Alasha (tribe)
Encyclopedia
Alasha is one of the most powerful and oldest of the Kazakh
tribes. Alasha is a member of the Bai-Uly (Rich Son) tribe confederation, which is a part of Kishi Zhuz (Little Hundred). Bai-Uly includes 12 tribes – Alasha, Bersh, Adai, Taz, Alt’n, Baibakty, Zhappas, Kzylkurt, Esentemir, Maskar, Sherkesh, Tana. The battle cry of Alasha is "BaiBarak!". In 1897, members of the Bai-Uly tribe confederation numbered 600,000, or 16.2% of all Kazakhs.
. However, some Alasha clans have tribe symbols similar to those of the Great Zhuz tribes, Albani and Dulat. Moreover, both the Alasha and Albani tribes encompass the clan Konyr-Borik, suggesting further connections to the Albani tribe. It has also been suggested that the Alasha are descendents of Alans
.
In favor of the idea that the Alasha descend from the Naiman is the physical appearance of the Alasha people, which is more similar to that of the Mongols than the Dakh-Oguz-Qypchaq. There is also the possibility that Alasha are descendants of the ancient Khalaj people
, who lived in Central Asia.
In Russian chronicles, the Alasha are referred to as the Ulashevichi. In The Lay of Igor's Warfare
, an old Russian legend, it is written that Ulashevichi captured Vladimir, the son of Prince Igor.
, and founded a Khanate Bukey
(Inner Horde). Nowadays, the people of Alasha live mainly in the West Kazakhstan
, Aktobe and Atyrau
oblasts of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
tribes. Alasha is a member of the Bai-Uly (Rich Son) tribe confederation, which is a part of Kishi Zhuz (Little Hundred). Bai-Uly includes 12 tribes – Alasha, Bersh, Adai, Taz, Alt’n, Baibakty, Zhappas, Kzylkurt, Esentemir, Maskar, Sherkesh, Tana. The battle cry of Alasha is "BaiBarak!". In 1897, members of the Bai-Uly tribe confederation numbered 600,000, or 16.2% of all Kazakhs.
Alasha clans
Alasha is subdivided into 35 different clans. These are: tokbas, akberli', atms, sarw', kojamberli', kwdaiberdi', qo'beq, baibarak, jomart, karabatr, malbasar, ma'mbet, botpanai, baida'ulet, baiseu, koisarw', esnazar, koidw'kwl, tyki', kojaghwl, malai, toghai, maimak, dosai, bo'qes, atalk, kozw'beq, a'iti'mbet, karabwra, bojan, baramw'k, qo'bi'lei, tokberli', kongrbo'riq, jabu.Origin
Several hypotheses have been formed as to the origins of the Alasha. Based on comparisons of ethnic shapes and tribe symbols, or tamga, some researchers believe that the Alasha are descended from medieval NaimansNaimans
The Naimans, also Naiman Turks or Naiman Mongols, was a Mongolian name given to a group of people dwelling on the steppe of Central Asia, having diplomatic relations with the Kara-Khitan, and subservient to them until 1177...
. However, some Alasha clans have tribe symbols similar to those of the Great Zhuz tribes, Albani and Dulat. Moreover, both the Alasha and Albani tribes encompass the clan Konyr-Borik, suggesting further connections to the Albani tribe. It has also been suggested that the Alasha are descendents of Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
.
In favor of the idea that the Alasha descend from the Naiman is the physical appearance of the Alasha people, which is more similar to that of the Mongols than the Dakh-Oguz-Qypchaq. There is also the possibility that Alasha are descendants of the ancient Khalaj people
Khalaj people
The Khalaj people are a Turkic people that speak the Khalaj language which is thought to be one of the closest languages to old Turkic language.- External links :* * *...
, who lived in Central Asia.
In Russian chronicles, the Alasha are referred to as the Ulashevichi. In The Lay of Igor's Warfare
The Tale of Igor's Campaign
The Tale of Igor's Campaign is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language.The title is occasionally translated as The Song of Igor's Campaign, The Lay of Igor's Campaign, and The Lay of...
, an old Russian legend, it is written that Ulashevichi captured Vladimir, the son of Prince Igor.
Geography
In 1801, Bukei Khan led some Alasha to the right bank of the Ural RiverUral River
The Ural or Jayıq/Zhayyq , known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan. It arises in the southern Ural Mountains and ends at the Caspian Sea. Its total length is 1,511 mi making it the third longest river in Europe after the Volga and the Danube...
, and founded a Khanate Bukey
Bukey Horde
The Bukey Horde , also known as the Inner Horde or Interior Horde was an autonomous Khanate of Kazakhs located north of the Caspian Sea in between Ural and Volga Rivers but never reached this rivers. The khanate officially existed from 1801 to 1845, when the position of khan was abolished and the...
(Inner Horde). Nowadays, the people of Alasha live mainly in the West Kazakhstan
West Kazakhstan Province
West Kazakhstan Province is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Oral , a city of about 200,000 inhabitants.-Geography:...
, Aktobe and Atyrau
Atyrau Province
Atyrau Oblast is a province of Kazakhstan. It is situated in the west of the country around the northeast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Atyrau, with a population of 142,500 people; the province itself has 480,000 people...
oblasts of Kazakhstan.
Around the world
- There is an Alasha River, a tributary of the YeniseiYenisei RiverYenisei , also written as Yenisey, is the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is the central of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean...
, in the West SayanSayan MountainsThe Sayan Mountains are a mountain range between northwestern Mongolia and southern Siberia, Russia.The Eastern Sayan extends from the Yenisei River at 92° E to the southwest end of Lake Baikal at 106° E...
mountains and on the AristovNikolai AristovNikolai Aleksandrovich Aristov was a Türkologist by calling, who utilized his experience, education, and access to official information he had as a fairly high-level official in the Turkestan czarist administration, to accumulate and analyze the ethnographic and ethnic history of the Central...
's assumption, these places are an ancestral home to the Alasha. - AlashaAlasaAlaşa is a village and municipality in the Astara Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 396....
village in AzerbaijanAzerbaijanAzerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to... - Alasha mountains in MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
- ProvinceAlxa LeagueAlxa League is one of 12 prefecture level divisions and three extant leagues of Inner Mongolia. The league borders Mongolia to the north, Bayan Nur to the northeast, Wuhai and Ordos to the east, Ningxia to the southeast, and Gansu to the south and west. The capital is Bayan Hot in the aimag's...
in Mongolia - AlassaAlassaAlassa is a village in the Limassol District of Cyprus, located north of the Kouris Dam, on the main road from Limassol to Kakopetria....
village in CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... - Alasha dialectAlasha dialectAlasha ; Mongolian script Alaša, Chinese 阿拉善 Ālāshàn), or ', is a variety in-between Oirat and Mongolian that historically used to belong to Oirat but has come under the influence of Mongolian proper. It is spoken by well above 40.000 speakers in Alasha league in South Mongolia and consists of two...
of Mongolian language - Ancient state AlashiyaAlashiyaAlashiya or Alasiya was a state which existed in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, and was situated somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was a major source of goods, especially copper, for Ancient Egypt and other states in the Ancient Near East. It is referred to in a number of the surviving...
Notable people
- Saken Gumarov – artist, founder of "attractivism"
- Garipolla Kurmangaliev – singer, composer (author of "16 girls", famous song)
- Sabyr Sargozhin – Russian Major General, died in 1925 in London
Further reading
- Ahmetov, K.; Alasha genealogy, Uralsk, 2006