The Origin of the Ethnonym «kangly» and Its Historical Significance

The Kangly tribe is one of the major tribes mentioned in historical sources since the 12th–13th centuries, having played an important role in the ethnogenesis of Turkic peoples. The history of this tribe is deeply rooted in the ethnic composition of modern Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Karakalpaks, and Bashkirs. Some researchers associate the origin of the Kangly with the Kangju state, described in Chinese chronicles in the 2nd century BCE. This state was located in the western part of Jetysu and the eastern region of the Aral Sea. However, after the Kangju period, references to the Kangly disappear for a long time and reappear only from the 12th century onward. For this reason, a number of domestic and foreign scholars consider it appropriate to study the history of the Kangly tribe beginning from that period. There are four main scholarly hypotheses regarding the origin of the Kangly tribe. The first states that the Kangly are the direct descendants of the Kangju state. The second views them as an ethnic group formed within the Kangar union. The third hypothesis suggests a kinship between the Kangly and the Kipchak tribes. The fourth links them to the Gaogui union. This article examines the scientific hypotheses concerning the origin of the Kangly tribe based on the conclusions of domestic and foreign scholars and clarifies the role of the ethnonym in the ethnogenesis of the Turkic peoples. The research results provide a deeper understanding of the history and ethnic foundations of the Kangly tribe and highlight the relevance of this topic in contemporary Turkology.