NO. 13 SOVIET ANTHROPOLOGY — FIELD I73 



Comparison with Historical, Ethnolocical, anu Puilolooical Data 



Data regarding the Turkomans are very scant. The only original 

 source is the manuscript ''Genealogy of Turkomans," by Abul Ghazi 

 P.ahadur Khan, written in Khiva during 1059-1660, now in the 

 Tashkent Public Library, translated into Russian by A. Tumanskii. 



Abul Ghazi does not doubt that the Turkomans are full-blooded 

 lurks. He quotes legends stating that they have come from the "lands 

 of Al-Malik and Issyk-Kul," i.e., the Jetty-Su. 



According to the Genealogy. Turk.'' son of Japlu-th and grandson 

 of Noah, settled near Issyk-Kul, having sought a suitable place for 

 many years. He had started from the shores of Ate! (Volga) and 

 lAik (Ural) where Japhcth, son of Noah, had settled after the Flood. 



I'Vom Issyk-Kul the Turkomans were pushed out by Nainans, 

 Rliatais, and Kanglas, and proceeded to settle on the lower course 

 of the Syr-Darya. From there they were forced out by the "Bedjene" 

 people (identified with the Pechenegs). Then they settled in Mawer- 

 annahr where they lost their Turkish type and acquired Indo- 

 luiropean traits. 



The Turkomans, who had come to Mawcrannahr, were first called Turki by 

 the Tajiks. After five or six generations, they became clianged under the in- 

 fluence of the earth and tlie water . . . they became short, tlieir eyes became 

 large, their faces became small and their noses great. When slaves and mer- 

 chants, from among those who had come into Turkmenistan and settled there, 

 began appearing in Mawerannahr, the difference was seen between them and the 

 Turki. These latter were then so called by the Tajiks and to the first Turks they 

 gave the name "Turkmanend," meaning "resembling a Turki." The plain people 

 who could not pronounce Turkmanend, said Turk (men). . . . 



Oshanin thinks that except for "becoming short," the traits enumer- 

 ated by Abul demonstrate the purity of the Indo-European traits of 

 the Turkomans, which at once distinguished them from the Turki 

 tribes. The southern (Mawerannahr) Turkomans were the least 

 mestizcd with the Turks. The role played by mestization with the 

 Persian slaves cannot be determined. 



Abul Ghazi treats in his final chapter of the seven legendary women 

 who once ruled over the Turkomans. Oshanin wonders if this is not 

 a memory of the ancient matriarchate of the Sarmatians ; all ancient 

 authors connect the legend of the Amazons with the Sarmatians. 

 According to Seredonin the word "Sarmad" may have originated 

 from two Iranian words, "Sai"=:king and "Mada" = girl. 



Aristov agrees with Abul in considering the Turkomans to l)c 

 pure-blooded Turki genetically related to the Kanglas, and coming 



^^ One of the Scytho-Sarmatians tribes was named Tork. 



