Wusun and Kyrgyz
“In some sources, ancient genealogical traditions have been preserved, describing the ethnogenetic connections between the Kyrgyz, Kipchaks, and Kimaks with the Scytho-Saka tribes. These connections are supported by ethnographic and folklore materials. We will discuss this further below and in other sections of this work.
According to the legend cited in Bakhshi Iman’s book ‘Jağfar Tarihi’ [55; 56; 13.-P. 10-20; 14. –P. 25-33], the origins of the ethnonyms ‘Kipchak,’ ‘Kimak,’ and ‘Kyrgyz’ are linked to the Sarmatians and Massagetae (Semirechye), who entered into intensive ethnogenetic and ethnocultural interactions with the Turkic-speaking tribes of the Sayan-Altai region and Western Mongolia.
In the first and apparently more ancient genealogy, the Kyrgyz and Kipchaks are associated with the Massagetae and Sarmatians, while the second focuses on the relations between the Massagetae, Kyrgyz, and Bulgars.
According to the first legend: ’Once in Turkestan (modern-day Kazakhstan), the southern Saka tribe, the Massagetae (Masguts), suddenly attacked the central Saka tribe, the Sarmatians (Chirmysh). All the Chirmysh were killed, but the Sarmatian leader, Tamyr-Bika, managed to hide her infant son in the hollow of a tree before her death.
The boy was found and raised by the Turks, who named him Kipchak – meaning ‘Hollow-born.’ Kipchak married 40 Turkic women, and his descendants from these marriages founded 40 clans of Turkic-speaking Saka. They came to be called ‘Kyrgyz’ (which means ‘forty girls,’ in memory of Kipchak’s forty wives) or ‘Kipchaks.’ The Saka who preserved their Indo-Aryan language continued to be known as ‘Sagdaks’ (Saka).”
Some of the Massagetae were also Turkified during this period and received the name ‘Oimeks’ from the Bulgars, which is sometimes rendered as ‘Kimaks.’ Other Massagetae, who preserved their Indo-Aryan language, continued to be called ‘Masguts’ [13.-P. 10-20].
According to the second legend about Alp-Bike Kurapatka, Tangra, in defense of humanity, transformed her into Alp-Bike Mouse or Kyrgyz-Kyrkyz [Wild or Free Girl], symbolizing the spirit of female defiance and stubbornness.
After that, she appeared in the kingdom of Idel in the guise of a beautiful girl and caused centuries of turmoil in the state. At first, she captivated all the Bulgar princes and sowed discord among them. When she was expelled from Idel, she went to Kashan (Central Asia), where she became an object of worship for the Masguts. Because of this, Tangra punished this tribe, which then came to be called Kyrgyz—after the name Kyrgyz.
The tribe ceased to exist, and even the small group of surviving Masguts adopted the name of the Bulgar dynasty Alan, some of whose members sought refuge with her. The steppes of the Masguts were occupied by the Kipchaks, who were also referred to as Kyrgyz from that time on…” [13.-P. 10-20].
In the photo: Vessels: Khakass-Minusinsk Basin, Kopen Chaatas, 7th-9th centuries, Kyrgyz Khaganate
Photographer: G.G. Sapozhnikov
On the golden jugs, medallions depict a figure of an earred griffin holding a fish in its beak.
Kopen Chaatas: https://old.bigenc.ru/archeology/text/2095133
The first legend confirmed the ethnogenetic connection of the Kyrgyz with the Massagetae and Sarmatians. It is likely referring to the migration of the eastern tribes of the Wusuns, Yuezhi, and Xiongnu to the west in the 3rd century BCE, when they successively moved into the land of the Saka and then, in a single blow, overthrew Bactria, founding the Kushan Empire on its ruins.
The newly established state included three major territories: Davan, Kangju, and Yuezhi. Following these events, the Saka permanently disappeared from the political landscape of Central Asia, and on the eastern edge of their former lands, a new tribal union under the name Kyrgyz (Giangkun) began to rise.
In historical sources, the Kyrgyz and Sarmatians were always described as tribes belonging to the same cultural sphere, known as fire worshipers who practiced cremation. Genealogical legends contained similar themes, with the origins of these peoples always being linked to women.
One origin story involves the Amazons, known as man-killers, who reached Scythia, befriended the young Scythians, crossed the Tanais River (Syr Darya), and there formed the Sarmatian union. According to the ‘Yuanshi’ records, the Kyrgyz originated from forty girls of the Han state who married men from the Wusun domain, which led to this region being called the Kyrgyz land [294.-P. 92].”
Based on the above, we believe that the Sarmatians, Bulgar Serbs, and Chirmysh might have represented related ethnic groups, as suggested by the initial parts of these ethnonyms. For a comprehensive analysis, the term ‘Syr’ can be compared with the name of the Issedon tribe of Serians (Serica), ancestors of the Kipchak Syr-Tardush.
It is known that S.G. Klyashtorny demonstrated the identity of ‘Syr-Tardush’ with the Kipchaks [208. – P. 157]. It is possible that the ethnonym ‘Chirmysh’ (‘Cher/Sar’ and ‘Yemysh/Yemek’), which consists of two parts, also indicates a connection between the names ‘Sar/Mat’ and ‘Yemek.’
It should be noted that Chinese sources referred to the Sarmatians under the ethnonyms ‘Yan’ or ‘Yancai.’ L. Gumilev wrote about this: ‘This brings to mind the ancient Chinese name for the Sarmatian tribes—Yan and Yancai—in which sinologists have seen a representation of the ethnonym “Sarmatian”’ [119. – P. 162].
According to historical sources, the Sarmatians (Yan, Yancai) were initially under the control of the Kangju state. However, the situation later changed, and the Sarmatians gained the upper hand over Kangju. Historical records indicate that the Kangju had neighboring territories with the principality of Ferghana (Dawan) and that their customs and clothing were not significantly different from those of the Sarmatians, Alans, and Yuezhi.
During the era of Zhang Qian, the territory of Yancai (Sarmatians) was located ‘nearly 2,000 li to the northwest of Kangju’ [131. – P. 62]. They led a nomadic lifestyle and maintained a military force of 100,000 troops, 10,000 more than Kangju, indicating their clear superiority. It is possible that the population of the Sarmatians increased due to an influx of related newcomers, potentially a group of Yuezhi or Hephthalites, who were fleeing from the pressure of the Xiongnu and Usuns.
It should be noted that the description of the region of Yan and Yancai in the sources is very similar to later accounts of the territory of Yanmo. For instance, Yancai is described as having ‘plenty of pine, broom, and feather grass,’ while Yan is noted for paying tribute ‘with furs of mouse-like animals.’
Chinese chronicles recorded that after the land of Boma, ‘30 days’ journey southward… leads to the Tutsishi (Turgesh), and another 30 days’ journey brings one to Yanmo… In these regions, there are many pine and birch trees. Annually, tribute is collected in the form of sable, otter, squirrel, and ermine furs’ [30. – P. 46].
Scholars have long held the view that the Imeks or Kimaks are identical to Yanmo, whose history is closely linked with the Seyanto tribes, consisting of two generations: Se and Yanto. The ‘Tangshu’ mentions that ‘Seyanto’s Ishibo established himself in the Yanmo Mountains’ [30. – P. 45].
Y. Zuev did not link the region of Yanmo to any specific area; however, he placed the neighboring tribe of Boma to the west of Lake Baikal [151. – P. 104]. S. Akhinzhanov identified the Imeks described by M. Kashgari as being related to the Chinese Yanmo, comparing this with the name of the Yumo River in the Altai region.
S. Akhinzhanov located the Yanmo Mountains on the southwestern slopes of the Altai range, where, according to him, the ‘valley of Yemek’ was situated [30. – P. 47].
Based on this, it can be inferred that the history of the Yemek or Yanmo tribe is closely connected with the tribes of Se and Yanto (Tardush). It seems more accurate to interpret the Chinese term ‘Yan’ as representing the medieval ethnonyms ‘Yanmo’ and ‘Yemek.’
Thus, it can be assumed that in the era of the ancient Turks, the tribes of Yan and Yancai-Sarmatians, who had connections with Kangju, managed to reemerge during the medieval period under the names ‘Yanmo’-‘Yemek’ and ‘Yanto’-‘Tardush.’
It should also be noted that the Kyrgyz in the past had a tribe called Yuvash (Joosh), while the Kandy tribe included the clan subdivision of Jumash (also known as ‘Yumash’). The Bashkir tribe Burzyan had a clan called Yamash, which can be easily compared to the various forms of the name of the Kimaks in historical sources—‘Yemek,’ ‘Yamak.’
The Burzyans had a sacred tree called ‘Imen’ (oak), a bird called ‘Kozgon’ (either a raven or an eagle), a battle cry ‘Aktugan,’ and a tamga (tribal symbol) called ‘Yagalbay’ (merlin). Additionally, in the Eurasian region, there are place names associated with the Kimak ethnonyms ‘Yemek’ or ‘Kimak’ and the Kyrgyz ‘Jumash’ (‘Yumash’).
For example, in the border regions of Yugoslavia adjacent to Hungary, where descendants of the Pechenegs known as Bosniaks reside, there are localities named Baymak (‘Bay Yemek’) and Mala Bosna (Mala Bosnia). In Hungary, there is a place called ‘Baymak-Marahal,’ where archaeologists have found Sarmatian burials and artifacts associated with them [359. – P. 163].”
A toponym with a similar name, ‘Baymakli,’ exists in the lands of the Gagauz people in Moldova, who are associated with the Pechenegs, Burjans, and Bulgars. In this region, there are also place names such as Babalach, Yamach, Bekesh, and Mukach [138. – P. 216].
It is quite intriguing that these same place names, in the forms Babalash, Yamash, Bikesh, and Mokas, were found in the Baymaksky district (Burzyan volost) of Bashkiria, as well as ‘Baymak’ in Karakalpakstan, which suggests a direct connection to its origin with the Pecheneg-Kangars.
It seems to us that ‘Baymak’ was connected to the Bashkir Burzyans, who were part of the Kimak Khaganate. It is possible that ‘Baymak’ consisted of two words: ‘Bay/Bash/Bak’ and ‘Yamak/Yamash/Yemek.’ Therefore, the Kimaks were a people representing a blend of Scytho-Saka tribes and Sarmatians with Kangar-Pechenegs and Kyrgyz, who dominated the Sayan-Altai region until the era of the Kara-Khitan conquests.
The above once again confirms our view of the ethnogenetic connections between the ancient Kyrgyz and the Saka-Tigrahauda (Yuezhi-Massagetae) and the Wusuns (Issedons), who possibly represented eastern groups of tribes from the Kangju state.
The Chinese referred to the Kyrgyz by the ethnonyms ‘Ge-gun,’ ‘Gyan-gun,’ ‘Hegu,’ and others. In the 3rd century BCE, the Kyrgyz, along with the neighboring territories of Xinli (Kangly), Dingling, and Jueshe, were conquered by the Xiongnu.
On the eve of the invasion by the Xiongnu leader Modu Chanyu, the Kyrgyz lived in the southeast of Kangju, approximately in the territory of the Yuezhi-Massagetae tribes, which were considered the most powerful and influential union. By the 5th century CE, under the influence of the Xiongnu, they transformed into the confederation of the White Huns—Hephthalites. It appears that the eastern branch of these tribes later became known as the Kumosi-Kumans.
According to the previously mentioned legend, the origin of the Kyrgyz state was linked to 40 girls from the land of Han who married the men of Us. However, S. Ahsikendi presents a similar legend, stating that the Kyrgyz originated from forty Guz (tribes) who hid in the mountains of Khujand [33. – P. 30-31].
Thus, the first legend can be interpreted as a Sinicized version of an ancient genealogical tradition, as the idea of forty girls from the land of Han seems implausible. Therefore, in both versions of the legend, the reference is to the Guz tribes who lived in the territory of Us and mixed with the Kyrgyz.
We therefore assume that the tribes of Us or Az (Kyrgyz) have lived in the Tuva region since ancient times and may have been the ancestors of later ethnic groups, such as the Usuns, Oghuz, and others.
Based on the above, it can be suggested that the ancient Uz (Az) tribes, living in Western Mongolia and forming ethnogenetic ties with other local tribes, developed into new ethnic groups and alliances, such as the Wusuns (from Us + ok/n, Us + ok, Az + ok, Azyk) or the Oghuz (from Ok + Uz).
Thus, we have reason to believe that the Wusuns may have originated from the territory of Us in Western Mongolia. It is possible that the ethnonym ‘Wusun’ derived from the combination of the two words ‘Us’ and ‘ok/n,’ which in meaning and essence corresponds to the medieval ethnonym ‘Oghuz’ (Ok + Uz), as well as the Tuvan and Kyrgyz ‘Mongush’ (‘Man + Oghuz’) and ‘Mungush’ (‘Man + Oghuz’).
N. Aristov, V. Barthold, L. Gumilev, and others considered the Wusuns and Kyrgyz as descendants of the Dingling. At the same time, L. N. Gumilev viewed the Xiongnu (Huns) as a mixture of their Mongoloid ancestors and the Europoid Dingling. In his opinion, the Yenisei Kyrgyz could have emerged not only from the mixing of the Gyangun with the Dingling but also with the Huns [301. –P. 63].
As mentioned earlier, the appearance of the Kyrgyz on the historical stage was linked to the migration of the Yuezhi and Wusuns westward, triggered by the rise of the Xiongnu. The relationships between the Yuezhi, Wusuns, and Xiongnu are reflected in the genealogical tradition mentioned above about the young Wusun prince.
Some scholars believe that this legend recorded the process of establishing ethnic connections between these two peoples in the past. In our view, this tradition primarily reflects the political status of the Wusuns among the nomadic tribes of Central Asia.
The legend emphasized the Xiongnu's reverence for the heavens and divine powers, which led them to take in the newborn prince, who was saved with divine assistance, love him, and raise him.
Later, when the prince reached adulthood, the Xiongnu leader gathered the scattered remnants of the Wusuns and placed the young prince at the head of his people, giving him the throne title of Kunbag. According to sources, the young Kunbag, after becoming the ruler of the Wusuns, decided to avenge his father and the wrongs done to him in the past.
With the support of the Xiongnu, he attacked the Yuezhi and forced them to flee westward. After some time, the young Kunbag parted ways with the Xiongnu. The Wusun leader, following the Yuezhi, arrived in the Tianshan Mountains, captured the lands of the "Se" (Saka) people, and settled there. These events align with the account of Pompeius Trogus: "The Asii—Kings of the Tocharians and the Fall of the Sacarauci" [227.-P. 48].
Therefore, the Yuezhi and Wusuns were part of the Dingling, who, after living for a long time alongside the Xiongnu and intermixing with them, gradually became Turkified. In other words, the Yuezhi, Wusuns, and Xiongnu were related groups.
They represented three large associations in the process of forming a new ethnic group. In earlier times, the Yuezhi and Wusuns were the main rivals and hegemons in the region. However, starting from the 3rd century BCE, the initiative shifted to the Xiongnu, who, after conquering all the steppe tribes, under the leadership of Modu Chanyu, created an empire that stretched from Lake Baikal to Ordos in the south, and from Eastern Turkestan to the regions east of Lake Baikal.
However, the integration of the Xiongnu with tribes of Dingling origin continued during the Xiongnu period, particularly during the reign of Chanyu Zhizhi. To maintain his power and influence, Zhizhi relocated his base to the territory of the related Gyangun (Kyrgyz), securing reliable protection in their lands. This led to the absorption of the aristocratic group of the Western Xiongnu by the Kyrgyz.
In Western literature, since the time of De Guignes, the aforementioned Asii were equated with the Issedones (Wusun). In turn, N.A. Aristov linked the Wusuns with the ancient Kyrgyz. In his opinion, the Wusuns were part of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, who, by the 2nd century BCE, separated from the main group and migrated to the Tian Shan region.
Here, they became the ancestors of the Tian Shan Kyrgyz. N.A. Aristov viewed the Azik tribe as the formative ethnic group of the ancient Kyrgyz [26. –Pp. 218-219]. A. Bernshtam supported the identification of the Asii with the Wusuns. He wrote that the ethnonyms "Asii," "Wusun," and "Kushan" were Tocharian renditions of the name "Wusun," justifying the information about the "Asii—kings of the Tocharians..."
He believed that "the Issedones were tribes from the eastern part of Central Asia, neighboring southern Siberian tribes, and have been known to ancient science since the 6th century BCE, when the Saka left the Tian Shan for Central Asia and the Amur region, with part of the Issedon tribes—Asii and Pasiani—going with them." He also considered that "Wusun" was a shortened form of the ethnonym "Issedon."
In a similar situation were the ethnonyms "Asii" and "Pasiani," represented here in different phonetic forms. It is evident that this refers to different variants of the same ethnonym, with the root sounding as as/is/us/ in various texts [62. –P. 99.].
Thus, A. Bernshtam attempted to view the Wusuns and Az as one ethnic group. It should be noted that the Az have always been associated with the Kyrgyz in scholarly literature.
Most scholars recognize the significant role of the Az in the process of consolidating the Yenisei Kyrgyz. The belief that the Az were the aristocratic clan of the Yenisei Kyrgyz has long been established in academic circles.
Academician V. Barthold wrote that in the runic inscriptions, the people of Az are mentioned several times alongside the Kyrgyz. In the book Badayi at-Tawarikh (17th century), the Kyrgyz were called Az [3.-P. 426. Note 78.].
V.V. Barthold considered it possible to compare the Az of Western Mongolia with the Semirechye generation of the Turgesh—Azians. After studying the runic inscriptions of Tonyukuk, in which the Az tribe is mentioned several times along with the Kyrgyz, he identified the Semirechye Az as a branch of the Turgesh [43; 63. –Pp. 281-282], locating them in the eastern territories of the Turgesh Khaganate.
Relying on information from eastern authors, he noted: “...by the time of the conquest of Semirechye by the Karluks, the Turgesh were divided into two groups—the Toksi (Tukhsi) and Azians”. He also linked the Altaians’ Tört As generation with the Kyrgyz. Y.A. Zuev interpreted the name of one of the Western Turkic tribes, Asitse, as Azgyr (Az+Gur), which is closer to the ethnonym "Az" found in the Orkhon-Yenisei texts [150. –Pp. 66-67.].
V. Barthold, L. Potapov, S. Abramzon, O. Karaev, S. Attokurov, E. Maanaev [12.-P. 21], and others believed that a part of the Az, after the events of 715, when the Turkic Khagan Kül Tegin defeated their main forces near Lake Khara-Kol, fled west and ended up in the land of the Turgesh in the Tianshan region.
The migration of the Az to the west was associated with the Kyrgyz [45. –Pp. 485, 482; 170; 345.-P. 78.]. S. M. Abramzon compared the Asigi (a Western Turkic tribe) with the Azik, and the latter with the Altai Tört-As. S. M. Abramzon wrote: "The connection between the Az-Turgesh and the resemblance of the Azik tribe's tamga (tribal symbol) with the tamga in the shape of a bow on Turgesh coins from the 8th century, found during excavations in the Chuy Valley, is noteworthy...
...The Azik tribe can also be compared with the Altai group 'Tört-As,' which is part of the modern Telengits and Ach-Kyshtyms, because 'representatives of the Kyrgyz tribe Azik (or Asyk) call themselves the 'four-tamga' Azik (Tört Tamgaluu Azik) based on the number of subdivisions: Kozugun, Baykyuchuk, Bychman, and Bory" [3.-Pp. 50-51.].
According to Professor S. Attokurov, "the Azik called themselves Azik-Kyrgyz," which indicates their ancient origin. Furthermore, the scholar wrote that the ancestors of the Azik were part of the Kyrgyz group that was among the first to migrate from the banks of the Yenisei to the Tianshan, at least no later than the 10th century.
It should be noted that most scholars, such as S. Malov, G. Grumm-Grzhimaylo, S. Kisilev, N. Serdobov, D. Savinov, Yu. Khudyakov, and V. Butanaev, suggested that the people referred to as "Ach" or "Az" in runic texts were Kyrgyz.
All the works of these scholars were analyzed in our monograph Karkyrahan: The Great Kyrgyz Khaganate. G. Grumm-Grzhimaylo asserted that the Az were one of the unions of the ancient Kyrgyz. He placed them in the Sayan Mountains (Kogmen), and the Az Valley in the regions of the Abakan River.
S. Kisilev and N. Serdobov placed the Kyrgyz clan "Ach" (Az) in the middle reaches of the Ius River and the Uybat River in the Minusinsk Basin. According to D. G. Savinov, in the 7th-9th centuries, the people "Ach" (Az) formed the core of the Kyrgyz ethnicity.
In the opinion of V. Butanaev and Yu. Khudyakov, the people "Az" or "Ach" should be identified with the ruling family of the Kyrgyz state, which is recorded in Chinese chronicles in the form of "Ajo" (Ajie).
V. Butanaev and Yury Khudyakov wrote that, "based on the context of the monument dedicated to Kül Tegin, it can be assumed that the 'Az' represented the elite part of the Kyrgyz..." [345. –Pp. 77-78; 89.-P. 72.]. At the same time, V. Ya. Butanaev attempted to compare "Ajo" with the name of the seok (clan) "Ajyg" among the Khakas [12. –Pp. 21-23].
However, it should be noted that N. A. Aristov justifiably saw the Asigi as descendants of the Wusuns. That is, we support the opinion of scholars that the Az lived in the Tianshan region since the time of the Wusuns.
Our opinion can be supported by the following arguments. First, both the Asigi and the Kyrgyz Azik had direct kinship relations with the Küchük tribes. The Western Turkic Asigi were mentioned together with the Geshu (Küchük), and the Azik had the clans Bayküchük (dog), Bychman, Kozugun (Bashkir Kozgon—crow), and Bory (wolf) in their tribal structure.
Moreover, the names of the last two Azik clans were mentioned as totemic animals in the Wusun legend, which gives us full reason to recognize the Asigi and Azik as descendants of the Wusun.
Secondly, the similarity between the Azik tamga and the tamga in the form of a bow on Turgesh coins from the 8th century indirectly suggests the possible political status of their ancestors in the Tianshan during the period in question [3 –Pp. 50-51.].
Thirdly, the Kozugun (Crow) clan appeared in the tribal structures of the Bashkirs and Kazakhs. Therefore, based on the above, it can be assumed that V. V. Barthold, L. P. Potapov, S. M. Abramzon, and others were writing about the same people: the Az or Kyrgyz, who inhabited the regions around the Chuy River during the 8th-10th centuries.
Thus, from the above, it can be noted that the Wusun and the Az (Azik) played a significant role in the history and ethno-political life of Central Asia. It seems to us that ancient authors referred to the ancestors of the Az as Asii or Issedones, while the Chinese called them Wusun.
The Wusun (or Az), like the Yuezhi, were an elite clan in Dingling society. It is possible that this elite status motivated the Xiongnu leader to take in the newborn prince, who was under the protection of Tengri (the sky), to love and raise him—thus forming an alliance with the Wusun.
In this way, the Xiongnu aimed to finally eliminate the more powerful Yuezhi, who posed a constant threat and disrupted their peace. However, in order to get rid of their enemies and boost the morale of their warriors, the Xiongnu leader needed a strong ally, a powerful and spirited tribe with the support of Tengri. This tribe turned out to be the Wusun, whose totem was the wolf.
Another reason for the creation of the Wusun-Xiongnu alliance could have been the fact that the Yuezhi and Wusun were related tribes, both governed by representatives of the same aristocratic clan, whose totem was also the wolf.
Therefore, from the above, it can be concluded that the Wusun, as one of the branches of the Dingling, may have been their aristocratic clan.
It is possible that, in ancient historiography, the Wusun, as the elite clan of the Dingling, overshadowed all their related tribes, including the Dingling, Kyrgyz, Xiongnu, and others. This is why ancient sources provide more information about the powerful Issedones-Wusun and the Massagetae (Yuezhi).
Hence, it can be assumed that the Kangju, Saka, Wusun, and Xiongnu played important roles in the ethnogenesis of the Kyrgyz people. The Yuezhi, after defeating the Wusun, introduced the ethnonym "Kyrgyz" into Wusun society.
In doing so, they opened a new chapter in the history of the Central Asian tribes. The alliance between the Wusun and the Xiongnu allowed the unification of two major groups in Central Asia. The Wusun, after conquering and merging with the Yuezhi and Saka tribes, formed a new ethnos—the Kyrgyz, which was divided into eastern and western groups.
The Wusun led the western tribes, while the eastern tribes were led by the Az-Kyrgyz. Therefore, the Xiongnu always sought to keep the Gyangun (Kyrgyz) under constant control.
The Xiongnu did not allow the Kyrgyz to unite with the related Wusun, Dingling, or Kangju, until they themselves, under the leadership of Chanyu Zhizhi in the middle of the 1st century CE, merged with and became absorbed by the Kyrgyz, playing an important role in the formation of the Tashk culture of the Kyrgyz.
It is evident that the connection between the Wusun and the Xiongnu not only points to the kinship of these two groups and the influence of the former (the Dingling) on the latter but also suggests that the Xiongnu were gradually absorbed by the Dingling-like Wusun and their eastern branch, the Kyrgyz (Az).
This opinion is somewhat supported by an ancient Turkic legend, in which the Kyrgyz (Qigu) is mentioned as one of the brothers, descendants of the mythical she-wolf [119.–Pp. 20-23.]. Consequently, the alliance of the Wusun with the Xiongnu against the Yuezhi led, first, to the destruction of the Yuezhi and the strengthening of the Wusun in the west; and second, to the emergence of a new union of the Az-Kyrgyz in the east.
Thus, the appearance of the Kyrgyz on the historical stage was driven by the conflicts among three steppe tribes: the Yuezhi, the Wusun, and the Xiongnu, and the formation of an alliance between the latter two against the first.
The alliance between the Wusun and the Xiongnu demonstrated the influence of the Dingling on the Xiongnu, which ultimately led to the absorption of the western Xiongnu by the Dingling-like Kyrgyz (Az).” - Tabyldy Akerov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Director of the Institute of Ethnology at the International University of Kyrgyzstan.
🧬 DNA Science Data:
“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.” - Joo-Yup Lee and Shuntu Kuang, University of Toronto, Canada
Source: “A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Historical Sources and Y-DNA Studies with Regard to the Early and Medieval Turkic Peoples’
Authors: Joo-Yup Lee and Shuntu Kuang from, the University of Toronto of Canada
“Kyrgyz are an admixed population between the East and the West. Different patterns have been observed in the patrilineal gene pool of the Kyrgyz. Historically, ancient Kyrgyz were considered to be the Yenisei Kyrgyz that may perhaps be concerned with the Tashtyk culture.
Extremely low Y-diversity and the presence of a high-frequency 68.9% Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a1-M17 (a diagnostic Indo-Iranian marker are striking features of Kyrgyz populations in central Asia. It is believed that this lineage is associated with Indo-Europeans who migrated to the Altai region during the Bronze Age and mixed with various Turkic groups.
Among the Asian R1a1a1b2-Z93 lineages, R1a1a1b2a2-Z2125 is quite common in Kyrgyzstan (68%) and Afghan Pashtuns (40%), and less frequent in other Afghan ethnic groups and some Caucasus and Iran populations (10%). Notably, the basal lineage R1a1a1b2-Z93* is commonly distributed in the South Siberian Altai region of Russia.
According to the published ancient DNA data, we found that, in Middle Bronze Age, Haplogroup R1a1a1b2a2a- Z2125 was mainly found in Sintashta culture population from Kamennyi Ambar 5 cemetery, western Siberia, in Fedorovo type of the Andronovo culture or Karasuk culture population from Minusinsk Basin, southern Siberia, and in Andronovo culture populations from Maitan, Ak-Moustafa, Aktogai, Kazakh Mys, Satan, Oy-Dzhaylau III, Karagash 2, Dali, and Zevakinskiy stone fence, Kazakhstan.” (Wen, Shao-qing; Du, Pan-xin; Sun, Chang; Cui, Wei; Xu, Yi-ran; Meng, Hai-liang; Shi, Mei-sen; Zhu, Bo-feng; Li, Hui (March 2022)
Source: "Dual origins of the Northwest Chinese Kyrgyz: the admixture of Bronze age Siberian and Medieval Niru'un Mongolian Y chromosomes", Nature
Authors: Wen, Shao-qing; Du, Pan-xin; Sun, Chang; Cui, Wei; Xu, Yi-ran; Meng, Hai-liang; Shi, Mei-sen; Zhu, Bo-feng; Li, Hui (March 2022)
“The modern-day descendants of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, the Kyrgyz people, have one of the highest frequencies of haplogroup R1a-Z93. This lineage believed to be associated with Indo-Iranians who migrated to the Altai region in the Bronze Age, and is carried by various Türkic groups. The Zhoushu [the book of the Zhou Dynasty] (Linghu Defen 2003, Chapter 50, p. 908) informs us that the Ashina, the royal clan of the Kök Türks, were related to the Kyrgyz.
If so, the Ashina may have belonged to the R1a1 lineage like the modern-day Tienshan Kyrgyz, who are characterised by the high frequency of R1a1 (over 65%). Haplogroup R1a1, more specifically, its sub- clade R1a1a1b2 defined by mutation Z93, was carried by the Indo-European pastoralists, who reached the Kazakh steppes, the Tarim Basin, the Altai Mountains region, the Yenisei River region, and western Mongolia from the Black Sea steppes during the Bronze Age (Semino et al. 2000, p. 1156, Lee, Joo-Yup (2018)
Source: Lee, Joo-Yup (2018). "Some remarks on the Turkicisation of the Mongols in post-Mongol Central Asia and the Kipchak Steppe ''. Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 71 (2): 121–124. doi:10.1556/062.2018.71.2.1. ISSN 0001-6446. S2CID 133847698.
Kazakh DNA researcher Zhaxylyk Sabitov states: “Until the 9th century, the Kyrgyz lived along the Yenisei River in the Minusinsk Basin. In the 9th century, the Yenisei Kyrgyz migrated to the Altai and Irtysh regions.
“From 1326 to 1329, some Altai Kyrgyz moved to Semirechye and the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan.” He also published DNA sample data from the Sintashta culture, which he claims “is related to the Altai and modern Kyrgyz, while the Arban-1 samples from the Karasuk culture are ancestral to modern Kyrgyz. Genetic data from Arzhan complex (8th century BCE) also show parental genes of the Kyrgyz.”
It is known that the structure of Arzhan has similarities with the Sintashta-Andronovo kurgans (M.P. Gryaznov). It is known that Saka tribes lived in the territory of Kyrgyzstan, and later the Wusun tribe arrived from the east. The high percentage of R1a1 among the Kyrgyz appeared through three routes: from the Saka tribes, from the Wusun Sakas, and from the Dingling tribes. There is also a theory about the migration of part of the Yenisei Kyrgyz to the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan.” (Zhaxylyk Sabitov)
Source: “Historical-Genetic Approach in the Study of the Ethnogenesis and Material Culture of the Ancient Kyrgyz” - International Journal of Experimental Education
“The land of Modern Kyrgyzstan, populated at the turn of the eras by the Saka and Wusun tribes, was overrun by the Yenisei Kyrgyzes (Khakasses) in the 8th c. AD.
Since Kyrgyzstan is a natural mountain fortress of the Tian Shan mountains, it is an island similar to the Lithuanian Tatars, with high genetic inertia and limited influences. Essentially, all four are Scythians, the Saka Scythians, Wusun Scythians, Yenisei Kyrgyz Scythians, and the Lithuanian Tatar Scythians.”
Source: “The Lithuanian Tatars: DNA Ancestry Traced To The Eurasian Steppes”, Academy of DNA-Genealogy, Tsukuba, Japan, Igor Rozhanski
"Samples from the burials of the Andronovo, Tagar, and Tashtyk cultures were identified using Y-STR analysis, which allows for the comparison of these samples with each other and with samples from representatives of different populations, both ancient and modern.
The Andronovo haplotypes S10 and S16 have the following structure:
ANDRON S10, S16:
13-25-16-11-11-14-10-14-11-18-15-14-11-16-20-12-23
The greatest number of matches is observed with the Tian Shan Kyrgyz and the Southern Altaians. Complete matches of haplotypes in populations that are geographically close and share a common history are possible only in cases of genetic relationship; random matches are unlikely.
Thus, the Southern Altaians and the Tien Shan Kyrgyz are likely descendants of close relatives of the Yenisei Andronovites, most likely the descendants of the Altai Andronovites. It is well established by linguists and ethnographers that there is close linguistic and ethnic kinship between the Kyrgyz and the Southern Altaians (Baskakov, 1966: 15-16).
These peoples share the same names for their clan divisions (Mundus, Telos-Doolos, Kipchak, Naiman, Merkit, etc.). Kyrgyz legends refer to Altai as the ancestral home of their people. Several historians believe that the Kyrgyz and Southern Altaians once formed a single community and that the migration of the Kyrgyz from Altai to Tien Shan occurred relatively recently (Abramzon, 1959: 34; Abdumanapov, 2007: 95, 114).
Source: Volkov V.G., Kharkov V.N., Stepanov V.A. Andronovo and Tagar cultures in light of genetic data."
"Scientific data indicates that the majority of modern Kyrgyz (65%) carry the R1a haplogroup. DNA research from ancient burial remains, published by Dr. K. Kaiser and her colleagues in the study 'Ancient DNA Provides New Insights into the History of South Siberian People of the Kurgan Culture,' shows that most of the individuals associated with the Andronovo, Tagar, and Tashtyk cultures have the R1a1 haplogroup.
A. Klesov discusses this study in his work: 'The authors remind us that the Andronovo culture was replaced by the Karasuk culture in Southern Siberia. The Tagar culture then succeeded the Karasuk culture in the Khakassia region, followed by the Tashtyk culture in the 1st-4th centuries AD in the Yenisei region.'
Additionally, in 2012, based on these and other results, Russian scientists V.G. Volkov, V.N. Kharkov, and Professor V.A. Stepanov published the following data in their study 'The Andronovo and Tagar Cultures in Light of Genetic Data': 'The haplotypes of the Andronovans under markers S10 and S16 are associated with the R1a1a haplogroup.
This haplogroup was found in the ancient Tarim mummies (2nd century AD), among the carriers of the Pazyryk culture in the Altai (5th century BC), and among the Xiongnu in Mongolia (3rd-1st centuries BC). When comparing the haplotypes of the aforementioned Andronovans, a full match and a high correlation were observed with the Tianshan Kyrgyz (65%) and the Southern Altaians (17%).
In the analysis of the haplotype of a representative of the Tagar culture, the closest match among all the compared groups were the Kyrgyz (8%). Furthermore, when comparing the haplotypes of the Tagar S24 and Tashtyk S34 cultures, it was found that they are identical and are derived from the Tagar S26.
A complete match was found only with one Kyrgyz individual, suggesting that the shared haplotypes between the Kyrgyz and the Andronovans, Tagarians, and Tashtykians clearly indicate a common ancestral population.’
As a result, the following conclusions were drawn: 'The haplotypes of the Andronovo and Tagar cultures are most closely related to the haplotypes of the Southern Altaians and the Tianshan Kyrgyz.'
Conclusion:
Carriers of the R1a haplogroup spread throughout Central Asia, from the shores of the Caspian Sea to Southern Siberia and the Tianshan, forming the Andronovo culture.
Later, through intermixing with other nomadic tribes for various reasons, new cultures formed across these territories.
For example, the Saka-Wusun culture spread in the Tianshan, while in Southern Siberia, the Andronovo culture was succeeded by the Karasuk culture. The Karasuk culture was later replaced by the Tagar culture in the Khakassia region, and then the Tashtyk culture succeeded the Tagar culture in the Yenisei region.
The Tashtyk period became the true foundation for the subsequent development of the Yenisei Kyrgyz in the realm of ethnogenesis and the formation of Kyrgyz culture. By the 5th-6th centuries AD, the Kyrgyz Khaganate was formed on the Yenisei. From the 9th century onward, the Yenisei Kyrgyz began migrating to the Altai and the Irtysh region.
Later, they migrated to Semirechye and the territory of modern-day Kyrgyzstan. Based on the above, in the study of Kyrgyz ethnogenesis, it is necessary to recognize two historical directions and developments.
Thus, the materials of the aforementioned archaeological cultures can serve as a source base for studying the material culture of the ancient Kyrgyz.” - Moldalieva M.I.
Source: Moldalieva M.I. HISTORICAL-GENETIC APPROACH IN THE STUDY OF THE ETHNOGENESIS AND MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE ANCIENT KYRGYZ // International Journal of Experimental Education. – 2021. – No. 1. – pp. 68-72.
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