Composition of the Southern Kyrgyz Family

The social composition of families was directly dependent on the economic specifics of the family and had regional differences. In the 19th to early 20th centuries, nomadic traditions, as well as the livestock-oriented economy, were better preserved in mountainous areas, primarily in the central part of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai. To meet the need for agricultural products, part of the family or hired related families would stay in winter pastures, where they grew barley, millet, etc. In the valley areas, particularly in the Fergana region, the Kyrgyz gradually settled down, transitioning to an agricultural lifestyle. This, in turn, fundamentally changed the mentality of the former nomads due to constant ethnocultural mutual influence and enrichment with the sedentary peoples of the Fergana Valley.

The foundation of the livelihood of such families was agriculture; in addition, they engaged in trade relations, provided intermediary and household services, as well as other activities typical of sedentary populations. Among them, it is particularly noteworthy to mention the emergence, albeit thin, layer of religious community leaders based on Islam.

With the incorporation of the Kyrgyz region into Russia, changes occurred in the social composition of families. Families emerged where the head and adult children worked in industrial, trade, and educational sectors, as well as in colonial administration; however, this layer was in its infancy.

All intra-family life was based on the principles and canons of patriarchal-feudal relations that prevailed in society in the 19th to early 20th centuries. Patriarchal, clan, and religious institutions: levirate, sororate, customs of avoidance and prohibitions, polygamy, norms of customary law - adat, Islamic - sharia, etc., constituted the moral-ethical atmosphere in which the life of each family member unfolded.

The head of the family, in both undivided and small families, was the father. In undivided families of brothers, the head was the eldest among them. However, there were often cases where the elder brother ceded leadership in the family to a younger, married brother who distinguished himself in the family and among relatives by his intellect and organizational skills. In this case, seniority and the resulting relations - respect and honor - were conferred upon him for the rest of his life.

Women were considered heads of the family only when, after the husband's death, there were no adult men or close male relatives capable of managing the household and family life.

The man was the head of the family; he concentrated all the threads of managing the family, the household, and establishing kinship and neighborly relations in his hands for life. He alone had the preferential right to make final decisions on important matters concerning the life and activities of family members. He was the sole ruler - the master of all family property. At his discretion, he married off sons and arranged marriages for daughters, usually only informing his wife of his decision.

The scope of rights and responsibilities of the head of the family was very broad. The well-being of the family depended on the proper management of the household and the division of labor among its members. In addition, he represented the family at the council of the family-kin group, in the aiyl community, acted as a defendant and plaintiff in court on disputed matters, including the actions of family members. He bore great responsibility for the behavior and actions of each family member. He had the right to punish those family members whose negligence disrupted any work, who undermined the prestige of the family with their actions, or who caused damage to the family's property.

In managing the household, the head of the family was assisted by the eldest or most capable and literate son. This was most often observed in undivided families and in families engaged in complex activities. However, the head of the family - the father - enjoyed unquestionable authority. The father's word and his instructions were followed unconditionally.

Types of Kyrgyz Families