Turkic-speaking peoples. History of the Turkic peoples All Turkic tribes

Inner Asia and Southern Siberia are the small homeland of the Turks, this is that territorial “patch” that over time has grown into a thousand-kilometer territory on a global scale. The geographical formation of the area of ​​the Turkic peoples occurred, in fact, over the course of two millennia. The proto-Turks lived trapped in the Volga back in the 3rd – 2nd millennium BC, they constantly migrated. The 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 cattle breeding; in addition, they mined and processed iron. Leading a sedentary and semi-nomadic lifestyle, the Turks in the Central Asian interfluve formed Turkestan in the 6th century. The Turkic Khaganate, which existed in Central Asia from 552 to 745, was divided in 603 into two independent Khaganates, one of which included modern Kazakhstan and the lands of East Turkestan, and the other comprised the territory that included present-day Mongolia, Northern China and Southern Siberia.

The first, western, kaganate ceased to exist half a century later, conquered by the eastern Turks. The Turgesh leader Uchelik founded a new state of the Turks - the Turgesh Kaganate.

Subsequently, the Bulgars and the Kyiv princes Svyatoslav and Yaroslav were engaged in the military “formatting” of the Turkic ethnic group. The Pechenegs, who devastated the southern Russian steppes with fire and sword, were replaced by the Polovtsians, they were defeated by the Mongol-Tatars... In part, the Golden Horde (Mongol Empire) was a Turkic state, which later disintegrated into autonomous khanates.

There were numerous 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 captured 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 absorbed most of the former Golden Horde lands with Turkic states. Already in the 19th century, the Eastern Transcaucasian khanates joined Russia. After Central Asia, the Kazakh and Kokand khanates, together with the Bukhara Emirate, became part of Russia, the Mikin and Khiva khanates, together with the Ottoman Empire, constituted the only conglomerate of Turkic states.

In the old days there was no faster or more convenient means of transportation horse . They transported goods on horseback, hunted, fought; They rode on horseback to make a match and brought the bride to the house. We couldn't imagine farming without a horse. A tasty and healing drink, kumiss, was (and is) obtained from mare's milk, strong ropes were made from the hair of the mane, soles for shoes were made from the skin, and boxes and buckles were made from the horny covering of the hooves. In a horse, especially in a racer, its quality 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, be they Turkic or Mongolian, know, love and breed this animal on their farm. Perhaps their ancestors were not the first to domesticate the horse, but, perhaps, there are no peoples on earth in whose history the horse would have played such a large role. Thanks to light cavalry, the ancient Turks and Mongols settled over a vast territory - 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 Turkic languages ; of which more 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), Khakassians (The Republic of Khakassia), Yakuts (The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)); among Karachais with Circassians and Balkars with Kabardians - common republics (Karachay-Cherkess and Kabardino-Balkarian).

The remaining Turkic peoples are scattered throughout Russia, its European and Asian territories 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 on their ancestral land, in Crimea and Transcaucasia, but in Russia.

The largest Turkic people in 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 easternmost Turks of Russia - Yakuts(their self-name is Sakha), and they live in the northeast of Siberia. A most western - Karachais, 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 2nd century. and ending 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. Scientists suggest that in ancient times they were dialects of the same language. Over time, the intimacy was lost. The Turks settled over a very large area, stopped communicating with each other, they had new neighbors, and their languages ​​could not but influence the Turkic ones. All Turks understand each other, but, say, Altaians with Tuvans and Khakass, Nogais with Balkars and Karachais, Tatars with Bashkirs and Kumyks can easily agree with each other. And only the Chuvash language stands apart in the Turkic family of languages.

Representatives of the Turkic peoples of Russia vary greatly in appearance . In the east This North Asian and Central Asian Mongoloids -Yakuts, Tuvinians, Altaians, Khakassians, Shors.In the West, typical Caucasians -Karachais, Balkars. And finally, the intermediate type includes in general Caucasian , But with a strong admixture of Mongoloid features Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Kumyks, Nogais.

What's the matter? The kinship of the Turks is more likely linguistic than genetic. Turkic languages They are easy to pronounce, their grammar is very logical, there are almost no exceptions. In ancient times, nomadic Turks spread across 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 activities.

Traditional types of farming The activities that the Turkic peoples of Russia practiced in the past, and in some places continue to practice now, are also diverse. Almost everything was grown grains and vegetables. Many raised livestock: horses, sheep, cows. Excellent cattle breeders have been for a long time Tatars, Bashkirs, Tuvans, Yakuts, Altaians, Balkars. However deer were bred and few still breed. 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, Karachais, Nogais, Balkars, Kumyks - Muslims ; Tuvans - Buddhists . Altaians, Shors, Yakuts, Chulyms, although they were adopted in the 17th-18th centuries. Christianity , have always remained hidden fans of shamanism . Chuvash from the middle of the 18th century. were 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 home, the ancestor spirits, without, however, abandoning Orthodoxy .

WHO ARE YOU, T A T A R S?

Tatars - the most numerous Turkic people in Russia. They live in Republic of Tatarstan, as well as in Bashkortostan, Udmurt Republic and surrounding areas Urals and Volga region. There are large Tatar communities in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities. And in general, in all regions of Russia you can meet Tatars who have been living outside their homeland, the Volga region, for decades. They have settled down in a new place, fit into their new environment, feel great there and don’t want to leave.

There are several peoples in Russia who call themselves Tatars . Astrakhan Tatars live near Astrakhan, Siberian- V Western Siberia, Kasimov Tatars - near the city of Kasimov on the Ok River 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. These are all different, although close to each other, peoples. However it’s just that only Kazan people should be called Tatars .

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

The Tatars themselves began to call themselves that 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 called differently: " Bulgarly" (Bulgars), "Kazanly" (Kazan), "Meselman" (Muslims). And now many are demanding the return of the name “Bulgar”.

Turks came to the regions of the Middle Volga and Kama region from the steppes of Central Asia and the North Caucasus, pressed by tribes that were moving from Asia to Europe. The resettlement continued for several centuries. At the end of the 9th-10th centuries. A prosperous state, Volga Bulgaria, arose in the Middle Volga. The people who lived in this state were called Bulgars. Volga Bulgaria existed for two and a half centuries. Agriculture and cattle breeding, crafts developed here, and trade took place 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: Arabic was used by the entire Muslim East, with which Bulgaria had close political and economic contacts.

The names of remarkable poets, philosophers, and 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) - scientist and theologian, expert on the moral precepts of Islam; WITH Ulaiman ibn Daoud al-Saksini-Suvari (XII century) - author of philosophical treatises with very poetic titles: “The light of rays - the truthfulness of secrets”, “A flower of the garden that delights 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-Mongol period.

In the middle of the 13th century. Volga Bulgaria was conquered by the Tatar-Mongols and became part of the Golden Horde . After the fall of the Horde in XV century . a new state emerges in the Middle Volga region - Khanate of Kazan . 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 on this matter. According to most widespread, one of the Central Asian tribes conquered by the Mongols was called " Tatan", "tatabi". In Rus', this word turned into “Tatars”, and everyone began to be called by it: both the Mongols and the Turkic population of the Golden Horde, subject to the Mongols, which was far from being monoethnic in composition. With the collapse of the Horde, the word “Tatars” did not disappear; they continued to collectively refer to the Turkic-speaking peoples on the southern and eastern borders of Rus'. Over time, its meaning narrowed to the name of one people living 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.

The Tatars succeeded in various types of economic activities. They were wonderful farmers (they grew rye, barley, millet, peas, lentils) and excellent cattle breeders . Of all types of livestock, special preference was given to sheep and horses.

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

TATAR NATIONAL CUISINE

In Tatar cuisine One can distinguish between “agricultural” dishes and “pastoral” dishes. The first include soups with pieces of dough, porridges, pancakes, flatbreads , i.e., something that can be prepared from grain and flour. To the second - dried horse meat sausage, sour cream, different types of cheese , a special type of sour milk - katyk . And if katyk is diluted with water and cooled, you will get a wonderful thirst-quenching drink - ayran . well and whites - 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 was considered among the Tatars smoked goose .

Already at the beginning of the 10th 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 were not in vain. Among the Kazan Tatars, compared to other Turkic peoples of Russia, there are many writers, poets, composers, and artists. Often it was the Tatars who were mullahs and teachers of other Turkic peoples. The Tatars have a highly developed sense of national identity, pride in their history and culture.

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

VISITING K H A K A S A M

In Southern Siberia on the banks of the Yenisei River another Turkic-speaking people lives - Khakassians . There are only 79 thousand of them. Khakassians - descendants of the Yenisei Kyrgyz who lived more than a thousand years ago in the same territory. The neighbors, the Chinese, called the Kyrgyz " hyagas"; from this word came the name of the people - Khakass. By appearance Khakassians can be classified as Mongoloid race, however, a strong Caucasian admixture is also noticeable in them, manifested in lighter skin than other Mongoloids and lighter, sometimes almost red, hair color.

Khakassians live in Minusinsk basin, sandwiched between the Sayan and Abakan ranges. They consider themselves mountain people , although the majority live in the flat, steppe part of Khakassia. The archaeological monuments of this basin - and there are more than 30 thousand of them - indicate that people lived on Khakass land 40-30 thousand years ago. From the drawings on rocks and stones you 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 Khakassians{2 ) are direct descendants of the ancient inhabitants of these places, but the ancient and modern populations of the Minusinsk Basin still have some common features.

Khakass - pastoralists . They call themselves " three-herd people", because three types of livestock are raised: 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 bai. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. Khakassians led a nomadic lifestyle. Cattle were grazed all year round. When horses, sheep, and cows ate all the grass around the house, the owners collected their property, loaded it onto the horses, and, together with their herd, set off to a new place. Having found a good pasture, they set up a yurt there and lived until the cattle ate the grass again. And so on up to four times a year.

Bread they also sowed - and learned this long ago. An interesting folk method is how they determined the readiness of the land for sowing. The owner plowed a small area and, exposing 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 his body did not freeze, it means that the earth has warmed up and it is possible to sow grain. However, other peoples also used this method. While they were working in the arable land, they did not wash their faces so as not to wash away their happiness. And when sowing was over, they made an alcoholic drink from the remains of last year’s grain and sprinkled it on the sown land. This interesting Khakass ritual was called “Uren Khurty,” which means “to kill an earthworm.” It was performed in order to appease the spirit - the owner of the land, so that he would not “allow” various kinds of pests to destroy the future harvest.

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

Until the middle of the 19th century. Khakassians 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 individual poles, not forgetting about the top 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 will be very warm in any frost.

Like all cattle breeders, the Khakassians love meat and dairy products . With the onset of winter cold, cattle were slaughtered for meat - not all of them, of course, but as much as was needed to last until the beginning of summer, until the first milk of the cows that came 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 would run out of livestock and there would be no happiness. On the day of slaughtering, a holiday was held and all neighbors were invited. Adults and children are very loved pressed milk foam mixed with flour, bird cherry or lingonberries .

Khakass families always had many children. There is a proverb: “He who raises cattle has a full stomach, but he who raises children has a full soul”; If a woman gave birth to and raised nine children - and the number nine had a special meaning in the mythology of many Central Asian peoples - she was allowed to ride a “sanctified” horse. The horse over which the shaman performed a special ritual was considered sacred; after him, according to the beliefs of the Khakass, the horse was protected from trouble and protected the entire herd. Not every man was allowed to even just touch such an animal.

In general, the Khakass many interesting customs . For example, a person who managed to catch the sacred flamingo bird 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 bride price - the bride price that the groom had to pay to her family.

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

THROAT SINGING OF THE KHAKASSES

Khakassians own the art of throat singing . It's called " hi ". The singer does not utter words, but in the low and high sounds flying out of his throat, one can hear either the sounds of an orchestra, or the rhythmic clatter of a horse's hooves, or the hoarse groans of a dying animal. Undoubtedly, this unusual form of art was born in nomadic conditions, and its origins need to look in ancient times. It is curious that throat singing is familiar only to Turkic-speaking peoples - Tuvinians, Khakassians, Bashkirs, Yakuts - as well as to a small extent to the Buryats and Western Mongols, in whom there is a strong admixture of Turkic blood. It is unknown to other peoples. And this is one of the mysteries of nature and history that has not yet been revealed by scientists. Only men can speak throat singing . You can learn it by training hard from childhood, and since not everyone has enough patience, only a few achieve success.

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

ON THE CHULYM RIVER UCHULYMTSEV

On the border of the Tomsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the Chulym River basin, lives the smallest Turkic people - 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 nations living next to large ones usually merge with the latter, perceive their culture, language and identity. Closest The neighbors of the Chulyms were Siberian Tatars, Khakassians, 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 Khakasses, and still others - with the Russians. Those who still continue to call themselves Chulyms, They have almost lost their native language.

Chulym people - fishermen and hunters . At the same time, they 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 or without salt, pounded with wild roots, spit-fried, caviar puree. Sometimes the fish was cooked by placing a spit at an angle to the fire so that the fat would drain out and it would dry out a little, after which it would be dried in an oven or in special covered 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, they set snares for squirrels. Elk meat and game are indispensable in the food of the Chulym people. Sable, fox and wolf were hunted for fur skins: Russian merchants paid well for them. They ate the bear's meat themselves, and most often sold the skin to buy guns and ammunition, salt and sugar, knives and clothing.

Still Chulyms are engaged in such an ancient activity as gathering: They collect wild herbs, garlic and onions, wild dill in the taiga, in the floodplains of the river, along the banks of lakes, dry them or pickle them, and add them to food in the fall, winter and spring. These are the only vitamins available to them. In the fall, like many other peoples of Siberia, Chulym people go out with their entire families to collect pine nuts.

The Chulym people knew how make cloth from nettles . Nettles were collected, tied into sheaves, dried in the sun, then kneaded with hands and pounded in a wooden mortar. The children did all this. And the yarn itself was made from prepared nettles by adult women.

Using the example of the Tatars, Khakass and Chulyms, you can see how Turkic peoples of Russia differ- by appearance, type of economy, spiritual culture. Tatars most similar in appearance on Europeans, Khakassians and Chulyms - typical Mongoloids with only a slight admixture of Caucasian features.Tatars - settled farmers and herders , Khakassians -in the recent past, pastoral nomads , Chulyms - fishermen, hunters, gatherers .Tatars - Muslims , Khakassians and Chulyms accepted once Christianity , and now return to ancient shamanic cults. So the Turkic world is both united and diverse.

CLOSE RELATIVES OF BURYATY AND KALMYKI

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

The Buryats emerged as a single people by the middle of the 17th century. from tribes that lived in the lands around Lake Baikal more than a thousand years ago. In the second half of the 17th 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 13th century. they were united under the rule of Genghis Khan and, together with other peoples, formed the huge Mongol Empire. As part of Genghis Khan's army, they took part in his campaigns of conquest, including those against Rus'.

After the collapse of the empire (late 14th - early 15th centuries), 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, to the steppes of the Lower Volga region. The word "Kalmyk" comes from the word " halmg", which means "remnant". This is what those who, without accepting Islam, came from Dzungaria{3 ) to Russia, in contrast to those who continued to call themselves Oirats. And already from 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 nomadic 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 some of the princes dissatisfied with the policies of Russia, along 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 collaborating with the Germans during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. Both events left a heavy mark on the memory and soul of the people.

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

Buryats and Kalmyks are also among such peoples. And although they have a lot Buddhist temples (until the 20s of the 20th century, the Buryats had 48 of them, the Kalmyks - 104; now the Buryats have 28 temples, the Kalmyks - 14), however, they celebrate traditional pre-Buddhist holidays with special solemnity. Among the Buryats this is Sagaalgan (White Moon) is a New Year holiday that occurs on the first new moon of spring. 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, not the solar one. This calendar is called the 12-year animal cycle, because each year in it is named after an animal (year of the Tiger, year of the Dragon, year of the Hare, etc.) and the “named” year is repeated after 12 years. In 1998, for example, the year of the tiger began on February 27th.

When Sagaalgan comes, you are supposed to eat a lot of white, that is, dairy, food - cottage cheese, butter, cheese, foam, drink milk vodka and kumiss. That is why the holiday is called "White Month". Everything white in the culture of Mongol-speaking peoples was considered sacred and was directly related to holidays and ceremonial rituals: white felt on which the newly elected khan was raised, a bowl with fresh, freshly milked milk, which was presented to the guest of honor. The winning horse at the races 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 “Tsagan Sar”) is considered a holiday of the onset of spring and was in no way connected with the New Year.

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 racing and national wrestling are organized. An important point of the holiday is sacrifices to the spirits of the earth, water and mountains. If the spirits were appeased, the Buryats believed, they would send good weather and abundant grass to pastures, which meant that the livestock would be fat and well-fed, and people would be well-fed and happy with life.

Kalmyks have two holidays of similar significance in the 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 timely sacrifice to the spirit of water in order to achieve its favor. At the end of autumn, each family performed a ritual of sacrifice to fire - Gal Tyaklgn . The 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, and tent. A ram was sacrificed and its meat was burned in the fire of the hearth.

Buryats and Kalmyks are extremely respectful and even tender towards horses. 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 his favorite ones names and nicknames. Heroes of all heroic tales (epic Buryat - "Geser ", Kalmyks - "Jangar ") had a favorite horse, which they called by name. He was not just a riding animal, but a friend and comrade in trouble, in joy, in a military campaign. The horse-friend in legends saved the owner in difficult times, carried him away, seriously wounded, with battlefield, extracted "living water" to bring him 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 was born in the herd, the parents gave him to the son for complete disposal. They grew up together, the boy fed, watered and walked his friend. The foal learned to be a horse, and the boy - a rider. This is how future race winners, dashing riders grew up. Short, hardy, with long manes, Central Asian horses grazed in the steppe all year round. They were not afraid neither colds nor wolves, fighting off predators with strong and precise blows of their hooves.The excellent war cavalry more than once put the enemy to flight and aroused amazement and respect in both Asia and 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 unique 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-Kalmyik - "gurvn"). People believed that there were 99 such “triples”; in reality there are probably many more. Young people loved to organize competitions to see who knew them more and better. Here are some of them.

Three of what's fast?
What's fastest in the world? Horse legs.
An arrow, since it is deftly shot.
And thought is fast when it is smart.

Three of what's full?
In the month of May the freedom of the steppes is full.
The child is full because he was fed by his mother.
The old man who raised worthy children is fed up.

Three of those who are rich?
An old man, if he has many daughters and sons, is rich.
The master among masters is rich in skill.
A poor man, at least because he has no debts, is rich.

In tercets, improvisation plays an important role. A participant in the competition can come up with his own “troika” right away. The main thing is that it follows the laws of the genre: first there should be a question, and then a three-part answer. And, of course, meaning, everyday logic and folk wisdom are needed.

{3 )Dzungaria is a historical region in the territory of modern Northwestern China.

TRADITIONAL COSTUME B A SH K I R

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

Traditional men's suit consisted of shirt with a turn-down collar and wide pants . A short one was worn over the shirt sleeveless vest, and going out into the street, a caftan with a stand-up collar or a long, almost straight robe made of dark fabric . Nobles and mullahs went to robes made of colorful Central Asian silk . In cold weather Bashkirs dressed in spacious cloth robes, sheepskin coats or sheepskin coats .

Skullcaps were the everyday headdress of men , in the elderly- made of dark velvet, in young people- bright, embroidered with colored threads. Worn over skull caps in cold weather felt hats or fabric-covered fur hats . In the steppes, during snowstorms, warm fur malachai, which covered the back of the head and ears, saved people.

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

Woman suit included dress, bloomers and sleeveless jacket . The dresses were cut-off, with a wide skirt, and were decorated with ribbons and braid. It was supposed to be worn over the dress short fitted sleeveless vests trimmed with braid, coins and plaques . Apron , which initially served as work clothing, later became part of a festive costume.

There was a variety of hats. Women of all ages covered their heads with a scarf and tied it under their chin. . Some young Bashkir women under scarves wore small velvet caps embroidered with beads, pearls, and corals , A elderly- quilted cotton caps. Sometimes married Bashkir women worn over a scarf tall fur hats .

PEOPLE OF THE SUN'S RAYS (YA K U T YS)

The people, who in Russia are called Yakuts, call themselves “Sakha”" , and in myths and legends it is very poetic - “people of the sun’s rays with the 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, raise large and small cattle and horses. Kumis from mare's milk and smoked horse meat - favorite foods in summer and winter, on weekdays and holidays. Besides, the Yakuts are excellent fishermen and hunters . Fish is caught mainly with nets, which are now bought in stores, but 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 production there is one known only to the Yakuts - hunting with a bull. The hunter sneaks up on the prey, hiding behind the bull, and shoots the animal.

Before meeting the Russians, the Yakuts almost did not know agriculture, did not sow grain, did not grow vegetables, but they gathering in the taiga : wild onions, edible herbs and the so-called pine sapwood - a layer of wood located directly under the bark - were harvested. It was dried, pounded, turned 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 available, they ate it just like that. This dish is a thing of the distant past; now its description can only be found in books.

The Yakuts live in a country of taiga trails and deep 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 the remote areas of the republic the same way as in the old days.

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

The main holiday of the Yakuts is Ysyakh . It is celebrated at the end of June, during the summer solstice. This is the New Year holiday, the holiday of the Revival of nature and the Birth of man - not of any specific person, but of man in general. On this day, sacrifices are made to the gods and spirits, expecting their protection in all upcoming matters.

ROAD RULES (YAKUT VARIANT)

Are you getting ready to go on the road? Be careful! Even if the path ahead of you is not very long and difficult, road rules must be followed. And every nation has its own.

The Yakuts had a rather long set of rules for “leaving home” , and everyone who wanted his journey to be successful and to return safely tried to follow it. Before leaving, they sat in a place of honor in the house, turning their faces to the fire, and threw firewood into the stove - feeding the fire. You were not supposed to tie laces on your hat, mittens, or clothes. On the day of departure, the family did not shovel the ashes in the stove. According to Yakut beliefs, ashes are a symbol of wealth and happiness. There is a lot of ashes in the house - it means the family is rich, and a little - it means the family is poor. If you remove the ashes on the day of departure, the departing person will have no luck in business and will return with nothing. A girl getting married should not look back when leaving her parents' house, otherwise her happiness will remain in their home.

To ensure that everything was in order, sacrifices were made to the “owner” of the road at crossroads, mountain passes, and watersheds: they hung tufts of horse hair, scraps of cloth torn from a dress, left copper coins, and buttons.

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

According to Yakut beliefs, objects thrown or found on the road acquired special magical powers - 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 horsehair rope, on the contrary, was a “lucky” find, and was taken with them.

An ethno-linguistic group speaking Turkic languages. This population group is considered one of the ancients, and its classification is the most complex and still causes controversy among historians. But nevertheless, 164 million people today speak the Turkic language. The most ancient people of the Turkic group are the Kirghiz, their language has remained unchanged to this day. And the first information about the appearance of Turkic-speaking tribes dates back to the first millennium BC.

Current number

The largest number of modern Turks is. According to statistics, this is 43% of all Turkic-speaking peoples or 70 million people. Next come 15% or 25 million people. Slightly fewer Uzbeks - 23.5 million (14%), after - - 12 million (7%), Uyghurs - 10 million (6%), Turkmens - 6 million (4%), - 5.5 million (3%) , - 3.5 million (2%). The following nationalities make up 1%: , Qashqais and - on average 1.5 million. Others are less than 1%: Karakalpaks (700 thousand), Afshars (600 thousand), Yakuts (480 thousand), Kumyks (400 thousand), Karachais (350 thousand ), (300 thousand), Gagauz (180 thousand), Balkars (115 thousand), Nogais (110 thousand), Khakass (75 thousand), Altaians (70 thousand). Most Turks are Muslims.

Origin of peoples

The first settlement of the Turks was in Northern China, in the steppe zones. They were engaged in land science and cattle breeding. Over time, the tribes settled and reached Eurasia. The ancient Turkic peoples were:

• Huns;
• Turkuts;
• Karluks;
• Khazars;
• Pechenegs;
• Bulgars;
• Cumans;
• Oghuz Turks.

Very often in historical chronicles the Turks are called Scythians. There are many legends about the origin of the first tribes, which also exist in several versions.

Language group

There are 2 main groups: eastern and western. Each of them has a branch:

• Eastern:
  • Kyrgyz-Kypchak (Kyrgyz, Altaians);
  • Uyghur (Saryg-Uighurs, Todzhins, Altaians, Khakassians, Dolgans, Tofalars, Shors, Tuvinians, Yakuts).
• Western:
  • Bulgarian (Chuvash);
  • Kipchak (Kypchak-Bulgar: Tatars, Bashkirs; Kipchak-Polovtsian: Crimeans, Krymchaks, Balkars, Kumyks, Karaites, Karachais; Kipchak-Nogais: Kazakhs, Nogais, Karakalpaks);
  • Karlukskaya (Ili Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Uyghurs);
  • Oguz (Oguz-Bulgar: Balkan Turks, Gagauz; Oguz-Seljuk: Turks, Azerbaijanis, Capriot Turks, Turkomans, Qashqais, Urums, Syrian Turks, Crimeans; Oguz-Turkmen peoples: Trukhmens, Qajars, Gudars, Teymurtashs, Turkmens, Afshars , salars, karapapakhi).

The Chuvash speak the Chuvash language. Dialectics among the Yakuts in Yakut and Dolgan. The Kipchak peoples are located in Russia and Siberia, so Russian becomes the native language here, although some peoples retain their culture and language. Representatives of the Karluk group speak Uzbek and Uyghur languages. The Tatars, Kyrgyz and Kazakhs achieved independence for their territory and also preserved their traditions. But Oguzes tend to speak Turkmen, Turkish, and Salar.

Characteristics of peoples

Many nationalities, although they live on the territory of Russia, retain their language, culture and customs. Vivid examples of the Turkic people who are partially or completely dependent on other countries:

• Yakuts. Often the indigenous people call themselves Sakhas, and their Republic is called Sakha. This is the easternmost Turkic population. The language was acquired a little from the Asians.
• Tuvans. This nationality is found in the east, closer to the border with China. Home Republic – Tuva.
• Altaians. They preserve their history and culture the most. They inhabit the Altai Republic.
• Khakassians. Approximately 52 thousand people live in the Republic of Khakassia. Some of them moved to the Krasnoyarsk Territory or Tula.
• Tofalars. According to statistics, this nationality is on the verge of extinction. Found only in the Irkutsk region.
• Shors. Today there are 10 thousand people who have taken refuge in the southern part of the Kemerovo region.
• Siberian Tatars. They speak Tatar, but live in Russia: Omsk, Tyumen and Novosibirsk regions.
• Dolgans. These are bright representatives living in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Today the nationality consists of 7.5 thousand people.

Other peoples, and there are six such countries, have achieved their own nationality and now these are prosperous countries with a history of Turkic settlement:

• Kyrgyz. This is the oldest settlement of Turkic origin. Even though the territory was vulnerable for a long time, they managed to preserve their way of life and culture. They lived mainly in the steppe zone, where few people settled. But they are very hospitable and generously greet and see off guests who come to their home.
• Kazakhs. This is the most common group of Turkic representatives. They are a very proud, but at the same time strong-willed people. Children are raised strictly, but they are ready to protect their neighbors from bad things.
• Turks. A peculiar people, they are patient and unpretentious, but very insidious and vindictive. Non-Muslims do not exist for them.

All representatives of Turkic origin have one thing in common - history and common origin. Many managed to carry their traditions through the years and even despite other problems. Other representatives are on the verge of extinction. But even this does not prevent you from getting to know their culture.

About the Turks.

About modern Turks, the same Wikipedia says something very vague: “Turks are an ethno-linguistic community of peoples speaking Turkic languages.” But she is much eloquent about the “ancient” Turks: “The ancient Turks are the hegemonic tribe of the Turkic Kaganate, led by the Ashina clan. In Russian-language historiography, the term Turkyuts (from Turkic - Turk and Mongolian - Yut - Mongolian plural suffix), proposed by L.N. Gumilyov, is often used to designate them. By physical type, the ancient Türks (Türkuts) were Mongoloids.”

Well, okay, let them be Mongoloids, but what about the Azerbaijanis and Turks - a typical “Mediterranean” subrace. What about the Uyghurs? Even today, a considerable part of them can be attributed to the Central European subrace. If anyone doesn’t understand, all three peoples, according to today’s terminology, are Turks.

The picture below shows Chinese Uyghurs. If the girl on the left already clearly has Asian features in her appearance, then you can judge the appearance of the second one for yourself. (photo from uyghurtoday.com) Look at the correct facial features. Today, even among Russians, you don’t often see something like this.

Especially for skeptics! There is no one who has not heard anything about the Tarim mummies. So, the place where the mummies were found is the Xinjiang Uyghur National District of China - and in the photo are their direct descendants.

Small addition!

You must understand that haplogroup C is not purely Mongolian - it is one of the oldest and most widespread haplogroups, it is even found among the Amazon Indians. C today reaches high concentrations not only in Mongolia, but also among the Buryats, Kalmyks, Hazaras, Kazakh-Argyns, Australian aborigines, Polynesians, and Micronesians. The Mongols are just a special case.

If we talk about paleogenetics, the range is even wider - Russia (Kostenki, Sungir, Andronovo culture), Austria, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, China.

Let me explain for those who believe that haplogroup and nationality are one and the same. Y-DNA does not carry any genetic information. Hence the sometimes perplexed questions - I, a Russian, what do I have in common with a Tajik? Nothing but common ancestors. All genetic information (eye color, hair, etc.) is located in autosomes - the first 22 pairs of chromosomes. Haplogroups are just markers by which one can judge a person’s ancestors.

In the 6th century, intensive negotiations began between Byzantium and the state today known as the Turkic Khaganate. History has not even preserved the name of this country for us. The question is, why? After all, the names of more ancient state formations have reached us.

Kaganate just meant a form of government (the state was ruled by a khaan elected by the people, kaan in another transcription), and not the name of the country. Today, instead of the word “America,” we do not use the word “Democracy.” Although such a name suits no one but her (just kidding). The term “state” in relation to the Turks is more appropriate “Il” or “El”, but not the Kaganate.

The reason for the negotiations was silk, or rather its trade. Residents of Sogdiana (between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers) decided to sell their silk in Persia. I didn’t make a mistake when I wrote “my own”. There is evidence that in the Zarafshan Valley (the territory of present-day Uzbekistan), at that time, they already knew how to both raise silkworms and produce fabric from it no worse than Chinese, but this is a topic for another article.

And it is not at all a fact that the birthplace of silk is China and not Sogdiana. Chinese history, as we know it, was 70% written by the Jesuits in the 17th-18th centuries*, the remaining thirty were “added” by the Chinese themselves. “Editing” was especially intense during the time of Mao Zedong, he was still an entertainer. He even has monkeys, from which the Chinese descended. were their own, special.

*Note. Just a small part of what the Jesuits did: Adam Schall von Belle took part in the creation of the Chongzhen calendar. Later he served as director of the Imperial Observatory and the Tribunal of Mathematics, and was actually involved in Chinese chronology. Martino Martini is known as the author of works on Chinese history and the compiler of the New Atlas of China. An indispensable participant in all Chinese-Russian negotiations during the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689 was the Jesuit Parreni. The result of Gerbillon's activities was the so-called imperial edict of toleration of 1692, which allowed the Chinese to accept Christianity. Emperor Qianlong's scientific mentor was Jean-Joseph-Marie Amiot. Jesuits led by Regis in the 18th century participated in the compilation of a large map of the Chinese Empire, published in 1719. In the 17th and 18th centuries, missionaries translated 67 European books into Chinese and published them in Beijing. They introduced the Chinese to European musical notation, European military science, the construction of mechanical watches and the technology of manufacturing modern firearms.

The Great Silk Road was controlled by the Venetians and Genoese, the same “black aristocracy” (Italian aristocrazìa nera *) - Aldobrandini, Borgia, Boncompagni, Borghese, Barberini, Della Rovere (Lante), Crescentia, Colonna, Caetani, Chigi, Ludovisi, Massimo, Ruspoli, Rospigliosi, Orsini, Odescalchi, Pallavicino, Piccolomini, Pamphili, Pignatelli, Pacelli, Pignatelli, Pacelli, Torlonia, Theophylacti. And don't let the Italian surnames fool you. Taking the names of the people among whom you live is a long-standing tradition of initiates**. This aristocrazìa nera actually rules the Vatican and, accordingly, the entire Western world, and it was on their orders that later Jewish merchants took all the gold out of Byzantium, as a result of which the country's economy collapsed and the empire fell, conquered by the Turks***.

Notes

*It is the members of the aristocrazìa nera who are the true “masters of the world”, and not some Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Kuhns. From Egypt, foreseeing its imminent fall, they move to England. There, quickly realizing what “good things” the teachings of the crucified man bring with them, most of them move to the Vatican. My dears, read the Masonic literature of the 18th-19th centuries, everything is very frank there - today they are “encrypted”.

** The Jews simply adopted this, and much more, from the arsenal of their masters.

*** If anyone doesn’t know, almost the entire gold reserve was also taken out of the USSR before its end.

It is worth adding here that the Hephthalite tribes, also called the White Huns, Chionite Huns, and to whom Central Asia (Sogdiana, Bactria), Afghanistan and northern India (Gandhara) belonged, were completely conquered by the Ashina Turks by that time (Bactria passed to the Persians). The question arose - Persia does not want to buy Turkic silk - we will trade with Byzantium, there is no less demand for it there.

Silk meant the same thing to the world economy at that time as oil does today. One can imagine what kind of pressure was put on Persia in order to force it to abandon trade with the Turks. In general, a separate article is worth writing about the secret diplomacy of that time, but today we are interested in the negotiations, or rather the journey of Zimarch, sent by Emperor Justin as an ambassador to the Turks in Altai.

Information about the embassy has reached us in the works of several authors; I will use the description of Menander the Protector. This will allow us to get closer to the answer - who the Turks really were - Mongoloids or Caucasians: “From the Turks, who in ancient times were called Saks, an embassy came to Justin for peace. Basileus also decided at the council to send an embassy to the Turks, and a certain Zemarkh from Cilicia, who at that time was the strategist of the eastern cities, ordered to equip himself for this embassy.”

How confident do you have to be that “people are grabbing everything” presented to them on a platter called “official history” in order to lie about the Mongoloid nature of the Turks? Let's look at the same Wikipedia: “Saki (ancient Persian Sakā, ancient Greek Σάκαι, lat. Sacae) is the collective name of a group of Iranian-speaking nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes of the 1st millennium BC. e. - first centuries AD e. in ancient sources. The name goes back to the Scythian word saka - deer (cf. Ossetian sag "deer). Both ancient authors and modern researchers consider the Sakas, along with the Massagetae, to be the eastern branches of the Scythian peoples. Initially, the Sakas are apparently identical to the Avestan Turs; in Pahlavi sources under "Turkic tribes are already understood as Turs. In Achaemenid inscriptions, all Scythians are called "Sakas."

Few people know about this: the totem animal of the Don and Kuban Cossacks is the white deer. Remember Strabo's parva Scythia, later called Little Tartaria by cartographers.

I return again to the theme of bell ringing. This passage describes the purification ritual carried out by the Turks for Zemarkh: “They dried them (the embassy’s things) on the fire from the young sprouts of the incense tree, whispering some barbaric words in the Scythian language, ringing bells and beating tambourines...” You continue believe that the use of bell ringing is the prerogative of the Christian religion - then we are coming to you... (Pardon! I apologize for the tomfoolery... I couldn’t resist...)

Now about the technological level of the Turks: “The next day they were invited to another room, where there were wooden columns covered with gold, as well as a golden bed, which was held by four golden peacocks. In the middle of the room were placed many carts, in which there were many silver things, disks and something made of reeds. Also numerous images of quadrupeds made of silver, none of them inferior, in our opinion, to those that we have.” (emphasis mine)

Especially for those who consider Tartaria to be fake.

A little about the territory of the Turkic state. Professor Christopher Beckwith in his book “Empieres Of The Silk Road” notes that Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Urartu, from the 7th to the beginning of the 6th century BC. submitted to the Turks. In the ruins of the walls of the cities of these countries, bronze arrowheads of the Scythian type are still found today - the result of invasions and sieges. From about 553, it occupied the territory from the Caucasus and the Sea of ​​Azov to the Pacific Ocean, in the area of ​​​​modern Vladivostok, and from the Great Wall of China * to the Vitim River in the north. Klapro argued that all of Central Asia was subject to the Turks. (Klaproth, “Tableaux historiques de L'Asie”, 1826)

One should not assume that this was something unshakable, the Turks, just like other peoples, quarreled among themselves, fought, dispersed in different directions, were conquered, but again and again, like the legendary Phoenix bird, they rose from the ashes - Russia for that a good example.

*Note. Do not confuse the real wall with the “remake” shown to tourists today: “... the magnificent and almost perfect structure that modern travelers see at a distance of almost fifty kilometers from the capital has little in common with the ancient Great Wall, built two thousand years ago. Most of the ancient wall is now in a dilapidated state" (Edward Parker, "Tatars. History")

Istarkhi called all fair-haired Turks Sakaliba. Constantine Porphyrogenitus and a number of eastern authors called the Hungarians Turks. In all early Arabic geographical works, the description of the peoples of Eastern Europe was located in the chapter “Turks”. The geographical school of al-Jahain, starting from Ibn Ruste and up to al-Marwazi, classified the Guz (Uighurs), Kirghiz, Karluks, Kimaks, Pechenegs, Khazars, Burtas, Bulgars, Magyars, Slavs, Russ as Turks.

By the way, the Turks of Ashina are considered by the Chinese to be “a branch of the house of the Huns.” Well, the Xiongnu (Huns) are 100% Mongols. Don't you know? Ay-yay... If not, contact your comrades from Sanity, they will show you pictures of Mongols, I answer...

And one more addition.

You know, I have always been surprised by the fact that people who do not have something attribute to themselves the possession of it. A typical example is "Sanity". What kind of, not even “sensible”, but simply “thought” can we talk about among “people”, whose brain apparatus is completely devoid of the mental functions themselves - only basic instincts and other people’s “attitudes”. There, I mean the upper part of their body, there is nothing else. Not to mention the presence of mentally ill people in their ranks... But, come on, they are “sane”, period. Jews among them are a separate story, they are on their own minds, in their articles Russophobia is literally everywhere... (Who in the topic, I think, guessed - we are talking about a “free artist” and some other “comrades”).

It was not by chance that I spoke about “other people’s attitudes” - all the reservations and omissions in my articles are not accidental. The private information that we have today allows us to classify a significant part of the members of “Sanity” into the so-called fourth group with a predominance of right-brain instinctive-animal states.

The question of the Turks would remain incomplete without evidence of who the Huns (Xiongnu) are: “In addition, the question of the origin of the Xiongnu is closely related to the question of what race and tribe the famous Huns in the history of Europe belonged to. This is evident from the fact that representatives of all theories consider it necessary to talk about this connection between the two peoples. The question of the origin of the Huns belongs to an area not only completely alien to Sinology, but even, to a certain extent, belonging to the history of Europe. So, if the history of the Xiongnu relates to a large extent to the history of China, and the Huns to the history of Europe, then the question of the relationship of one people to another belongs to the history of Central Asia, as the country through which the Huns moved to the West (if these two peoples are identical) or where the Xiongnu and the Huns collided (if they are different)." (K.A. Foreigners)

I refer everyone who wants to get acquainted with this issue in more detail to the work of the Russian historian-orientalist, doctor of oriental studies K.A. Inostrantsev "The Xiongnu and the Huns, an analysis of theories about the origin of the Xiongnu people of the Chinese chronicles, the origin of the European Huns and the mutual relations of these two peoples." (L., 1926, Second updated edition.) I will only give his conclusions.

“The results of our research boil down to the following three conclusions:

I) The Xiongnu people, who wandered north of China and founded a powerful state, were formed from the strengthened Turkish family. A significant part of the subordinate tribes consisted, in all likelihood, also of Turks, although, both from the founding of the state and especially during its prosperity, it included various other tribes, such as Mongolian, Tungusian, Korean and Tibetan.

II) After the disintegration of the state into two parts (a disintegration caused more by political and cultural reasons than by ethnic differences - the southern Xiongnu were more subject to the influence of Chinese civilization, while the northern ones better preserved their tribal traits), the northern Xiongnu could not maintain independence, and some of them moved to West. According to the historical news that has reached us, these evicted Xiongnu followed the usual path of nomads through Dzungaria and the Kyrgyz steppes and entered Eastern Europe in the second half of the 4th century AD.

III) In Northwest Asia and Eastern Europe, the Xiongnu or Hunnu Turks encountered other tribes. First of all, the Finnish tribes stood in their way (it is now difficult to decide whether the Turks completely dissolved in the Finnish mass or, on the contrary, contributed to the conversion of the Finns into a nomadic, equestrian people). The further the Huns moved, the more the Turkish element among them thinned out, and other peoples, such as Slavic and Germanic, were mixed in. It is very likely that the subjects of Mo-de and Attila had very little in common. However, it seems to us beyond doubt that the invasion of the formidable conquerors of the 4th-5th centuries is connected and caused by upheavals in the extreme eastern reaches of Asia.”

What did these same Xiongnu look like?

Below in the photo are fragments of a carpet (bedspread, mantle) found in one of the Xiongnu burials in Noin-Ula (31 mounds). The ceremony of (presumably) preparing the Soma drink is embroidered on the canvas. Pay attention to the faces.

I can assume that the fabric of the carpet could well have been imported, but why was it embroidered in India? Didn’t you have your own embroiderers? Then what about this?

The teeth belong to a 25-30 year old woman of Caucasian appearance, most likely from the coast of the Caspian Sea or the area between the Indus and Ganges rivers. The assumption that this is a slave does not stand up to criticism - the burial mounds of Noin-Ula, according to the archaeologists themselves, belong to the Xiongnu nobility. The main thing here is that the woman embroidered, and a lot, as evidenced by the marks on her teeth. So why was the found carpet rushed to be declared imported? Because those depicted on it do not fit into the official version, which says that the Xiongnu were Mongoloids?

For me, facts are of paramount importance - new ones appear and my opinion changes. In the official version of history, everything is the other way around - there the facts are adjusted to the prevailing versions, and those that do not fit into the framework are simply discarded.

Let us turn again to Wikipedia: “The Indo-Scythian kingdom is an amorphous state in terms of borders, created in the Hellenistic era on the territory of Bactria, Sogdiana, Arachosia, Gandhara, Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat by the eastern branch of the nomadic Scythian tribe - the Sakas.” Our woman is from there, and this is not my opinion, but that of scientists (Doctor of Historical Sciences T.A. Chikisheva, IAET SB RAS). Now re-read the place above where I talk about the territory of the Turkic state. Having a huge country always means moving not only material resources, but also people. Is it surprising if a woman born in one place ends up married thousands of kilometers from her father’s home?

All the carpets from the Noin-Ula burial mounds were made in one place and at approximately the same time. Their similarity was also pointed out by S.I. Rudenko: “The technique of embroidering drapery-mats is characterized by applying multi-colored threads of weak twist to the fabric and securing them to its surface with very thin threads.” A similar technique of embroidery “in the attachment” has been found in burials since the 1st century. BC e. throughout the territory inhabited by the Turks (Central Russia, Western Siberia, Pamir, Afghanistan). So why was it necessary to declare them imported?

What about the Mongols, you ask?

In fact, the Mongols were conquered by the Turks back in the 6th century, and since then they have been part of the Turkic state? Could Genghis Khan, whom modern historians attribute to the Mongols*, become the head of the Turkic tribes? I do not exclude this possibility, remember Stalin. However, it never occurred to anyone to call Georgia the ruler of Russia. Can we talk about the Mongols as conquerors of the universe? Well... This doesn't even sound like a bad joke...

*Note. Arab sources, the same Rashid ad-Din (Rashid al-Tabib), call Genghis Khan a native of one of the Turkic tribes.

In modern history, the Turks have had the worst luck. Under Soviet rule, almost all references to this people were destroyed (Resolution of the CPSU Central Committee of 1944, which actually prohibited the study of the Golden Horde and the Tatar khanates), and Turkic scholars went together to “logging.” The authorities simply preferred to replace the Turks with Mongols. For what? This is already the topic of another article, and it is closely related to the question of whether Stalin was in fact the sole ruler, or, albeit the main one, but still a member of the Politburo where issues were decided collectively, by a simple majority.

A completely reasonable question: the conquest of Rus' by the Mongols to this day remains the only officially recognized version of history, so all scientists are wrong, am I the only one so smart?

The answer is no less reasonable: scientists simply serve the current government. And the authorities also played tricks that weren’t quite the same - Russia lived through most of the 20th century with the firm confidence that communism, invented by a Jew, a descendant of famous rabbis, was our Russian bright future. I'm not even talking about Christianity. See with what zeal people, having betrayed their own gods, praise strangers. Continue further?

Above I talked about the mystery of the Turks, in fact there is no mystery - the Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns (Xiongnu), Turks, Tatars (Tartars) and about two hundred different names given by others - these are all the same people. As K.A. very wittily noted. Foreigners: “the Xiongnu clan defeated - everyone becomes Xiongnu, the Xian-bi clan defeated - everyone becomes Xian-bi, etc. This results in frequent changes in names in the history of nomadic peoples.”

Unfortunately, there remains one more question that has not received any explanation today: why did the Caucasian population of Altai, Siberia, and Kazakhstan so quickly, within just one and a half thousand years, mutate into Mongoloids? What caused this? The proverbial fly in the ointment (Mongols)? Or some more serious and massive changes in the genetic apparatus caused by external factors?

Let's sum it up.

We can say with confidence that the Turkic state (states) was not mononational; in addition to the Turks themselves, there were a lot of other nationalities, and the national composition varied depending on geography. And the Turks themselves preferred to become related to the local nobility.

Neo-pagans today talk about it - there were “ours” everywhere; The “thinking” ones, in turn, stomp their feet and squeal - there are only Mongols everywhere. Neither one nor the other is wrong, Russia is a perfect example of this - are there many Russians, say, in the north of Yakutia? But it's the same country.

Anthropologists V.P. Alekseev and I.I. Goffman cites the results of studies of two Xiongnu burial grounds (Tebsh-Uul and Naima-Tolgoi): “The paleoanthropological material of the first, located in the south of Central Mongolia, is distinguished by pronounced Mongoloid features, the second - Caucasoid. If, for clarity, we resort to a comparison of the modern population, then we can say that the people who left these monuments differed from each other, just as, say, modern Yakuts and Evenks differed from Georgians and Armenians.” You can compare modern Russians and Chukchi - the situation is similar. And what is the conclusion? Are these residents of different countries? Or are there no “national” cemeteries today?

The Turks themselves were Caucasians, in fact they were Turanian tribes, descendants of the legendary Aryans.

The Turks became the ancestors of not only the Russian people, but almost three dozen others.

Why were the Turks erased from our history? There are many reasons, but the main one is hatred. The confrontation between Russia and the West has much deeper roots than is commonly thought today...

P.S. An inquisitive reader will definitely ask the question:

Why do you need it? Why rewrite history at all? What difference does it make how it actually happened, there is no need to change anything - let it be as it was, as we are all accustomed to it.

Without a doubt, the “ostrich pose” is very comfortable for the majority - I don’t see anything, I don’t hear anything, I don’t know anything... It’s easier for a person who has cut himself off from reality to endure stress - but reality doesn’t change because of it. Psychologists even have the term “hostage effect” (“Stockholm syndrome”), which describes the defensive-unconscious traumatic connection that arises between the victim and the aggressor in the process of capture, abduction and/or use (or threat of use) of violence.

Mr. Khalezov, in one of his articles, noted: “Russia rose from its knees only to rise to the ground.” And while we will all be “Ivans who do not remember kinship,” we will again and again be put in the pose known to everyone from the Kama Sutra.

We are the heirs of the Great Steppe, and not some wanker Byzantium! Awareness of this fact is our only chance to return to its former greatness.

It was the Steppe that helped Muscovy survive the unequal struggle with Lithuania, Poland, Germans, Swedes, Estonians... Read Karamzin and Solovyov - they are much more frank, you just need to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. “... the Novgorodians drove the Muscovites beyond Shelon, but the western Tatar army suddenly attacked them and decided the matter in favor of the grand ducal troops” - this is Solovyov about the battle of June 14, 1470, and this is Karamzin, speaking about the war of 1533 - 1586, describing the composition of the troops Principalities of Moscow: “besides the Russians, the princes of the Circassian, Shevkal, Mordovian, Nogai, princes and Murzas of the ancient Golden Horde, Kazan, Astrakhan went day and night to Ilmen and Peypus.”

And it was the Steppe, call it Tartary or something else, that we betrayed, flattered by the promises of the lofty Western emissaries. So why cry now that we live poorly? Remember: “...And throwing away the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out, went and hanged himself. The high priests, taking the pieces of silver, said: it is not permissible to put them in the church treasury, because this is the price of blood. Having held a meeting, they bought a potter's land with them for the burial of strangers; Therefore, that land is called the “land of blood” to this day.” (Matt., ch. 27)

I would like to end today’s article with the words of Prince Ukhtomsky: “... there is no other outcome for the All-Russian Power: either to become what it has been called from time to time to be (a world power combining the West with the East), or ingloriously go down the path of fall, because Europe is itself In the end, we will be suppressed by our external superiority, and the Asian peoples who have awakened not by us will be even more dangerous than Western foreigners.”

Actually, I considered the article finished, but a friend just re-read it and asked me to add it - literally one or two more minutes of your attention.

People often, both in comments and in private messages, draw attention to the discrepancy between my views and the official version of history, provide links to “leftist” sites like “Anthropogenesis”, and sometimes to the opinions of fairly well-known scientists. My dears, I am familiar with the academic version no worse, and perhaps better than many KONT visitors, so don’t bother yourself.

Once upon a time, not very long ago, people believed that the flat earth rests on three huge whales, which, in turn, swim in the endless ocean, and in general, we are the center of the Universe. I'm not kidding, I'm absolutely serious. I have just very briefly voiced a version of the world order, which quite recently, by historical standards, of course, was taught in the best European universities.

The key word here is “believed.” They didn’t check it, but they believed it. The small group that decided to “check” faced an unenviable fate. Do you think anything has changed since then? No, today they no longer make fires in squares, today they act much smarter, those who think differently are simply declared fools. If the name Giordano Bruno is still known to many, then how many of those “ridiculed” have simply sunk into oblivion. Do you think there were no great ones among them?

S.A. Zelinsky, speaking about methods of manipulating consciousness, cites a technique (one of many) called “ridicule”: “When using this technique, both specific individuals and views, ideas, programs, organizations and their activities, various associations of people can be ridiculed , against which the struggle is being waged. The choice of the object of ridicule is carried out depending on the goals and the specific information and communication situation. The effect of this technique is based on the fact that when individual statements and elements of a person’s behavior are ridiculed, a playful and frivolous attitude is initiated towards him, which automatically extends to his other statements and views. With skillful use of this technique, it is possible to form for a specific person the image of a “frivolous” person whose statements are not trustworthy.” (Psychotechnologies of hypnotic manipulation of consciousness)

The essence has not changed one iota - you must be like everyone else, do like everyone else, think like everyone else, otherwise you are an enemy... The current society has never needed thinking individuals, it needs “common-minded” sheep. A simple question. Why do you think the theme of lost sheep and shepherds, that is, shepherds, is so popular in the Bible?

See you again, friends!

Official history says that the Turkic language arose in the first millennium when the first tribes belonging to this group appeared. But, as modern research shows, the language itself arose much earlier. There is even an opinion that the Turkic language came from a certain proto-language, which was spoken by all the inhabitants of Eurasia, as in the legend of the Tower of Babel. The main phenomenon of Turkic vocabulary is that it has practically not changed over the five thousand years of its existence. The ancient writings of the Sumerians will still be as understandable to the Kazakhs as modern books.

Spreading

The Turkic language group is very numerous. If you look territorially, peoples who speak similar languages ​​live like this: in the west the border begins with Turkey, in the east with the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, in the north with the East Siberian Sea and in the south with Khorasan.

Currently, the approximate number of people who speak Turkic is 164 million, this number is almost equal to the entire population of Russia. At the moment, there are different opinions on how the group of Turkic languages ​​is classified. We will consider further which languages ​​stand out in this group. Main: Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uzbek, Karakalpak, Uyghur, Tatar, Bashkir, Chuvash, Balkar, Karachay, Kumyk, Nogai, Tuvan, Khakass, Yakut, etc.

Ancient Turkic-speaking peoples

We know that the Turkic group of languages ​​has spread very widely across Eurasia. In ancient times, peoples who spoke this way were simply called Turks. Their main activities were cattle breeding and agriculture. But one should not perceive all modern peoples of the Turkic linguistic group as descendants of an ancient ethnic group. After thousands of years, their blood mixed with the blood of other ethnic groups of Eurasia, and now there are simply no indigenous Turks.

The ancient peoples of this group include:

• Turkuts - tribes that settled in the Altai Mountains in the 5th century AD;
• Pechenegs - arose at the end of the 9th century and inhabited the region between Kievan Rus, Hungary, Alania and Mordovia;
• Polovtsians - with their appearance they ousted the Pechenegs, they were very freedom-loving and aggressive;
• Huns - arose in the 2nd-4th centuries and managed to create a huge state from the Volga to the Rhine, from them came the Avars and Hungarians;
• Bulgars - from these ancient tribes came such peoples as the Chuvash, Tatars, Bulgarians, Karachais, Balkars.
• Khazars - huge tribes that managed to create their own state and oust the Huns;
• Oghuz Turks - the ancestors of the Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, lived in Seljukia;
• Karluks - lived in the 8th-15th centuries.

Classification

The Turkic group of languages ​​has a very complex classification. Or rather, each historian offers his own version, which will differ from the other with minor changes. We offer you the most common option:

1. Bulgarian group. The only currently existing representative is the Chuvash language.
2. The Yakut group is the easternmost of the peoples of the Turkic linguistic group. Residents speak Yakut and Dolgan dialects.
3. South Siberian - this group represents the languages ​​of peoples living mainly within the borders of the Russian Federation in the south of Siberia.
4. Southeastern, or Karluk. Examples are Uzbek and Uyghur languages.
5. The northwestern, or Kipchak group is represented by a large number of nationalities, many of which live on their own independent territory, for example Tatars, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz.
6. Southwestern, or Oghuz. The languages ​​included in the group are Turkmen, Salar, Turkish.

Yakuts

On their territory, the local population simply calls themselves Sakha. Hence the name of the region - the Republic of Sakha. Some representatives also settled in other neighboring areas. The Yakuts are the easternmost of the peoples of the Turkic linguistic group. Culture and traditions were borrowed in ancient times from tribes living in the central steppe part of Asia.

Khakassians

A region has been designated for this people - the Republic of Khakassia. The largest contingent of Khakass is located here - about 52 thousand people. Several thousand more moved to live in Tula and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Shors

This nation reached its greatest numbers in the 17th-18th centuries. Now this is a small ethnic group that can only be found in the south of the Kemerovo region. Today the number is very small, about 10 thousand people.

Tuvans

Tuvinians are usually divided into three groups, differing from each other in some dialect features. They inhabit the Republic. This is a small eastern of the peoples of the Turkic linguistic group, living on the border with China.

Tofalar

This nation has practically disappeared. According to the 2010 census, 762 people were found in several villages of the Irkutsk region.

Siberian Tatars

The Eastern dialect of Tatar is the language that is considered to be the national language of the Siberian Tatars. This is also a Turkic group of languages. The peoples of this group are densely settled throughout Russia. They can be found in rural areas of the Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and other regions.

Dolgans

A small group living in the northern regions of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. They even have their own municipal district - Taimyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky. Today, there are only 7.5 thousand representatives of the Dolgans left.

Altaians

The Turkic group of languages ​​includes the Altai lexicon. Now in this area you can freely get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the ancient people.

Independent Turkic-speaking states

Today there are six separate independent states whose nationality is the indigenous Turkic population. First of all, these are Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Of course, Türkiye and Turkmenistan. And do not forget about Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, which belong to the Turkic language group in exactly the same way.

The Uighurs have their own autonomous region. It is located in China and is called Xinjiang. Other nationalities related to the Turks also live in this territory.

Kyrgyz

The Turkic group of languages ​​primarily includes Kyrgyz. Indeed, the Kyrgyz or Kyrgyz are the most ancient representatives of the Turks who lived in Eurasia. The first mentions of the Kirghiz are found in the 1st millennium BC. e. Throughout almost its entire history, the nation did not have its own sovereign territory, but at the same time managed to preserve its identity and culture. The Kyrgyz even have the concept of “ashar”, which means joint work, close cooperation and unity.

The Kirghiz have long lived in sparsely populated steppe areas. This could not but affect some character traits. These people are extremely hospitable. When a new person arrived in the settlement before, he told news that no one had heard before. For this, the guest was rewarded with the best treats. It is still customary to honor guests sacredly.

Kazakhs

The Turkic language group could not exist without the most numerous Turkic people, living not only in the state of the same name, but throughout the world.

The folk morals of the Kazakhs are very harsh. From childhood, children are raised under strict rules and taught to be responsible and hardworking. For this nation, the concept of “dzhigit” is the pride of the people, a person who defends the honor of his fellow tribesman or his own at all costs.

In the appearance of the Kazakhs, a clear division into “white” and “black” can still be traced. In the modern world, this has long lost its meaning, but remnants of old concepts are still preserved. The peculiarity of the appearance of any Kazakh is that he can simultaneously look like both a European and a Chinese.

Turks

The Turkic group of languages ​​includes Turkish. Historically, Turkey has always cooperated closely with Russia. And these relations were not always peaceful. Byzantium, and later the Ottoman Empire, began to exist simultaneously with Kievan Rus. Even then there were the first conflicts for the right to rule the Black Sea. Over time, this enmity intensified, which largely influenced the relationship between the Russians and the Turks.

Turks are very peculiar. First of all, this can be seen from some of their features. They are hardy, patient and completely unpretentious in everyday life. The behavior of the representatives of the nation is very cautious. Even if they are angry, they will never express their dissatisfaction. But then they can harbor anger and take revenge. In serious matters the Turks are very cunning. They can smile in your face, but plot behind your back for their own benefit.

The Turks took their religion very seriously. Severe Muslim laws prescribed every step in the life of a Turk. For example, they could kill an unbeliever and not be punished for it. Another feature associated with this feature is a hostile attitude towards non-Muslims.

Conclusion

Turkic-speaking peoples are the largest ethnic group on Earth. The descendants of the ancient Turks settled across all continents, but most of them live in the indigenous territory - in the Altai Mountains and in the south of Siberia. Many peoples managed to preserve their identity within the borders of independent states.