BASHKIRS

BASHKIRS (self­identified as — Bashkort), a people, the indigenous population of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The number of B. in the RF in 2002 was 1,673.4 thous., in the RB – 1,221.3 thous.  people;  in 2010 – 1,584.6 and 1,172.3 thous. respectively. In other regions of the RF B. are settled in the following oblasts (regions): Chelyab. – 162.5 thous. people, Orenb. – 46.6 thous., Tyumen  –  46.4  thous.,  Sverdlovsk  – 31.1 thous., Kurgan – 12.2 thous., Samara – 7.2 thous., Perm Krai – 32.7 thous., RT – 13.7 thous., etc. Outside Russia B. live in Uzbekistan — 43 thous. (2016), Kazakh­ stan — 17.2 thous. (2009), Tajikistan — 8.2 thous.; Turkmenistan — 5.9; Ukraine — 3.6 (all — 2016); Kyrgyzstan — 1.1 thous. (2009) and other countries (ref. Bashkir Diasporas).

The language of B. belongs to the first branch of the Turkic group of the Altai family of languages (ref. Bashkir language), has an extensive structure of dialects (ref. Dialects of the Bashkir language). The majority of B. speak Russian, fewer – Mari, Tatar, Udmurt, Chuvash and other languages. Religious B. are Sunni-Muslims (ref. Islam).

B. are subdivided into ethnographic groups (North­East., South­East., South­ West and North­West), ethnic groups (Trans­ Ural, Irgiz­-Kamelik, Kama­-Ik, Orenburg, Perm) and ethno­class groups (Mishars, Teptyars). The racial composition of B. is inhomogeneous. It is a mixture of the Caucasian and Mongoloid races (ref. An­ thropological types). The ethnonym “Bashkort” has 160 multilingual spellings and about 40 interpretations. The most popular of them are 1) “bash” (“main”) + “kort” (“wolf”) — “the main wolf”, “alpha wolf”, “the leader wolf”, “forefather” (the hypothesis is connected with the totemic views of Bashkirs); 2) “bash” (“main”, “head”) + “kor” (“a group of people”, “a tribe”) + “­t” (indicator of plurality, collectivity in the Iranian and Mongolian languages) – “the main tribe”, “a people”; “bash” (“main”) + “kort” (“bee”) — “the main bee”, “beekeeper” (the hypothesis is connected with the traditional Bashkir activity — wild­honey farming); 4) ethnonym “B.” derives from the name of the leader of the Bashkir tribes, united in the Bashgirda Military­Political Union in the 1st half of the 9th century. Out of all the theories on the problem of ethnogenesis of Bashkirs, those, that prove their Finnougric, Turkic and Iranian origin, are the most popular. In the 20th century the scientists proved that the B. and their ethnical culture derives from the ancient Turkic tribes of South Siberia and Central Asia as well as the Finno­Ugric and Sarmato­ Alanian population.

By the end of the 1st millennium AD B. settled in the territory which spread from Volga river in the West to Tobol river in the East, from Ilek and Ural rivers in the South to Kama and Sylva rivers in the North. At different periods in times they either completely or partially belonged to such ancient states as the West. Turkic, Kimak, Khazar Khaganates, Deshti­Kipchak, Volga Bulgaria, Golden Horde, Kazan and Sibe­ rian Khanates, Nogai Horde, etc. In the 2nd half of the 16 century B. joined the Tsardom of Muscovy (ref. Accession of Bashkorto­stan to Russia). The government gua­ ranteed the preservation of the Patrimonial Law of Bashkirs, local authorities, tradi­ tional rituals, holidays, etc, and religious freedom in return for military service (ref. Military service of Bashkirs), taxes and corvees. The intensifying stress of the colonization, the increase  in  taxes  and in the number of duties, the seizure of ancestral lands (ref. Land policy), pressure on local authorities were the causes of the Bashkir Uprisings of the 17–18th cen­ turies. Together with other peoples of the region B. took part in the Peasant War of  1773—75.  Between  1798—1865,  B. belonged  to  military­service   estates (ref. Bashkir Army, Canton System). Between the 19th — early 20th centuries there was an increase in B. population (from 1,311 thous. people to 1,897), further development of education and culture.

After the Revolution of 1917, B. entered the struggle for the creation of an autonomy. In 1922, when the so­called Bolshaya Bashkiria was incorporated, a significant number of B. remained outside the territory. By the end of 1926, the number of B. population, as compared to the pre­revolutionary period, decreased almost twice and equaled 714 thous. people in the USSR, 584.8 thous. – in the BASSR.

 It was the effect of the Civil War, drought and famine of 1921. The negative impact on the growth of B. population was also made by the political repressions and the Great Patriotic War. A number of B. was assimilated by Russians, Tatars. The pre­revolutionary number of  the  B. population was achieved only by 1989: in the USSR — 1,449.2 thous., in the RSFSR — 1,345.3 thous., in the BASSR — 863.8 thous. people. There was also B. migration to other regions (ref. Migration of Population): in 1926 — 18% of the total number, in 1959 — 25.4%, in 1989 — 40.4%. In recent years, B. from Middle Asia, Kazakhstan and other regions tend to move to the Republic. The urbanization process led to an increase in the number of urban people from 5.8% in 1938 to 40.7% in 2010. In the RB, B. population in cities amounted to 732.5 thous. people in the RF, 476.7 thous. in RB (incl. Ufa — 171.3 thous., Sterlitamak — 42.4 thous., Neftekamsk — 34.1 thous., Sibay — 30.3 thous., Salavat — 27.8  thous.,  Ishimbay  —  18.9  thous., Uchaly — 18.7 thous., Meleuz — 17.5 thous.). Cattle  breeding  was  the  B.s’  main occupation, which played the leading role in the economy, as well as agriculture, wild­honey farming, hunting and fishing. They mainly bred horses and sheep and grew millet, wheat, oats, and barley. The popular crafts  were conditioned by the needs of the nomadic lifestyle. B. were engaged in forestry, potassium production, smelted cast iron, iron, copper, mined for gold, silver, salt deposits, etc. In the conditions of the nomadic way of life, B. had several places of settlement; perma­nent settlements – auls – appeared in the places of winter settle­ ments in the process of transition to sedentism. They were located on the banks of rivers and lakes, at the foot of the mountains. For a long time, the main type of their dwel­ling was a  portable yurt. The structure comprised a latticework of  pieces  of  wood. There were also clay, adobe and log houses.

In the 19th — early 20th centuries, log houses prevailed. There was a variety of household structures. B.’s clothing style was based on the tradition of both the steppe nomads and that of the local settled tribes (ref. Bashkir Costume, Traditional adornments). Bashkir cuisine consisted of meat and dairy products, as well as cereals. The Bashkir tribal organization was based on the principles of kinship. There were tribal associations, tribes, clans, and families. The major social events took place in spring and summer. Those were Yiyin, Kargatuy, and Sabantuy Festivals, etc). The B. calendar was based on a twelve­ year cycle, each year in that cycle related to an animal. The beginning of the year was in spring (ref. People’s calendar). Based on their cosmogonic beliefs, B. primarily worshiped the Sun, while the Moon was revered too. They also worshiped the Earth, the Water, the Sky, the Stars, various Spirits, Animals and Birds (ref. Animals and birds cult, Cult of ancestors, Tengria­nism, Totemism). Ancient customs and rituals changed as time passed and gradually intertwined with those of the Muslims’.

Epics were the main genre of the B.s’ verbal folklore. The most popular are Ural‑ Batyr, Akbuzat, Idukay and Muradym, Alpamysha and Barsynkhylu and others. Epic, lyrical, and daily life songs of B. had inherent poetic  and  melodic  features (ref. Folk music), while the dance — elements of pantomime, and a complicated plot (ref. Baik, Perovsky). B.’s traditional arts made the basis of prof. art and litre. The national decorative-­applied arts are characterized by a variety of artistic tools, flawlessness of the techniques, expressiveness of the ornamental patterns. Appliquй art, embroidery, knitting, felting art, wood, cloth and stone arts, leather crafting, and metalworks were rather widespread.

In the districts and the cities, there are Bashkir historical and cultural centres and national cultural centres, which carry out great work on preservation of the identity of the people, expansion of the use of the Bash­ kir language and the national cultural development. The World Kurultays (Congresses) of  Bashkirs  contributed  to  the  people’s further  consolidation,  its  political  and ethnocultural revival. Regional Kurultays have been created in B. districts and cities. In Ufa, there are the Bashkir National Centre Ural, the Union of Bashkir Youth, the Bashkir Centre  of  National  Culture  Ak  Tirma (White Yurt), Society of Bashkir Women, etc.