Kazakh
Overview
The Kazakhs (카자흐; Kazakh: Қазақ) are a representative Turkic people of Central Asia and the titular ethnic group of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As of 2024, their worldwide population is estimated at about 19–20 million, of which about 14 million live in Kazakhstan. They share nomadic traditions, Islamic culture, and a Turkic language, and the establishment of the Kazakh Khanate in the 15th century is regarded as the starting point of their ethnogenesis.
Main Content
Origins and Ethnogenesis
The Kazakh people were formed through the combination of Central Asian nomadic tribes such as the Kipchak, Naiman, Kereit, and Kongirat. In 1465, when Kerei Khan and Janibek Khan established the Kazakh Khanate in the eastern Desht-i Kipchak, the collective name 'Kazakh' clearly appeared in history. The etymology of the name is interpreted in Turkic as 'free person,' 'wanderer,' or 'separated group,' reflecting the identity of a nomadic group distinguished from settled peoples.
The Three Zhuz System
Kazakh society was traditionally composed of three tribal union systems called the Great Zhuz (Uly Zhuz), Middle Zhuz (Orta Zhuz), and Junior Zhuz (Kishi Zhuz). Each zhuz is distinguished according to territory, genealogy, and political interests, and this structure continues to influence clan consciousness and regional identity today.
Language and Script
Kazakh belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic language family and is the state language of Kazakhstan, used as an official language alongside Russian. Its script historically passed through Arabic → Latin → Cyrillic, and since 2017 a policy of transition to the Latin alphabet has been pursued, with a revised proposal announced in 2023. The transition is proceeding in stages, and parallel use continues in education, administration, and publishing.
Traditional Culture and Lifestyle
The core dwelling of nomadic life is the yurt (kiiz ui), a portable tent, and horse, sheep, and camel herding and seasonal migration pastoralism formed the foundation of the traditional economy. Representative foods include beshbarmak, kazy, kumys (fermented mare's milk), and shubat, and instruments include the dombra and kobyz. Nauryz (the spring equinox holiday), aitys (improvised poetry and song contest), kokpar (equestrian game), and eagle hunting (berkutchi) are symbols of Kazakh culture, many of which have been inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists.
Religion
The majority believe in the Sunni Hanafi school of Islam. However, due to the characteristics of nomadic society, Tengrism, ancestor worship, and shamanistic customs remain blended with Islam, and religious practice varies greatly by region and generation.
Kazakhstan and the Diaspora
Kazakhstan became independent with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and leads the Central Asian economy with its GDP per capita and status as a resource-rich country. Overseas Kazakhs are distributed in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Turkey, and elsewhere, and the Kazakhstani government has supported the return and settlement of compatriots through the 'Oralman (Qandas)' program.
Recent Trends
There are three major Kazakh-related trends in 2024–2025. First, with the entry into the practical phase of the Latin alphabet transition, textbook, official document, and signage notation is changing sequentially, while the gap with urban areas with a high share of Russian speakers remains a challenge. Second, as Kazakhstan undergoes population growth and urbanization simultaneously, youth culture centered on Almaty and Astana and demand for K-content and Korean-language learning are expanding, increasing points of contact with the Korean Wave. Third, as traditional culture such as Nauryz, yurt making, and eagle hunting is reorganized as tourism resources, discussions on sustainability continue following UNESCO inscription. The fact that language and script reform and the commodification of tradition are interlocking is a key characteristic of Kazakh culture in 2025.
Related Topics
- [[Kazakhstan]]
- [[Turkic peoples]]
- [[Central Asia]]
- [[Nomads]]
- [[Kazakh language]]
- [[Nauryz]]