Uzbeks & Uyghurs: differencies & similarities

I am not sure if this topic was discussed before in the forum, just i decided to share some information on reasons for that uzbeks & uyghurs  have many traditionals common for both of these two nations. Not just language, also musical instruments and dances are very the same. I don't know if uyghurs have traditional food - POLOV, or somsa, kulcha non . I know it sounds funny but damn it's really interesting !
Maybe there are some other nations common with the uzbek-uyghur traditions???
 

But there is also Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan between Uzbekistan and Eastern Turkestan.

Yes, we uyghurs have such traditional foods. Slightly different pronunciation, Polo, Samsa, the last one I am not sure, may be southern Uyghurs have it. Couple of months ago, I invited an Uzbek student from Buxara, we had no problem with communication, he speaks Uzbek with his Buxara dialect, I speak Uyghur with my own dialect. The diffrence is like the difference among Uyghur dialects. I made polo, he said its exactly the same with their�s.

By the way, there are also some Uyghur groups who have strickingly similar traditional clothes and customs with Khazaq/ Kyrgiz people, just look at this video, then you will know what I meant. The video from Lopnur Uyghurs, they live near ancient Kiroran(roran). The Ili uyghurs have the same. But you hardly find such clothes among other Uyghur regions, and each region has its unique clothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afq-_BUEKek

Due to highly developed literature tradition among Uyghurs, in the middle ages, Uyghur turkic became language of literature and science in central asia. Learning centers emerged in significant numbers in Turpan, Kusen, Qeshqer, Yerken, Hoten, Semerqent, Buhara, Hirat etc cities.   Arabic and Persian became compulsary subjects, as the common folks also tend to use literal language especially in the cities, you can find many Arabic and Persian words in Uyghur.  However you can also find the the Turkic counterpart of these words used at the same or more frequency. 

Sarmat Most of the city Uzbeks are in fact Tukicized Tajiks. Until the 1920th both Tajiks and city Uzbeks were both called "Sarts," there literally wasn't any difference between them and most of them used both languages (Tajik and Uzbek) interchangeably. However, due to the Soviet ethnic policy Tajik and Uzbek were distinguished. In fact, this differentiation was very artificial.

Edited by Bulldog - 22-Feb-2008 at 03:33

Sarmat Aren't you saying that genetics, ethnic origins, aren't important as long as a particular people consider themselves to be X, or Turks in our case.   So, does it really makes a big difference if those Uzbeks do consider themsleves Uzbeks and speak Uzbek language, although they originate from Tajiks? They still remain Uzbeks regardless.

Process of switching from a language to another one doesn't occur in one night and can have reasonable steps. Look at the northern Africa and many parts of middle east who  adopted the arabic language and culture and became Arab. the same story happened in central Asia. many people passed this region, conquered it, settled down and left. First of all, Sassanid spread Persian language in this region and many other Iranic tribes who were not Persian started to adopt Persian language slowly. Sassanids ruled the region for 4 centuries as the result many people became bilingual or adopted Persian language.  later in 10th century Turkic Ghaznavids came to region and mass immigration of Turks occurded. After Ghaznavid many Turkic dynasties ruled the region but many of them still used the Persian as their court language. Their language were heavily influenced by Persians.There were large Iranic communities in the cities since they were city dwellers and a lot of turks still lived as nomadic or semi-nomadic, when Mongols invaded the central Asia. As you have read in history book Mongols ruined many cities and killed or enslaved almost all city dwellers in central Asia. along side of Mongol army were many Turkic soldiers and Tribes who came to the region and settled down this changes  many thing in central Asia and language was one of them. many Iranic tribes and communities were already bilingual and in places where Tukic tribes were majority the slowly switched to Turkic language, but those who  lived in area majority Persian speakers kept their language. There are many reason for changing language specially if you live in cities not being nomadic. Look at the hazaras in Afghanistan. They are Mongol by origin but they speak a dialect of Persian now. So changing language is not an strange thing and do not need any special program. People change their language due to their need to communicate with other people around them, to learn something which is in another language, to work with foreigners and many  other reason. I see the switching from one language to another in this process. 1. borrowing heavily form another language in your conversations 2. slowly becoming a bilingual. 3. living in an area who have to speak and communicate with another language 4. deciding to change your language to become a member of the majority and have less differences with them so they accept you better and you can communicate better ( this occur specially when your children and next generation prefer the other language.) 5. Now, you has completely changed your language and your next generation became ...ized. Very simple.   


Edited by Suren - 23-Feb-2008 at 17:44

Suren  There are many reason for changing language specially if you live in cities not being nomadic. Look at the hazaras in Afghanistan. They are Mongol by origin but they speak a dialect of Persian now. So changing language is not an strange thing and do not need any special program.

Sarmat The process of linguisitic assimilation is natural and can be observed in different places at different historical periods. There is nothing unusual, weird etc. in the fact that Tajiks or original Iranian speaking Central Asian city dwellers were Turkified. It doesn't have any relation to Russians and Russian nationalism.