The origins of the Kazakhs are of interest to many historians and sociologists. After all, this is one of the most numerous Turkic peoples, which today constitutes the main population of Kazakhstan. Also a large number of Kazakhs live in the regions of China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia neighboring Kazakhstan. In our country there are especially many Kazakhs in Orenburg, Omsk, Samara, Astrakhan regions, Altai region. The Kazakh nation finally took shape in the 15th century.

Origin of the people

Speaking about the origin of the Kazakhs, most scientists are inclined to believe that they formed as a people in the 13th-15th centuries, during the era of the Golden Horde that reigned at that time.

If we talk about more early history, the peoples who lived on the territory of modern Kazakhstan, it should be noted that it was inhabited by various tribes, many of which left their mark on modern Kazakhs.

Thus, in the northern regions a nomadic cattle-breeding economy developed. Written sources that have reached us claim that the peoples living on the territory of present-day Kazakhstan fought with the Persians. In the second century BC, tribal alliances began to play a key role. A little later, the Kangyu state was formed.

By the first century BC, the Huns settled in these places, radically changing the situation in Central Asia. It was then that the first nomadic empire was created in this region of Asia. In 51 BC the empire split. One half of it recognized the power of the Chinese, and the second was driven out to Central Asia.

Better known in European history as the Huns, they reached the walls of the Roman Empire.

Medieval history

In the Middle Ages, the place of the Huns was taken by the Turks. This is a tribe that emerged from the Eurasian steppes. By the middle of the 15th century, they created one of the largest states in the history of ancient mankind. In Asia, it covers territories from the Yellow to the Black Seas.

The Türks trace their ancestry back to the Huns, and they are considered to have come from Altai. The origin of the Kazakhs from the Turks today is practically no longer disputed by anyone. The Turks are constantly at war with the Chinese, and active Arab expansion also began during this period Central Asia. Islam is actively spreading among the agricultural and settled population.

Happening significant changes in the culture of the Turks. For example, Arabic comes to replace the Turkic writing and uses islamic calendar, but appear in everyday life

Khanate

We can talk about the origin of the Kazakhs after the final defeat of the Golden Horde, which occurred in 1391. The Kazakh Khanate was formed by 1465. Scientific proof The origin of the Kazakhs is based on written sources, which have survived in large quantities to our time.

Mass consolidation of Turkic tribes into a united Kazakh nation begins. Kasim Khan was the first to unite a large number of steppe tribes under his leadership. Under him, the population reaches one million people.

In the 30s of the 16th century, an internecine war began in the Kazakh Khanate, which is also called civil war. The winner is Khaknazar Khan, who rules for more than 40 years. In 1580, Yesim Khan annexed Tashkent to the Kazakh Khanate, which eventually became its capital. Under this ruler, a reform of the political system takes place; all lands are divided between three territorial economic associations, which are called zhuzes.

Kazakhs are Muslims of the Sunni religion of the Hanafi persuasion.

The spread of Islam on the territory of modern Kazakhstan was a process that lasted several centuries. At first, Islam penetrated into the southern regions. By the end of the 10th century. Islam established itself among the settled population in Semirechye and the Syr Darya. Islam became the religion of the Turkic Karakhanid Empire, which arose in Semirechye in the 10th century. A monument of that era is the work of Yusuf Balasagunsky (1015-1016) “Kudatgu Bilik”, in which Muslim ideology was reflected.

In some areas Christianity successfully competed with Islam. Nestorianism, for example, gained recognition among the Naimans,

migrated at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries. from Central Asia to Eastern Kazakhstan and Semirechye. Naiman Khan Kuchluk even persecuted Muslims.

The spread of Islam was slowed down by the Mongol conquest, which brought new population groups (Turks and Mongols) to Central Asia and Kazakhstan with their traditional religion. However, during the Middle Ages, Islam steadily moved into the nomadic steppe, capturing new and new population groups.

Golden Horde period

Purposeful propaganda of Islam among nomads began under the Golden Horde Khan Berke (1255-66) and intensified under Uzbek (1312-40). Preachers of Islam came to the steppes from the Volga region and Central Asia, from different regions of the Muslim world. Among the missionaries there were many representatives of the Sufi clergy. A great contribution to the spread of Islam among the nomadic Turkic population of Southern Kazakhstan was made by the founder of the Sufi order Yasaviya, a native of the city of Sayram (Isfijab), Khoja Akhmet Yasawi (died in 1166-67 in Turkestan). His poems preached the greatness of God and the need for humility.

The conversion of nomadic nobility to Islam did not mean that the Muslim faith was firmly adopted by all layers of society

The common people preserved the religious beliefs of their ancestors for a long time.

19th century

Observers who described the life of the Kazakhs in the past usually emphasized that Islam was adopted by the Kazakhs superficially. Even in the 19th century. Islam did not penetrate into the life of the Kazakhs as deeply as it did among the long-settled Central Asian population.

Due to the peculiarities of their everyday life (life in yurts, seasonal movements), the Kazakhs did not have seclusion for women

They did not cover their faces with a veil; boys and girls enjoyed considerable freedom of communication.

However, the position of Islam became stronger and stronger from year to year. The number of mosques gradually increased. Their construction was facilitated by private individuals, and partly by the government, which supported Islam in the Kazakh steppes.

The name of Sultan Aryn-Gazy, elected khan in 1815, is associated with the increased introduction of Muslim law into the life of the Kazakhs. Aryn-Gazy considered it necessary to rely in governing the people not on the customs of his ancestors, but on Sharia.

A notable phenomenon in the last century was the advancement of the Tatars into the Kazakh steppes with the goal of becoming mullahs. Usually Tatar mullahs married Kazakh women, and therefore became their own people in the steppe. The precautions of the Orenburg authorities (in 1832 the Orenburg Border Commission banned marriages of Kazakhs with Tatars and Bashkirs) are unlikely to have created an effective barrier to this process.

Despite all the primitiveness of education, the activities of the mullahs brought tangible results - literacy among the Kazakhs grew

A tradition arose of recording poems and songs and distributing them in lists. Books in the Kazakh and Tatar languages ​​found increasing demand among the Kazakhs. Along with the introduction of literacy came the establishment of Islam.

20th century

In the pre-revolutionary years, the ideas of Muslim modernism (Jadidism), which formed as a socio-political movement among the Tatars of the Volga region and Crimea, also penetrated the Kazakhs.

One of the central tasks of the modernists was the rejection of medieval scholasticism and the teaching of secular sciences, the Russian language

New method schools began to appear everywhere - first in cities, and then in large settlements and some villages, which brought with them new ideas and knowledge.

The outstanding Kazakh scientist Shokan Valikhanov wrote about the spread of Islam in the Steppe, being himself a witness to the events and changes in the spiritual sphere in the Kazakh society of the first half of the 19th century century. In the article “On Islam in the Steppe” he writes:

Islam has not yet become ingrained in our flesh and blood. It threatens us with the separation of the people in the future. In the Steppe we now have a period of dual faith, as was the case in Rus' during the time of St. Nestor

“Russia, among its sons,” noted Shokan Valikhanov, “has many peoples of other faiths and non-Russians who lead a lifestyle diametrically opposed to the lifestyle of the indigenous Russian population, have customs and mores diametrically opposed to the mores and customs of the Russian Slavic tribe. It is clear that the transformations designed for the Christian and sedentary Russian population will not bring any benefit and will be meaningless if they are entirely applied to the nomadic and wandering foreigners of European and Asian Russia.” He recommends that the administration and the government "be extremely careful and careful" in carrying out reforms that affect the lives of millions of people.

Kazakhstan is a secular country.

1. The Republic of Kazakhstan asserts itself as a democratic, secular, legal and social state, the highest values ​​of which are the person, his life, rights and freedoms.2. The fundamental principles of the Republic’s activities are: social harmony and political stability, economic development for the benefit of all the people, Kazakhstani patriotism, resolving the most important issues of public life by democratic methods, including voting in a republican referendum or Parliament.

The most common religions in Kazakhstan are Islam and Christianity [ source not specified 418 days] . Judaism and Buddhism are also present. 45% of the population of Kazakhstan are atheists and agnostics

Islam

Islam is the main religious institution of Kazakhstan. Kazakhs are Muslims of the Sunni religion of the Hanafi persuasion. The spread of Islam in the territory of modern Kazakhstan was a process that lasted several centuries. At first, Islam penetrated into the southern regions. By the end of the 10th century. Islam established itself among the settled population in Semirechye and the Syr Darya. Islam became the religion of the Turkic Karakhanid Empire, which arose in Semirechye in the 10th century. A monument of that era is the work of Yusuf Balasagunsky (1015-1016) “Kudatgu bilik”, in which Muslim ideology was reflected. It is characterized by tolerance for dissent, recognition of freedom of opinion in religion, and the absence of fanatical strictness in observing the ritual and legal norms of Sharia. In addition, the rooting of Islam in Kazakhstan occurred in inextricable connection with pre-Muslim beliefs, in particular with Zoroastrianism and Tengrism. Moreover, national identity Kazakhs from time immemorial has been based on the principles of ethnicity and national statehood. Therefore, it is unlikely that Islam can acquire fundamentalist features in this country. In the entire history of independent Kazakhstan, not a single terrorist attack or religious conflict. Islam in Kazakhstan is practiced mainly by the Turkic and Caucasian peoples of the Republic.

The military should have it like this: to lie down means to lie down; to stand up means to stand up. If you want to pray, go to civilian life. If your head is clogged, go and get treatment. At one time it was fashionable that when soldiers took the oath, they would certainly call the imam and the ruler. Race. And when we launch a ship, and when we lift a plane into the sky, we also call a clergyman. I think we need to give up this theatrical show. An army is an army.

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Notes

A people who does not remember their past does not deserve a future. This phrase, like no other, is suitable for understanding the topic of the article. We will talk about the formation of the Kazakh people. We will tell you who the Kazakhs are and where they came from, who the ancestors of the people of the Great Steppe were, as well as the origin of the term “Kazakh”. Read on: it will be interesting.

Who are the Kazakhs: the origin of the Kazakhs

The formation of a nationality, or ethnogenesis, is a long and extremely complex process. It is necessary to form mutual language, external, spiritual and cultural traits. In addition, you need your own territory.

This is interesting! The term “Kazakh” comes from the Turkic word “Kazak”, which means ‘free’, ‘free’, ‘independent’ or ‘wanderer’.

According to historians, the main event in the formation of the Kazakh people occurred in the middle of the 15th century. Then the first Kazakh khans Zhanibek and Kerey took about 100 thousand people to Semirechye. This happened during the uprising against the Uzbek Khan Abulkhair.

Search better life attached to people the term “Uzbek-Cossack”, which translated means ‘free Uzbek’ or ‘Uzbek who went to wander’. A hundred years later, the term “Uzbek” began to be applied to the population of Central Asia, and the people who remained in the territory of western Semirechye began to be called Kazakhs.

At the beginning of the 16th century, several Turkic tribes and nomads joined the Kazakhs, who finally formed an ethnic group. This was the final stage of the ethnogenesis of the Kazakh people. Now we propose to understand in more detail the processes that preceded the formation of modern Kazakhs.

Education of the Kazakh people

Where did the Kazakhs come from? This question spans almost a thousand years of history. Conventionally, the process of ethnogenesis can be divided into three stages:

• Stage No. 1

Originates in the Bronze Age. At this time, various tribes settled throughout Central Asia. They were based on Caucasian peoples, and appearance theirs was appropriate.

According to scientists, it was here that pastoral nomadism originated. The first horse was immediately tamed and ridden. The Andronovo tribes played a significant role in the emergence of Kazakh culture at that time. Many of their buildings and burials have been preserved on the territory of Kazakhstan. And on the pots and jugs found, patterns can be seen that can be found on Kazakh carpets.

At the beginning of the Iron Age, Kazakhstan was inhabited by the Sakas, Sarmatians, Usuns and Kangyuis. According to the records of Herodotus, the Sakas desperately fought the Persians, defending the borders of their lands. It is known that there was a war with kings Darius I and Cyrus II.

Turkic tribes had a strong influence on the education of the Kazakh people. The union of the Wusuns and Kangyu led to the emergence of the Kangyu state and the settlement of East Turkestan. The families of Kanly and Sarah Uysyn are still preserved in the Senior Zhuz. Towards the end of the Iron Age appearance the ancestors of the Kazakhs remained European. However, the resettlement of the Huns introduced a Mongoloid element into the appearance of the representatives of the ancient tribes of Kazakhstan.

• Stage No. 2

Began in the 6th century AD. e. from the mass settlement of Turkic tribes. They mixed with the descendants of the Scythian tribes, Usuns and Kangyuevs. Language and culture have changed ancient people. With the arrival of the Arabs, Islam, as well as the Islamic calendar, spread among settled tribes.

From the 6th to the 13th centuries, large Turkic states emerged on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. The Turgesh Khaganate was a powerful power, but over time it broke up into the Karluk and Kimak Khaganates, as well as the Oguz Empire. After them, the Karakhanid state was formed, which for the first time among the Turkic countries adopted the Islamic religion.

In the 11th century, the unification of Turkic tribes led to the emergence of the historical region of Eurasia - Dasht-i-Kipchak (Kipchak Steppe). IN Russian history it is called the Polovtsian steppe. The development and interrelation of pastoral nomadism, agriculture and urban life at that time seriously influenced the formation of the Kazakh ethnic group.

The conquests of Genghis Khan and the emergence of the Golden Horde made a significant contribution to the appearance of modern Kazakhs. Mongoloid features are due to the assimilation by the Turks of scattered Mongolian tribes.

• Stage No. 3

The final stage of the formation of the Kazakh people is associated with the unification of all clans and tribes of the Turks, who have already acquired a single appearance. This happened in the period from the XIV to the XV centuries, after the collapse of the Golden Horde. After it, separate states arose: Ak-Orda (White Horde), Nogai Horde and the Uzbek Khanate.

In 1458, Zhanibek and Kerey, dissatisfied with the rule of the Uzbek khan, took people from the Syr Darya to eastern Semirechye, where they founded the Kazakh Khanate. At that time, a single language had already been formed, later called Kazakh. Under the leadership of Khan Kasym, the Kazakhs recaptured Saraichik, the capital of the Nogai Horde, from the Nogais and expanded the territory of the state from the Irtysh to the Urals. By 1521, the number of Kazakhs reached a million people.

Who are the Kazakhs? This is a people with a distinctive language and culture that has been formed for almost a thousand years. Many nationalities disappeared over time, but the Kazakhs survived and founded a country with enormous potential. Now more than 18 million people live in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and this figure is growing every year. Kazakhstanis sing the praises of the Great Steppe in memory of the power of Desht-i-Kipchak - the cradle of independent Kazakhstan, which we congratulate on Constitution Day.

Kazakhstan is a country with a very ancient and interesting religious history. Many religions intersected here, some of them very ancient. Religion in Kazakhstan has a deep past, and it is worth looking into.

Pre-Islamic period

Long before Islam came to Kazakhstan, Tengrism was widespread here. In this belief, Tengri was considered the supreme god. Other deities were also called by this name, but almost no data has been preserved about them.

The essence of this belief was the division of the world into three spaces: heavenly, earthly and underground. the elements had their own interpretation. This religion in Kazakhstan also had regional characteristics. Southern residents believed in the sanctity of caves. For example, women went to one of them for infertility treatment. Saints were appointed heads of kinship groups.

In Kazakhstan, before Islam, shamanism also dominated. The supreme shaman performed rituals by contacting the spirits of ancestors. Such sessions allegedly helped him heal people, find lost livestock, and even control nature.

The coming of Islam

Islam has been penetrating Kazakhstan for centuries. The religion, having first embraced the south of the country, already at the end of the 10th century spread widely in Semirechye and on the coasts of the Syr Darya. However, some of the regions professed Christianity (Nestorianism), which came here in the 12th-13th centuries with the Naiman.

For some period, the development of Islam in Kazakhstan was suspended due to the conquest of the territories by the Mongols. Turkic and Mongolian tribes at that time adhered to traditional religions. This trend continued under Khan Berke during the Golden Horde, and was further strengthened by Khan Uzbek. Sufi Muslims had to take their religion to the steppes. But soon the missionaries found favor with the leaders of the nomads.

Every year the Muslim religion in Kazakhstan strengthened its position. Many mosques appeared, often built with private investment. Deep introduction into the life of the Kazakhs occurred during the reign of the Sultan of Aryn-Gaza.

The 19th century was marked by the influence of the steppe Tatars, who often became mullahs and performed an educational function and contributed to the development of culture and literacy. Later, a modernist movement appeared among Kazakh Muslims - Jadidism, which promotes teaching secular sciences and education in general.

Current situation

So, what is the religion in Kazakhstan today? Currently, this Republic is multi-confessional. There are more than 3,000 religious associations here. 40 faiths are represented by more than 2,500 places of worship.

The main religion in Kazakhstan is Sunni Islam. There are over 1,600 Muslim associations, more than one and a half thousand mosques have been built. The country's population reaches almost 9 million, and this category is multinational.

The second largest number of believers is here. Orthodox Christianity, its share is almost 30%. In addition, more than 300 thousand Catholics live in Kazakhstan with a solid infrastructure.

But these are not all religions on the territory of Kazakhstan. Among the citizens there are many Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, etc. After independence, the first Buddhist temple, a large number of new mosques, churches, churches, houses of worship, and synagogues were erected.

Famous religious buildings

Magnificent buildings of various religious movements decorate the cities of the republic with their architecture, increasing its tourist attractiveness. Among the most famous:
1. Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
2. Nur-Astana Mosque
3. Beit Rachel Synagogue - Habbad Lubavitch
4. Holy Ascension Cathedral
5. Cathedral Mother of God of Perpetual Help

Nur-Astana is the largest mosque in Central Asia, and the Beit Rachel Synagogue - Habbad Lubavitch, accordingly, is the largest in the region.

Those who have been here at least once know how multinational Kazakhstan is. Religion and freedom of choice is one of the rights of citizens, which is effectively implemented here. Tolerance and mutual respect in relations between faiths - the best way to the harmonious development of society.