Kazakhs Қазақтар
A. Qunanbayuli • Ablai Khan • Al-Farabi • C. Valikhanov • T. Aubakirov • Kazakh eagle hunter • Kazakh woman
Total population
approx. Abay Ibrahim Qunanbayuli ( Kazakh: Абай (Ибраһим Құнанбайұлы, Russian Абай Ибрагим Кунанбаев Ablai-Khan (Абылай (Әбілмансұр хан 1711 - 1781 was a Kazakh khan of the Middle Juz. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Abū Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Farakh al-Fārābi ( Nastaliq:) or Abū Nasr al-Fārābi Shokan Valikhanov (Шоқан Уәлиханов Russian Чокан Чингисович Валиханов 1835-1865 was the first Kazakh scholar ethnographer and historian Toktar Ongarbayuly Aubakirov ( Kazakh: Тоқтар Оңғарбайұлы Әубәкіров born on July 27, 1946, in Karaganda, 16,000,000
Regions with significant populations
Kazakhstan 9,550,000  Uzbekistan 2,500,000 [1]  China 2,200,000 [2]  Russia 1,310,000 [3]  Mongolia 100,000  Turkmenistan 120,000  Afghanistan 45,000  Kyrgyzstan 45,000  Turkey 30,000  Germany 17,000  Tajikistan 15,000  Iran 15,000  Ukraine 15,000  France 15,000  United States 10,000  Belarus 5,000  Canada 5,000  Azerbaijan 3,000  Georgia 3,000  Moldova 3,000  Pakistan 3,000  United Kingdom 2,000  Lithuania 2,000  Armenia 1,000  Estonia 1,000  Sweden 1,000
Languages
Kazakh, Russian (and/or languages in country of residence)
Religions
Sunni Islam

The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар IPA: [qɑzɑqtɑr]; Russian: Казахи; the English name is transliterated from Russian) are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia (largely Kazakhstan, but also found in parts of Uzbekistan, China, Russia, and Mongolia). Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East

Etymology of Qazaq

Kazakhs-populated area

There are many theories on the origin of the word "Qazaq". "Qazaq" was included in a 13th century Turkic-Arabic dictionary, where its meaning was given as "independent" or "free". The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language . Both Kazaks and later Cossacks adopted Turkic social term "qazaq" as their name. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The Kazakhs began using this name during either the 15th or 16th century. ^[1]

In the 19th century, one etymological theory presented was that the name came from the Kazakh legend of the white goose (Qaz means goose, Aq means white). ^[2] In this creation myth, a white goose flying over the great steppes was impregnated by the rays of the Sun, giving birth to the first Kazak. A creation myth is a supernatural mytho-[[religion religious]] story or explanation that describes the beginnings of humanity, Earth, life, and ^[3] This version was rejected by linguists, because in Turkic languages, an adjective is put before a noun, therefore, "white goose" would be Aqqaz, not Qazaq.

Another of the theories on the origin of the word "Kazakh" (originally "Qazaq") is that it comes from the ancient Turkic word "qazğaq", first mentioned on the 8th century Turkic monument of Uyuk-Turan. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the According to the notable Turkic linguist Vasily Radlov and the orientalist Veniamin Yudin, the noun "qazğaq" derives from the same root as the verb "qazğan" ("to obtain", "to gain"). Vasily Vasilievich Radlov or Friedrich Wilhelm Radloff (Васи́лий Васи́льевич Ра́длов – May 12, 1918) was a German Therefore, "qazğaq" defines a type of person that seeks profit and gain. ^[4]

Culture

Kazakh stamps featuring a traditional bride's dress, groom's clothing and the interior of a kiyiz uy, a traditional Kazakh yurt.

Main article: Culture of Kazakhstan

Kazakhs are descendants of Turkic tribes (Kipchaks or Cumans), Mongol groups (Kereis, Naimans, etc. Before the Russian conquest the Kazaks had a well-articulated culture based on their Nomadic pastoral economy Cumans (Кумани Byzantine: Kuman or Cuman, Kunok Turkic: Kumanlar) were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a The Keraits or Kereits (Кэрэйд Kereid; Керей were a cluster of tribes in central Mongolia before the rise of the Mongol Empire. The Naimans, also Naiman Turks or Naiman Mongols, ( Mongolian: naiman, "eight" Найман was a Mongolian name given to a group ) and Indo-Iranian tribes (Wusun, Sarmatians, Scythians, etc. The Wusun (烏孫 were a nomadic Turkic speaking people who according to the Chinese histories originally lived to the northwest of China near the Yuezhi The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae ( Old Iranian Sarumatah 'archer' Σαρμάτες The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic ) which populated the territory between Siberia and the Black Sea and remained in Central Asia when the Turkic and Mongolic groups started to invade and conquer the area between the fifth and thirteenth centuries AD [4].

According to "Amazon Warrior Women," a PBS "Secrets of the Dead" episode, there is evidence that some of the Kazakh population are descendants of the culture which spawned the Amazon Warrior myth within Ancient Greek literature. Secrets of the Dead is a PBS television series produced by Thirteen/ WNET New York The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical Ancient Greek literature refers to Literature written in the Greek language until the 4th century AD

Due to their complex history, Kazakhs display phenotypical diversity. A phenotype is any observable characteristic of an Organism, such as its morphology, Development, biochemical or physiological properties Kazakhs tend to exhibit predominantly Mongoloid features; however, many, if not the majority, also have visible caucasoid ancestry. Fair to light-brown skin tends to be the norm. Among physical traits are aquiline noses, epicanthic folds and high cheekbones. Hair colour among Kazakhs varies from prevalent jet black to red and sandy brown. Hazel, green and blue eyes are not uncommon.

Many are also skilled in the performance of Kazakh traditional songs. One of the most commonly used traditional musical instruments of the Kazakhs is the dombra, a plucked lute with two strings. The dombra is a long-necked Stringed instrument possessing a wooden resonating chamber somewhat similar to a Banjo It is often used to accompany solo or group singing. Another popular instrument is Kobyz, a bow instrument played on the knees. Along with other instruments, these two instruments play a key role in the traditional Kazakh orchestra. A famous composer is Kurmangazy, who lived in the 19th century. Kurmangazy Sagyrbaev ( Kazakh: Құрманғазы Сағырбайұлы Russian: Курмангазы Сагырбаев 1823–1896 was a Kazakh A famous singer of the Soviet epoch is Roza Rimbayeva, she was a star of the trans-Soviet-Union scale. Among the modern performers is singer Toqtar. A famous Kazakh rock band is Urker, performing in the genre of ethno-rock, which synthesises rock music with the traditional Kazakh music. Urker ( Үркер Уркер is a Kazakh pop - folk group established in 1994.

Language

Aitys, a competition of akyns in performing songs

Main articles: Kazakh language and Kazakh alphabet

The Kazakh language is a member of the Turkic language family, as are Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Uyghur, Turkish, Azeri, Turkmen, and many other living and historical languages spoken in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Xinjiang, and Siberia. Akyns ( Kazakh: ақын/aqın Kyrgyz: Акын/Akyn Russian: акын) are improvising Poets and Singers in Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to The Kazakh alphabets are the alphabets used to write the Kazakh language. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic Kyrgyz or Kirghiz (Кыргыз тили Kyrgyz tili, قىرعىز ٴتىلى is a Turkic language, and together with Russian, an official The Tatar language (,, Татар теле, Татарча) is a Turkic Language spoken by the Tatars. Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving

Kazakh belongs to the Kipchak (Northwestern) group of the Turkic language family. Kazakh is characterized, in distinction to other Turkic languages, by the presence of /s/ in place of reconstructed proto-Turkic */ʃ/ and /ʃ/ in place of */tʃ/; furthermore, Kazakh has /dʒ/ (alveodental affricate) where other Turkic languages have /j/ (glide). Affricate Consonants begin as stops (most often an alveolar, such as or) but release as a fricative (such as or or occasionally into The Glide language, or simply Glide, is a highly-abstract visual Constructed language created by Diana Reed Slattery and features prominently

Kazakh, like most of the Turkic language family lacks phonemic vowel length, and as such there is no distinction between long and short vowels. In Linguistics, vowel length is the perceived duration of a Vowel sound

Kazakh was written with the Arabic script during the 19th century, when a number of poets, educated in Islamic schools, incited revolt against Russia. Russia's response was to set up secular schools and devise a way of writing Kazakh with the Cyrillic alphabet, which was not widely accepted. By 1917, the Arabic script was reintroduced, even in schools and local government.

In 1927, a Kazakh nationalist movement sprang up but was soon suppressed. At the same time the Arabic script was banned and the Latin alphabet was imposed for writing Kazakh. The Latin alphabet was in turn replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1940.

Kazakh is one of the principal languages spoken in Kazakhstan, along with Russian. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages It is also spoken in the Ili region of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China, where the Arabic script is used, and in parts of Mongolia. 伊犁哈萨克自治州 Yīlí hāsàkè Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Kazakh tribalism

Approximate areas occupied by the three Kazakh jüz in the early 20th century.

Junior juz

Middle juz

Great juz

Due to their nomadic pastoral lifestyle, Kazakhs kept an epic tradition of oral history. Senior juz (Ұлы жүз Great juz) is one of three traditional divisions of the nomads of Desht-i Kypchak Oral history can be defined as the recording preservation and interpretation of historical information, based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker They had to develop phenomenal memories in order to keep an account of their history. The nation, which amalgamated nomadic tribes of various Kazakh origins, managed to preserve the distant memory of the original founding clans. It was important for a Kazakh to know his or her genealogical tree for no less than seven generations back (known as şejire, from the Arabic word shajara - "tree"). Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language

The Kazakh marriage system was exogamous, with marriage between individuals with a common ancestor within seven generations considered taboo. A taboo is a strong Social prohibition (or ban) against words objects actions or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group culture In intertribal marriage, paternal descent is decisive.

In modern Kazakhstan, tribalism is fading away in business and government life. The internal social structure of a tribe can vary greatly from case to case but due to the small size of tribes it is always a relatively simple structure with few (if any significant social Still it is common for Kazakhs to ask which tribe they belong to when they meet each other. Nowadays, it is more of a tradition than necessity. There is no hostility between tribes. Kazakhs, regardless of their tribal origin, consider themselves one nation.

The majority of Kazakhs belongs to one of the three juzes (juz, roughly translatable as "horde"): the "Great juz" (Ulı juz), "Middle juz" (Orta juz), and "Junior juz" (Kişi juz). A juz (жүз is one of the three main territorial divisions in the Desht-i Kypchak that covers much of the contemporary Kazakhstan Senior juz (Ұлы жүз Great juz) is one of three traditional divisions of the nomads of Desht-i Kypchak Every juz consists of tribes (taypa) and clans (ruw). Also Kazakhs, but outside of the juz system are: tore (direct descendants of Genghis Khan), qoja/Khoja (descendants of Arabian missionaries and warriors), tolengit (descendants of Oirat captives), "sunak" (like "qoja" Khoja - descendants of Arabian missionaries and warriors) and "kolegen" (descendants of Ancient Sairam inhabitants). Genghis Khan ( or;, Chinggis Khaan, ʧiŋgɪs χaːŋ Činggis Qaɣan; 1162–1227 born (meaning "ironworker" was the Mongol founder Ismaili Khojas About six hundred years ago the Persian -born Pir Sadruddin arrived in Sindh. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) This article deals with the Oirat ethnic group For the obsolete term for the Turkic Altays see Altay people. Ismaili Khojas About six hundred years ago the Persian -born Pir Sadruddin arrived in Sindh. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab)

Religion

Minarets of Central Almaty Mosque

Islam was brought to the Kazakhs during the 8th century when the Arabs arrived into Central Asia. Almaty ( Алматы; formerly known as Alma-Ata ( Алма-Ата) also Verniy, (Верный is the largest city in Kazakhstan For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Islam initially took hold in the southern portions of Turkestan and thereafter gradually spread northward. ^[5] Islam also took root due to the zealous missionary work of Samanid rulers, notably in areas surrounding Taraz^[6] where a significant number of Kazakhs accepted Islam. The Samanids (819–999 ( Sāmāniyān) were a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and Greater Khorasan, named after its founder Saman Taraz ( Тараз) formerly Talas, Zhambyl (Kazakh Жамбы́л and Aulie-Ata (Kazakh Әулие́-Ата Chagatai: اولياه Additionally, in the late 1300s, the Golden Horde propagated Islam amongst the Kazakhs and other Central Asian tribes. This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. During the 1700s, Russian influence toward the region rapidly increased throughout Central Asia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Led by Catherine, the Russians initially demonstrated a willingness in allowing Islam to flourish as Muslim clerics were invited into the region to preach to the Kazakhs whom the Russians viewed as "savages" and "ignorant" of morals and ethics. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^[7][8] However, Russian policy gradually changed toward weakening Islam by introducing pre-Islamic elements of collective consciousness. ^[9] Such attempts included methods of eulogizing pre-Islamic historical figures and imposing a sense of inferiority by sending Kazakhs to highly elite Russian military institutions. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending ^[9] In response, Kazakh religious leaders attempted to bring religious fervor by espousing pan-Turkism, though many were persecuted as a result. Pan-Turkism is a political movement aiming to unite the various Turkic peoples into a modern political State, a Confederation, or an economic union closely ^[10] During the Soviet era, Muslim institutions survived only in areas where Kazakhs significantly outnumbered non-Muslims due to everyday Muslim practices. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[11] In an attempt to conform Kazakhs into Communist ideologies, gender relations and other aspects of the Kazakh culture were key targets of social change. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based ^[8]

In more recent times however, Kazakhs have gradually employed determined effort in revitalizing Islamic religious institutions after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 While not strongly fundamentalist, Kazakhs continue to identify with their Islamic faith,^[12] and even more devotedly in the countryside. Those who claim descent from the original Muslim warriors and missionaries of the 8th century, command substantial respect in their communities. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[13] Kazakh political figures have also stressed the need to sponsor Islamic awareness. For example, the Kazakh Foreign Affairs Minister, Marat Tazhin, recently emphasized that Kazakhstan attaches importance to the use of "positive potential Islam, learning of its history, culture and heritage. Marat Muhanbetuly Tazhin ( Тәжин Марат Мұханбетқазыұлы; born in 1960 in Aktobe) is a Kazakh politician "^[14]

Kazakh population in Kazakhstan

Kazakh minorities

In China

See also: Kazakh exodus from Xinjiang

Kazakhs, called Hāsàkè Zú in Chinese (哈萨克族; literally "Kazakh people" or "Kazakh nationality") are among 56 minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The Kazakh exodus from Xinjiang occurred in waves during the 1950s and 1960s after the Communist victory in China. The following is a list of ethnic groups in China where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES In China there are two Kazakh autonomous prefectures, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, three Kazakh autonomous counties, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County and Mori Kazakh Autonomous County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Autonomous prefectures are one type of Autonomous areas of China, existing at the prefecture level. 伊犁哈萨克自治州 Yīlí hāsàkè Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture ( Simplified Chinese: 海西蒙古族藏族自治州 Pinyin: Hǎixī Měnggǔzú Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu Tibetan (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Aksai Kazak Autonomous County ( Simplified Chinese: 阿克賽哈萨克族自治县 Pinyin: Ākèsài Hāsàkèzú Zìzhìxiàn (Ақсай Қазақ аутономиялық ( is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County ( Simplified Chinese: 巴里坤哈萨克自治县 Pinyin: Bālǐkūn Hāsàkèzú Zìzhìxiàn باركۆل قازاقئاپتونوم The Mori Kazak Autonomous County (مورى قازاق ئاپتونوم ناھىيىسى|Mori Qazaq Aptonom Nahiyisi|Mori K̡azak̡ Aptonom Nah̡iyisi Kazakh: Мори Қазақ Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk

Many Kazakhs in China are not fluent in Standard Mandarin, China's official language, instead speaking the Kazakh language. Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan Kazakh (also Qazaq and variants natively kk Qazaq tili, kk Қазақ тілі; pronounced tˈlə is a Turkic language closely related to

Since the early 21st century, Mamuer Rayeskan, a young Kazakh musician from Qitai, Xinjiang now living in Beijing, has achieved some renown for his reworking of Kazakh folk songs with his group IZ, with which he sings and plays acoustic guitar, dombra, and Jew's harp. The Qitai County (奇台县 Qitai Xian گۇچۇڭ ناھىيىسى|Guchung Nahiyisi|Guqung Nah̡iyisi also known as Gucheng (古城 is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur The Jew's harp, juice harp, jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp, or marranzano pancake is thought to be one of the oldest Musical

In Russia

In Russia, the Kazakh population lives in the regions bordering Kazakhstan. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The 2002 Russian census recorded 655,000 Kazakhs living in the Astrakhan, Volgograd, Samara, Orenburg, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Altai Krai regions. Astrakhan Oblast (Астраха́нская о́бласть Astrakhanskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Volgograd Oblast (Волгогра́дская о́бласть Volgogradskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Samara Oblast (Сама́рская о́бласть Samarskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Orenburg Oblast (Оренбу́ргская о́бласть Orenburgskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Chelyabinsk Oblast (Челя́бинская о́бласть Chelyabinskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Kurgan Oblast (Курга́нская о́бласть Kurganskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Tyumen Oblast (Тюме́нская о́бласть Tyumenskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Omsk Oblast (О́мская о́бласть Omskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located in southwestern Novosibirsk Oblast (Новосиби́рская о́бласть Novosibirskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Altai Krai (Алта́йский край Altaysky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) in the Siberian Federal District Since they, their ancestors, and other Turkic peoples populated these areas long before Russian colonisation, Russian Kazakhs are irredenta. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Irredentism is any position advocating Annexation of territories administered by another State on the grounds of common Ethnicity or prior historical possession During the 1920s, however, significant numbers of Kazakh families were left outside the designated Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic; after the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, they acquired Russian citizenship. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (Қазақ Кеңестік Социалистік Республикасы Qazaq Keñestik Socialistik Respublikasi; Казахская The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Other countries

• Mongolia: Many Kazakhs live in Bayan-Ölgiy Province. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Bayan-Ölgii (Баян-Өлгий Баян Өлгей (Alternately spelled Olgiy Ulgii etc The Kazakh folk music is widely admired and loved in Mongolia. The majority of Mongolian Kazakhs come from "Middle juz" (Orta juz), the biggest tribe in Kazakhstan.
• Uzbekistan: A significant Kazakh population exists in Karakalpakstan and Tashkent oblast. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Karakalpakstan ( Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası or Қарақалпақстан Республикасы; Uzbek: Qoraqalpog`iston Since the fall of Soviet Union, vast majority of Kazakh people are returning to Kazakhstan, mainly to Manghistau Oblast'. The Kazakh population of Karakalpakstan are mostly descendants of Adailar, which is one of the branches of "Junior juz" (Kişi juz). Karakalpakstan ( Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası or Қарақалпақстан Республикасы; Uzbek: Qoraqalpog`iston
• Iran: Iranian Kazakhs live mainly in the Golestan province in northern Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Iranian Kazakhs live mainly in the Golestan province in northern Iran. Golestān ( گلستان) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. ^[15] According to ethnologue. org, however, there lived 3000 Kazakhs in Iran in 1982 in the city of Gorgan. Gorgan ( Persian: گرگان Caspian: Vergen is the capital of the Golestan Province, Iran. ^[16][17] The number of Iranian Kazakhs might have been silightly higher, because many of them returned to Kazakhstan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, from where they had immigrated to Iran after the Bolshevik October Revolution. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution "^[18]

See also

• List of Kazakh historical figures
• Demographics of Kazakhstan

Notes and references

External links

• Kazakh Language Courseware from University of Arizona Critical Languages Series
• Ethnographic map of Kazakhstan
• Kazakhs in France - AKFT
• World Association of the Kazakhs
• http://sana.gov.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=342
• Massagan.com (The largest web site in kazakh language)
• Suhbat (Atameken Toby)
• Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women (PBS)
• Turk monument of Uyuk-Turan mentioning the word "qazğaq"