Kazakh
The Kazakhs (Qazaq, Quazaq), (In Kazakh:Казак; In Russian:Казах; It is because of the Russian Казах that we write it as Kazakh) are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia famous in the past for the fierce love of freedom, skillful horse riding, hunting with semi-domesticated eagles, and currently, for the rapid economic advances in independent state of Kazakhstan, making it one of the most promising states in the region.
Ethnically, they are a mix of early Turkic and Mongol tribes. Persian, Russian and in smaller degree Arab cultures influenced the current Kazakh traditions.
The Kazakh language is close to other Turkic languages. Native speakers of Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Uighur can easily communicate without the need for a translator; Turkish, Azeri, Turkmen can easily be picked up - due to the close similarity - for example: "al" means "take" in Kazakh, but it means the same thing in almost any Turkic language. The same goes for "at" - "horse", "otir(otur)" - "sit" etc.
The Kazakhs also form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.
In modern Kazakhstan, tribalism is officially prohibited, practically almost negligible, and definitely fading away in business and government life. However, it still exists and sometimes plays a subtle role here and there. It is a very important component of Kazakh culture. It's very common for Kazakhs to ask which tribe they belong to when they meet each other. There is no hostility between tribes, and Kazakhs, regardless of their tribal origin, consider themselves one nation.
Tribalism played a much greater role during Soviet times, especially when the head of Kazakhstan's Communist Party was D.A. Kunaev. Unfortunately, tribal origin was a hidden factor in work and social life.
Kazakh tribalism
Traditionally, Kazakhs were tracking their tribal roots. Every Kazakh was supposed to know his/her tribe and all grandparents of at least 7 generations. Kazakhs were not allowed to marry if they had a common predecessor within 7 generations. When a man and a woman marry, their children usually become members of the husband's tribe. Inter-tribe marriages were encouraged.
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