The identity of the Kyrgyz in the historical arena. Part 3

Abstract

Identity is the expression of an individual's self-definition and self-positioning. It gives the answer to who a person is and what his worldview is. It is the definition of being and belonging. It is the explanation of what the individual is, both socially and psychologically. It is clear that identity, which is the focus of our research, is a concept related to belonging, what we have in common with some people and what differentiates a person from others. Based on this definition, it can be stated that identity is characterized by sharing certain things and, on the basis of these common points, a person is differentiated from other groups of people and approaches a group to which he feels belonging. In this understanding, identity is determined not by the norms that characterize the culture of a particular period, but by the existence of a community of people who share a common heritage, such as language and history: “... our identities reflect common historical experiences and common cultural codes that provide us as "a people" with stable, unchanging and permanent frames of reference and meaning under the changing distinctions and changes of our true history.” Accordingly, we can define the Kyrgyz identity through “a common culture, a common history and a kind of collective real identity shared by all members of the clan”. However, the Kyrgyz identity accepts cultural identity as a reality belonging to both the future and the past. In this direction, the Kyrgyz identity is a positioning formed within the framework of historical and cultural discourses. In this study, we will reveal the historical roots of the Kyrgyz identity.