Buryats

• 1. Ethnogenesis And Origins

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  The name Buriyad appears in The Secret History of the Mongols, possibly written around 1240. This text describes Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, marching north to subjugate the Buryats in 1207. These people lived along the Angara River and its tributaries at that time. Their formation involved various ethnic components from Mongolic, Turkic, Tungusic, and Samoyedic origins. Early inhabitants of the Baikal region were likely Tungusic and Samoyedic tribes. Scholars debate whether groups like the Bayirku and Kurykans represented Mongolic or Turkic elements within the Tiele confederation. Some researchers such as N. A. Aristov and É. Chavannes support a Turkic origin for the Bayirku. Others like G. N. Rumyantsev argue for an Ancient Mongolic origin. The Kurykans were considered Turkic-speaking by P. Meliorsky and S. E. Malov. V. V. Bartold and P. Pelliot proposed a Mongolic affiliation for them instead. The earliest historical roots trace back to these diverse tribal unions merging over centuries.

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• 2. Imperial Conquest And Colonization

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  Russian Cossacks reached Lake Baikal in 1643 after expanding into Transbaikalia in 1609. They found small core groups speaking a Mongol dialect called Buryat paying tribute to Khalkha rulers. Despite being outnumbered, these groups compelled Ket and Samoyed peoples on the Kan River to pay tribute. The territory was formally annexed to Russia through treaties signed in 1689 and 1727. These agreements separated lands on both sides of Lake Baikal from Mongolia. Resistance continued as Buryats attempted revolts against Russian forces which were subsequently suppressed. Population numbers grew significantly during this period. Estimates suggest the population rose from about 77,000 in 1640 to 157,000 by 1823. By 1950, more than one million people identified themselves as Buryats. This rapid growth occurred under conditions of Russian state consolidation. Many Buryats west of Lake Baikal abandoned nomadism for agriculture while eastern groups maintained closer ties to Khalkha traditions.

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• 3. Soviet Repression And Demographics

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  The Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic formed in 1923 included Baikal province with its Russian population. A rebellion erupted in 1929 when Buryats resisted communist rule and herd collectivization. Red Army forces crushed the uprising resulting in losses of approximately 35,000 Buryats. Refugees fled to Mongolia where only a few joined the Shambala rebellion there. Stalin's government dispersed populations further in 1937 by separating counties from the original republic. New administrative units like Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug emerged. Joseph Stalin ordered the killing of over 10,000 Buryats due to fears of nationalism. The purge spread into Mongolia known as the incident of L'humbee. In 1958 the name Mongol was removed from the republic title leaving just Buryat ASSR. The Mongolian script was banned around that same year and replaced by Cyrillic. During World War II attempts began to revive Buddhism though it was officially re-established only in 1946. Modern times show Buryats suffering disproportionately high casualty rates among Russian forces since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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• 4. Religious Syncretism And Revival

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  Tibetan branch of Buddhism became an official religion in Russia in 1741 when the first Buryat datsan monastery was built. By 1914 there were 48 datsans across Buryatia driving cultural development forward. Most lamas remained loyal to Soviet power after the Revolution but a battle against clergy started in 1925. Datsans closed gradually until Buddhist clergy ceased existing entirely by the late 1930s. Thousands of cultural treasures were destroyed during this period. Construction of monasteries resumed later with training of monks increasing piety levels significantly. Shamanism underwent revival in rural areas though still small compared to other practices. Practitioners follow either Yellow shamanism influenced by Buddhism or Black shamanism summoning malicious spirits. A core concept involves worship of nature through belief systems like Tengrism focusing on triple divisions within spirit worlds. The number three holds deep sacred meaning including major yearly sacrifices and rituals prolonging lives by three or nine years. Today religious life divides between Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, and irreligion with growing interest in traditional beliefs.

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• 5. Genetic Diversity And Ancestry

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  Mitochondrial DNA studies reveal about 83.7 percent belonging to Eastern Eurasian origin haplogroups among present-day Buryats. Approximately 16.3 percent belong to Western Eurasian origin groups instead. Common Eastern Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups include D4 at roughly 29 percent and C around 16.6 percent. Y-chromosome analysis shows significant variation across different regions sampled from villages like Kushun and Okinsky district. One study tested 238 males finding 63.9 percent belonged to haplogroup C-RPS4Y/M130 while another found 55.6 percent carried C-M217. Haplogroup N-M178 appears mainly among northern peoples but reaches maximal frequency toward eastern Buryat areas. Genetic evidence indicates nearly exclusive East-Eurasian ancestry comprising approximately 95 to 98 percent of total genetic makeup. This ancestry traces back to Neolithic millet agriculturalists of Northeast Asia mixed with Paleo-Siberians and Yellow River farmers. Out of major East Asian ethnic groups they are genetically closest to Koreans followed by Northern Han Japanese and Southern Han populations according to FST measurements.

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• 6. Cultural Traditions And Subsistence

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  Traditional Buryat society relied heavily on semi-nomadic pastoralism raising herds of cattle sheep goats and camels. Local resources supplemented diets significantly before colonization replaced much pastoralism with agriculture. Today rural communities still focus primarily on livestock despite overall agrarian shifts. Dairy products remain important parts of cuisine alongside hearty simple dishes often meat-based. Fish like omul appear commonly around Lake Baikal where fishing provides additional sustenance. Communities on Sayan and Altai Mountains slopes practice reindeer breeding as their primary way of life. Marriage arrangements historically involved kalym exchanges combining bride wealth dowries and sometimes multi-year work contracts. Bride prices increased dramatically reaching 400 to 600 rubles plus 86 to 107 head of livestock in the 1890s compared to just 100 heads earlier. Polygamy existed but only wealthy men could afford multiple wives due to high costs. Traditional medicine incorporates folk shamanic traditions combined with Tibeto-Mongolian practices emphasizing mineral springs balanced diets proper nutrition herbal treatments wound healing bone-setting midwifery techniques derived from centuries-old knowledge systems passed down through generations.

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