Kyrgyz in Tajikistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Kyrgyz are a Turkic people who have their origins in southern Siberia and northeastern China. Slowly they migrated to Mongolia and beyond. In the 9th century Kyrgyz forces allied with China's Tang Dynasty to defeat the Uyghurs. In the 13th century they had to flee from the advancing Mongol Empire. The Kyrgyz became a distinct nationality in the 14th century. They settled in highland dwellings of northwestern China during the 15th century. For centuries they have often needed to flee dangerous nations. Most of them are sandwiched between superpowers, Russia and China. In the 20th century alone, many fled the power struggle in Russia leading up to the Bolshevik Revolution and the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949. During their vulnerable situation the Kyrgyz strive to maintain their own ethnic identity. They live a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Though the Kyrgyz have their own nation, Kyrgyzstan, there are some who live in each of the Central Asian countries including Mongolia and Iran. They also live in Russia, and even some Western nations. In most of these places, including Tajikistan, they are small in number.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Kyrgyz are herdsmen who raise cattle, horses, sheep, camels, and goats. They live in white felt tents that are easily moved from place to place. They have particularly hardy and adaptable breeds of sheep, goats, yaks, horses, and camels. Not only are the animals used for food and exchange, but they also provide the only means of transportation in the region. The people, like the animals, must be able to endure harsh conditions like high altitudes. While the men take care of duties such as chopping wood or cutting grass, the women are responsible for milking, shearing, and grazing the animals. Women also take care of the household duties. Kyrgyz women enjoy more freedoms than do most other Central Asian women. They are not required to wear veils. Women are allowed to talk to men and ride freely about on the grasslands. They work hard and their position in the household is respected. The Kyrgyz eat mainly potatoes, onions and cabbage since these are the only vegetables that can grow in this mountainous area. Goats supply them with their favorite drink: goat's milk. Their diet also includes imported products such as wheat, flour, rice, tea, salt, and sugar. Alcoholism is a serious problem that dominates the lives of many of the Kyrgyz. Some of them go on drinking binges that last several days at a time. Kyrgyz marriages are arranged by the parents. A special gift such as a roasted sheep, is presented to the bride-to-be from the groom as part of the courting process. One interesting tradition is that the engaged couple is tied to posts near the bride's family. They are released only after the groom's family begs for mercy and presents gifts to the bride's family. The couple is then married in a Muslim wedding ceremony.


Another ministry obstacle is their long-held allegiance to Islam and their belief in black magic.
What Are Their Beliefs?

Consecutive waves of Islamization have taken place since the Arabs first invaded Talas in 751 when many Kyrgyz tribes were still in Siberia. Northern nomadic tribes were able to skirt many of the Islamic traditions until recently. Within the last two hundred years, most of the Kyrgyz had been completely converted to Islam. Though they are Muslims, most hold onto shamanistic practices. (Shamanism is the belief that there is an unseen world of many gods, demons, and ancestral spirits that must be dealt with through a shaman). Many people still turn to mediums and seers to cure sickness with magic, communicate with spirits, and control events. Almost all Kyrgyz believers must go through a breaking of demonic powers over their lives once they decide to follow Christ. The Kyrgyz epic hero Manas has taken on god-like status among some Kyrgyz. His story reveals many practices and beliefs of the pre-Islamic Kyrgyz. There have been some comparisons made between the biblical "Manasseh son of Jacob" (Genesis 48) and the Kyrgyz "Manas son of Jakyb. "


What Are Their Needs?

The Kyrgyz people in Tajikistan have no hope in their spiritual lives. God desires that they will come to know abundant life through His son, Jesus Christ. The tragic reality, however, is that the Kyrgyz are unaware of the redeeming blood of Christ and that eternal life is theirs through him.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Kyrgyz culture to be renewed and enhanced by a work of the Holy Spirit and shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among Kyrgyz family and community leaders to seek his face and enjoy his blessings. Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers who will be compelled to nurture a movement to Christ among the Kyrgyz people in Tajikistan. Pray that soon the Kyrgyz people will have faith that will lead them to live honorable lives that will draw others to the Savior.


Scripture Prayers for the Kyrgyz in Tajikistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Kyrgyz
People Name in Country Kyrgyz
Pronunciation KUR-gheez
Alternate Names Kara; Ke'erkezi; Kirghiz; Kirgiz; Kur-guhz; कयरग्ज़
Population this Country 74,000
Population all Countries 5,897,000
Total Countries 14
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 12933
ROP3 Code 105550
ROP25 Code 304510
ROP25 Name Kyrgyz
Country Tajikistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 46  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Kuhistoni Badakhshon region and Regions of Republican Subordination.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Tajikistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 46  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Kuhistoni Badakhshon region and Regions of Republican Subordination..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Kyrgyz
Language Code kir   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
Russian Tajik
Primary Language Kyrgyz
Language Code kir   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
  Russian
  Tajik
People Groups Speaking Kyrgyz

Primary Language:  Kyrgyz

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1982-2016)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1991-2005)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1995-2011)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kyrgyz Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kyrgyz YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Kyrgyz YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter IBT, Russia - resources Institute for Bible Translation - Russia
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Photo Source Theklan - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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