What Are the Kazakhs ?

Kazakh Pride
Of all the Soviet peoples, the Kazakhs are the ones of whom most westerners think they have heard. In fact, however, this Turkic people of Muslim origin bear no ethnic relationship to the soldiers of fortune -the cossacks- who guarded Catherine's frontiers. Despite all challenges to their survival, the Kazakhs exist today as a distinct ethnic group of nearly 7 million people, clearly shaped by the experience of nearly 70 years of Soviet rule, yet retaining strong cultural ties with their past and taking pride in their heritage. The Kazakhs have demonstrated their national resilience by transforming their economy and adapting their culture. Their traditional nomadic society has been exposed to more complex civilizations but has not been absorbed by them. Although the Kazakhs have borrowed much from other cultures, coloring contemporary life with Islamic, Russian, and Soviet influences, the Kazakhs remain unique - similar but not identical to other Central Asian nationalities.

Unification of Kazakhs

The unification and formation of the Kazakh people began in the mid-fifteenth century, when two princes of the Mongol White Horde successfully laid claim to the frozen lands between the Chu and Talas rivers. Over the next century their descendants were joined by indigenous Turkic clans and Turko-Mongol pastoral nomads who moved to the area to find pasture on the ever-increasing lands under Kazakh control. By the mid-sixteenth century these people, who called themselves Kazakhs, had divided into three tribal groupings (the Small, Middle, and Great hordes) ruled by a single khan. Thus members of the Kazakh khanates were ethnically undistinguishable from their near neighbors, the Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, and Karakalpaks. All were Sunni Muslims (Kazakhs and Kyrgyz more nominal than practicing); all were predominantly Turkic stock with greater (Kyrgyz) or lesser (Karakalpak) infusions of Mongol stock; and all spoke Turkic languages. The three Kazakh dialects, two Kyrgyz dialects, and two Karakalpak dialects were from the same Nogai subdivision of the Kipchak group of Turkic languages (Uzbeks spoke Karluk dialects). These people were divided, however, by their political allegiances; the Uzbeks fled to the Uzbek khanate, the Kyrgyz to the Mughulistan, and the Karakalpaks, who farmed the lands along the Syr Darya River, struggled to preserve their autonomy from the grass-hungry livestock breeders to the north and east. The drive for land and the subsequent need to protect it led to the emergence of four separate political formations in northern Central Asia. Consanguinity remained an important bond, and marriages between Kipchaks and Naimans of the various peoples continued to be common. Nevertheless, ethnic groups became more distinct as the political divisions became self-perpetuating, economies developed separately, handicrafts and national dress became distinctive, and most customary practices became locally specific in the way in which they fused Islamic and pre-Islamic ritual.

The term Kazakh first came into use only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but modern Russian travelers confused the Kazakhs with the Kyrgyz and dubbed them the Kyrgyz-Kaisak; they referred to the Kyrgyz as the Kara-Kirgiz (black Kyrgyz) or Gorno-Kirgiz (mountain Kyrgyz). By the late 1820s the Kazakhs were simply known as the Kyrgyz, and this misnomer was used until the mid-1920s.

Kipchak Roots
Before the Kazakh nationality formed, Kazakhs were part of the people known as Kipchaks. Not much is known about these people because of the altered history. Nevertheless, archeologists and historians that have researched the Kipchak people report that they occupied all steppe territories, Siberia, parts of Russia, and parts of Europe. They formed unity under Attila in the second-century. Thus a great migration on west began. 

The history of Central Asia is basically based on the Russian Letopises. These writings were altered in the most worst ways possible by the Russian lords and Tsars. Why ? It's hard even for dedicated historians to answer. But here are some reasons behind it: <1> Hatred towards the aggressors; <2> Spoils to the Victor; <3> Embellishing own history.

<<< 1,2,3 >>> 

The Kipchaks were innate warriors and hunters. Since birth, every Kipchak boy was taught how to ride the horse and shoot bow. In fact, it was a shame for a Kipchak to walk on foot, horse was considered as one of the most sacred possession a man could have. Kipchaks were the first to ride the horse and shoot bow on the full advancement. In the times  of war, Kipchak warriors shown superiority on the battlefield due to their excellent cavalry when most of the enemies fought on foot. In II-century, almost nobody had cavalry. It was the Bronze Age for everyone. It was an Iron Age for Kipchaks, as archeology shows (early iron mining of second century was found in the south of Kazakhstan). It was the Ages of Byzantine Empire, Rome Empire and Kipchak Empire. Kipchak Empire was the most fearsome, the most aggressive (Mongol Empire sprang after the dissolution of the Kipchak Empire; Mongol Empire's war machine consisted mostly of Kipchak tribes, including Kazakhs). The Empire occupied tremendous territories and showed a very strong leadership. Even Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, "Russians" and Chinese paid tributes to the Kipchak people. The military force of Kipchaks was too strong to oppose. Leaders such as Attila and later Chingiz Khan of Mongols (Mongol Empire stretched across the whole Eurasia continent and included all of Europe and all of Asia),  were known for their horrific deeds. When the enemy did not surrender and fought 'till the end, Kipchaks burned enemy towns and killed people in the most horrible ways. Terror was used as the weapon when nations did not submit. Thousands and thousands of villagers and city folks were burned and their bones and skulls were piled up into huge mountains. After such demonstration, enemy towns surrendered without a fight. The result was seen everywhere, Kipchak Empire became the biggest of all. However, after deaths of such leaders as Attila, the empire crumbled under its own weight and fell. Empires never last forever. In conclusion,  the victors were the people that lived on Kipchak territories. "Russians" were the victors. After many years under the Kipchak Empire, Russians gained their independence. Their Knyazi (Lords) divided lands and their Kings in the future rewrote the history. New history erased the Kipchaks from the face of the earth as though they never existed. Byzantine's Great Library was burned sometime ago before that and almost nothing was left to prove the actual events and Kipchaks themselves did not leave a whole lot of official writings. Only Tales and Legends were left for generations to come. All the history in this world is written by victorious nations. Spoils to the Victor! Truth is hidden and long forgotten.

Kipchaks had different names in all parts of the world, for example: pechenegi, gunni, polovtsi, turki, gotti, hozari, avari, chernie klobuki, bulgari, berendei, brodniki, saki and kipchak (steppemen) as they called themselves.  They all spoke Turkish based language and wore clothing with the same style ornaments.

Doesn't it puzzle you sometimes why do so many people speak Turkic based languages ? Now look at the map of the old Soviet Union, look at the names of Russian cities. Most of the names have Turkic origin. Doesn't it make you wonder ? I can give you many examples: Biisk, Iskitim, Kazymskaya, Ust-Tsylma, Syktyvkar, Turukhansk, Kyzyl, etc, list goes on and on. The lands that Russians consider were always theirs were, in fact, not. They belonged to Kipchaks.

Additional Information
For a more detailed Kazakh History and the Formation of Kazakh Khanate please visit my NEXT PAGE.