A. Kharuzin, On the Question of the Origin of the Kyrgyz People
“The Wusun were once an independent tribe that lived along the northwestern border of China. Pressured from the east by the Xiongnu, they moved westward, in turn displacing the previous inhabitants—the Buruts (Kyrgyz)—toward the southwest. By the 2nd century BCE, they had settled in what is now the Ili region, as well as parts of Balkhash and Issyk-Kul.
They remained there until the 6th century CE, reaching considerable power. According to Chinese sources, their population numbered up to 630,000 people, with 180,000 warriors. Their main city, Chi-gu-chin, was located near Lake Issyk-Kul (Temurtu).
Today, the ruins of an ancient city, submerged in the lake, are believed to belong to the Wusun based on certain findings. However, according to the scholar Ritter, the city was merely near the lake rather than directly on its shores.
The disappearance of this city can be placed around the 6th century CE. By the first half of the 7th century, the Chinese missionary Xuanzang, who passed by the lake on his way from Kucha to the Chu and Talas rivers, no longer mentioned the city of Chi-gu-chin. Furthermore, from the 7th to the 13th centuries, there are no recorded references to Issyk-Kul.
Thus, starting from the 6th century, no further records of the Wusun city exist. However, this does not necessarily mean that the Wusun themselves disappeared. By the 1st century CE, the Wusun had already split into two branches: one (the Lesser Wusun) moved westward toward the Ural, while the other (the Greater Wusun) established a powerful state.
The migration of the Greater Wusun began primarily in the 4th century when part of them relocated to the Yaxartes (Syr Darya) and Transoxiana, while another group moved into the present-day Kyrgyz Steppe and the Irtysh region.
In the 7th century, specifically in 619 CE, the Wusun submitted to the Turks (Tu-Kiu) and gradually began to merge with them. The 7th-century Chinese writer Shi-Chu noted that the Turks with blue eyes and red beards were, in fact, descendants of the Wusun. However, it appears that the Wusun remained a distinct and relatively independent ethnic group for a significant period.
Chinese sources provide interesting details about the physical appearance of the Wusun, describing them as quite tall, with some having light brown or red hair and blue or green eyes.
Chinese records also mention several other tribes neighboring the Wusun that shared similar light-haired features: My-le (Qin-Sha), Ku-te (possibly a branch of the Goths), Ding-lin (Tmt-lin), Gyan-Gunns (Khakas, presumed ancestors of the Kyrgyz), and En-Uai (presumed to be Alans).
Due to their fair-haired features, the Wusun have long fascinated scholars, particularly in two main areas: one regarding their origins, and the other concerning the question of their modern descendants.
Regarding their origins, scholars hold differing opinions: some, the majority, believe the Wusun were of Aryan origin; others suggest a Finno-Ugric origin, and a few, finally, propose a Mongolic origin.
Among the latter is Father Ioakinf (N. Ya. Bichurin), whose opinion is likely based on the writings of Abulgazi, who stated that the Wusun (Uishun) were of Mongolic descent.
However, this view appears unfounded, as it is difficult to imagine a Mongolic branch with fair-haired features. The Wusun may have been Mongolic in terms of culture and language but not in their physical characteristics.
Most scholars attribute an Aryan origin to the Wusun. Some, particularly German authors, went so far as to claim that the Wusun were of Germanic origin. This assumption was based on the title of Wusun rulers, kuenmo, which was equated with the word konung (king). However, this hypothesis lacks serious evidence.
Naturally, determining whether the Wusun were of Finno-Ugric or Aryan origin is a complex question. It becomes even more difficult if one accepts their Aryan identity: were they Germanic (Goths) or Iranian (Alans)? Moreover, one fair-haired group has been overlooked in theories about the Wusun’s origin—the Slavs.
As previously mentioned, the Wusun have long intrigued scholars. Based on their appearance, a theory was even developed proposing a “third type”—red-haired and green-eyed. According to Topinard, this type spread westward, leaving traces among Finno-Ugric peoples and even reaching Britain.
The most recent researcher on this subject, N. Aristov, holds a unique opinion, which appears to be well-founded.
Aristov argues that the Wusun were merely a branch of the indigenous Kyrgyz (i.e., Kara-Kyrgyz), who had separated from the people remaining in the Yenisei region. The latter soon became known to the Chinese by their true name—Kyrgyz.
However, the Wusun people in Central Mongolia were not solely Kyrgyz; rather, they represented a confederation of Turkic clans, with the Wusun branch of the Kyrgyz at its core.
The common ancestors of the Wusun and the Yenisei Kyrgyz—the ancient Kyrgyz—emerged from the mixing of Turks with the Dingling, a tribe belonging to the long-headed, fair-haired, ancient North Asian race.
According to Aristov, the remnants of this Dingling race, which was distinct from the Aryan race, have been known since the 7th century as the “piebald” people (pegogo), encountered by Russian conquerors of Siberia along the Yenisei under the names Arins, Assans, and Kotts. Today, they are represented only by the dwindling Yenisei Ostyaks.
Regarding the question of the modern descendants of the Wusun, researchers hold significantly different opinions. For example, Topinard tends to identify their descendants among the modern Ostyaks and Chuvash, while N. Yadrintsev associates them with the Abakan, Biysk, and Kuznetsk Tatars, and I. Yavorsky suggests they are linked to the modern Sarts and Tajiks.
However, most scholars, including us, consider the primary remnants of the Wusun to be a part of the Kazakhs (Kyrgyz-Kaisaks), specifically the Wusun lineage of the Great Horde, as well as the Kyrgyz (i.e., Kara-Kyrgyz). Among the Kyrgyz living near Lake Issyk-Kul, a significant number of blond individuals can still be found, and the Uzun-But lineage has been preserved.
The idea that the Wusun tribe persisted among the Kazakhs of the Great Horde (Kyrgyz-Kaisaks) is supported by Klaproth, P. Semenov, A. Wilkins, A. Ivanovsky, and N. Aristov.
There is substantial evidence for this claim. First, the name Wusun itself has been preserved among the Kazakhs (Kaisaks), forming an entire lineage that carries this name.
Second, the modern Wusun lineage continues to migrate in approximately the same regions where the ancient Wusun once lived.
Third, as noted by A. Wilkins, P. Semenov, and others, the fair-haired and blue-eyed type is still relatively common among the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz living near Lake Issyk-Kul.
Furthermore, historical records indicate that from the 7th century onward, the Wusun gradually became subordinate to the Turks. A 7th-century Chinese writer, Shi-Chu, stated that the Turks with blue eyes and red beards should be regarded as descendants of the Wusun.
According to the oral traditions of the Kazakhs of the Wusun lineage, as recorded by Valikhanov, they remember themselves as descendants of a great and powerful people.
Another legend among the Kazakhs of the Great Horde (Kaisaks) claims that they descended from red-haired Wusun, the brother of the progenitor of the other two hordes.
However, N. Aristov argues that the direct descendants of the Wusun are not the Kazakhs but rather the Kyrgyz.
As for the Wusun lineage within the Great Horde (Kazakhs), Aristov suggests that the Wusun element became part of them through the integration of a segment of the Kyrgyz population into the Great Horde (Kazakhs).
According to the nomenclature of the cited author, the Wusun lineage within the Great Horde (Uysuns of Levshin) is referred to as Sary-Uysun. Several factors suggest that this lineage has a Kyrgyz origin:
1. The absence of certain clan names among the Sary-Uysun that are found among the Dulat and Katagan tribes. N. Aristov considers these two tribes to be the foundation of the Kazakh nation; therefore, the Sary-Uysun have a distinct origin from them.
2. The presence within the Sary-Uysun of a subgroup called Kyrt or Kyrk, from which, most likely, the name Kyrgyz (Kara-Kyrgyz) originated.
3. The complete difference between the Sary-Uysun tamga and those of the Dulat and Katagan clans. Instead, their tamga belongs to the quadrilateral type, which is also found among the Kyrgyz and Ostyaks, suggesting a Dingling origin.
4. The name Sary-Uysun itself provides a double confirmation of their Wusun heritage: it not only preserves the name Wusun but also includes the prefix sary, meaning “yellow,” which refers to a defining physical trait of the Wusun—light hair, inherited from the ancient Dingling.
Based on all of the above arguments, we believe there is sufficient evidence to support the view that the Wusun left their most significant traces among the Kazakh people and the Kyrgyz, particularly within the Great Horde.
However, the fair-haired type is not only found among the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz but also among the Bashkirs (although in this case, it is more likely due to the influence of Finno-Ugric ancestry from various neighboring groups), as well as among the Turkmens, Ghalchas, Tajiks, Sarts, and other tribes. It should not be forgotten that, aside from the Wusun, there were also other fair-haired tribes, as mentioned earlier.
In general, it should be noted that the fair-haired type was once much more widespread but has seemingly been gradually replaced by the dark-haired type.
This trend is observed not only in Asia but also in Europe. For example, we see a mass increase in brunettes among the Ossetians, a tribe that was originally fair-haired. Furthermore, we observe the replacement of the fair-haired type by the dark-haired type among the Slavs, as well as to some extent among the Germans and in France.
All this suggests that the fair-haired type, if not always, is at least very often less stable.
Therefore, it is not surprising that in Asia, due to various population migrations, it gradually lost its distinctiveness and became dispersed among different ethnic groups.”
— A. Kharuzin, On the Question of the Origin of the Kyrgyz People
What does DNA science reveal about the origins of the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs? 🧬
Joo-Yup Lee and Shuntu Kuang, University of Toronto, Canada
Kyrgyz
“Haplogroup R1a1, more specifically, its subclade R1a1a1b2 (defined by mutation Z93), is the genetic marker of the Indo-European pastoralists, who migrated from modern-day Ukraine to modern-day Iran, India, the Kazakh steppes, the Tarim Basin, the Altai Mountains region, the Yenisei River region, and western Mongolia during the Bronze Age.
Naturally, R1a1, more specifically, its subclade R1a1a1b2 (R1a-Z93), occurs at high frequency among the Turkic peoples now residing in the Yenisei River and the Altai Mountains regions in Russia.
Compared to the Tuvinians, the Khakass (whose name was created by the Soviets from Xiajiasi (黠戛斯), a Chinese name for Kyrgyz, since they were regarded as descending from the Kyrgyz have noticeably higher percentages of R1a1 (35.2%) and much lower percentages of haplogroups C (1.1%) and Q (4%). However, N is also the most prevalent haplogroup (50%) of the Khakass (Gubina et al. 2013: 339; Shi et al. 2013)
As for the Altaians, the Altai-Kizhi (southern Altaians) are characterised by a high percentage of R1a1 (50%) and low to moderate percentages of C2 (20%), Q (16.7%) and N (4.2%) (Dulik et al. 2012: 234).
The major differences between the Khakass and the southern Altaians are the lower frequency of haplogroup N (in another study, haplogroup N is found at high frequency (32%) among the Altaians in general: see Gubina et al. 2013: 329, 339) and the higher frequencies of haplogroups C2 and Q among the latter.
The descent of the Kyrgyz (Kyrgyz) of the Tien Shan Mountains region (Kyrgyzstan) from the Yenisei Kyrgyz is debated among historians.
However, among the modern Turkic peoples, the former have the highest percentage of R1a1 (over 60%). Since the West Eurasian physiognomy of the Yenisei Kyrgyz recorded in the Xin Tangshu was in all likelihood a reflection of their Eurasian Indo-European marker R1a1a1b2 (R1a-Z93), one may conjecture that the Tien Shan Kyrgyz received their R1a1 marker from the Yenisei Kyrgyz. That is, the former are descended from the latter.
The other Y-chromosome haplogroups found among the Kyrgyz (Kyrgyz) are C2 (12~20%), O (0~15%) and N (0~4.5%).50 The lack of haplogroup Q among the Qirghiz (Kyrgyz) mostly distinguishes them from the Altaians.
During the Bronze Age and early Iron Age, the Yenisei River region was inhabited by Indo-Europeans. The dna study of 26 ancient human specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area dated from the middle of the second millennium bc to the fourth century ad shows that the Yenisei pastoralists mostly belonged to haplogroup R1a1 (Keyser et al. 2009: 401)
The high frequency of R1a1 among the modern-day Kyrgyz and Altaians may thus prove that they are descended from the Yenisei Kyrgyz. In addition, this may explain the reason why medieval Chinese histories depict the Kyrgyz as possessing West Eurasian physiognomy.
The Y-chromosomes of the Kök Türks have not been studied. After the collapse of the Second Türk Khaganate in 745 ce, the Kök Türks became dispersed and it is difficult to identify their modern descendants.
If they were indeed descended from the Eastern Scythians aka Saka (Suo) or related to the Kyrgyz, as the Zhoushu states (Zhoushu 50.908), the Ashina (royal Türkic dynasty, possibly related to the Turko-Jewish Khazar Khaganate, according to Peter B. Golden of Rutgers University) may have belonged to the R1a1 lineage.
Kazakhs
Haplogroup C2 (formerly known as C3) reaches its highest frequency among the Kazakhs (66~73.7% among the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan, 75.47% among the Kazakhs of Xinjiang (Zhong et al. 2010: figure 1), 78% among the Kazakhs of Karakalpakstan (Balaresque et al. 2015: supplementary figure 1) and 59.7% among the Kazakhs of the Altai Republic in Russia (Dulik et al. 2011, 2–3), whose ancestors include the Qipchaqs and other Turkic groups, and the Mongols, among others.
C2 is the major haplogroup of the Mongols, Kazakhs, and Evenks, who belong to the proposed Altaic language family (for the Evenks, see Pakendorf et al. 2007: 1017, table 5: C-M217 and its subclades C-M48 and C-M86 correspond to C2; for the Mongols and Kazakhs, see Wells et al. 2001: 10245, table 1: M130 and M48 correspond to haplogroup C2; Zerjal et al. 2002: 474: haplogroups 10 and 36 correspond to haplogroup C2).
Haplogroup C2 is also the main paternal clan among the Buryats (see Kharkov et al. 2014: 183), who are the Mongolic people”
- Joo-Yup Lee and Shuntu Kuang, University of Toronto, Canada, “A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Historical Sources and Y-DNA Studies with Regard to the Early and Medieval Turkic Peoples’
Volkov, Kharkov, Stepanov - “The Southern Altaians and the Tian Shan Kyrgyz are descendants of close relatives of the Yenisei Andronovans, most likely the descendants of the Altai Andronovans.
It is well known that linguists and ethnographers have long established a close linguistic and ethnic kinship between the Kyrgyz and the Southern Altaians.
Some historians believe that the Kyrgyz and the Southern Altaians once belonged to a single community and that the migration of the Kyrgyz from the Altai to the Tian Shan occurred relatively recently (Abramzon, 1959: 34; Abdumanapov, 2007: 95, 114).
It is also highly probable that the spread of Indo-Iranian languages in this region is linked specifically to the R-L342.2 subclade.
At the same time, there is virtually no doubt that representatives of this subclade formed the core of the Indo-Aryans who ‘invaded’ India approximately 3,500 years ago.
The haplotypes of the carriers of the Andronovo and Tagar cultures show the greatest similarity with the haplotypes of the Southern Altaians and the Tian Shan Kyrgyz.
Preliminary results indicate the following: while the distribution range of the SNP marker L342.2 is significant, it remains confined within Asia.
In Europe, this SNP marker is practically absent, except among populations of clear Asian origin, such as Ashkenazi Jews, as well as Lithuanian and Volga Tatars.
This SNP marker is more frequently found among the following population groups: Arabs (primarily those living on the border with Iraq), Turks, Pakistanis, North and South Indians, Afghans, Southern Altaians, Tian Shan Kyrgyz, and Bashkirs.
According to most researchers specializing in Aryan studies, the semi-nomadic pastoralist tribes of the Srubnaya and Andronovo cultural-historical communities represent the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family.
These tribes are possibly the legendary Aryans who, in the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE, entered ancient Iran, crossed the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan, and invaded the Indus Valley.
The modal 15-marker haplotype of one of the Southern Altaian groups within haplogroup R1a1a, as presented in O.A. Balaganskaya’s study (Balaganskaya, 2011: 22), fully coincides with the modal haplotype of the most numerous R1a1a cluster among the Tian Shan Kyrgyz." - Volkov, Kharkov, Stepanov, “The Andronovo and Tagar Cultures in Light of Genetic Data.”
Kazakh tribe ‘Uisun’
Zhabagin, Sabitov, Lan-Hai Wei, Balanovska - «The majority of the Kazakhs from South Kazakhstan belongs to the 12 clans of the Senior Zhuz. According to traditional genealogy, nine of these clans have a common ancestor and constitute the Uissun tribe. There are three main hypotheses of the clans’ origin, namely, origin from early Wusuns, from Niru’un Mongols, or from Darligin Mongols.
We genotyped 490 samples of South Kazakhs by 35 Y-chromosomal SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) and 17 STRs (short tandem repeat). Additionally, 133 samples from citizen science projects were included into the study.
We found that three Uissun clans have unique Y-chromosomal profiles, but the remaining six Uissun clans and one non-Uissun clan share a common paternal gene pool. They share a high frequency (> 40%) of the C2-ST haplogroup (marked by the SNP F3796), which is associated with the early Niru’un Mongols.
Phylogenetic analysis of this haplogroup carried out on 743 individuals from 25 populations of Eurasia has revealed a set of haplotype clusters, three of which contain the Uissun haplotypes. The demographic expansion of these clusters dates back to the 13-fourteenth century, coinciding with the time of the Uissun’s ancestor Maiky-biy known from historical sources.
In addition, it coincides with the expansion period of the Mongol Empire in the Late Middle Ages. A comparison of the results with published aDNA (ancient deoxyribonucleic acid) data and modern Y haplogroups frequencies suggest an origin of Uissuns from Niru’un Mongols rather than from Wusuns or Darligin Mongols.
The Y-chromosomal variation in South Kazakh clans indicates their common origin in 13th–14th centuries AD, in agreement with the traditional genealogy. Though genetically there were at least three ancestral lineages instead of the traditional single ancestor. The majority of the Y-chromosomal lineages of South Kazakhstan was brought by the migration of the population related to the medieval Niru’un Mongols.
Kazakh clans are structured into three main socio-territorial groups called Senior, Middle, and Junior Zhuzes. Twelve clans of the Senior Zhuz mainly reside in the South Kazakhstan.
According to the traditional genealogy of the Kazakhs, also known as Shezhire, nine out of 12 clans share a common ancestor known as Maiky-biy.
Historical sources mention that he led the western part of the Golden Horde under Batu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. These nine clans altogether form the Uissun tribe. The three remaining clans (Jalair, Kanly, and Shanyshkly) have their own ancestors and are considered as genealogically unrelated to each other and to Uissun clans.
There are three main hypotheses of the origin of the Uissun tribe. The first one is the origin from the early Wusuns, people of Iranian or Tocharian origin, who lived in the Tarim river basin. This area is adjacent to the location of the current residence of the Uissuns.
The other two versions imply a more distant migration from Mongolia. According to the genealogy, Maiky-biy either belongs to the clan of Ushin being a part of the Darligin Mongols, or to the clan of Baarin being a part the Niru’un Mongols.
Phylogenetic analysis of haplogroup С2-F3796
We performed the detailed phylogenetic analysis of the most frequent haplogroup among the Uissuns – C2*-ST (40%). This haplogroup, also known as Star Cluster (ST), is clearly distinguished within M217(xM48, M407) by STR haplotypes. It corresponds to the subclade marked by the SNP F3796. This lineage had spread rapidly over the steppe in Eurasia during the conquests of the Mongol Empire.
It has been presumably associated with the haplotype of Genghis Khan or his relatives. The highest frequencies of the C2-ST were found in Kazakhs from the Kerey clan of the Middle Zhuz (77%), Buryats from the Bargut clan (46%), Hazaras (38%) ; Uzbeks from Afghanistan (35%), and Mongols (35%).
Whose descendants are the clans of South Kazakhstan?
We found that C2-F3796 subclade of haplogroup C2-ST is the most common in the population of South Kazakhstan. In this sense C2-ST is a key to decipher direct paternal ancestor of the Senior Zhuz clans.
Moreover, according to historical studies, the lifetime of the legendary ancestor of the Uissuns (the main population group of South Kazakhstan) coincides with TMRCA of the Uissun cluster.
The oldest known specimen of this lineage (subclade C2-Y4580) originated from the Mongolian-Buddhist burial of Ulus Dzhuchi (700 years ago) in Central Kazakhstan (Ulytau, Karasauyr burial ground. It is closely related to the Uissun haplogroup C2-ST.
The only sample of the Wusun culture studied to date (burial Turgen-2, Semirechye, Kazakhstan) belongs to the haplogroup R1a1a-Z93(xZ94) (subclade R1a1a-Y41571). Other ancient specimens from the Tarim Basin where Wusun lived also belonged to the haplogroup R1a1.
In contrast, all previously studied Kazakh samples belonged to another branch of R1a, namely R1a1a-Z94 (subclade Z2125). In general, R1a is not frequent among Uissun (6% only), therefore, paternal lineages of the Uissuns likely originated from the early Mongols populations rather than from the Wusun.
According to The Secret History of the Mongols, the early Mongols were divided into Niru’un and Darligin Mongols. Which one of them is the ancestor of the Uissuns?
The only successor clan of the Darligin Mongols which has been genetically studied is Konyrat (Kungirat). The haplogroup C2-M407 is present at high frequency (86%) in Konyrat, but not in the Uissuns. According to genealogy, not only the Uissuns but also the Shanyshkly clan of the Senior Zhuz are the descendants of the Niru’un Mongols with dominant C2-ST haplogroup.
In addition, C2-ST is identified by citizen scientists in several genealogical lineages of the Niru’uns (Keneges, Manghit and Katagan), and among the Hazaras which are considered to be direct descendants of the Niru’un Mongols. As a result, we suggest the origin of the Y-chromosomal lineages of the main populations of South Kazakhstan from the Niru’un Mongols.
We presented the Y-chromosomal profiles of the almost every clan from South Kazakhstan (the historical area of the Senior Zhuz of Kazakh). The results indicated the genetic similarity of the six Uissun and one non-Uissun clans to each other, while the other four clans (two Uissun and two non-Uissun clans) have the specific paternal pools.
Thus, the genetic data have not reproduced the traditional genealogy in all details; however, the genetic evidences were consistent with the common origin of the most clans from South Kazakhstan.
Moreover, the significant part of the population originated from three founders which all lived about 700–800 years ago, in contrast to one founder, according to traditional genealogy. These three clusters were identified within the C2-ST (C-F3796) haplogroup.
The first cluster is typical for most Uissun clans, the second one is common for the non-Uissun clan Jalair of South Kazakhstan, and the third one is typical for the North Kazakhstan clan of Kerey, but also includes individual samples from South Kazakhstan.
The predominance of the haplogroup C2-ST in South Kazakhstan suggests the origin of the majority of Y-chromosomal lineages from the Niru’un Mongols." - Zhabagin, Sabitov, Balanovska, Lan-Hai Wei, Akilzhanova, Zholdybayeva, Tarlykov, Tazhigulova, Junissova, Akilzhanov
Source: "The medieval Mongolian roots of Y-chromosomal lineages from South Kazakhstan"
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