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The Kyrgyz people are primarily located in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia, with smaller populations residing in Kyrgyzstan and China.
Answer: False
Explanation: This statement is incorrect. The Kyrgyz people predominantly reside in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and China, with smaller diaspora populations in countries such as Russia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.
The total estimated population of the Kyrgyz people worldwide is between 6 and 7 million.
Answer: True
Explanation: The source material confirms that the total global population of the Kyrgyz people is estimated to be approximately 6 to 7 million.
The Kyrgyz language is an official language in Uzbekistan, where a significant Kyrgyz population resides.
Answer: False
Explanation: While a significant Kyrgyz population resides in Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz language holds official status only in Kyrgyzstan.
As of a 2024 estimate, the Kyrgyz population in Kyrgyzstan is approximately 5.6 million.
Answer: True
Explanation: The provided data indicates that a 2024 estimate places the Kyrgyz population in Kyrgyzstan at approximately 5.6 million.
The 2020 census indicated a Kyrgyz population of 291,628 in China.
Answer: False
Explanation: This figure is incorrect for China. The 2020 census recorded 204,402 Kyrgyz in China, while the 291,628 figure corresponds to the estimated Kyrgyz population in Uzbekistan in 2021.
According to the provided data, which of the following countries hosts a smaller diaspora population of Kyrgyz people rather than being one of their predominant areas of residence?
Answer: Kazakhstan
Explanation: The source material identifies Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and China as the predominant areas of residence for the Kyrgyz people, while Kazakhstan is listed as hosting a smaller diaspora population.
What is the estimated Kyrgyz population in Uzbekistan according to 2021 estimates?
Answer: 291,628
Explanation: According to 2021 estimates, the Kyrgyz population in Uzbekistan is 291,628.
One prominent theory suggests the ethnonym 'Kyrgyz' derives from 'kyrk' (meaning 'forty') and '-iz' (an old plural suffix), translating to 'a collection of forty tribes'.
Answer: True
Explanation: This is a widely believed theory, linking the name to the Turkic word 'kyrk' (forty) and the suffix '-iz', symbolizing a collection of forty tribes.
The earliest Chinese transcriptions of 'Kyrgyz' were Jiegu and Hegu, suggesting an original form of *kirkut / kirgut*.
Answer: False
Explanation: The earliest Chinese transcriptions were Gekun and Jiankun, suggesting an original form of *kirkur ~ kirgur*. The transcription Jiegu appeared later and suggested the form *kirkut / kirgut*.
Yury Zuev proposed that 'Kyrgyz' means 'red face', drawing a comparison to the Tiele tribal name Hún.
Answer: False
Explanation: Yury Zuev proposed that the ethnonym means 'field people' or 'field Huns'. The meaning 'red face' was associated with the later Tang dynasty transcription 'Xiajiasi'.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, European writers used 'Kirghiz' to refer exclusively to the modern Kyrgyz people.
Answer: False
Explanation: European writers of that period used the term 'Kirghiz' to refer not only to the Kyrgyz but also to the more numerous Kazakhs, using terms like 'Kara-Kirghiz' and 'Kirghiz-Kaisak' to differentiate them.
The oldest definite mentions of the Kyrgyz ethnonym date back to the 6th century.
Answer: True
Explanation: While their ancestors appear in earlier records under different names, the oldest definite mentions of the Kyrgyz ethnonym itself date to the 6th century.
18th-century Qing administrators referred to the Kyrgyz by the name 'Kara-Kirghiz'.
Answer: False
Explanation: Qing administrators in the 18th century referred to the Kyrgyz by the name 'Bulute'. The term 'Kara-Kirghiz' was used by European writers to distinguish them from the Kazakhs.
By the 16th century, the term 'Kyrgyz' in the Tian Shan and Xinjiang areas became a general ethnonym for both the Yenisei Kirgiz and other Turkic tribes.
Answer: True
Explanation: In the Tian Shan and Xinjiang regions, the term 'Kyrgyz' evolved to become a unifying political designation and a general ethnonym for the various Turkic tribes that constitute the modern Kyrgyz population.
According to a founding myth, the ethnonym 'Kyrgyz' is associated with the epic hero Manas, who unified forty tribes against which group?
Answer: Khitans
Explanation: A founding myth associates the name 'Kyrgyz' with the epic hero Manas, who is said to have unified forty tribes against the Khitans.
Which of the following was NOT one of the earliest Chinese transcriptions of the ethnonym 'Kyrgyz'?
Answer: Xiajiasi
Explanation: The earliest Chinese transcriptions were Gekun and Jiankun. Jiegu was another early transcription, while Xiajiasi was used later during the Tang Dynasty.
What meaning did Peter Golden suggest for the ethnonym 'Kyrgyz' based on his linguistic reconstruction?
Answer: Gray (referring to horse color)
Explanation: Peter Golden suggested a derivation from the Old Turkic word 'qır', meaning 'gray', likely in reference to horse color.
How did European writers in the 18th and 19th centuries distinguish the Kyrgyz proper from the Kazakhs?
Answer: The Kyrgyz were called 'Kara-Kirghiz', and Kazakhs 'Kirghiz-Kaisak'.
Explanation: To differentiate between the two groups, European writers referred to the Kyrgyz proper as 'Kara-Kirghiz' (Black Kirghiz) and the Kazakhs as 'Kirghiz-Kaisak'.
During which historical period did the name 'Kyrgyz' unambiguously replace the former name 'Khakas'?
Answer: During the rule of Genghis Khan (1162–1227)
Explanation: The name 'Kyrgyz' unambiguously replaced the former name 'Khakas' during the era of Genghis Khan's rule.
The Yenisei Kyrgyz first appear in written records in Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian', compiled between 109-91 BCE.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Yenisei Kyrgyz are first mentioned in Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' under the names Gekun or Jiankun.
The 'New Book of Tang' described the Yenisei Kyrgyz as having dark hair, brown faces, and dark eyes, leading to assumptions of a purely Turkic origin.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'New Book of Tang' described the Yenisei Kyrgyz with contrasting features: 'large, with red hair, white faces, and green or blue eyes', which led some researchers to speculate about a non-Turkic or mixed ethnic origin.
The 9th-century text 'You yang za zu' recorded that the Yenisei Kyrgyz were descended from wolves, similar to the Türks.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'You yang za zu' explicitly states that the Yenisei Kyrgyz were not descended from wolves, but rather were the offspring of a god and a cow.
In 840 AD, the Yenisei Kyrgyz led a revolt that resulted in the downfall of the Uyghur Khaganate.
Answer: True
Explanation: A revolt led by the Yenisei Kyrgyz in 840 AD did indeed cause the downfall of the Uyghur Khaganate, elevating the Kyrgyz to a dominant position in the region.
The Khagans of the Yenisei Kirghiz Khaganate claimed descent from the Mongol general Subutai.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Khagans of the Yenisei Kirghiz Khaganate claimed descent from the Han Chinese general Li Ling, not a Mongol general.
What was the significance of the 9th-10th century migration of the Yenisei Kyrgyz to the Tienshan area?
Answer: It was of 'particularly great importance' for the formative process of the modern Kyrgyz people.
Explanation: The migration of the Yenisei Kyrgyz to the Tienshan area in the 9th-10th century is considered a critically important event in the ethnogenesis of the modern Kyrgyz people.
The Middle Age Chinese composition 'Tang Huiyao' depicted the tamga of the Yenisei Kyrgyz as identical to the tamga of which present-day Kyrgyz tribes?
Answer: Azyk, Bugu, Cherik, Sary Bagysh
Explanation: The 'Tang Huiyao' depicted the Yenisei Kyrgyz tamga (tribal seal) as being identical to that of the modern Kyrgyz tribes of Azyk, Bugu, Cherik, and Sary Bagysh.
What did the 'New Book of Tang' state about the language and script of the Yenisei Kyrgyz?
Answer: They shared the same language and script as the Uyghurs.
Explanation: The 'New Book of Tang' noted that the Yenisei Kyrgyz shared the same language and script as the Uyghurs, who were part of the Tiele tribes.
What was the primary consequence of the Yenisei Kyrgyz revolt in 840 AD?
Answer: The downfall of the Uyghur Khaganate.
Explanation: The revolt led by the Yenisei Kyrgyz in 840 AD directly resulted in the collapse of the Uyghur Khaganate and established the Kyrgyz as a dominant power in the region.
From whom did the Khagans of the Yenisei Kirghiz Khaganate claim descent?
Answer: The Han Chinese general Li Ling
Explanation: The rulers of the Yenisei Kirghiz Khaganate claimed to be descendants of the Han Chinese general Li Ling.
The Kyrgyz maintained dominance over the Tian Shan range for approximately 500 years before Mongol expansion.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Kyrgyz maintained dominance over the Tian Shan range for approximately 200 years, not 500, before their influence was reduced by Mongol expansion.
In 1207, Genghis Khan's oldest son, Jochi, occupied Kyrgyzstan without resistance.
Answer: True
Explanation: With the rise of the Mongol Empire, Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, occupied Kyrgyzstan in 1207 without resistance.
From 1685 until 1757, the Kyrgyz people were under the control of the Qing dynasty.
Answer: False
Explanation: During the period from 1685 to 1757, the Kyrgyz people were under the control of the Oirats, also known as the Dzungars.
The 1916 rebellion against Russian rule in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz to migrate to China and Afghanistan.
Answer: True
Explanation: The suppression of the 1916 rebellion against Russian rule was a key event that led many Kyrgyz to migrate to neighboring China and Afghanistan.
How long did the Kyrgyz maintain dominance over the Tian Shan range before their influence shrunk?
Answer: Approximately 200 years
Explanation: After moving into the Tian Shan range, the Kyrgyz maintained dominance over the territory for about 200 years before Mongol expansion reduced their influence.
Which group controlled the Kyrgyz people between 1685 and 1757?
Answer: The Oirats (Dzungars)
Explanation: From 1685 until 1757, the Kyrgyz people were under the control of the Oirats, also known as the Dzungars.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a region where individuals identified by the ethnonym 'Kirgiz' were living by the 16th century?
Answer: Eastern Europe
Explanation: By the 16th century, carriers of the ethnonym 'Kirgiz' were found in South Siberia, Xinjiang, Tian Shan, Pamir-Alay, Middle Asia, the Urals, and Kazakhstan, but not Eastern Europe.
The Kyrgyz are classified as a Mongolic ethnic group, with recent studies suggesting their origin from agricultural communities in Siberia.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Kyrgyz are classified as a Turkic, not Mongolic, ethnic group. Recent evidence suggests the earliest Turkic peoples originated from agricultural communities in Northeast China or the Amur region, not Siberia.
The genetic makeup of the Kyrgyz people indicates a purely East Asian origin, with no significant West Eurasian admixture.
Answer: False
Explanation: The genetic makeup of the Kyrgyz is consistent with a mix of various tribes, showing significant admixture from both East and West Eurasian sources.
The paternal haplogroup R1a1 is predominant among modern Kyrgyz men in Jumgal District, with high diversity suggesting multiple founder events.
Answer: False
Explanation: While haplogroup R1a1 is predominant, its low diversity suggests a founder effect occurred within the historical period, not high diversity from multiple events.
West Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup lineages constitute over 50% of the Kyrgyz population.
Answer: False
Explanation: West Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup lineages constitute between 27% and 42.6% of the Kyrgyz population, which is less than 50%.
A 2011 study found that East Eurasian ancestry is predominant in most Kyrgyz living in Kyrgyzstan, making up roughly two-thirds of their genetic makeup.
Answer: True
Explanation: A 2011 autosomal ancestry study confirmed that East Eurasian ancestry is predominant in most Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan, accounting for approximately two-thirds of their genetic composition.
What does the low diversity of paternal haplogroup R1a1 among modern Kyrgyz men in Jumgal District suggest?
Answer: A founder effect occurred within the historical period.
Explanation: The low diversity of the predominant R1a1 haplogroup suggests a founder effect, meaning a small group of individuals with this haplogroup significantly contributed to the current population.
Which mtDNA haplogroup is the most predominant West Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup among the Kyrgyz?
Answer: H
Explanation: Among the West Eurasian mtDNA lineages present in the Kyrgyz population, haplogroup H is the most predominant.
What is the most frequent East Eurasian mtDNA haplogroup among the Kyrgyz?
Answer: D
Explanation: The majority of Kyrgyz belong to East Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups, with haplogroup D being the most frequent among them.
According to a 2022 study, what proportion of Kyrgyz ancestry is derived from 'Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age populations from northern China and Mongolia'?
Answer: Most of their ancestry (59.3–69.8%)
Explanation: A 2022 study concluded that the Kyrgyz derive the majority of their ancestry (59.3–69.8%) from ancient populations in northern China and Mongolia.
The predominant religion among the Kyrgyz people is Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Kyrgyz people are predominantly Muslims who adhere to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.
Islam was first introduced to the region inhabited by the Kyrgyz people by Arab traders in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Answer: True
Explanation: The initial introduction of Islam to the region occurred through Arab traders traveling along the Silk Road during the 7th and 8th centuries.
The 10th-century Persian text 'Hudud al-'Alam' described the Kyrgyz as already fully converted to Islam.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'Hudud al-'Alam' described the Kyrgyz of that era as a people who 'venerate the Fire and burn the dead', indicating they had not yet converted to Islam.
Sufi missionaries played a significant role in the conversion of the Kyrgyz to Islam, which began in the mid-17th century.
Answer: True
Explanation: The conversion of the Kyrgyz to Islam began in the mid-17th century, with Sufi missionaries playing an important role in the process.
Which school of Sunni Islam do the Kyrgyz people predominantly adhere to?
Answer: Hanafi
Explanation: The Kyrgyz people are predominantly Muslims who adhere to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.
When did Orthodox Islam reach the Fergana Valley with the Uzbeks?
Answer: 8th century
Explanation: Orthodox Islam was brought to the Fergana Valley by the Uzbeks during the 8th century.
What did the 10th-century Persian text 'Hudud al-'Alam' indicate about the religious practices of the Kyrgyz?
Answer: They venerated fire and burned the dead.
Explanation: The 'Hudud al-'Alam' described the Kyrgyz of that period as a people who 'venerate the Fire and burn the dead', indicating pre-Islamic religious practices.
Which religious and cultural practices coexist syncretically with Islam among the Kyrgyz, particularly in Central Kyrgyzstan?
Answer: Shamanism and totemism
Explanation: Many ancient indigenous beliefs, including shamanism and totemism, coexist syncretically with Islam among the Kyrgyz, with shamans still playing a prominent role in ceremonies.
What form of Shia Islam was dominant among some Kyrgyz Shias influenced by Safavid Iran?
Answer: Twelverism
Explanation: Due to the influence of Safavid Iran, Twelverism was the dominant form of Shia Islam among the Kyrgyz clans that converted to Shiism.
The Kyrgyz are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Kyrgyz people are officially recognized as one of the 56 ethnic groups within the People's Republic of China.
The Akto Turkmen, a former Kyrgyz tribe in China, now primarily speak the Russian language.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Akto Turkmen, a former Kyrgyz tribe in Akto County, China, now speak the Uyghur language, not Russian.
In 2003, where were the 1,130 Kyrgyz people in Afghanistan primarily located?
Answer: Eastern Wakhan District of Badakhshan Province
Explanation: The Kyrgyz population in Afghanistan in 2003 was located entirely in the eastern Wakhan District of the Badakhshan Province.
What event in 1978 led most of the Kyrgyz inhabitants of northeastern Wakhan to flee to Pakistan?
Answer: The Saur Revolution
Explanation: Following the Saur Revolution in 1978, most of the Kyrgyz inhabitants of northeastern Wakhan fled to Pakistan.
Where were the Kyrgyz refugees from Afghanistan eventually resettled in 1982?
Answer: Lake Van region of Turkey
Explanation: In 1982, the entire group of Kyrgyz refugees from Afghanistan was resettled in the Lake Van region of Turkey, in a village named Ulupamir.
What historical factor contributed to an increase in the Kyrgyz population in China during the 19th century?
Answer: Russian settlers encroaching on traditional Kirghiz land.
Explanation: During the 19th century, the encroachment of Russian settlers on traditional Kirghiz land drove many Kyrgyz across the border into China, increasing their population there.
In which autonomous prefecture are the majority of Kyrgyz in China primarily found?
Answer: Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture
Explanation: The majority of Kyrgyz in China are located in the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
What is unique about the Fuyu Kyrgyz group in China?
Answer: They were relocated from the Yenisei river region to Manchuria by the Qing dynasty and speak a dialect related to Khakas.
Explanation: The Fuyu Kyrgyz are a distinct group whose ancestors were relocated from the Yenisei region to Dzungaria and then to Manchuria. Their language is a dialect related to Khakas.
Which alternative religious practice is followed by certain segments of the Kyrgyz in China?
Answer: Tibetan Buddhism
Explanation: While most Kyrgyz are Muslim, certain segments of the Kyrgyz population in China are followers of Tibetan Buddhism.
What is notable about the Kyrgyz language in Pakistan?
Answer: It is the only Turkic language spoken in Pakistan.
Explanation: The Kyrgyz people are the only Turkic people native to Pakistan, and consequently, the Kyrgyz language is the only Turkic language spoken there.
What is the primary mission of the Kyrgyz American Foundation (KAF)?
Answer: To strengthen civil, humanitarian, cultural, and business ties between Kyrgyzstan and the United States.
Explanation: The KAF is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening various ties between Kyrgyzstan and the United States and preserving Kyrgyz heritage for Kyrgyz Americans.
When was the Kyrgyz-Washington Sister Region Organization established?
Answer: 2019
Explanation: The Kyrgyz-Washington Sister Region Organization, which aims to foster cross-cultural understanding and professional development, was established in 2019.