Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
148
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
148-151
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
29 March 2025
ACCEPTED
25 April 2025
PUBLISHED
30 May 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Ethnographic Insights Into
Central Asian History From
“Devonu Lug‘Otit Turk”
Maftuna Abdulazizovna Ibragimova
Lecturer at the Department of Social and Humanitarian Sciences, Angren
University, Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article explores Mahmud al-
Kashgari’s
11th-century work Compendium of Turkic Dialects
(Devonu Lug‘otit Turk) as a valuable ethnographic
source for understanding the cultural and historical
development of Turkic peoples in Central Asia. The
study
examines
tribal
ethnonyms,
geographic
distribution, and social structures, with a focus on
prominent tribes such as the Kipchaks, Karluks, and
Oghuz. It also highlights urban cultural centers like
Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khwarezm, revealing the
complex interplay between nomadic and sedentary
lifestyles, religious syncretism, and ethnogenesis
processes in the Turkic world.
Keywords:
Mahmud al-Kashgari, Compendium of Turkic
Dialects, ethnogenesis of Turkic peoples, history of
Central Asia, nomadic culture, Oghuz, Kipchak, Karluk
tribes, ethnographic lexicography.
Introduction:
The 11th-century lexicographical work
Devonu Lug‘otit Turk, authored by Mahmud al
-Kashgari,
transcends the boundaries of a traditional dictionary.
Written in Arabic, it was intended to introduce the
richness of Turkic languages and culture to the Islamic
scholarly world. However, beyond its linguistic value,
the work offers vital ethnographic and historical insights
into the Turkic tribes inhabiting Central Asia. It
documents tribal affiliations, social customs, geographic
locations, and even religious beliefs, thereby offering
scholars a multidimensional understanding of medieval
Turkic societies.
Tribal Identities and Ethnonyms
One of the most profound contributions of Devonu
Lug‘otit Turk is its comprehensive documentation of
Turkic tribal names (ethnonyms), which serve as
linguistic, sociopolitical, and cultural signposts of the
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medieval Turkic world. Mahmud al-
Kashgari’s
systematic recording of these ethnonyms provides not
only philological insight but also allows historians and
ethnographers to trace the patterns of ethnogenesis,
migration, tribal confederations, and interethnic
interactions across Central Asia during the 10th and
11th centuries.
Ethnonyms as Markers of Historical Identity
In Devonu Lug‘otit Turk, names such as Qipchaq,
Qarluq, Oghuz, Uzb, Yomut, Chigil, and Tuhsi are not
presented merely as linguistic entries, but are often
accompanied by commentary on their customs,
dialects, territories, and reputations. Al-
Kashgari’s
classification of these groups provides critical data for
reconstructing the socio-political landscape of the pre-
Mongol Turkic world.
These ethnonyms function on multiple levels:
•
Linguistic markers: Each tribal name is
associated with dialectal variations that reflect
phonetic, syntactic, and lexical distinctions across
Turkic languages.
•
Geopolitical indicators: The location and
movement of these tribes can be mapped based on Al-
Kashgari’s notes, correlating with archaeological and
textual evidence from Persian, Arabic, and Chinese
sources.
•
Cultural
identities:
Ethnonyms
often
encapsulate behavioral traits or reputational
attributions (e.g., bravery, eloquence, piety), offering
insight into how groups were perceived and how they
self-identified.
Key Tribes and Confederations
The Qipchaqs (Kipchaks)
Al-Kashgari identifies the Qipchaqs as a formidable
nomadic power in the Eurasian steppes, particularly
dominant in the region known as Desht-i Qipchaq.
Subsequent historical sources, including Russian
annals and Persian chronicles, attest to their role as
both military allies and antagonists to various empires,
including the Khwarezmshahs and Kievan Rus'. Their
eventual incorporation into the Golden Horde after the
Mongol conquest illustrates their long-term influence
on Turkic-Slavic synthesis in Eastern Europe.
Linguistically, Qipchaq Turkic became one of the
dominant literary and administrative languages of the
post-Mongol Islamic world, especially in the Mamluk
Sultanate in Egypt.¹ Described as a dominant tribal
confederation, the Kipchaks occupied the vast steppes
between the Caspian and Black Seas
—
known as Desht-
i Kipchak. Their nomadic lifestyle, military organization,
and later influence in forming the Kipchak Khanate
underscore their central role in shaping the ethnic map
of Eurasia.
The Qarluqs (Karluks)
Al-Kashgari situates the Qarluqs in the vicinity of
modern-day Uzbekistan and southeastern Kazakhstan.
Archaeological evidence from the cities of Balasagun,
Taraz, and Bukhara supports their integration into early
Islamic urban cultures. Historically, the Qarluqs played a
pivotal role in the collapse of the Western Turkic
Khaganate and later supported the establishment of the
Karakhanid dynasty
—
the first Turkic Muslim dynasty in
Central Asia.² This transition from nomadism to urban
Islam represents a crucial moment in the civilizational
transformation of Turkic societies. Settled in parts of
present-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Karluks
played a formative role in the ethnogenesis of the
Uzbeks. Al-Kashgari notes their integration into urban
life in cities like Bukhara and Samarkand, facilitating a
fusion between nomadic and sedentary cultures
The Oghuz Confederation
The Oghuz tribes, divided into Bozok and Uchok
branches in later sources such as Oghuznama, are
central to the ethnogenesis of modern Turkic peoples
including the Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, and Anatolian
Turks. Al-
Kashgari’s notes reflect their extensive spread
from Central Asia westward to the Caspian and beyond.
The Oghuz migration played a direct role in the
formation of the Seljuk Empire, which profoundly
influenced Islamic civilization and facilitated the
Turkification of Anatolia. Their collective memory is
preserved in epic traditions such as the Book of Dede
Korkut, further corroborating the ethnographic data
found in Devonu Lug‘otit Turk.³ The Oghu
z tribes, also
prominently featured in the lexicon, laid the foundation
for several powerful states, including the Seljuk and
Ottoman empires. Al-
Kashgari’s accounts trace their
geographic range from the Caspian Sea to the fringes of
the Islamic world, emphasizing their role in connecting
diverse cultures through migration and trade.These
ethnonyms are critical in tracing the socio-political
evolution of Turkic groups and understanding their
shifting alliances and migrations across Central Asia.
New Insights from Modern Research
Recent linguistic and genetic studies have provided new
dimensions to understanding the data Al-Kashgari
preserved:
•
Linguistic studies have reconstructed the
Common Turkic and Oghuric language branches,
showing how certain ethnonyms reflect underlying
language families.⁴
•
Genetic research confirms complex admixtures
among Turkic tribes, suggesting multi-ethnic tribal
confederacies, especially in frontier zones like
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Khwarezm and the Syr Darya basin.⁵
•
Digital humanities projects, such as the Turkic
Peoples Genealogy Project, have begun mapping Al-
Kashgari’s data with GIS tools to visualize tribal
movement over time.⁶
These new methodologies affirm the accuracy and
richness of Devonu Lug‘otit Turk as a living
ethnographic atlas of the medieval Turkic world.
One of the most valuable contributions of Devonu
Lug‘otit Turk is its extensive catalog of Turkic tribal
names and ethnonyms. These entries not only reflect
linguistic variations but also serve as markers of
political, social, and migratory dynamics in medieval
Central Asia.
Geographic and Urban Descriptions
Al-
Kashgari’s work serves as an early ethnographic
map, detailing both nomadic territories and urban
centers, reflecting the dual character of Turkic
civilization.
Urban Hubs: Bukhara and Samarkand
These cities, located on key nodes of the Silk Road, are
described as vibrant centers of commerce, education,
and intercultural interaction. The lexicon illustrates the
coexistence of Turkic, Persian, and Sogdian peoples,
sheddi
ng light on the region’s multilingual and
multiethnic urban fabric.
Khwarezm (Chorasmia)
Khwarezm is portrayed as an agriculturally rich and
culturally diverse region, situated at the crossroads of
Turkic and Iranian civilizations. Al-Kashgari emphasizes
its intellectual prominence and mixed ethnic
composition, indicating its pivotal role in cultural
transmission.
Nomadic Landscapes
Beyond cities, the lexicon describes vast steppe regions
and their ecological features. The entries related to
seasonal
migration
and
pastoralist
practices
demonstrate how geography shaped the social and
economic organization of Turkic life.
Cultural and Social Practices
Al-Kashgari's lexicon is replete with vocabulary
reflecting the cultural life and social hierarchy of Turkic
societies.
Governance and Social Structure
Titles such as khan (ruler) and aqsaqal (elder) reflect
systems of authority and community leadership. These
terms reveal a dual model of governance combining
centralized power and council-based tribal decision-
making.
Nomadic Traditions
Cultural markers such as the yurt (nomadic dwelling)
symbolize the lifestyle of mobile pastoralist societies.
The lexicon provides detailed descriptions of these
portable homes and seasonal movement patterns,
emphasizing adaptability and ecological knowledge.
Religious Syncretism
The text captures a period of religious transition. While
Islam was gaining ground, traces of earlier belief
systems
—
including
Zoroastrianism
and
Turkic
shamanistic practices
—
remain evident. This reflects a
syncretic religious culture in the process of Islamization.
Ethnogenesis and Cultural Transformation
The data presented in Devonu Lug‘otit Turk allow for a
deeper understanding of how Turkic identity evolved
through centuries of migration, conquest, and
intercultural interaction. The integration of Turkic tribes
with Persian, Sogdian, and Islamic elements produced a
complex and pluralistic cultural landscape.
The lexicon illustrates how Turkic identity was shaped
not only by internal dynamics but also by external
influences from the Abbasid Caliphate, Chinese
dynasties, and neighboring Iranian societies. Trade
routes such as the Silk Road played a significant role in
this cultural convergence, fostering the exchange of
goods, ideas, and technologies.
CONCLUSION
Mahmud al-
Kashgari’s Devonu Lug‘otit Turk is an
indispensable source for the ethnographic and historical
study of medieval Central Asia. Its detailed
documentation of tribal names, geographic locales, and
cultural practices enables modern scholars to
reconstruct the socio-political and cultural history of the
Turkic world. The lexicon not only preserves linguistic
heritage but also provides a vivid portrayal of a diverse
and
dynamic
civilization
navigating
profound
transformations.
Footnotes
1.
Golden, Peter B. (1992). An Introduction to the
History of the Turkic Peoples. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
2.
Barthold, W. (1968). Turkestan Down to the
Mongol Invasion. London: Luzac.
3.
Dankoff, R. (1982). "The Oghuz Tribes According
to Mahmud al-Kashgari." International Journal of
Middle East Studies, 14(2), 183
–
192.
4.
Johanson, L. (2001). “Discoveries on the Altaic
language family: Oghuric versus Common Turkic.” Turkic
Languages, 5, 3
–
30.
5.
Yunusbayev, B. et al. (2015). “The Genetic
Legacy of the Turkic-
Speaking Nomads across Eurasia.”
Nature Communications, 6: 7038.
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Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
6.
Turkic GIS Research Group (2022). Mapping
Mahmud al-Kashgari: A Digital Cartographic Project.
Institute for Eurasian Studies.
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