Kazakhs are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common culture, language and history that is closely related to those of other Turkic peoples. The majority of ethnic Kazakhs live in their transcontinental nation state of Kazakhstan. Ethnic Kazakh communities are present in Kazakhstan's border regions in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, northern Uzbekistan, northwestern China (Xinjiang), western Mongolia (Bayan-Ölgii), and northern Iran (Golestan). The Kazakh people were formed as a result of the merging of Mongol, Turkic, and other Eurasian groups between the 13th and 15th centuries. In the 15th century, under the leadership of two sultans Janibek Khan and Kerei Khan Kazakhs founded the Kazakh Khanate, which existed until the mid-19th century. The term Kazakh is used to refer to ethnic Kazakhs, while the term Kazakhstani refers to all citizens of Kazakhstan, regardless of ethnicity. The Kazakhs likely began using the name "Kazakh" during the 15th century. There are many theories on the origin of the word "Kazakh" or "Qazaq". Some speculate that it comes from the Turkic verb qaz ('wanderer, brigand, vagabond, warrior, free, independent') or that it derives from the Proto-Turkic word *khasaq (a wheeled cart used by the Kazakhs to transport their yurts and belongings). Another theory on the origin of the word "Kazakh" (or Qazaq) is that it comes from the ancient Turkic word qazğaq, first mentioned on the 8th century Turkic monument of Uyuk-Turan. According to Turkic linguist Vasily Radlov and Orientalist Veniamin Yudin, the noun qazğaq derives from the same root as the verb qazğan ('to obtain, to gain'). Therefore, qazğaq defines a type of person who wanders and seeks gain.[42] Kazakh was a common term throughout medieval Central Asia, generally with regard to individuals or groups who had taken or achieved independence from a figure of authority. Timur described his own youth without direct authority as his Qazaqliq ("freedom", "Qazaq-ness". 
Kazakh, Turkic-speaking people of Central Asia inhabiting mainly Kazakhstan and the adjacent parts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China. The Kazakhs emerged in the 15th century from an amalgam of Turkic peoples who entered Transoxiana about the 8th century and Mongols who entered the area in the 13th century. They speak Kazakh, a Turkic language of the northwestern, or Kipchak, branch and predominantly practice Sunni Islam. In the early 2020s there were roughly 13,500,000 Kazakhs in Kazakhstan and more than 1,500,000 in China (mainly in Xinjiang), with small numbers in Uzbekistan, Russia, and Mongolia. About 1465, under the leadership of Karay and Jani Beg, some 200,000 dissatisfied subjects of the Uzbek khan Abū’l-Khayr (Abū al-Khayr) moved into Mughulistān, whose khan, Esen Bogha (Buga), settled them between the Chu and Talas rivers. These separatist Uzbeks became known as Kazakh (“Independent” or “Vagabond”) Uzbeks, and over time a significant differentiation developed between them and the nonseparatist Uzbeks in their respective ways of life: that of the Kazakhs was more nomadic, that of the Uzbeks more sedentary. During the late 15th century and throughout the 16th century the Kazakhs were able to establish the Kazakh khanate, a nomadic empire that stretched across the Steppe east of the Caspian Sea and north of the Aral Sea as far as the upper Irtysh River and the western approaches to the Altai Mountains. Under Burunduk Khan (ruled 1488–1509) and Kasym Khan (1509–18) the Kazakhs were the masters of virtually the entire steppe region, reportedly able to bring 200,000 horse-mounted warriors into the field and feared by all their neighbors. The prevailing view is that the rule of Kasym Khan marked the beginning of an independent Kazakh polity. Under his rule Kazakh power extended from what is now southeastern Kazakhstan to the Ural Mountains. 
In the vast tapestry of human history, few cultures can boast a heritage as rich, diverse, and captivating as that of the Kazakh people. The Mongolian Kazakhs have a history spanning over 130 years, initially linked to China’s Altai Mountains region in the late 19th century, where they migrated from various Kazakh tribes and settled in more than 20 different areas. In this article, we delve deep into the cultural heritage of Kazakh people, exploring their traditions, art, music, cuisine, and more. From the 1930s, Kazakh communities along the Altai border began migrating in groups to Mongolia. Before 1911, during the Bogd Khan’s reign in independent Mongolia, approximately 21,000 Kazakhs from the Naiman tribe lived in border areas. On June 9, 1938, their situation was resolved through the establishment of small communities, and in 1940, the Bayan-Ölgii province was officially founded. The Mongolian Kazakhs stand out as the only Kazakh group preserving their traditional culture and language. Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia’s westernmost aimak, is geographically closer to Kazakhstan than Ulaanbaatar, with 90 percent of the population being ethnic Kazakh. Rooted in their nomadic lifestyle, Kazakh traditions encompass yurt construction, horseback riding, and livestock herding, especially of horses, sheep, and camels. The majority of Kazakh people in Mongolia practice Islam, mainly following the Sunni Hanafi tradition. Their faith combines Islamic customs with elements of traditional Kazakh animism and shamanism. Mosques serve as pivotal community centers, and Islamic rituals are integrated into cultural practices, particularly during significant life events. Their nomadic lifestyle influences religious practices, and Mongolia’s religious tolerance enables coexistence with various faiths, including Buddhism, Christianity, and traditional Mongolian shamanism among Kazakh communities. Kazakh is a Turkic language central to their cultural identity. In Kazakhstan, it is the official state language, influencing the country’s culture, media, education, and administration. In Mongolia, many Kazakhs are bilingual, speaking both Kazakh and Mongolian. Kazakh oral literature, including epic poetry (“dastans”) and storytelling, plays a pivotal role in preserving their history and values, passed down through generations.
Kazakhs are a Central Asian people who live mainly in Kazakhstan, formerly the Kazakh SSR. The so-called Kirghiz SSR was established as part of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic in 1920 and renamed the Kazakh SSR in 1926. In 1991 it declared its sovereignty and independence and began to be called the Republic of Kazakhstan. Toward the end of 1991 it voluntarily joined the other states that formed the Common-wealth of Independent States. The Republic of Kazakhstan is a multicultural state, with members of numerous different ethnic groups living there. A significant portion of the population is Slavic, mainly Russians and Ukrainians, who constitute nearly half the population in some northern areas. Also living in Kazakhstan are Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Turkmens, Uighur, Tatars, Dungans, Germans, Koreans, Greeks, Kurds, Turks, Mordvins, and many peoples from the Caucasus, especially the northern Caucasus. The self-name of the Kazakh people—“Kazakh” or “Kazak”—has existed, according to written sources, since the seventeenth century and was generally known to neighboring peoples by the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Russians, who called them “Kazakhs” or “the Kazatskaye” (or also “Kazattskaya”), subsequently began to call them “Kyrgyz” (although the actual Kyrgyz are the Karakyrgyz or Will Stone Kyrgyz), “Kazak-Kyrgyz,” “Kyrgyz-Kaisak,” and “Kyrgyz-Kazakh.” This occurred because the Russians sought to differentiate the Kazakhs from the Russian Cossacks who had settled in neighboring regions of Siberia at the beginning of the eighteenth century, or in Kazakh territory itself. Only in 1926, when the Kazakhs gained national autonomy, was the name of the Kirghiz ASSR changed to Kazakh and the Kazakhs regained the use of their traditional name. The territory of the Kazakhs, known as Kazakhstan, is quite large. It stretches from the Balkhash Lowlands in the east to the Ural River in the west (about 3,000 kilometers) and from the Syr Darya and Chu river systems and the Tobol River in the south to the Imum and the Irtysh rivers in the north (about 2,000 kilometers). Basically the region consists of steppe, desert, and semidesert lands, which in the east and southeast are bounded by the Altai and Tianshan massifs. In the extreme northwest are the southern marshes of the Common Syrt; in the south the wide, flat Pre-Caspian Lowlands and, further on, the desert peninsula of Mangyshlak. The Ural River flows almost all the way across the Common Syrt and the Pre-Caspian Lowlands, emptying into the Caspian Sea. To the west, Europe begins at the Ural Mountains, and Asia is to the east. 
The zhuz are tribal unions that have played an important role in the history and culture of the Kazakh people. There are three main zhuzes in Kazakhstan: the Senior Zhuz, the Middle Zhuz, and the Younger Zhuz. Each includes several tribes which have their own unique traditions and customs. In general, zhuz began to form in the XVI-XVII centuries, when Kazakhs united to protect their lands from external threats. The Senior Zhuz occupied the southern and southeastern regions, the Middle Zhuz occupied the central and northern regions, and the Younger Zhuz occupied the western and northwestern territories of Kazakhstan. Each zhuz had its own system of governance and societal norms. In addition, each zhuz had its own ru, which in Kazakh means patriarchal clan, descended from one ancestor of the seventh tribe or more. Some of the most common ru include: Dulat: One of the largest clans of the Senior Zhuz, known for its historical significance and large numbers. Naiman: An important clan of the Middle Zhuz, which has played a significant role in the history of the Kazakh people. Argyn: Another major clan of the Middle Zhuz, known for its warriors and cultural traditions. Adai: A clan of the Younger Zhuz which is famous for its traditions and history. Today, zhuz continue to play an important role in the life of Kazakhstan. People remain proud to belong to a particular zhuz and ru, passing on its culture to their children. For example, Kamila, a 20-year-old student from Almaty says she is honored to belong to the Argyny ru, and she and her family try to preserve its traditions “Our tamga, which in Kazakh means ancestral family sign, is a sign of infinity, and everyone in our family has a sign of the clan hanging. We are very proud of it, and I feel a connection to this symbol.” Yerzhan, a 27-year-old, programmer and student of photography from Taraz, is proud of his Naiman background. “They often say about us that we’re brave, courageous and strong-willed, because our ancestors fought with the armies of Genghis Khan,” he told TCA. Asel from Shymkent, a 21-year-old student at the Taraz State University, an aspiring musician who plays the dombra, feels a connection with her ancestors from the Younger Zhuz, namely the Adai ru, and tries to follow their example. “My grandfather told me that many batyrs, Sufis, biys and akyns came from Adai. Beket-ata is especially famous. Perhaps that’s why I began to study music. There is a story that it was Adai ru who developed a special technique of playing the dombra which is known as the Mangistau school.” Kazakh zhuz and rus remain an important part of the history and culture of Kazakhstan, and continues to live in the hearts and minds of people, preserving their traditions for future generations. 
The origin of the Kazakh tribe is a complex and multifaceted historical process that spans several centuries. The Kazakhs emerged as a distinct ethnic group in the 15th–16th centuries, primarily from the merging of various Turkic and Mongolic nomadic tribes inhabiting the vast steppes of Central Asia. Their ethnogenesis is deeply rooted in the history of the ancient Saks, Huns, and Kipchaks, whose cultural and genetic heritage significantly influenced the formation of the Kazakh identity. This study examines the major historical periods and key factors that contributed to the formation of the Kazakh people, including the role of the Golden Horde, the Mongol conquests, and the influence of Islam. It also explores linguistic, cultural, and genetic evidence supporting the continuity of Kazakh ethnogenesis. By analyzing historical sources, archaeological findings, and genetic research, the paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how the Kazakh nation emerged and developed into its modern form. 
Zhuzes — three groups of tribes within the Kazakh tribe historically formed at the turn of the XV-XVI centuries. There is still no unified scientifically grounded opinion about the origin of the term «zhuz». Some researchers believe that this term means «part», «branch», «side» of something united, whole; others connect it with the meaning of «hundred», «hundred» (2). Whatever the case, Kazakh zhuzes should be understood «… as a «part» of a single people, connected by many elements of political, economic, linguistic and cultural community». There is also no consensus on the time and reasons for the emergence of Kazakh zhuzes. Thus, some authors limit themselves to the presentation of some folk legends and legends about the origin of the Kazakh zhuzes. Russian orientalist V.V. Veliaminov-Zernov, citing the Kazakh legend that under Khak-Nazar (16th century) zhuzes were formed, suggests that the Kazakh zhuzes were formed in the 17th century in the south of Kazakhstan (5). M. Krasovsky, an officer of the Russian General Staff, attributes the formation of the Kazakh zhuzes to the time of the Kazakh khans Kasym, Hak-Nazar and Shigai (16th century), whose separate possessions formed the basis of the Kazakh zhuzes. H.M. Adilgereev and S.A. Amanzholov, having no reliable data for this, attributed the formation of Kazakh zhuzes to the pre-Mongol time (VII-XII centuries AD). The closest to the truth is the assumption about the reasons for the emergence of zhuzes, expressed by academician V.V. Bartold, who, distinguishing the formation of the Kazakh zhuzes to the pre-Mongol time (VII-XII centuries AD). Bartold, who, distinguishing by natural and climatic conditions three isolated areas (Semirechye, the lower reaches of the Syr-Darya and Central Kazakhstan, as well as Western Kazakhstan) believes that in these not isolated areas of Kazakhstan there were zhuzes, Kazakh khanates (8). Supporting V.V. Bartold, Professor M.P. Vyatkin specifies that along with geographical environment, economic and political isolation of these regions of Kazakhstan became the basis for the formation of three Kazakh zhuzes (9). The authors of the history of the Kazakh SSR also basically came to the opinion that in the XV-XVI centuries. «due to many ethno-political and economic factors, three main ethno-territorial associations emerged on the territory of Kazakhstan — the Senior, Middle and Younger zhuzes».
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