וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי אוּלָם אֲנָשִׁים גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת וּמַרְבִּים בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים כָּל אֵלֶּה מִבְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן
Kyrgyz means “imperishable”, “inextinguishable”, “immortal”, “unconquerable”, or “unbeatable”
The early Kyrgyz people, known as Yenisei Kyrgyz, have their origins in the western parts of modern-day Mongolia
They were described in Tang Dynasty texts as having “red hair and green eyes” with a mixture of European and Mongol features.
They are considered to be a people that were created by a combination of Mongol, Khitan, and Uyghur tribes. They generally have an East Asian appearance like their neighbours the Kazakhs, and in contrast to the mostly Caucasoid Tajiks and the mixed-looking Uzbeks.
The Kyrgyz form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People’s Republic of China. There are more than 145,000 Kyrgyz in China.
Russia 104,570
Kazakhstan 23,274
Uzbekistan 250,000
Kyrgyzstan 3,804,800
Tajikistan 60,000
Afghanistan 1,130
Turkey 5,000
China 145,000
They are found mainly in the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
Many ancient indigenous beliefs and practices, including shamanism and totemism, coexisted synthetically with Islam. Likewise, the Sufi order of Islam has been one of the most active Muslim groups in Kyrgyzstan for over a century. Certain segments of the Kyrgyz in China are followers of Tibetan Buddhism.
Russians believe that the Kirghiz would be a liability in any conflict against China. The Kirghiz believe that in an upcoming war China would defeat Russia.
