Turkic people

Turkic people are a collection of ethnic groups that live in northern, eastern, central, and western Asia, Siberia, and eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits, common ancestry and historical backgrounds.

History

The earliest mention of the Turkic people appears in Chinese records dating back to 200 BC, in reference to the Huns, who are believed to have been a Turkic people. The first Turkic dynasty, the Göktürk Khaganate, was established in the 6th century in the steppes of Central Asia.

Language

The Turkic languages are a language family of at least thirty-five documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples. The number of speakers of Turkic languages is estimated at 170 million, the largest language being Turkish.

Religion

The traditional religion of the Turkic peoples was Tengrism, a shamanistic religion, which was largely replaced by Islam during the Islamic expansion of the 7th to 11th centuries. Today, a majority of Turkic people are Muslim, although there are also significant populations of Turkic Christians, primarily among the Chuvash and the Gagauz.

Culture

Turkic cultures are diverse, as the ethnic groups have spread over a wide geographical area, from Siberia to Europe and the Mediterranean. However, they often share common elements, including nomadic and pastoralist traditions, horse riding and mounted warfare, and a respect for the natural world.

Notable Turkic peoples

• Turks, who live primarily in Turkey and Cyprus.
• Azerbaijanis, who live mainly in Iran and Azerbaijan.
• Uzbeks, who live mainly in Uzbekistan.
• Kazakhs, who live mainly in Kazakhstan.
• Tatars, who live mainly in Russia.
• Kyrgyz, who live mainly in Kyrgyzstan.
• Turkmen, who live mainly in Turkmenistan.

See also

• Turkic languages
• Turkic migration
• Turkic mythology
• Turkic Council
• Turkic states and empires