Distribution area of the Kyrgyz
The distribution area of the Kyrgyz extends from the northern foothills of the Tien Shan to the spurs of the Kunlun and Hindu Kush in the south, from the oasis of Kucha in the east to the western slopes of the Turkestan ridge — it is quite extensive.
The ethnic composition of the Kyrgyz people is closely related to the previously existing system of clan and tribal division.
Valuable information about the clan and tribal composition of the Kyrgyz, undoubtedly reflecting the people's own views, is found in Chinese sources from the 18th century. These have been examined in the works of I. Bichurin, A. N. Bernshteyn, and A. A. Kondratiev. They are supplemented by information from the Russian author of the 18th century, I. G. Andreev. Detailed data on the clan and tribal division of the Kyrgyz was collected during the travels of Chokan Valikhanov. Significant contributions to the study of the ethnic composition of the Kyrgyz were made by the works of M. Venyukov, V. V. Radlov, and N. A. Aristov. An overview of the clan and tribal division of the Pamir-Fergana Kyrgyz is provided in the works of N. F. Sitnyakovsky. Relevant information about the Kyrgyz of Eastern Turkestan is presented by Kornilov. The published works during the Soviet era by V. N. Dubitsky, G. E. Grumm-Grzhimailo, A. S. Sydykov, S. I. Ilyasov, B. D. Jamgerchinov, and M. Yunusaliev contain data that complement previously known information as well as new insights on the subject.
A new source emerged from field materials collected during the work of the Kyrgyz archaeological-ethnographic expedition from 1953 to 1955 in the regions of Kyrgyzstan: in the northern areas by S. M. Abramzon and in the southern areas by S. M. Abramzon and Ya. R. Vinnikov. Thanks to the information gathered over time, it also became possible to examine the clan and tribal division of the Kyrgyz living in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
In the study conducted by A. T. Tagirjanov and V. A. Romodin of the lists of works in the Tajik language by Seyf ad-din Akhsikandi titled "Collection of Histories" (Majmu at-Tavarikh), written in the 16th century, new valuable data about the clan and tribal structure of the Kyrgyz were revealed, which serve as evidence of the deep-rooted traditional nature of their genealogical beliefs.
The abundant evidence available allowed for a complete and detailed reconstruction of the complex and at the same time quite flexible system of clan and tribal division that encompassed all groups of Kyrgyz in the territory of their settlement. Despite the existence of numerous variants of genealogical legends concerning certain elements of the general scheme, certain legendary ancestors, or the structure of individual tribes, the clan and tribal organization of the Kyrgyz presents itself as a unified and coherent all-encompassing system.
