Sart-Kalmaks are an ethnic group living in Tash-Kyya, Chelpek, Burma-Suu and Boru-bash villages in the vicinity of Karakol city of Kyrgyzstan. At the end of the 19th century they migrated from Tekes region in Eastern Turkistan and settled in Aksu region, where the city of Karakol was founded. After the border negotiations between Russia and China, who were then the dominant powers, they settled in the villages and their vicinity in Aksu region, where they still live. First investigations on them started in 1930s. It has been argued that Sart-Kalmaks ethnically belong to the Oirat tribes. The ethnic origin of the Sart-Kalmaks has remained to be one of the most controversial problems about them. Another discussion related to the Sart-Kalmaks is about their name. Thus, in this study the problem of their ethnic name will be discussed and explanations will sought to be made. During the Soviet period because of political considerations they were officially registered as Kyrgyz, which further facilitated their adaptation with the Kyrgyz population. Today nearly all Sart-Kalmaks are Muslim, and they speak Kyrgyz. After the independence parallel to the increase of interest in ethnic identity the interest on Sart-Kalmak identity has also increased. The historical process they had gone through presents a model to study different ethnic groups in Central Asia. In this study ethnic origin, history, migration process to Kyrgyzstan, settlement areas and the recent situation of the Sart-Kalmaks will sought to be studied and examined.
Sart-Kalmaks, ethnicity, culture, Ysyk-Köl, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia
| Author : | Cengiz BUYAR |
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| Number of pages: | 819-831 |
| DOI: | http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.4990 |
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