Ethnic History of the Southern Kyrgyz Tribes

The territory of the Osh region occupies the southwestern part of Kyrgyzstan. Its area is 75.5 thousand km², of which 46 thousand km² is in its southern part.

In the past, the Osh region was entirely part of the Kokand Khanate. After its liquidation and the formation of the Turkestan region, this territory was included in the Ferghana region (in 1876) and until the national delimitation of Central Asia (in 1924) was part of the Kokand, Skobelevo (Margilan), Andijan, Namangan, and Osh districts. The borders of these districts were significantly wider than the modern borders of the Osh region. They included the Pamir and a large part of the Ferghana Valley. After the national delimitation, the mentioned territory was annexed to the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region (later the Kyrgyz SSR).

The Osh region, consisting of 17 districts, was established in 1939 simultaneously with the Jalal-Abad region, which occupied the northern part of southern Kyrgyzstan. In 1959, instead of two regions, one was created — the Osh region, which included the entire territory of southern Kyrgyzstan. At the same time, a number of districts were consolidated.

To the southeast, the Osh region borders the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, which was previously known as Eastern Turkestan. To the south and southwest, the border of the Osh region runs along Tajikistan (with the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous and Leninabad regions and the Jirgatal district). To the west of the Osh region are the Andijan and Ferghana regions of Uzbekistan. The longest border is with Tajikistan.

In terms of ethnic composition, the southern part of the Osh region is almost indistinguishable from the northern part. Kyrgyz make up about 60% of the population here, Uzbeks about 22%, Russians and Ukrainians about 12%, and Tajiks about 2%. Among other small ethnic groups and ethnographic groups represented in the southern part of the region, the Uyghurs, Dungans, Turks, Tatars, Arabs, Armenians, and others should be mentioned.

Russian and Ukrainian settlers began arriving in southern Kyrgyzstan in the late 19th century, i.e., later than in the areas of the Issyk-Kul region and the Chui Valley. The largest number settled in the northern part of Alai, in the Uzgen and Suzak districts, mainly in valley areas suitable for agriculture.

The Osh region is populated by Kyrgyz who belonged to various tribal groups in the past. The right wing included the tribes of Adigine, Mungush, and Mongoldor that lived here. Alongside them, several tribal groups were known under the name Ichkilik. The ethnic history of these tribes is not the same. Their appearance in the Ferghana Valley likely relates to different times. The Adigine tribe migrated to the currently occupied places from the regions of Northern Kyrgyzstan about 400 years ago. The Mungush tribe is genealogically related to the Adigine tribe and apparently settled at the same time as them. Both tribes lived in close proximity. The Mongoldor tribe has a mixed Mongolian-Turkic origin. It formed in the post-Mongolian period and mainly lived within Northern Kyrgyzstan.

According to legends, the Adigine, Mungush, and Mongoldor had a common origin with other tribes that belonged to the right wing and called their ancestor Tagai. These tribes (Bugu, Sarybagysh, Solto, etc.) have long inhabited Northern Kyrgyzstan. Adigine and Tagai appear in legends as brothers.

Descendants of Kyrgyz who identify themselves with these three tribes mainly inhabit the eastern and southeastern districts of the Osh region (Uzgen, Soviet, Alai), and are also found in other areas (Naukat, Osh, Aravan, Ala-Buka, Chatkal, Toktogul). Besides these places, they live in some settlements of neighboring districts of the Andijan region of Uzbekistan (groups originating from the Adigine and Mungush tribes) and in certain areas of the neighboring Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

Under the name Ichkilik, the following tribes were united: Teiit, Naiman, Kypchak, Kandy, Avagat (Avat), Keseck, Jookesek, Boston, Noygut. Descendants of Kyrgyz who identify themselves with these tribes mainly reside in the southwestern districts of the region, as well as in the southern part of the Alai district.

Groups known as Ichkilik also live in the Suzak, Uz-Ten, Karasuu, Bazar-Kurgan, Ala-Buka, and Lenin districts of the Osh region. Significant groups of Ichkilik inhabit neighboring districts of the Ferghana and Andijan regions of Uzbekistan, the Murghab district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, the Jirgatal district of Tajikistan, as well as adjacent counties of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

The ethnic history of the tribes known as Ichkilik has not been sufficiently studied. Historical data and testimonies from elders indicate that most of these tribes are descendants from the territory of Eastern Turkestan. Some groups that became part of these tribes are apparently of local origin. A recently published source — the manuscript "Majmu at-tavarikh" — provides grounds to assert that as early as the 16th century, some of the aforementioned tribes inhabited the areas of their current settlement.

Kyrgyz who identify themselves by origin as Ichkilik are settled in compact groups in some places, while in others they live alongside other tribes. For example, in some villages of the Uzgen district, groups of Adigine, Kandy, Boston, Mungush, and others reside together. There is a noticeable intensive process of the disappearance of differences in culture and everyday life that were observed in each individual ethnic group in the past. At the same time, there are villages where the traditions characteristic of a given ethnic group have been preserved to this day. For instance, in the village of Tengizbay, among the predominant group of Adigine, representatives of the Kypchak group have lived for many years. The latter have largely retained the features that were characteristic of this tribe in the past.