Genealogical legends are a valuable source for studying the historical and cultural ties of Kyrgyz-Bashkir

Abstract

The article is devoted to genealogical legends, common among many Turkic peoples under similar names, as an important historical source. In the old days, they existed both orally and in writing. Such works, passed down from generation to generation, reflect their history, way of life, customs, and relationships with each other. This work examines the history of the development of genealogy in our country and the merits of such outstanding ethnographers as S. M. Abramzon and R. G. Kuzeev are separately noted. By analyzing and comparing a number of recorded legends, an attempt is made to identify new examples of the existence of long-term ethnocultural ties between the Kyrgyz and Bashkirs, who now live at a considerable distance from each other. The similar plots, common ethnonyms, anthroponyms, and toponyms found in them indicate the extreme complexity and common origins of the ethnogenesis of the Kyrgyz and Bashkir peoples, which is an important factor in the study of their history. The preserved name of a small Kyrgyz clan, “Bashkir”, according to the author, is an ethnonymic expression of those direct contacts, and their descendants are one of the earliest examples of the settlement in the south of Kyrgyzstan of representatives of the fourth largest indigenous ethnic group of Russia.