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The Bashkirs: on the border of cultures |
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Historically, the Bashkirs resided in the frontier between Europe and Asia and on the border of two cultures, one nomadic and one agricultural. This fact is reflected in the complex and brilliant culture of this people- in their substitence strategy, in their shelter, their way of life, and even in their national name "bashkort".
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| Man's wedding costume. Bashkirs. Ufa Province. Late 19th century |
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| Family in festive costumes. Bashkirs. Early 20th century. Photoarchive of the RME . |
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Group of women in festive costumes sitting in the yurt. Bashkirs. Ufa Province. Early 20th century. Photoarchive of the RME |
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Ethnic area and origin of the ethnic name
The Bashkirs, Turk-speaking people of Islamic confession occupy the area in the border of the s Europe and Asia- and on the margin of two cultural worlds- the settled agriculturalist one nomadic livestock one. Their area includes the eastern part of Russian plateu and elevated weld of Priuralie, southern ridges of Urals and the plains of Zauralie.
The origin of ethnic name
The origin of the ethnic name "bashkort" is highly disccussable. Arabian explorers and travelers, who were the first to remain the evidence about the Bashkirs" as early as in X-XI centuries, confused the name "bashkir" with the name "majgar". This is the reason for some specialists to suppose the ethnic resemblance of the "Ugrs" and the Bashkirs. Other scholars interpret the ethnonim as totemic name of one division of the Pecheneg-Oguz peoples, resided in VII-IX centuries the area of the Aral sea. These tribes called themselves "bashkort", that means in translation "the head of wolf". A part of these tribes later was absorbed by the Bashkirs, leaving them the name. In XIX century the Bashkirs had the legend that it was the wolf who had led them in the plains of Zauralie.
The Bashkir’s culture
Dazzling and complex culture of this people makes a link between the cultures of the peoples of the Volga region and the peoples of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The Bashkirian culture possesses features common to the peoples of the Volga region, as well as with the culture of the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia (the region of Ob and Altai).
The nomadic stock-breeding
Till the end of XVIII century the economy of the Bashkirs was based on nomadic stock-breeding, which development was favored by excellent pastures. But the decrease of pasture territories during the XIX century caused that only a part of the Bashkirs left it as their main occupation. All the secondary trades of the Bashkirs were linked with production and use of stock-breeding products. For a long time the economy of the people was one of subsistence and had no connection with market.
The shelter
Traditional tents "yurts" were the most distinctive of all the types of shelter common to the Bashkirs in the XIX-XX centuries. It is interesting to note that the Bashkirs had in one time both Turkic and Mongolian types of yurts. The framework of this construction was made of lattices covered by felt. The most notable visual distinctions of the Turkic yurt were two-folded door and the semispherical form of the roof. The yurt with its surrounding space was the place of work, daily meals, repose and guest reception. According to testimonies of eyewitnesses, guests' and relatives' reception during festive and family events was the favourite pastime of the Bashkirs.
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In this heading:
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see also:
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Headings of section:
