ABSTRACT
Identity is shaped, in part, by history, whether real or perceived, and an outline of Kyrgyz history is essential in understanding modern Kyrgyz consciousness. There is much debate and uncertainty over the history of the Kyrgyz people, not least because of insufficient evidence and imprecise terminology. The Soviet scholar S. M. Abramzon warned, ‘The question of the origins of the Kyrgyz nation is among the most complex and controversial aspects of the ethnic history of Central Asia.’3 The weakness of Kyrgyz national identity in the modern period is related to the confusion surrounding the ethno-genesis and development of the Kyrgyz people.
