Turkontan.—The northern part of Persia west of the Caspian Sea—Armenia, the south of Georgia, Shirwan, and Dagestan—harbours a Turk population, known by the general name of Turko. man. They are predatory nomades, and their arrival in , these countries dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. East of the Caspian Sea, the Turkoman tribes are under command of the Uzbak khans of Khiva, Fargana, and Bokhara.
They call themselves, however, not subjects but guests of these khans. Still more to the east, the Turkoman are under Chinese sovereignty, and in the south-west they reach as far its Khorasan and other provinces of Persia.
The Uthak, descendants of the flui-he and Uigur, and originally settled in the neighbour hood of the towns of Khotan, Kashgar, Turfan, and Hamil, crossed the Jaxartes (Syr-i-Darya) the 16th century, and, after several successful campaigns. gained posse.ssion of Balkh, Kharism (Khiva), Bokliam, and Fargana. In tho latter country and in Balkh they have become agri cultural ; but generally their life is nomadic, and too warlike to be called pastoral.
Nogai.—Another Turk tribe are the Nogai, west of the Caspian, and also north of the Black Sea. To the beginning of the 17th century they lived north-east of the Caspian, and the steppes on the left of the Irtish bore their name. Pressed by the Kalmuk, Mongol tribe, the Nogai advanced west ward as far as Astracan. Peter 1. transferred them thence to the north of the Caucasian moun tains, where they still graze their flocks on the shores of the Kuban and the Kama. One horde, that of Kuudur, remained on the Volga, subject to the Kalmuk. Another tribe of Turk origin iu the Caucasus are the Bazianes. .A. third Turk tribe in the Caucasus are the Kumiik, on the rivers Sunja, Aksai, and Koisu.
Bashkir.—The southern portion of the Altaic mountains has long been inhabited by the Bashkir, a race considerably mixed with Mongolic blood, savage and ignorant, subjects of Russia, and Muham madans by faith. Their land is divided into four roads, called the roads of Siberia, of Kasan, of Nogai, and of Osa, a place on the Kama. Among the Bashkir, and in villages near Ufa, is now settled a Turk tribe, the Mescherak, who formerly lived near the Volga.
Karakalpak.-7'he tribes near the lake of Aral are called Karakalpak. They are subject partly to Russia, partly to the khans of Khiva.
Siberia.—The Turk of Siberia are partly original settlers who crossed the Aral and founded the khanate of Sibir, partly later colonist& Their towns are Tobolsk, Yeniseisk, and Tomsk-. Separ ate tribes are the Uran'hat on the Chulym, and the Barabas in the steppes between the Irtish and the Ob.
Iu the north-east of Asia, on both sides of the river Lena, the Yakut form the most remote link in the Turkic chain of languages. Their male population has lately risen to 100,000, while in 1795 it amounted only to 50,066. Their original seats seem to have been north-west of Lake BaikaL Southern Siberia is the mother country of the Kirghiz, ono of the most numerous tribes of Turko-Tataric origin. The Kirghiz lived origin ally between the Ob and Yenisei, where Mongolic tribes settled among them. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Minims became acquainted with the Eastern Kirghiz, then living along the Yenisei. la 1606 they had become tributary to Russia, and, after several 1N-ars with two neigh bouring tribes, they were driven more and more south-westward, till they left Siberia altogether at the beginning of the 18th century. They now live at Ilurut in Chinese Turkestan, together with the Kirghiz of the 'Great llorde,' near the town of Kashgar, north as far its the Irtish.
Kirghiz.—Another tribe is that of the Western Kirghiz or Kirghiz-Kazak, who are partly inde pendent, partly tributary to Russia and China.
Of what are called the three Kirghiz hordes, from the Ca.spian Sea cast as far as Lake Tenghiz, the Small Horde is fixed in the west, between the rivers Yernba and Aral ; the Great Horde in the east ; while the inost powerful occupies the centre between the Sarasu and Yemba, and is called the Middle Horde. Since 1819 the Great Horde has been subject to Russia. Other Kirghiz tribes, though nominally subject to Russia, are really her most dangerous enemies.
The Turk of Asia itlinor and Syria came from Khorasan and Eastern Persia, and are Turkomans, and remnants of 'the Seljuk, the rulers of Persia during the middle ages.