Considerable portions of the region are occupied by the Turk race. These are usually recognised to be in ten tribes,—Uigur, Uzbak, Lsinanli, Yakut, Turkoman, Nogaian, Basian, Kalmuk, Kara-Kal pak, and Kirghiz.
The Uigur occupy part of the region known to Europe as Chinese Tartary, and the Uzbak are their western neighbours under the Chinese. They at present occupy Kashgar. They are called Hiung-nu by the Chinese, and in Europe are known as the Hunigur, Hongre, or Hun. About B.C. 200 they dispossessed the Yu-chi, but were in turn subjugated by the Chinese before the Christian era.
Uigur, according to Professor A. Vambery, are the most ancient of the Turkish tribes, and formerly inhabited a part of Chinese Tartary, which is now occupied by a mixed population of Turk, Mongol, and Kalmuk. They were the first who reduced the Turkish language to writing, borrowing the old Syriac characters from Nes torian Christians, who had come to their country as early as the 4th century of the Christian era. The manuscripts of this language, written in the characters mentioned, afford, therefore, the most ancient and valuable data in investigating the history not only of Central Asia, but of the whole Turkish race. He believeshe had collected all that has been discovered of the Uigur language, though the Uigur had a literature, and were very fond of books, at a time when the western world was involved in ignorance and barbarism. The most valuable manuscript he obtained bears date. 1069, and was written iu Kashgar ; it treats of ethics and political subjects, and forms a kind of manual of advice to kings how to govern with justice and success. It reveals the social condi tion of this people, and forms the basis of the later regulations by which all Turks are governed. The Uigur writing character was the original source of those still used by the Mongol and Manchu. The modern Tartar characters are written (and, it is presumed, read) in vertical lines from top to bottom of the page, the lines succeeding each other froni left to right. What Higur meant with Mongol authors is doubtful, but the people and language so called by the western Asiatics were Turki. Captain Vali khanoff speaks of the language now in use at Kasligar as being Uigur, but it is not clear whether he means that this term is known to the natives.
Uzbak are now dominant in Khiva, and are spread through the Bokhara khanate. Their early history is obscure, but prior to Chengiz Khan's' time all Mawar-u-Nahr was occupied by a Turk race, with whom the modern Uzbak claim identity, and many names of their tribes, as Kungrad, Naiman, Kipchak, Jalair, etc., are identical with those of the Kirghiz, Kara Kalpak, and Turkoman. Their prominence in the khanate of Bokhara dates from the times of Chengiz Khan, whose grandson Shaibani, brother of Batu Khan of Kipchak, son of Jogi (eldest son of Chengiz), ruled over a number of Turk. and Mongol tribes occupying the country between the river Ural and Sea of Ural, and also the regions watered by the river Jaik, which flows into the Caspian. With these he founded the khanate of Tura ; and one of his descendants, Uz bak Khan, was so beloved, that his people gave his name to the nation. One of his descendants, a powerful ruler named Abul Khair Khan, advanced towards the S.E., under whom the Uzbaks were composed of a number of Turki and Mongol tribes to whom others joined, attracted by their prestige. Their genealogical list, Nasal namah-i-Usbakia, enumerates 97 tribes, one-third of whom are settled in the khanate, viz. Aimak, Arabet, Chagatai, Chiljuyut, Buzachi, Byagrin, Byatash, Jid, Juyut, Galiachi, Gurlyat, Durmen, Khitia, Kir, Kirkit, Karlik, Kipchak, Kahnuk, Katagann, Kanchin, Kungrad, Kunigaz or Kani gaz, Kureme, Lakaye or Lokhai ? Mangbit, Naiman, Sarai, Tatar, Turkomans, Uigur, Ung, Uugachit, Uzoi, Yabu, Yuikhun.
The Manghit is the chief and dominant tribe, some of them being settled in towns, others nomade near Karshi and Bokhara. The settled portions cultivate by means of their Persian slaves. Intercourse for ages with Persian women, and of other Turki tribes who have joined them, attracted by their prestige, has largely modi fied their physical appearance. Burnes, Abbott, Elphinstone, Fraser, Varnbery, Khanikoff, Collett, and others have noticed them variously; but they may be described as haughty and over bearing in demeanour towards all the other races of the khanates, averse to labour, rather given to acts of violence, but brave, simple, manly, straightforward, and comparatively honest. The simpler though ruder Uzbak of Khiva is the better.