Kazakhs

TheKazakhs(Kazakh:қазақтар,qazaqtar,قازاقتار,[qazaq'tar]) are aTurkicethnic groupnative toCentral AsiaandEastern Europe. There are Kazakh communities inKazakhstan's border regions inRussia, northernUzbekistan, northwesternChina(Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture), westernMongolia(Bayan-Ölgii Province) andIran(Golestan province).The Kazakhs arose from the merging of various medieval tribes of Turkic and Mongolic origin in the 15th century.
Kazakh identity was shaped following the foundation of theKazakh Khanatebetween 1456 and 1465, when following the disintegration of theTurkifiedstate ofGolden Horde, several tribes under the rule of the sultansJanibekandKereideparted from the Khanate ofAbu'l-Khayr Khanin hopes of forming a powerful khanate of their own.
The termKazakhis used to refer to ethnic Kazakhs, while the termKazakhstanirefers to all citizens of Kazakhstan, regardless of ethnicity.
The Kazakhs likely began using the name Kazakh during the 15th century.There are many theories on the origin of the word Kazakh or Qazaq. Some speculate that it comes from theTurkicverbqaz("wanderer, brigand, vagabond, warrior, free, independent") or that it derives from theProto-Turkicword*khasaq(a wheeled cart used by the Kazakhs to transport theiryurtsand belongings).
Another theory on the origin of the word Kazakh (originallyQazaq) is that it comes from the ancientTurkicwordqazğaq, first mentioned on the 8th century Turkic monument ofUyuk-Turan.According to Turkic linguistVasily RadlovandOrientalistVeniamin Yudin, the nounqazğaqderives from the same root as the verbqazğan("to obtain", "to gain"). Therefore,qazğaqdefines a type of person who wanders and seeks gain.
Throughout history, Kazakhstan has been home to many nomadic societies of theEurasian Steppe, including the Sakas (Scythian-related), theXiongnu, theWestern Turkic Khaganate, theKimek–Kipchak Confederation, theMongol Empire, theGolden Hordeand theKazakh Khanate, which was established in 1465.
The exact place of origins of theTurkic peopleshas been a topic of much discussion. Early Medieval Turkic peoples who migrated into Central Asia displayed genetic affinities withAncient Northeast Asians, deriving around 62% of their ancestry from a gene pool maximized among Neolithic hunter-gatherers in theAmur region. There is also evidence for contact with Iranian, Uralic and Yeniseian peoples.The Kazakhs emerged as an ethno-linguistic group during the early 15th century from a confederation of several, mostly Turkic-speaking pastoral nomadic groups of NorthernCentral Asia. The Kazakhs are the most northerly of the Central Asian peoples, inhabiting a large expanse of territory in northernCentral Asiaand southernSiberiaknown as theKazakh Steppe. The tribal groups formed a powerful confederation that grew wealthy on the trade passing through the steppe lands along the fabled Silk Road.
Kazakh was a common term throughout medievalCentral Asia, generally with regard to individuals or groups who had taken or achieved independence from a figure of authority.Timurdescribed his own youth without direct authority as hisQazaqliq("freedom", "Qazaq-ness").
InTurco-Persiansources, the termÖzbek-Qazaqfirst appeared during the middle of the 16th century, in theTarikh-i-RashidibyMirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat, aChagatayidprince ofKashmir. In this manuscript, the author locates Kazakh in the eastern part ofDesht-i Qipchaq. According to Tarikh-i-Rashidi, the first Kazakh union was createdc.1465/1466 AD. The state was formed by nomads who settled along the border ofMoghulistan, and was calledUzbeg-Kazák.
In 15th-century Central Asia, the nomads of the Jochid Ulus (Golden Horde), including those who founded the Kazakh Khanate, were collectively called Uzbeks due to their conversion to Islam under Uzbek Khan (r. 1313–1341).These Uzbeks (also called Tatars by the Muscovites and Ottomans) arose from the merging of the Mongols and various Turkic groups in the 13th and 14th centuries in the Mongol states of the Qipchaq Steppe. It was from this Jochid/ Uzbek ulus (Golden Horde) that the Kazakh identity emerged when the nomads of the eastern Qipchaq Steppe became divided into the Kazakhs and the Shibanid Uzbeks at the turn of the 16th century. Seen from a broader perspective, the Kazakhs belonged to the Chinggisid uluses, others being the Shibanid Uzbeks, Crimean Tatars, Manghits/Noghays, and Chaghatays (Moghuls and Timurids), who shared a common language (Turkic), political ideology (based on Mongol traditions), royal lineage (Chinggisid related), ethnic identity (“Mongol Turks” [Turk-i mughūl]), and religion (Sunni Islam), and who still dominated much of the vast region stretching from the Crimea in the west to the Tien Shan Mountains in the east, and from southern Siberia in the north to northern India in the south during the post-Mongol period.
At the time of theUzbekconquest of Central Asia,Abu'l-Khayr Khan, a descendant ofShiban, had disagreements with the sultansKereiandJanibek, descendants ofUrus Khan. These disagreements probably resulted from the crushing defeat of Abu'l-Khayr Khan at the hands of theKalmyks.Kerei and Janibek moved with a large following of nomads to the region ofZhetysuon the border ofMoghulistanand set up new pastures there with the blessing of theChagatayidkhan of Moghulistan,Esen Buqa II, who hoped for a buffer zone of protection against the expansion of theOirats.
Regarding these events, Haidar Dughlat in hisTarikh-i-Rashidireports:
In the 17th century, Russian convention seeking to distinguish the Qazaqs of the steppes from theCossacksof theImperial Russian Armysuggested spelling the final consonant with "kh" instead of "q" or "k", which was officially adopted by theUSSRin 1936.
The Ukrainian termCossackprobably comes from the sameKipchaketymological root, meaning wanderer, brigand, or independent free-booter.
Like many people who live anomadiclifestyle, Kazakhs keep anepic tradition of oral historywhich goes back centuries. It is most commonly relayed in the form of song (kyi) and poetry (zhyr), which typically tell the stories of Kazakh national heroes.
The Kazakh oral tradition is sometimes has political themes. The highly influential Kazakh poetAbai Qunanbaiulyviewed it as the ideal way to transmit the pro-Westernizationideals of his colleagues. The Kazakh oral tradition has also overlapped with ethnic nationalism, and has been used to transmit pride in Kazakh identity.
In modern Kazakhstan,tribalismis fading away in business and government life. However, it is still common for Kazakhs to ask each other about the tribe they belong to when they become acquainted. It is more of a tradition than a necessity now, and there is no hostility between tribes. Kazakhs, regardless of their tribal origin, consider themselves one nation.
Modern-day Kazakhs who still remember their tribes know that their tribes belong to one of the threejüz, a term roughly translatable as "horde" or "hundred":
There is much debate surrounding the origins of the Hordes. Their age in extant historical texts is unknown, with the earliest mentions in the 17th century. The Turkologist Velyaminov-Zernov believed that it was the capture of the important cities ofTashkent,Yasi, andSayramin 1598 by Tevvekel (Tauekel/Tavakkul) Khan that separated the Qazaqs, as they possessed the cities for only part of the 17th century.The theory suggests that the Qazaqs then divided among a wider territory after expanding fromZhetysuinto most of theDasht-i Qipchaq, with a focus on the trade available through the cities of the middleSyr Darya, to which Sayram and Yasi belonged. The Junior juz originated from theNogaisof theNogai Horde.
The Kazakh language is a member of theTurkiclanguage family, as areUzbek,Kyrgyz,Tatar,Uyghur,Turkmen, modernTurkish,Azerbaijaniand many other living and historical languages spoken inEastern Europe,Central Asia,Xinjiang, andSiberia.
Kazakh belongs to theKipchak(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/d͡ʒ/where other Turkic languages have/j/.
Kazakh, like most of the Turkic language family lacks phonemicvowel length, and as such there is no distinction between long and short vowels.
Kazakh was written with the Arabic script until the mid-19th century, when a number of educated Kazakh poets from Muslimmadrasahsincited a 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 for Kazakh was reintroduced, even in schools and local government.
In 1927, aKazakh nationalist movementsprang up against theSoviet Unionbut was soon suppressed. As a result, the Arabic script for writing Kazakh was banned and theLatinalphabet was imposed as a new writing system. In an effort to Russianize the Kazakhs, the Latin alphabet was in turn replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1940 by Soviet interventionists. Today, there are efforts to return to the Latin script, and in January 2021 the government announced plans to switch to the Latin alphabet.
Kazakh is a state (official) language inKazakhstan. It is also spoken in theIliregion of theXinjiangUyghur Autonomous Region in thePeople's Republic of China, where the Arabic script is used, and in western parts ofMongolia(Bayan-ÖlgiiandKhovd province), where Cyrillic script is in use. European Kazakhs use the Latin alphabet.
Genomic research confirmed that Kazakhs originated from the admixture of several tribes.Kazakhs have predominantlyEast Eurasian ancestry, and harbor two East Asian-derived components: one dominant component commonly found among Northeastern Asian populations (associated with the Northeast Asian "Devil’s Gate Cave" sample from theAmur region), and another minor component associated with historicalYellow Riverfarmers, peaking among northernHan Chinese. According to one study, West Eurasian related admixture among Kazakhs is estimated at 35% to 37.5% in two Kazakh populations.Another study estimated a lower average Western admixture of slightly less than 30%.These results are inline with historical demographic information on northern Central Asia.NeighboringKarakalpaks,Kyrgyz,Tubalar, and the Xinjiang Ölöd tribe, have the strongest resemblance to the Kazakh genome.
A study on allele frequency and genetic polymorphism by Katsuyamaet al., found that Kazakhs cluster together withJapanese people,Hui people,Han Chinese, andUyghursin contrast to West Eurasian reference groups.
A 2020 genetic study on the Kazakh genome, by Seidualy et al., found that the Kazakh people formed from highly mixed historical Central Asian populations. Ethnic Kazakhs were modeled to derive about 63.2% ancestry from an East Asian-related population, specifically from a Northeast Asian source sample (Devil’s Gate 1), 30.8% ancestry from European-related populations (presumably fromScythians), and ~6% ancestry from a broadly South Asian population. Overall, Kazakhs show their closest genetic affinity with other Central Asian populations, namely theKalmyks,Karakalpaks,Kyrgyz, andAltaians, but alsoMongoliansandTuvans.
A total of 464 representatives of the Western Kazakh tribes of Kazakhstan (Western Kazakhs, n = 405) and Uzbekistan (Karakalpakstan Kazakhs, n = 59) were examined by the Yfiler Plus set. The data are available in the YHRD under accession numbers YA006010 and YA006009. Genetic analysis (AMOVA and MDS) did not show significant differences between the two groups (Kazakhstan and Karakalpakstan Kazakhs) in terms of Y-chromosome diversity. Both groups are characterized by haplogroup C2a1a2 as a founder effect, which dominated two of the three tribes: Alimuly (67%), Baiuly (74.6%), and Zhetiru (25.8%).
The study analyzed haplotype variation at 15 Y-chromosomal short-tandem-repeats obtained from 1171 individuals from 24 tribes representing the three socio-territorial subdivisions (Senior, Middle and Junior zhuz) in Kazakhstan to comprehensively characterize the patrilineal genetic architecture of the Kazakh Steppe. In total, 577 distinct haplotypes were identified belonging to one of 20 haplogroups; 16 predominant haplogroups were confirmed by SNP-genotyping. The haplogroup distribution was skewed towards C2-M217, present in all tribes at a global frequency of 51.9%. The structure analysis of the 1164 individuals indicated the presence of 20 ancestral groups and a complex three-subclade organization of the C2-M217 haplogroup in Kazakhs, a result supported by the multidimensional scaling analysis. Additionally, while the majority of the haplotypes and tribes overlapped, a distinct cluster of the O2 haplogroup, mostly of the Naiman tribe, was observed.
According to mitochondrial DNA studies(where sample consisted of only 246 individuals), the main maternal lineages of Kazakhs are:D(17.9%),C(16%),G(16%),A(3.25%),F(2.44%) of East-Eurasian origin (55%), and haplogroupsH(14.1),T(5.5),J(3.6%),K(2.6%),U5(3%), and others (12.2%) of West-Eurasian origin (41%).
Gokcumenet al.(2008) tested the mtDNA of a total of 237 Kazakhs fromAltai Republicand found that they belonged to the following haplogroups: D(xD5) (15.6%), C (10.5%), F1 (6.8%), B4 (5.1%), G2a (4.6%), A (4.2%), B5 (4.2%), M(xC, Z, M8a, D, G, M7, M9a, M13) (3.0%), D5 (2.1%), G2(xG2a) (2.1%), G4 (1.7%), N9a (1.7%), G(xG2, G4) (0.8%), M7 (0.8%), M13 (0.8%), Y1 (0.8%), Z (0.4%), M8a (0.4%), M9a (0.4%), and F2 (0.4%) for a total of 66.7% mtDNA of Eastern Eurasian origin or affinity and H (10.5%), U(xU1, U3, U4, U5) (3.4%), J (3.0%), N1a (3.0%), R(xB4, B5, F1, F2, T, J, U, HV) (3.0%), I (2.1%), U5 (2.1%), T (1.7%), U4 (1.3%), U1 (0.8%), K (0.8%), N1b (0.4%), W (0.4%), U3 (0.4%), and HV (0.4%) for a total of 33.3% mtDNA of West-Eurasian origin or affinity.Comparing their samples of Kazakhs from Altai Republic with samples of Kazakhs from Kazakhstan and Kazakhs from Xinjiang, the authors have noted that "haplogroups A, B, C, D, F1, G2a, H, and M were present in all of them, suggesting that these lineages represent the common maternal gene pool from which these different Kazakh populations emerged."
In every sample of Kazakhs,D(predominantly northern East Asian, such as Japanese, Okinawan, Korean, Manchu, Mongol, Han Chinese, Tibetan,etc., but also having several branches amongindigenous peoples of the Americas) is the most frequently observed haplogroup (with nearly all of those Kazakhs belonging to the D4 subclade), and the second-most frequent haplogroup is eitherH(predominantly European) orC(predominantly indigenous Siberian, though some branches are present in the Americas, East Asia, andnorthernandeastern Europe).
In a sample of 54 Kazakhs and 119 Altaian Kazakh, the main paternal lineages of Kazakhs are:C(66.7 and 59.5%),O(9 and 26%),N(2 and 0%),J(4 and 0%),R(9 and 1%) respectively.
InRussia, the Kazakh population lives primarily in the regions bordering Kazakhstan. According to latest census (2002) there are 654,000 Kazakhs in Russia, most of whom are in theAstrakhan,Volgograd,Saratov,Samara,Orenburg,Chelyabinsk,Kurgan,Tyumen,Omsk,Novosibirsk,Altai KraiandAltai Republicregions. Though ethnically Kazakh, after thedissolution of the Soviet Unionin 1991, those people acquired Russian citizenship.
Kazakhs migrated intoDzungariain the 18th century after theDzungar genocideresulted in the native BuddhistDzungar Oiratpopulation being massacred.
Kazakhs, called "哈萨克族" in Chinese (pinyin:Hāsàkè Zú;lit.'Kazakh nationality') are among56 ethnic groupsofficially recognized by thePeople's Republic of China. According to the census data of 2020, Kazakhs had a population of 1,562,518, ranking 18th among all ethnic groups in China. Thousands of Kazakhs fled to China during the 1932–1933 famine in Kazakhstan.
In 1936, afterSheng Shicaiexpelled 30,000 Kazakhs from Xinjiang to Qinghai,Huiled by GeneralMa Bufangmassacred their fellow Muslim Kazakhs, until there were 135 of them left.
From Northern Xinjiang, over 7,000 Kazakhs fled to the Tibetan-Qinghai plateau region via Gansu and were wreaking massive havoc so Ma Bufang solved the problem by relegating Kazakhs to designated pastureland in Qinghai, but Hui, Tibetans, and Kazakhs in the region continued to clash against each other.Tibetans attacked and fought against the Kazakhs as they entered Tibet via Gansu and Qinghai.In northern Tibet, Kazakhs clashed with Tibetan soldiers, and the Kazakhs were sent to Ladakh.Tibetan troops robbed and killed Kazakhs 640 kilometres (400 miles) east of Lhasa at Chamdo when the Kazakhs were entering Tibet.
In 1934, 1935, and from 1936 to 1938, Qumil Elisqan led approximately 18,000 Kerey Kazakhs to migrate to Gansu, entering Gansu and Qinghai.
In China there is one Kazakhautonomous prefecture, theIli Kazakh Autonomous Prefecturein theXinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regionand three Kazakhautonomous counties:Aksai Kazakh Autonomous CountyinGansu,Barkol Kazakh Autonomous CountyandMori Kazakh Autonomous Countyin theXinjiangUyghur Autonomous Region.
At least one millionUyghurs, Kazakhs and otherMuslimsin Xinjiang have been detained in massdetention camps, termed "reeducation camps", aimed at changing the political thinking of detainees, their identities, and their religious beliefs.But authorities in China have defended that the detention centers were in fact vocational education & training centers set up to deradicalize radicalized residents against the "3 evil forces" of religious extremism, terrorism and separatism.
In the 19th century, the advance of theRussian Empiretroops pushed Kazakhs to neighboring countries. In around 1860, part of the Middle Jüz Kazakhs came toMongoliaand were allowed to settle down in Bayan-Ölgii, Western Mongolia and for most of the 20th century they remained an isolated, tightly knit community.
Ethnic Kazakhs (so-called Altaic Kazakhs or Altai-Kazakhs) live predominantly in Western Mongolia inBayan-Ölgii Province(88.7% of the total population) andKhovd Province(11.5% of the total population, living primarily inKhovd city,KhovdsumandBuyantsum). In addition, a number of Kazakh communities can be found in various cities and towns spread throughout the country. Some of the major population centers with a significant Kazakh presence includeUlaanbaatar(90% inkhoroo#4 ofNalaikhdüüreg),TövandSelengeprovinces,Erdenet,Darkhan,Bulgan,Sharyngol(17.1% of population total)andBerkhcities.
See Kazakh Americans page
As of the beginning of 2021, more than 821,000 ethnic Kazakhs lived in Uzbekistan.They live mostly inKarakalpakstanand northern Uzbekistan.
During theQajarperiod, Iran bought Kazakh slaves who were falsely masqueraded asKalmyksbyKhivanand Turkmen slave traders.
Kazakhs of theAdaytribe inhabited the border regions of the Russian Empire with Iran since the 18th century. The Kazakhs made up 20% of the population of theTrans-Caspianregion according to the 1897 census. As a result of theKazakhs' rebellionagainst the Russian Empire in 1870, a significant number of Kazakhs became refugees in Iran.
Iranian Kazakhslive mainly inGolestan Provincein northernIran.According to ethnologue.org, in 1982 there were 3000 Kazakhs living in the city ofGorgan.Since the fall of theSoviet Union, the number of Kazakhs in Iran decreased because of emigration to their historical motherland.
Kazakhs fled to Afghanistan in the 1930s escapingBolshevikpersecution. Kazakh historian Gulnar Mendikulova cites that there were between 20,000 and 24,000 Kazakhs in Afghanistan as of 1978. Some assimilated locally and cannot speak the Kazakh language.
According to official figures, 13,000 ethnic Kazakhs from Afghanistan have immigrated to Kazakhstan since the early 1990s.
As of 2021, there are about 200 Kazakhs remaining in Afghanistan according to Kazakhstan's foreign ministry. Locals claim that many live inKunduzand others inTakhar Province,Baghlan Province,Mazar-i-SharifandKabul.
Afghan Kypchaksare a group ofTaymaniAimaqswho are of Kazakh origin. They mainly reside inObedistrict to the east of the western Afghanistan's province ofHerat, between the riversFarāh RudandHari Rud.
Turkey received refugees from among the Pakistan-based Kazakhs, Turkmen, Kirghiz, and Uzbeks numbering 3,800 originally from Afghanistan during theSoviet–Afghan War.Kayseri, Van, Amasya, Çiçekdağ, Gaziantep, Tokat, Urfa, and Serinyol received via Adana the Pakistan-based Kazakh, Turkmen, Kirghiz, and Uzbek refugees numbering 3,800 with UNHCR assistance.
In 1954 and 1969, Kazakhs migrated into Anatolia's Salihli, Develi and Altay regions.Turkey became home to refugee Kazakhs.
The Kazakh Turks Foundation (Kazak Türkleri Vakfı) is an organization of Kazakhs in Turkey.
TraditionalKazakh cuisinerevolves aroundlambandhorse meat, as well as a variety of dairymilk products. For hundreds of years, Kazakhs were herders who raisedfat-tailed sheep,Bactrian camels, andhorses, relying on these animals for transportation, clothing, and food. The cooking techniques and major ingredients have been strongly influenced by the nation's nomadic way of life. For example, most cooking techniques are aimed at long-termpreservation of food. There is a large practice of salting and dryingmeatso that it will last, and there is a preference forsour milk, as it is easier to save in a nomadic lifestyle.
Besbarmak, a dish consisting of boiled horse or lamb meat, is the most popular Kazakh dish. Besbarmak is usually eaten with a boiledpastasheet, and a meat broth calledshorpa, and is traditionally served in Kazakh bowls calledkese. Other popular meat dishes areQazı(which is a horse meat sausage that only the wealthy could afford),shuzhuk(horse meat sausages),kuyrdak(also spelledkuirdak, a dish made from roasted horse,sheep, orcowoffal, such as heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs, diced and served withonionsandpeppers), and various horse delicacies, such aszhal(smokedlardfrom horse's neck) andzhaya(salted and smoked meat from horse's hip and hind leg).Pilaf(palaw) is the most common Kazakhricedish, withvegetables(carrots, onions, orgarlic) and chunks of meat. The national drinks arekumys(fermentedmare's milk) andtea.
TraditionalKazakh clothingis often made of materials suited to the region's extreme climate and the rural Kazakh's nomadic lifestyle.It is commonly decorated with elaborate ornaments made from bird beaks, animal horns, hooves and feet.Although contemporary Kazakhs usually wear Western dress, they wear more traditional clothing for holidays and special occasions.
In the late 14th century, theGolden Hordepropagated Islam in its state. Islam in Kazakhstan peaked during the era of theKazakh Khanate, especially under rulers such asAblai KhanandKasym Khan. Another wave of conversions among the Kazakhs occurred during the 15th and 16th centuries via the efforts ofSufiorders.During the 18th century, Russian influence toward the region rapidly increased throughoutCentral Asia. Led byCatherine, the Russians initially demonstrated a willingness in allowingIslamto 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.However, Russian policy gradually changed toward weakening Islam by introducing pre-Islamic elements ofcollective consciousness.Such attempts included methods of eulogizing pre-Islamic historical figures and imposing a sense of inferiority by sending Kazakhs to highly eliteRussianmilitary institutions.In response, Kazakh religious leaders attempted to bring inpan-Turkism, though many were persecuted as a result.During theSovietera,Musliminstitutions survived only in areas that Kazakhs significantly outnumbered non-Muslims, such as non-indigenous Russians, by everyday Muslim practices.In an attempt to conform Kazakhs intoCommunistideologies, gender relations and other aspects of Kazakh culture were key targets of social change.
In more recent times, however, Kazakhs have gradually employed a determined effort in revitalizing Islamic religious institutions after the fall of theSoviet Union. Most Kazakhs continue to identify with their Islamic faith,and even more devotedly in the countryside. Those who claim descent from the originalMuslimsoldiers and missionaries of the 8th-century command substantial respect in their communities.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."
Pre-Islamic beliefs, such as worship of the sky, the ancestors, and fire, continued to a great extent to be preserved among the common people, however. Kazakhs believed in the supernatural forces of good and evil spirits, of wood goblins and giants. To protect themselves from them and from the evil eye, Kazakhs wore protection beads and talismans. Shamanic beliefs are still widely preserved among Kazakhs, as well as the belief in the strength of the bearers of that worship, the shamans, which Kazakhs callbakhsy. Unlike the Siberian shamans, who used drums during their rituals, Kazakh shamans, who could also be men or women, played (with a bow) on a stringed instrument similar to a large violin. At present both Islamic and pre-Islamic beliefs continue to be found among Kazakhs, especially among the elderly. According to 2009 national census 39,172 ethnic Kazakhs areChristians(0.4% of all Kazakhstani Kazakhs).
Kazakhs are known for their hospitality, and so many Kazakh traditions are based on this ethnic feature. Some traditions have been lost, but some have been rediscovered. Below are some of the traditions that continue to play a role in the modern Kazakh society:
Konakasy(Kazakh: қонақасы; "konak" – guest, "as" – food) – a tradition to welcome a guest and make his stay as enjoyable as one can by providing food, lodge, entertainment. Depending on the circumstances under which a guest had come from, he is either called "arnayy konak" (Kazakh: арнайы қонақ) – a specially invited guest, "kudayy konak" (Kazakh: құдайы қонақ) – a casual traveller, or "kydyrma konak" (Kazakh: қыдырма қонақ) – an unexpected visitor.
Korimdik(Kazakh: көрімдік; "koru" – to see) – a tradition of presenting a person with a gift to congratulate him on a gain in his life. The custom is calledkorimdik, if a gain is related to a person or an animal (e.g. seeing a person's daughter-in-law or a newborn animal for the first time), andbaygazy(Kazakh: байғазы), if the gain is material.
Shashu(Kazakh: шашу – to scatter) – a tradition to shower heroes of an occasion with sweets during some festivity. Kazakhs believe that collected delights bring luck.
Bata(Kazakh: бата – blessing) – a form of poetic art, typically given by the most respected or the eldest person to express gratitude for the provided hospitality, give blessing to a person who is about to enter a new phase in life, go through a challenging experience or travel.
Tusau kesu(Kazakh: тұсау кесу – to cut ties) – a tradition to celebrate the first attempts of a child to walk. The legs of a child are tied with a string of white and black colors symbolizing the good and the bad in life. The tie is then cut by a female relative who is energetic and lively in nature, so that the child acquires her qualities. After the string has been cut, it is burnt.
Kyz uzatu(Kazakh: қыз ұзату) – the first wedding party organized by the parents of a bride. The literal translation is "to see off a daughter".
Betashar(Kazakh: беташар; "bet" – face, "ashu" – to open) – the custom (often done at the wedding) to lift a veil from the face of a bride. Today it themullahwho is invited to perform an improvised song, in which he mentions relatives of the groom. During his performance, a bride has to bow every time she hears a name. After the song, the mother of the groom lifts the veil.
Shildehana(Kazakh: шілдехана) – celebration of a birth of a child.
Suinshi(Kazakh: сүйінші) – a tradition to give present to someone who has brought good news.
One of the most commonly used traditional musical instruments of the Kazakhs is thedombra, a plucked lute with two strings. It is often used to accompany solo or group singing. Another popular instrument iskobyz, a bow instrument played on the knees. Along with other instruments, both instruments play a key role in the traditional Kazakh orchestra. A notable composer isKurmangazy, who lived in the 19th century. After studying in Moscow,Gaziza Zhubanovabecame the first woman classical composer in Kazakhstan, whose compositions reflect Kazakh history and folklore. A notable singer of the Soviet epoch isRoza Rymbaeva, she was a star of the trans-Soviet-Union scale. A notable Kazakh rock band isUrker, performing in the genre of ethno-rock, which synthesises rock music with the traditional Kazakh music.