ETHNOGENESIS OF BASHKIRS
ETHNOGENESIS OF BASHKIRS, the process of the emergence and development of ethnic affinity; the initial phase of ethnic history of the ethnos. In ethnology, based on the materials on archaeography, archaeology, anthropology, comparative historical linguistics, etc, the Finno‑Ugric and Turkic theories of origin of Bashkirs have developed; in the 20th century, the Iranian theory of the origin of Bashkirs was put forth.
The Finno-Ugric theory of origin of Bashkirs is substantiated in the studies of V.N.Tatishchev, D.A.Hvolson, was developed by M.I.Umetbayev, D.G.Kiyekbayev, Hungarian explorer E. Molnar, Yu.F.Nemet, etc. The theory is based on the information from Hungarian chronicles Julian, Plano Karpini by V.Rubruk about the Hungarians living across the Volga River and the equivalence of the Bashkir language with the Magyar language; Balkhi, Rashidaddin, Yakut, etc on the existence of two groups of Hungarians, one of which lives on the Danube River, etc in between rivers Volga and Ural. According to Hvolson, one of the forms of the name that Bashkirs used to call themselves was ethnonym “badzgard”, which transformed in the East to “bashkart”, in the West — “madgegar” that later became “madyar”.
The Turkic theory of origin of Bashkirs is substantiated in the studies of P.I.Rychkov, I.I.Georgi, etc, was developed by S.I.Rudenko, N.V.Bikbulatov, R.G.Kuzeyev, N.A.Mazhitov, etc. The theory is based on the information of Ibn Fadlan, Masudi, Idrisi, Mahmud Kashgari, shezhere, etc about the Bashkirs affiliation with the Turkic peoples. In the work by Kuzeyev The Origin of Bashkir People: Ethnic Composition, History of Settlement, there are 5 stages of E.o.B.
The Iranian theory of the origin of Bashkirs is substantiated in the studies of M.S.Akimova, R.M.Yusupov. The theory is based on the results of comparative research in the anthropology of Bashkirs and paleoanthropology of the population of the South Urals, data of phonetics, hydronymics, etc. The Indo‑Iranian tribes of early Iron Age are considered to be the key element in the process of Bashkirs origination.
