Who Are the Kazakhs?
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people numbering approximately 18 million—the majority in Kazakhstan (the world's largest landlocked country) plus significant populations in China's Xinjiang (1.5 million), Mongolia, Russia, and Uzbekistan. They speak Kazakh, a Turkic language, and traditionally practiced pastoral nomadism across the vast Central Asian steppes. Descended from Mongol and Turkic tribal confederations, Kazakhs developed distinctive traditions: eagle hunting, yurt dwelling, horsemanship, and the dombra (musical instrument). Soviet collectivization devastated traditional life; independence in 1991 brought cultural revival alongside oil-fueled development.
Eagle Hunting
Kazakh eagle hunting (burkitshi/berkutchi) represents one of humanity's most dramatic partnerships with wildlife. Hunters—traditionally in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia and Kazakhstan—capture and train golden eagles to hunt foxes and wolves. The tradition spans perhaps 6,000 years. Eagles are caught young, trained over years, and released after a decade of partnership. The relationship between hunter and eagle involves deep bonding; eagles are treated as family members. While few practitioners remain (perhaps 250 in Mongolia), the tradition has gained international attention through documentaries and the growth of eagle festivals.
Nomadic Heritage
Traditional Kazakh life centered on pastoral nomadism—moving between seasonal pastures (jailau) with horses, sheep, and camels. The yurt (kiiz üy) provided portable housing; Kazakh yurts feature distinctive high crowns and elaborate felt decorations. Horsemanship was paramount; children learned to ride before walking. Mare's milk, fermented into kumis, provided sustenance. This way of life, practiced for millennia, was violently disrupted by Soviet collectivization (1929-1933), which killed an estimated 1.5 million Kazakhs through famine—40% of the population. Few Kazakhs remain nomadic today, but equestrian culture persists.
Soviet Trauma
Soviet rule devastated Kazakh society. Collectivization destroyed nomadic life; the resulting famine killed proportionally more Kazakhs than any other Soviet nationality. Kazakhstan became a nuclear testing ground—467 nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk caused widespread health impacts still affecting communities. Virgin Lands agricultural programs brought millions of Slavic settlers, making Kazakhs minorities in their homeland. The Aral Sea environmental disaster—Soviet irrigation projects shrank it to 10% of original size—destroyed fishing communities and created toxic dust storms. This trauma shapes contemporary Kazakh identity and wariness of Russian influence.
Contemporary Kazakhstan
Independent since 1991, Kazakhstan has leveraged oil wealth for development while maintaining authoritarian governance. Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled until 2019; his successor continues similar policies. The capital was moved to the new city of Astana (now Nur-Sultan, renamed after Nazarbayev). Cultural revival emphasizes Kazakh language and heritage after Soviet russification. Relations with Russia remain close but tensions simmer over Kazakhstan's multi-vector foreign policy. The Kazakh diaspora in China faces increasing pressure under Xinjiang policies. How Kazakhstan balances development, cultural identity, and geopolitical pressures defines its post-Soviet trajectory.
References
- Olcott, M. B. (1987). The Kazakhs
- Cameron, S. (2018). The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan
- Bodio, T. (2020). The Eagle Huntress