Ethnonyms in the Works of Alisher Navoi

B. B. Abdushukurov

Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Nation, Ethnonym, Ethnic History, Ethnogenesis, Lingvo- Genesis, Onomastics.

Abstract: This article explores the names of clans, tribes, peoples, and nations used in the works of Alisher Navoi.

Ethnonyms, born out of historical necessity, convey specific information and over time often become the

names of the regions inhabited by these communities. In addition, an analysis of the ethnonyms expressed in

Navoi's works helps to uncover details about the peoples' destinations, lifestyles, origins, and ethnogenesis.

The study of the history, usage, distribution, and current status of ethnonyms contributes to resolving issues

in ethnic history, ethnogenesis, linguogenesis, and onomastics. Within this article, the names of clans and

tribes found in Alisher Navoi's works are compared with ancient mnemonics and ethnonyms used in the works

of Rashididdin Fazlullah Qazvini (Hamadoni), in "Devonu lug'otit Turk", "Jome'-at Tavorikh", Mirzo

Ulug'bek's "To‘rt ulus tarixi" ("History of Four Nations"), and Abulghozi Bahadir's "Shajarayi Turk". This

approach illuminates the formation, historical development, and etymology of ethnonyms.

1 INTRODUCTION

It is well-established that terms such as 'to‘p', 'to‘par',

'horn', 'tira', 'community', 'category', 'generation',

'tribe', 'clan', 'people', and 'nation' are ethnonyms.

These were formed out of historical necessity and

convey specific information. Over the course of

several thousand years, groups have identified as

clans in some instances, then evolved to establish

territorial-dialectal commonalities, ultimately taking

form as tribes. The names of the tribes, or ethnonyms,

often become the labels for the regions where these

communities reside. Occasionally, based on

ethnonyms, it is possible to deduce which clan or tribe

lived in which area. Therefore, studying the

ethnonyms used in the works of the esteemed Alisher

Navoi, master of words, assists in uncovering the

destinations, lifestyles, origins, and ethnogenesis of

peoples and nations.

Alisher Navoi refers to the Uyghur people and their

administrative activities in his work "Vaqfia", stating

"Uyg‘uriy" gift givers and "uyg‘ur" expert archers

[Alisher Navoi's works. (1984)]. Mahmud Koshghari

includes the Uyghur ethnonym among the Jumul and

Taŋut tribes [Mahmud Koshgari. (1960)]. The

Uyghurs primarily speak pure Turkish, but they also

utilise other languages for internal communication.

Those using the 24-letter Turkish script displayed at

the beginning of the book write their letters in this

script. The work "Devonu Lugatit Turk" gives an

interesting account of the origin of this term: When

Zulqarnayn approached the Uyghur province, the

Turkish Khagan sent four thousand men to him. The

feathers of their caps resembled the wings of wild

birds. They excelled in archery, shooting as

effectively from behind as if they were shooting from

the front. Zulqarnayn was impressed by this. They

sustained themselves, finding their own food and

requiring no one else. As skilled hunters, they could

capture and consume prey whenever they wished.

Subsequently, the region was named Khud Khor,

"khu" evolved into "u", thus creating Udkhor. Over

time, this name transformed again, becoming Uyghur.

According to the 14th-century work "Jome'-at

Tavarikh" by the renowned Eastern historian

Rashididdin Fazlullah Qazvini (Hamadani), Oghiz

fell into disagreement with his father and several of

his brothers over the acceptance of Islam, leading to

a war. In this conflict, certain tribes sided with Oghiz,

and these tribes were referred to as 'Uyghur' by Oghiz

[Daniyorov Kh. (2017)].

In Abulgazi's "Shajarayi Turk", we find the following

commentary on the etymology of the Uyghur people

and their ethnonym: The term 'Uyg‘ur' signifies

'clinging closely'. It is said that the milk curdles.

During this process, one component separates from

Abdushukurov, B.

Ethnonyms in the Works of Alisher Navoi.

DOI: 10.5220/0012503500003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 779-783

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

779

the other. After curdling, it does not separate further.

It curdles, which means it binds together. It is also

stated as 'I adhered to the imam'. If the imam dies, he

dies; if he stands, he stands, implying he is the

foremost follower. Thus, it is often stated that there

are two mountains in Mongolian territory. From

sunrise to sunset, immense mountains stand. One is

named To‘qratubuzluq, and the other is named

Uskunluq. Tangrim has another mountain located

between these two, on the sunset side of Mongolian

land. This mountain is referred to as Qut. Within the

area surrounded by these mentioned mountains, ten

rivers flow. At one location, nine rivers converge, all

forming large bodies of water. The ancient Uyghur

people used to dwell between these rivers [Mirza

Ulugbek. (1994)].

In addition, we have observed that the word “Devon”

was also used for the Uyghurs: 'tat – tot'. For instance,

there is a saying relating to this: 'tatïg‘ közrä tikäniң

tubra – totning ko‘ziga ur, tikanni tubidan uz'.

According to Yagma and Tukhsi, this term denotes

Uyghurs who did not convert to Islam. I gleaned this

from them in their own city [Abulghazi. (1992)].

Experimentally, the Tatar ethnonym is cited in the

work “Devonu Lugatit Turk” as one of the tribes

adjacent to Rum following Yabaqu. Additional

evidence indicating that the Tatars live next to the

Yabaqu is their common usage of certain words. For

example, the lexeme 'tar' is assumed to be a word for

Yabaqu and Tatars: 'tar' refers to a simple boat used

in small bodies of water. This involves inflating

several barrel-rolls, tying off the ends and joining

them together. A roof-like structure is then formed

over the water, upon which one sits and traverses the

water. Similar constructs are also made from reeds

and branches [Alisher Navoi's works. (1983)].

According to Rashididdin, the Tatar people have been

in existence since ancient times, boasting 70,000

homes and were accustomed to paying tributes to

others. Tatar generations frequently engaged in

internal conflicts. However, when they united and

formed an alliance with Dorban (Dorman), Soljuvut

and Qatogan, they ascended to a prominent rank,

prompting other Turkic tribes to join them and start

identifying themselves as Tatars. The term is

referenced in Mirzo Ulugbek’s “History of Four

Nations” as 'Tatar tribe mention': according to

historical scholars, the Tatars are divided into eight

branches. The ethnonym appears in the following

sentence in Alisher Navoi's work “Nasoyimul-

muhabbat”: 'Chun totor kuffori Xorazmg‘a

yetibturlar'. Abulgazi discusses the Tatar people and

writes: 'Aning oti qadimda va bu vaqtda ham mashhur

turur. Qadim yetmish ming evlik erdilar. Ko‘p uruq

erdilar. Har qaysisi falon elmiz teb ayturlar erdi. Har

uruqlari boshqa-boshqa har yerda o‘ltururlar. Ammo

yaxshilari va ko‘praki Xitoyg‘a yaqin' [Abulghazi.

(1992)]. Additionally, the work “Shajarayi Turk” also

contains information about the Mongolian-Tatar

alliance: 'Tatar birlan mo‘g‘ul ikkisi saf tortib

urushtilar. Mo‘g‘ul g‘olib kelib, ulug‘larin qilichdin

o‘tkarib kichiklarin banda qildilar. To‘rt yuz ellik yil

bo‘lg‘anda qonini va molini oldi. Taqi ota yurtinda

o‘lturdi. Ul yerda o‘lturg‘an turk xalqining

uruqlarining ichinda tatardin ko‘pi va tug‘ushlisi

bo‘lmas erdi. Arkanakundin chiqib, tatarni qirib ota

yurtida o‘lturg‘andin so‘ng mo‘g‘ul tatar yerina

barcha ellarga bosh bo‘ldi' [Abulghazi. (1992)].

Khazrat Navoi incorporated the Mongolian ethnonym

in his work “Vaqfia”: '...va shomning mushkbo‘y

siyoh jurdalari subhning mug‘ulchin chobuksuvori

turktozidin emin' [Alisher Navoi's works. (1983)].

This term appears in the context recorded in Mirzo

Ulugbek’s “History of Four Nations”: 'Mo‘g‘ul va

totor katta-kichigi lashkari istiqboliga chiqdi'.

Abulgazi Bahadirkhan also used the name of this

people in the same form: 'Mo‘g‘ul eli evlarin va

mollarin bir yerga yig‘ib, cheriki evlarining oldinda

o‘r qazib o‘lturdilar'. The original term 'mo‘g‘ul'

exists as 'mungul'. Over time, due to language

transformation, it turned into 'mo‘g‘ul'. The meaning

of 'mung' is well-known among all Turks, signifying

'kayg‘u' or worry. Hence, its meaning is 'soda dil', in

other words, 'qayg‘uli soda temak'.

When discussing the so-called Mongols in his work

“Jome'-at Tavorikh”, Rashididdin clearly asserted

that "the name of these people, now referred to as

Mongols, was not so previously" and enumerated the

tribes among them: Jalayir, Sunit, Tatar, Merkit,

Qurlavut, Tulas, Tumat-Bulagachi (Bulg‘ochin),

Keremuchin, Urasut, Tamg‘alik, Torg‘ut (Torgut),

O‘yrot (Oyrat), Bargut (Burqut), Ko‘ri (Qo‘ri),

Tilingut, Uryankat, Kurkat, Sukayit.

In the second part, he acknowledges his peoples as

“those situated on the plains similar to the one above

and recently named as Mongols”: Kerayit, Nayman,

Ungut, Tengut, Bekrin (Bahrin), Qirg‘iz.

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2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thus, it appears that during that period, all Turkic

peoples who were part of Genghis Khan’s political

union were referred to as Mongols. When discussing

the tribe (clan) named Ergune-kun, Rashididdin

stated, “The word 'Mongol' became the name of their

clan. They are now extending this name to other

peoples similar to Mongols, because their integration

with other nations coincided with the era of the

Mongols. In reality, these subsequent nations are

Turks.” Summarising the thoughts presented in this

chapter, the author states “thus, now the majority of

Turks are referred to as Mongols.”

Secondly, Rashididdin notes that there were, in

actuality, very few Mongols. He enumerates 18 tribes

considered to be of true Mongol descent: Nukus,

Uryankat, Kungirot, Ikras, Olkunit, Kuralas, Eljigin,

Kun-Kulayut, Ortaut, Konquton, Orulat, Kilingut,

Konjun, Ushin, Sulduz, Eldurkin, Boyovut and

Kingit. Among them, in terms of origin, there are

those who, in our opinion, are not Mongolian,

because the names of tribes such as Nukus, Kungirot,

Kuralas, Orulat, Ushin, Sulduz, Bayovut testify to

their Turkic origins.

Thirdly, on page 102 of the book, Rashididdin

mentions, “Different clans began to define their

greatness and value by associating themselves with

the Mongols, because Genghis and his clan were of

Mongol descent. That is why tribes such as Jalayir,

Tatar, Oirat, Ungut, Kerayit, Naiman, and Tangut,

who did not acknowledge the Mongols in the past,

now boast and consider themselves part of the

Mongols." This is supported by a similar comment

found in the work “Shajarayi Turk”: "Ba’zi ellar

Mo‘g‘ulga panoh kelturub, mo‘g‘ul bo‘lmasalar ham

mo‘g‘ulmiz teb, o‘zlarini mo‘g‘ulg‘a qo‘shdilar."

Continuing with this line of thought, Rashididdin

states, “The current descendants of these (the above-

mentioned tribes) believe that they have been part of

the Mongols since ancient times. However, this is not

the case, in ancient times the Mongols themselves

were a part of the Turkic peoples living in the

deserts.” This leads one to conclude that the Mongols

themselves are a part of the Turkic peoples.

The renowned lexicographer Mahmud Koshghari

states that 'tÿrkmän' refers to the Oghuz. There is a

story related to this name: when Zulqarnayn passed

through Samarkand and directed his journey towards

the city of the Turks, a young man named Shu, the

king of the Turks, reigned. He commanded a vast

army. Shu city, located near Balasogun, was

conquered and established by this king. In this city,

three hundred and sixty storms were proclaimed daily

for the beggars. ... When Zulqarnain arrived, the

inhabitants of the city seemed to be sensible people.

They wore the badge of the Turks. He named them

'Turkmonand' without enquiring further. Henceforth,

this term has remained their name until today. They

consist of 24 tribes [Mahmud Koshgari. (1963)].

Indeed, the observations about the Turkmens in

'Devon' suggest that their language is closely related

to the Oghuz. However, a certain portion of the

Turkmens joined other tribes and their language

adapted to the language of these peoples. For

instance: 'er ӭwdin tashïqtï' – the man left the house.

This phrase is found in the language of Yagmo,

Tukhsi, Kipchak, Yabuq, and some Turkmen clans

[Mahmud Koshgari. (1963)]. The ethnonym

'Turkman' is represented in old Uzbek language

sources, including Alisher Navoi’s 'Khazoyinul-

maoni', meaning 'tribe, nation':

The work 'Shajarayi Turk' reveals that the examined

term maintained its usage in the same sense even into

the 17th century: 'Amu suvining yoqasinda ekin ekib

o‘lturg‘an uch uruq turkman bor erdi. Ani uch el

derlar erdi: Xizir elining adaqlisi, ali eli va tevachi

[Abulghazi. (1992),128].'

In his works, the respected thinker Alisher Navoi

identified the Chigil people as one of the Turkic

tribes. He mentions the names Chigil and Yagmo in

his epic “Saddiy Iskandariy,” set in the time of

Alexander's campaigns in Movarounnahr:

"Chigil birla Yag‘modan aylab ubur,

Nechukkim chamandin sabovu dabur."

The ethnonym Chigil first appeared in Yusuf Khos

Hajib’s epic “Kutadgu Bilig” as "negü ter ešitgil

biliglig čigil". Mahmud Koshgari provides the

following information about this term:

Chigil refers to three different Turkic tribes:

1. Nomads living near the lower Kujas town in the

Barsagan region.

2. A tribe living in the town near Tiroz is also called

Chigil. This is due to the fact that when Zulqarnayn

reached the city of Arghular, there was a heavy rain

causing the ground to become muddy and swampy. In

his frustration, Zulqarnayn said in Persian "in chi gil

ast" (what is this mud?). He then ordered a building

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781

to be constructed there, which subsequently evolved

into a fortress known as Chigil. The Turkic tribes

living there adopted this name, and it has been used

ever since.

3. Turkic tribes living in several villages in Kashgar

are also called Chigil. These tribes stem from one

clan.

Abulgazi Bahadirkhan used this term as a person's

name: "Among the Turks, who has some pictures,

andin left. Turk had four sons. First To‘tak, second

Chigil, third Barsachar, fourth Imloq."

Historically, the term "Kipchak" has been considered

to refer to one of the ancient Turkic tribes. Notably,

in the 11th-century dictionary of Turkologist

Mahmud Koshghari, the Kipchaks are described as an

ancient people who inhabited the city of Tavar and a

town near Kashgar. Rashididdin’s work “Jome’-at

Tavarikh” mentions that after Oghiz was defeated by

the Itboqar (Etboqar) tribe and was retreating, he

found a child named Kipchak. The word “kipchak” is

derived from the Turkish word “shell”, from which

all kipchaks are derived. This idea is also echoed in

Mirzo Ulugbek’s work “The History of Four

Nations.”

Alisher Navoi's works also make mention of the

Kipchaks: qipchoq/qifchoq: "Birida Buzurjmehr

o‘lturur erdi, birida qaysari Rum va birida qifchoq

xoni [Alisher Navoi's works. (1983)]."

In “Shajarayi Turk” we come across the following

notes about the position of the Kipchak people and

their places of residence: "Turk elinda ul el otini

ko‘targan besh uruq turur teb, uyg‘ur, qiniqli,

qipchaq, qalach, qorluq. Kipchaq — Tin yea Atil va

Yoyiq; bu aytilg‘an suvlarning orosinda o‘lturdilar."

The ethnonym Jalayir is observed in the old Uzbek

literary language, including in the works of Alisher

Navoi: "...boyriliq ayyomida xizmatkorliq qilg‘on

jonsiporlar va “jaloyir” g‘avg‘osi va “qavchin”

alolosi mavjud erdi..." [10]. Many historians have

mistakenly considered the Jalayir tribe to be of

Mongolian origin. However, as pointed out by

Rashididdin in his work, Jalayir is actually a Turkic

tribe. In recent times, when this tribe joined the

Mongols, they began to be called by this name. Many

amirs and begs came from Jalayir during the time of

Genghis Khan and in later periods. The author divides

the Jalayir tribe into ten sub-tribes: Jot (foreign,

alien), Togarovun, Konigsovut, Qumsovut, Uyot,

Nilkon, Korkin, Tolangit, Turi (Tori), Shangaqavut.

The term appears in the form and meaning recorded

in the "History of Four Nations": the elders of the

Jalayir people came to apologise.... Abulgazi

Bahadirkhan emphasises that the Jalayirs are from

ancient lands and says: "Uruqlari ko‘p erdi. Bir necha

uruqlari bir kishini aqa qilib bir yurtda o‘lturur

erdilar. Ko‘pragi mo‘g‘ul yurtinda O‘tan tegan yerda

o‘ltururlar erdi. Bir karrat xitoydin lashkar kelib,

jalayir xalqining bir yerda o‘lturgan ko‘p jamoatni

qirib, o‘lja asir qilib qaytib ketdi. Chopilg‘an elning

och va aruqi yemakka nimarsalari yo‘qliqdin sahroyi

piyozning tubin qazib yer erdilar."

According to the 14th-century historian Rashididdin

in his work "Jome’-at Tavarikh", the Sulduz tribe

aided Genghis Khan during his war with the

Taijuvuts. Abulgazi offers the following

interpretation of the term: "Ma’lum bo‘lsunkim bu

xonlarning oti xon turur. Mamlakat maslahatida hech

ixtiyori yo‘q turur. Taqi Sulduzning umarolari kim

alarni cho‘ponilar derlar. Bu elning ham so‘nggi

mo‘g‘ul turur."

Mahmud Koshghari writes about the Jagma tribe

living in the town of Yagmo near Tiroz, along with

the Tukhsï, in several places. "The easiest of the

languages is Ughuz; the most correct and the best is

the language of people like Jagma and Tukhsi." This

suggests that the Yagmas are an ancient people,

geographically and linguistically close to the Tukhsi.

Even in their profession, there is information about

their closeness. This is clearly reflected in the

explanation of the word Bista in "Devon": "Bista is

the name of a person who brings merchants to his

house (palace). He assists the merchant in selling his

goods, entertains him, collects and feeds his livestock

(sheep). At the time of departure, the merchant

receives one sheep as a service fee for every twenty

sheep. It is the same in the Tuxï, Jagma, and Chigil

tribes. I saw it with my own eyes [Mahmud Koshgari.

(1963)]." In the works of Alisher Navoi, a common

phonetic variant is found.

In the work "Shajarayi Turk" by Abulgazi

Bahadirkhan, the term is embodied as an

anthroponym: "Ul choqda Kashmir podishohining oti

Yag‘mo erdi. Kashmirning mahkam tog‘lari va ulug‘

suvlari ko‘p bo‘lur. Yag‘mo angaorqa berib,

O‘g‘uzxong‘a boqinmadi. Bir yil urush tilar. Ikki

tarafdin ko‘p kishilar o‘ldi. Oqibat Kashmirni oldi.

Yag‘moni o‘lturdi."

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In the work "Devonu Lugatit Turk", an opinion is

proposed regarding the origin of this clan.

Specifically, twenty-two people and their families

were left behind because they could not find a way to

accompany the king and his troops. These twenty-two

families were deliberating whether to follow them or

to stay where they were when two people came and

joined them. Their families were also with them.

They were tired and sweaty from carrying heavy

loads. They sought advice on whether or not to

abandon the army. The two families said to them: "O

people, Zulqarnayn is a traveller. He will not stay in

our lands, but will pass through. We will remain in

our land." They told the two families: "qal ach, stay

here, stay hungry." This became their name: Khalaj.

This is the essence of the Khalaj. They are two tribes

[7,421-422].

According to Rashididdin’s account, when Oghiz was

returning after conquering Isfahan, a woman gave

birth to a child on the way. But because the woman

was hungry, no milk was produced in her breast. Her

husband stayed behind, hoping to find something to

eat, and brought a piece of wood from the mouth of a

donkey. Oghiz was upset that he was left behind, and

shouted at him, "You stay hungry, that is, you stay

hungry." After that, the people who spread from it

were called by this name.

In the work "Shajarayi Turk", the ethnonym qalach

form is observed: "Xo‘tanning hokimi Qalach

uruqindin Qilich Qora otli ani tutub o‘lturdi. Taqi

xotuni va o‘g‘lon ushoqini Sangunning boshini

Chingizxong‘a yubordi."

3 CONCLUSION

In general, ethnonyms are ancient terms that contain

valuable historical and linguistic information.

Observing the evolution of ethnonyms used in the

works of the great thinker Alisher Navoi, and

explaining their origin, allows us to track ethnic

migration routes, as well as cultural and linguistic

connections. Moreover, the study of the history, use,

distribution and current status of ethnonyms is vital

for addressing the issues of ethnic history,

ethnogenesis, linguogenesis and onomastics.

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