Ethnic identification of the ancestors of the aristocratic family of the kazakhs – kozha and tore
https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2025-5-4-49-72
Abstract
Kazakhs have two aristocratic clans — the Kozha and the Tore, which are not part of the zhuz system. According to genealogical legends, the Kozha trace their descent to the Prophet Muhammad, his many companions, the first four caliphs, or Arab conquerors. The Tore are considered descendants of Genghis Khan. Population genetics (Y-chromosome haplogroups and their subclades) have allowed the ethnic identification of their ancestors. Arab ancestors from the Arabian Peninsula have not been identified among the Kozha. The majority of the ancestors were «Tajiks». This population formerly occupied the territories of Tajikistan, northern Afghanistan, and eastern Iran. They lived in the cities of the Syr Darya region, possibly the Fergana Valley, and also the area between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers. The second component of the Kozha are the «Mongols». Carriers of Mongolian haplogroups (C2, O, and D) account for 6.5–31.3% of them, including haplogroup C2 at 6.5–18.8%. These same two ethnic components are sharply dominant in frequency among the Tore. The frequencies of Mongolian haplogroups range from 42.9–63.0%, and haplogroup C2 at 39.1–63.0%. There are no descendants of the Khalkha Mongols among the carriers of its subclades. Descendants of the Kalmyks are minimally represented. The majority are descendants of the Kalmaks and carriers of the ethnically unidentified «Avar» subclade. The only significant difference between the Tore and the Kozha is that they have higher frequencies of Mongolian haplogroups, approximately the same as the Kazakhs of the Great Zhuz. Population genetic data for the Tore and Kozha do not correspond to their genealogical legends.
Keywords
About the Author
A. M. Tyurin
Orenburg State University
Россия
Россия
Tyurin Anatoliy M.,Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
Orenburg
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For citations:
Tyurin A.M. Ethnic identification of the ancestors of the aristocratic family of the kazakhs – kozha and tore. Nomadic civilization: historical research. 2025;5(4):49-72. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2025-5-4-49-72
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