Historical ethnic relations between Kyrgyz and Oghuz within the frame of narratives in reference to folklore resources

Abstract

Ethnic, cultural relationships between Kyrgyz and Oghuz (Turkmen) started in the early Middle Ages of history. It is known that a part of the Oghuz between 7th-10th centuries lived in today’s Kyrgyzstan boundaries. According to the legends, it is asserted that the Oghuz Khan’s headquarters was in the Issyk Kul Lake. Mahmud Kashgari stated that Kyrgyzs and Oghuz had spoken pure Turkish language in the 11th century. Information on the ethnic relations in the Middle Ages, such as Kyrgyz-Turkmen, can be identified from clan namings and stamps. In the Kyrgyz-Turkmen clan names, 250 common names were identified. For instance, among the name of the Kyrgyz clans, known as ‘İçkilik’, has been seen some ethnic similarities such as geklen, tekren, teke, bayat, ersarı and etc. since the Middle Ages. At the same time, the clan stamps show the depth of the ethnic relations, too. Information regarding the Oghuz-Turkmens, who established the Seljuk Empire migrating westwards, in the 10-11th centuries can be seen in the genealogies, legends and Manas Epic. According to ideas of the some Kyrgyz researchers, some events in the ‘Manas Epic’ occured among Oghuz clans living in the west of the Kyrgyzs. At the same time, in the ‘Manas Epic’, it is expressed that Manas Baatır’s grandfather is Oghuz (Uğuz), and own father is Cakıp. Furthermore, it is alleged that in the Kyrgyz genealogies, Kyrgyzs come from Uğuz Kağan (Oğuz Han), and some of the genealogies also indicate that Kyrgyzs are Turk-Ata. All of these mentioned information and names are not produced randomly. In the public information, historical events of earlier times, people and genealogy information are kept. In the 16 th century, in the study known as “Genealogy-i Turk (Şecere-i Türk)” of the Abul-Ghazi Khan Bahadur Khan of Khiva, there are information about that Kyrgyzs come from Oghuz Khan. Tamga is one of the important sources of folklore, ethnic history, manuscripts about studies, ethnic culture, names of places and water, tribes and peoples. Tamga on rock, stone surfaces, graves etc. has a great importance in ethnic date researches. Tamga is known to make a major contribution in the clarification of the ethnic information such as peoples without manuscripts, the origin of the ethnic groups, ethnic status and the places where they spread. Tamga plays a role as an additional source in revealing places where nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes spread and main line of their migration routes, their cultural and ethnic relation. Marks of tamgas and their ethnic and cultural history, and their role in researching ethno-genesis is one of the new areas in Kyrgyz researches (such as history, ethnography and Turkic study). The emergence of the Kyrgyz is very important resource in determining places where brands used by Kyrgyz clans spread, the root of these brands, their emergence and spread areas and their importance in the ethnic history, and ethno-cultural and ethno-genesis relationships, parallels of the relation peoples. Tamgas used by clans, families and some individuals in the Kyrgyz and Turkish Mongol languages called “damga”. This term used by former Kyrgyz and Turkish clans spread to Russian, Mongolian, Finno-Ugric people.