kiselev's work "Ancient History of Siberia" (1951), "cave painting" and archaeological finds discovered north of Lake Baikal, at the source of the Lena River and the Semirechye region, reflect the ethnic characteristics of these places, preserved from ancient times. According to historical sources, the first settlements of the Turkic communities were in the region of the Altai Mountains. The Turks, living between the Tien Shan and the Altai mountains, were ranked among the Altai peoples.

- Why were the Turks living in Central Asia forced to migrate?

The Turkic peoples who inhabited the territories of Central Asia were forced to leave these lands due to changes in the geographical and social conditions of life. The Turks founded many independent states in the new territories. It is not known for certain what period the first migration flows of the Turks date from, but it is believed that it covers the beginning of the first millennium BC. As a result of a major migration, the Turks, passing through the south of the Caspian Sea and the Iranian Highlands (some of them remained in Iran), descended into Mesopotamia, and from there invaded Syria, Egypt, Anatolia and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Here, in different periods of history, independent Turkic states were founded: the Seljuk State, the Seljuk Sultanate, the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. By the end of the 4th century, the Turks, having passed through the north of the Caspian Sea, migrated from Northeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Over time, they settled in Central Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula and the Danube River Valley. In these territories, Turkic states were also subsequently established. The movement of the Turkic peoples to the east, which began in the 2500s BC, continued for a long time with certain interruptions. The Turks who settled in the modern regions of China - Shaanxi and Gansu - brought their culture and civilization to these lands and for a long time held power in China in their hands. The Shang Dynasty, which founded the Shang State, was destroyed by the Zhou (Chow) Dynasty, descended from a Turkic family (1050-247 BC). Over time, gaining strength, the Zhou dynasty established a political alliance, which is considered the beginning of Chinese history. The Turks who migrated north settled in the fertile pastures of Siberia. However, there is no exact information about when the Yakut and Chuvash Turks came to these territories. The movement of Turkic tribes from Central Asia began in the first centuries of history and continued until the end of the Middle Ages. Some Turks did not leave their homeland at all and lived in the valleys of the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, Ili, Irtysh, Tarim and Shu rivers. Over time, large states were formed on these lands, which demonstrated significant development in the cultural and civilizational sense.

What tribes can be divided into Turkic communities in terms of geography, historical development, features of dialects and adverbs?

In this regard, several Turkic tribes can be distinguished. Muhammad al-Kashgari in the “Collection of Turkic Dialects”, speaking about the Turkic peoples in the 11th century, gives information about such tribes as the Oguzes, Kipchaks, Uighurs, Karluks, Kirghiz, Yagma, Bulgars, Bashkirs, etc. The most numerous of them were tribes Oghuz and Kipchak. After the second half of the 11th century, the Oguzes from the tribes that inhabited the Syr Darya valleys migrated to Western Asia and Anatolia, and the Kipchaks from the Irtysh River basin migrated en masse to the lowlands in the north of the Caspian and Black Seas. Part of the Bulgars descended in the VI century on the territory of modern Bulgaria. Despite multidirectional migration flows, a significant part of the Turkic tribal unions remained in Central Asia. This historical fact is important from the point of view of the formation and current structure of the Turkic communities. The Oghuz tribe became the basis for a large group known as the "Western Turks". The Kipchaks also formed a large community by joining other Turkic peoples who inhabited the territories stretching from the north of the Black Sea to the confluence of the Danube. Consequently, the Kipchaks became the basis for the group known today as the "Eastern European Turks". The third group is formed by the "Eastern Turks" or "Turks of Turkestan", formed as a result of the merger of the Chagatai and Uzbek uluses. This community was formed by other Turkic tribes that remained in Central Asia. It also included groups of Kipchaks who later returned to Turkestan. The fourth group includes the Turks of Siberia and Altai. Various tribes of Western Siberia and Altai are predominantly Turks of Kipchak or Kirghiz origin.

- What is the social organization of the Turkic peoples?

With the unification of families and clans, the tribes of the Turkic peoples were formed. To denote the union of tribes, the concept of "tribal union" ("bodun") was used. The state, created on the basis of the unification of tribal unions, was called "il" ("il"). At the head of the ils was the “khan”. With their unification, "khanates", "kaganates" were created. The equivalent of the term "people" in the ancient Turkic language was the category "kyun" ("kün"). At the head of the state was a kagan, who commanded the troops and led the “kurultai”, who met to discuss state affairs. Historical documents testify that the right to govern and power was granted to the Turkic Khagan by the god Tengri. On the monument erected in honor of Bilge Khan Bogyu, the inscription has been preserved: "I became a kagan, so Tengri ordered." The rights and powers of the kagan among the Turkic peoples were not unlimited. The kagan was considered the head of state. At the same time, the rulers of the tribes and khans acted at their own discretion in their own territories. There was a kind of freedom. The most influential representatives of the nobility participated in the meetings of the "kurultai" when discussing state affairs. Kurultai met twice a year. At the meetings of this body, such important issues as war, peace and trade were discussed, and laws were adopted for the orderly and fair administration of the state. The process of state administration among the Turkic peoples was carried out in accordance with the laws adopted in this way, as well as customs and traditions. The kagan's wife, who was given the title "khatun", assisted the kagan in discussing state affairs. In addition, a council of great servants was created to help the kagan. Usually they bore the title "bey". There were other positions and employees who were given the title of "yabgu", "shad", "tarkhan", "tudun" and "tamgadzhi". When the kagan died, a kurultai met, at which a new ruler was elected - one of the sons of the kagan. As a rule, the authority to manage the kaganate was transferred to the eldest son.

- What Turkic peoples are described in your work?

The book deals with the Turkic peoples that inhabit various regions of the world. They made a permanent and long-term contribution to the history of mankind, therefore, when describing human history, considerable attention is paid to the Turkic peoples. After all, their migration flows flooded the territories of Central Europe, the Far East, and India. One cannot but agree with the statement: “Only linguistics can give the only true definition of the Turkic peoples. A Turk is someone who speaks the Turkic language. Other definitions are not comprehensive enough.”

- How do you define modern Turkic communities?

They can be classified as follows. Volga-Ural region: Tatars, Crimean Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Krymchaks. Region of Central Asia: Karakalpaks, Uighurs. Region of Siberia: Yakuts, Dolgans, Tuvans, Khakasses, Altaians, Shors, Tofalars. Caucasus region: Balkars, Kumyks, Karachays, Nogais, Avars, Lezgins, Dargins, Laks, Tabasarans, Rutuls, Aguls, individual teips of Chechens, Ingush, Adygs, Abkhazians, Circassians, Abaza, Ossetians, Meskhetian Turks, Kabardians. Western region: Gagauz, Karaites.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

Inner Asia and Southern Siberia are the small homeland of the Turks, this is the territorial “patch”, which eventually grew into a thousand-kilometer territory on a global scale. The geographical composition of the area of ​​the Turkic peoples took place, in fact, over two millennia. The Proto-Turks lived in the trap of the Volga as early as the III-II millennium BC, they constantly migrated. Ancient Turkic "Scythians" and Huns" were also an integral part of the Ancient Turkic Khaganate. Thanks to their ritual structures, today we can get acquainted with the works of ancient early Slavic culture and art - this is precisely the Turkic heritage.

The Turks were traditionally engaged in nomadic pastoralism, in addition, they mined and processed iron. Leading a sedentary and semi-nomadic way of life, the Turks in the Central Asian interfluve in the VI century formed Turkestan. Existing in Central Asia from 552 to 745, the Turkic Khaganate in 603 was divided into two independent Khaganates, one of which included modern Kazakhstan and the lands of East Turkestan, and the other was the territory that included present-day Mongolia, Northern China and Southern Siberia.

The first, Western, Khaganate ceased to exist half a century later, conquered by the Eastern Turks. The leader of the Turgeshes, Uchelik, founded a new state of the Türks - the Turgesh Khaganate.

Subsequently, the Bulgars, Kyiv princes Svyatoslav and Yaroslav were engaged in the combat "formatting" of the Turkic ethnos. The Pechenegs, who devastated the southern Russian steppes with fire and sword, were replaced by the Polovtsy, they were defeated by the Mongol-Tatars ... Partly the Golden Horde (Mongol Empire) was a Turkic state, which later disintegrated into autonomous khanates.

There were many other significant events in the history of the Turks, among which the most significant is the formation of the Ottoman Empire, which was facilitated by the conquests of the Ottoman Turks, who seized the lands of Europe, Asia and Africa in the 13th-16th centuries. After the decline of the Ottoman Empire, which began in the 17th century, Peter's Russia swallowed up most of the former Golden Horde lands with Turkic states. Already in the 19th century, East Transcaucasian khanates joined Russia. After Central Asia, the Kazakh and Kokand khanates, together with the Emirate of Bukhara, became part of Russia, the Mikin and Khiva khanates, together with the Ottoman Empire, were the only conglomerate of Turkic states.