CEU eTD Collection In partialfulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of Master of Arts LIMITS TO KINSHIP POLITICS LIMITS TOKINSHIP Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology IN KYRGYZSTAN Central European University Professor Violetta Zentai Nikolay Domashev Professor Jakob Rigi Jakob Professor Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Submitted to Supervisors: 2010 By CEU eTD Collection social and political power in modern Kyrgyzstani society. origins of the trace to asaway is suggested – networks social of – that perspective analytical as well identifyas misleading when amuch Instead, used to politicalsignificant actors. better “clan” models,istheoretical term appears thatthe indeed it for analytical ill-suited purposes a number Kyrgyzstan’s of leaders,andextensively investigating political and business surveying anabundance ofKyrgyzstani newspapers, TVprograms, asamplenetwork of After termin is the how media. understand employed mass to the in order Kyrgyzstan modern-day of reality discursive the examine I my research, In “clans.” of discourse assessments of situation currentthe future prospectsand of Central the Asian countries onthe many base andgovernments purposes offoreign too: international their states organizations for practical is important issue the research, of the importance theoretical the from Aside basis. empirical no with term inaccurate is an “clan” that maintain anthropologists power, political exercising units kinship existant signify “clans” that contend scientists political While states. Asian Central governing allegedly entities political informal or “clans” of issue onthe scientists social between hasemerged intellectual debate important years, an In recent Abstract i CEU eTD Collection to her. this thesis dedicate I research. I wasablethis tocomplete that immense patience wisdom, and inmanyis support, words of me so due herconstant my with research project It to ways. in myAnyacountry. Iam myinteresthas very that kindled helped grateful sister, who also to thus and Kyrgyzstan to travels of stories her shared has who mother my to grateful very am I them. to indebted most am I and fans avid most my been always have sister and mother My has reviewed thecurrentwork and greatlyimprovedthus qualitythe writing.the of EszterTimárinstructor, wholikemy AcademicWriting the tothank also Iwould thinking. of the current thesis. Jakob Rigi Zentaibeginning inexhaustible supply excellent andan tips,has integrity Violetta of ensured offered a plenty of advice from very the my project for her research With enthusiasm on my research. guided who have my work and thus stimulated years.likehere particularlyover lastwork the my two Iwould to supervisors, academic thank in my supportandencouragement forwhom grateful continual There are peoplemany to I’m Ogromnoe tebe spasibo, sestra! Acknowledgements ii CEU eTD Collection References...... 61 ...... 60 Appendix B Appendix A...... 58 ...... 55 Conclusion Chapter VII. Alternative perspective...... 53 Chapter VI. Clans: Anthropological Dimension...... 38 Chapter V. Clans: Historical ...... 31 Dimension Chapter IV. Clans: Linguistic Dimension...... 28 Chapter III. Nomads and settlers...... 19 Chapter II. Methodology...... 17 Chapter I. Clandestine Clans...... 5 Introduction...... 1 iii ...... Table of Contents ii ...... Acknowledgements i Abstract...... Broader theoretical ...... 49 issues ...... 46 “The Bakiev clan” ...... 41 Properties of clans Anthropology of clan...... 39 Kinship, history and two theories of order...... 36 History in the present...... 34 Irish clans and what they tell ...... 31 us about Kyrgyz clans Additional sources...... 16 Three perspectives ...... 5 on clans Clans as genealogical knowledge...... 12 Clans as one important factor among others...... 8 Clans as crucial social actors...... 5 Table ofContents iii CEU eTD Collection algebra…which has gradually developed, memorize long listsofnative a little hostile…and hashis doubts whether theeffort needed to master average anthropologist, however, [is] somewhat mystified and perhaps the bastard algebra of kinship is really worthwhile. He feels that, after and maternal affection, of…a hostof personal intimate interests. Can all, kinship isa matter of flesh and blood, the result of sexual passion The handful of us…are prepared to wade through the sort of kinship all this really bereduced to formulae, symbols, perhaps equations? arguments,…[and] the piling of hypothesis upon hypothesis. The terms, follow up complicated diagrams,…endure long deductive Bronislaw Malinowski Bronislaw iv CEU eTD Collection for why Hungary became such a success in converting from state economy to market economy to from state inconverting a success such became for whyHungary Soviet transformation, Dinellobelieves that twodifferent types of “clans” are an explanation of studies post- “clan” tothe theconceptof Applying in 1990s(2005:83-5). Russia theearly friendsgroup of and classmates) has helped Anatoly quicklyChubais to to power in rise a denote a “clan” shorthandto (the that hasstated example, Kryshtanovskaya For occasions. with descent-group a vaguerof tradition ancestry” (Lewis2002:231). common Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology defines our concept as an “often larger group of people united bycommon interests” aims, ("Clan" or characteristics, 2000a).The “a or ancestor” andacommon surname a common with offamilies “agroup or marriage” stating that “clan” might refer to either “a group of people interrelated by ancestry or ("Clan" 1914).The Collins Englishgives an dictionary treatmentexhaustive of word the Scotland” and southern of organization foundationIreland which liesthe patrimonial of at cland pronounce it: “clan.” currencyonceagain.gaining anthropologically – throughout centuries, its has popularity waxed itsbut and waned, use is mentionedgroups has above. This evolved concept linguistically, – and historically commonly andaround thrown is sodangerously acommon universal, social to denominator nothing remotely similar, one should not rush to conclusions. In fact, one concept so in Lewis suggest nineteenth Kyrgyzstani H. Morgan the contemporary century,society and by NativetribesWhile of American described highlanders century, eighteenth the Scottish Introduction The concept of The “clan” invoked hasbeenmanyconcept of manyrecently and for separate times According to the “New Encyclopedic Dictionary,” “clan” comes from word Gaelic the from comes “clan” Dictionary,” “New Encyclopedic the to According to way the as simple as seemingly is work present of focus the be will that concept The or clan meaning family, also “children, offspring, and [it] serves to identify to meaningfamily, serves group that “children, [it] and offspring, also 1 CEU eTD Collection persevere through social cataclysms and colonization of the past two centuries,have two emerged of past the colonization and social cataclysms persevere through which have their in roots pre-modernity and pre-nationalism,butwhich have managed to 2008; 2004; 2005).Schatz AccordingSchatz them, be appear clans to dominantsocial to units (Collins 2003;CollinsCollins 2004; 2006;Omuralieva 2008; Berdikeeva 2006;Biryukov which exploitand Uzbekistan) and resourcesTurkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, (Kazakhstan, countries Asian of the respective countries state apparatusesof Central the “captured” or penetrated have which existing organizations to accumulate wealthbe actually to clans atthepresentconsider implications. Manyauthors has muchbroader and further power to it, omitfrom it, it” and (Gellner distort 1987:167-70). add systematically contrary, the on but, kinship, physical of reality the with identical not are systems since“social in kinship societies power of any contemporary the this concept other) Anthropologists take a different stance: Ernest Gellner would be skeptical of the analytical (or presenttime. the at vie for political power to this concept inflate successfully elements” and informalrational structure, (Collins “normative content, modernthe state 2006:43) whose predating is organizations kinship-based of example aprime political concept the to scientists, According and scientists anthropologists. between battleground political becomeacademic an are usedby Kyrgyzstani to forge its state the legitimacy and durability (2006:193). “tribalism” of discourse the andgenerally “clans” of concept the arguesthat Gullette Finally, “failure”is(2001:589). ineconomy, bearelative considered thisrespect Russia while to The debate between social scientists on the nature and modern-day relevance of “clans” of relevance modern-day and nature the on scientists social between debate The foundation has theoretical its with together underlying “clan” In fact,the concept 2 CEU eTD Collection of of early short-lived)(albeit reforms andin of strengthof terms the These dissent. popular Consequently,government. Kyrgyzstan stands amongout its geographical neighborsin terms changesof and cardinal corresponding by mass protests twice beenshocked has already Kyrgyzstan citizens, dissenting and opposition the on grip tight a have countries surrounding revolutions,witnessed two one onMarch 24, 2005andWhile onApril one the 7, 2010. and elections were runfairly and(Dukenbaev Hansen 2003:27). implemented been have assemblies) press, speech, (of freedoms multiple that noticed They have first favorably the fewevaluated years (gainedKyrgyzstaniof independence in 1991). fromstrength madeobservations and byforeign visitors international organizations which (Anderson 1999; Anderson and BeckSuchflattering 2000). derivedtheir connotations intheregion democracy” islandof “the Asia” and of Central Switzerland as being“the mentioned wasperiodically the KyrgyzRepublic First, is two-fold. Theanswer Kyrgyzstan? Central Asian Ihave focus on republics, decided to Kyrgyzstan. Why Kyrgyzthe or Republic five Among the in region. the country oneparticular examine Iwill of research, this scope concept as it is used in the context of Central Asia. In order to narrow down the geographiclives of citizens of the Central Asian countries and the political processes under way there. greatly proven,“clan” simplify deployment term might the of this of understanding the the which have ridden power withto declarations of independence.post-communist assemblies or assemblies convened have who themselves, people the to belongs really power Union Soviet the in rulers, other some 1 as hidden actors behindfaçade as hidden official Soviet of the “ actors “All Power– to the Soviets!” – that is a Soviet principle that instead of being ruled by monarchs, presidents, or Also, Kyrgyzstan has been the only republic in Central Asia which has already analysis “clan” the of rigorous areflective and inConsequently, Iembark on this thesis Obviously, positionbe such a strong if ignored,cannot especially considering that, sovety . 3 Vsya vlast’- Sovetam Vsya vlast’- ” principle 1 , and , CEU eTD Collection there are limits to kinship politics in Kyrgyzstan. why state will and paper this of arguments main the summarize will conclusion The politics. deal follows Iwill model to a appropriate with informal where theoretical possible outline perspective conceptual an on alternative chapter The penultimate of chapter. the theme overall “snapshots”informative as serve they ofbelieve I a definitions. particular dictionary of anumber with begin will chapter aspectEach Republic. Kyrgyz in the politics of informal of the analysis the for concept “clan”ill-suited and notion and quicklysomewhat arbitrary, they will help thereadertounderstand “clan” why issuchan awkward orient the reader“dimensions”: in linguistic, the historical, and anthropological. While these distinctions are in Kyrgyzstan. Ihaveon of gathered data types will elaborate section methodology Kyrgyz The clans. of traditional thecontours trace and history Kyrgyz of the linkagesimportant tounderlying andbroader concepts theoretical issues. whichprovide perspectives toadditional theoretical review,Iturn of literature the second part my the In of research. umbrella meta-discursive the constitute authors these debates between debate informal about Asiainin in Central politics andin general particular. The Kyrgyzstan concept of“clan.”beginby introducing I whohave the key authors recently the contributed to structured in such is This thesis a ruling Kyrgyzstan. actors social informal way kinship-based arethe “clans” as to give a complete exposure to various be of “clans” will examined. facets of the word and uniqueof features Kyrgyzstan will serve asa distinctive litmus testthrough which notion the The following three chapters will break down the “clan” concept into three into concept “clan” the down break will chapters three following The milestones major readerwith the the willfamiliarize chapter background The historical The present research is envisioned as a theoretically-driven rebuttal of the claim that 4 CEU eTD Collection businesses Finally, (2006:8-11). Vadim Biryukov believes that“clan major Kyrgyzstani of takeovers extorting and excessive bribes through resources economic the country’s members deplete while law”,clan nepotism of andaweakrule corruption, of a root “became clannism politically, implications: economic and political have both sincelot they a matter they that finds Berdikeeva Saltanat inKyrgyzstan?”, clans matter do Answering “Why (2005:231). question the “battle”) in identity determine politics Kazakhstan Clans ascrucialsocialactors Three perspectivesonclans Chapter I. Clandestine Clans “clan politics” as “clan politics” republic-based create campaign identities” (2003:187). to ethnonational it socioeconomic destroyedneither by (kolkhoz) structures; norsubsumed wasSoviet the in identity firmly isAsia” since“[c]lan both informal the formalized and rooted (village) Central in clan powerful identity remains that argument the support strongly “interview data her that notes Collins Kathleen on. hands lay can they resources economic all exploiting in and corruption, and nepotism of content the with ministries) various and administration, foreignin fillingagenda, “empty” political parliament, carcasses presidential(e.g., “clans” ininternalmaintain that and factors countries’ arecritical respective determining Anvarjon Rahmetov Such Berdikeeva, Saltanat and Schatz, scholars as power. Edward that “clans” do, in fact, existin Central Asia and that they occupy important positions of The above statement reflects well the position taken by a number of social scientists who find residence –throughouttheSoviet networks period and intothe decadeofthe first post-Soviet “Thestrongandpersistent roleofclan networks –includingkinship, kinship, and fictive Edward Schatz would concur with Collins in his demonstration of how such aspects of aspects such how demonstration inof Collins his Schatz would with Edward concur clan clientelism and clan balancing 5 decade isremarkable” (together with the larger discursive with the (together systems (Collins 2006:224). ” are the crucial ” arethe CEU eTD Collection Berdikeeva pessimistically concludes that concludes pessimistically Berdikeeva further: definition the unravels Collins membership” tounderliedemonstrable common (2004:192). isunderstood kinship its andrecover dynamic: group existanethnic clandivisionsthat arethose within inwhich Clan (2008:58). features” members: primordial with coalitions redistributional calculated rationally “unique are which clans of properties. Biryukov (and thefollowinggives slightly pompous definition awkward) of modernity in Central Asia, it is imperative to give them a “face,” that is, a definition and a set emphasis). original inpolitical and modernof economic actors Kazakhstan context the Kyrgyzstan and (2008:58, time because of timein becauseof muchtheir entrenchment of society. Kyrgyz (2006:17) the for along in in Kyrgyzstan form another exist or one to will continue these phenomena the it influences, may economy appears that regional thespectrum clan of and decrease and governance system, political in the reforms comprehensive the although Emphasizing numerous problems causedby clannism inKyrgyzstani the society, boundaries of genealogicalthe unit. (2004:231) the thatredefine ormarriage bonds metaphoricalfriendships based onclose or kinship both nonelites, andactual blood they is, andties reflect fictive kinship,that constructed linkingits areof These bonds organization. vertical horizontal, both elites and and based bonds. Affective ties of kinship are its essence, constituting the identity and bonds A isclan informal an organization anetwork comprising of individuals linked by kin- Schatz further delineates: “[a] of that definition emphasizesclan kinshipmay help to us leaders clan the and to support them by human whenresources called upontodoso.loyalty (Rahmetov 2008:23) primary their owe clans of members Conversely, clans. their is of standingof the andpower aproduct prestigeleaders’ the since lifetime promotion, and forbasic needs their and care andpatronage, needed resources memberswith engage in rational and mutually beneficial exchange. of Leaders clan the provide Needless tosay, in order to point the finger at clans as the main culprits of post-Soviet 6 CEU eTD Collection 2 the want prominence to rose simultaneously which clans competing several when conundrum an inevitable leads this However, ticket. to assuredawinning isalmost government, one the conduit topower:if one can successfully mobilize his/her clansmenin bidforthe positions in “clans” emerge.First, serveas aspects informalthe several key identity are organizations), interpersonal with relations identitya sense of and belonging (Collins 2004;Rahmetov 2008). promotion in the absence of alternative social mobility mechanisms, and byendowing and providing toexchange lifetime of services,by ashortcut goods providing apossibility of “Clans” also have a “remarkable” role in that they work on the meso- and micro-levels too: by 2006; Biryukov 2008); and evenruin a fragile inter-ethnic balance (Omuralieva 2008). (Berdikeeva countries (trajectoriesdownward, spiralingeconomic generally) of trajectories level 2005); to shape state share political atthe and largesthave(Schatz of the resources determine namely, whichclans to on work a macro-level – has “clan powerto the politics” embrace the idea “clans”of as actually existant social units. The authors believe that so-called another fully “clans” be or with scientistsof first said group to one thatdeal way can social innegatively come years the to (2008). country became more active and more politicized. All of these changes will affect Kyrgyzstan inthe organizations and ethnic practices, in theirnationalistic arguments moreappeal to rulinginter-ethnic style, relations in country the have worsened,the official began policies to the or government the of character and system the change not did power to came that elites clan-based the while that argues She happened. have spheres social and political in the shifts Munara Omuralieva hypothesizes that after the“Tulipafter Revolution” that hypothesizes Munara Omuralieva Anoverthrow Kyrgyzstaniof the government on March 24, 2005. While defining “clans” (a notorious taskasconfessed“clans”by since “clans” While researchers (anotorious the defining let’s Now, for acouplepause minutes of of stock and take what wehavefar. so The 7 2 in Kyrgyzstan, significant Kyrgyzstan, in CEU eTD Collection These factors include informal regional between elites, divisions ethnic groups,and owners of Asian guide machines of states. that informal Central thepolitical important undercurrents therearealsoother important, “clans” are while that state scholars of The secondgroup Clans asoneimportant factor among others let’s move on to the second group of scholars writing about “clans.” disciplines of linguistics, history and anthropology, and from the empirical reality. For now, magnifying glass later in the thesis, when they will be compared with insights gained from the writings of scientists. political Theirthe will concepts looked at be reviewed and a through widespread. is identity as well as loyalty of sense a and nonelites, and elites of representatives between be equal to assumed are relations through blood relations affinalmarriage) (by (by kinship. fictive and descent), The ties spiral out of control and does not unleash not does clans between confrontation permanent that ensure to in order missing is authority impartial whenan strategy endogenous the embrace Clans resources. of their share to entitled have workouta to strategy keeping atleasta minimalof appearance of all somehow clans no authority widely believedensure thatno usurps singlebalancing group government. Endogenous happens is when there to to legitimacy be affirmed the has and an clans of bickering uninterested the above stands which institutions) party. In this2005:236), case, (Schatz theendogenously or clansexogenously either occur can balancing Such themselvesvolatile. is dynamics where whose highly unstableand is influence whoseduration of intersecting pacts a series of creates the exogenous is politics” “clan of key second aspect the pie.Thus, the of pieces same scenario implies an authority (a person or a set of Naturally, this has just been a rough summary of the main ideas distilled from the from distilled ideas main the of summary a rough been just has this Naturally, Finally, the third aspect of clans is their make-up: they are composed of make-up: of they istheirFinally,are composed people thirdaspect clans of united the bellum omniumcontraomnes 8 . clan balancing which CEU eTD Collection threatening the country’s existence: country’s the threatening authors,identify whonexttwo regional, dangerous clan andreligious ethnic, cleavages on the elites. is emphasis the but role, some play clans Thus, elites. regional between divisions in political Republic. they Yet, themain adamantabout remain hostility sourceof iswhich encapsulated lot of factorsmixed a together have clearly writers As see, these (Dukenbaevwe can 2003:25). Hansen and in order to factors” and geographic ethnic to are related that networks patronage “…vast of is acomplex account for system clan the where class,” and elite region, clan, between interrelationship by “asymbiotic the currentanimated as Kyrgyzstan of politics current the see They Kyrgyzstan. in politics explain to try state who authors other two of of argument main the nutshell, in a is, political This them. to aspect clan a have affairsregionalism, in thisthe discourse Kyrgyzbeenhas much rhetoric of While inside the country.there andcorruption mismanagement hides the real conflict of interests. Thein Kyrgyzstan. elite-based “tribalism” and regionalism conflicts also byencouraging situation political country’s thatreally the networks determine patronage roleimportant inKyrgyz politics (1999).Yet,itseems thataccording to author,itthe is the allegiances as wellasextended and family groups played tribes play andcontinue to an patronage basedregional that and connections kinship Anderson networks on states fight for their interests. mobilize supportto lucrative if broad and, needed, pieces mostredistribute the property, of influenceresults, and election groups social These actors largethe of property. parcels Identifying the axesof andpotential conflict instability in is Kyrgyzstan taskof the the is driving what is Kyrgyzstan of elites northern and southern the between conflict The John present, and past Kyrgyz the on book comprehensive only the of author The 9 CEU eTD Collection below. described are which Asia Central of politics” “invisible dominate that groups distinctive toooften subsumedbrokers “clans.” by category Instead,heargues,there are three of one andbrokers theirnetworks (2006).Starr makes a useful varietiesdistinction between of power between interests of regional power thebattleground it as decision-makingrepresents arena real the is B” “Politics while context), Asian Central in the important superficially (only dual politics is at play. “Politics A” refers to the relationship between branches of government Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz the Tajikistan, Republic, Turkmenistan, andUzbekistan) Afghanistan, him, to according (comprising, Asia in Central that claims He politics. formal on politics informal of impact the of analysis in his Starr Frederick by asked gets which inKyrgyzstan. andsocial processes political the influences factors of Consequently, 2002:253-4). Kyrgyzstan and a combination Tajikistan, (Fletcher Sergeyev and by Uzbekistan, shared Valley, theFergana across rule establish Islamic to in order country the more religious. Besides, there are Jalal-Abad) (Batken,Osh and provinces of Muslims, southern the moderate residents the have been cases when rebels very are theKyrgyz tried while Additionally, Russian. than less recognition received even to penetrate the borders has language their and in administration ofthe wereunderrepresented asthey feltcheated in thesouth independence, majority whileUzbek of after country governments nationalistthe Russiansgenerally who settled inthenorthern part of felt country the by alienated the Can it even be that Central Asia has a dual political system? It is an interesting question as Kyrgyzstan in situation political the exacerbated divisions ethnic Furthermore, and Sergeyev 2002:253) dominant role in life,political andsoutherners havinggenerally lessinfluence. (Fletcher the two regions back at least the 18 asfar backat two regions the broken betweentensionstraditional down. Overt werenotclans the tribes emerged of of sides this both on life everyday divide, dominated loyalties clan or andTribal south. and Sovietnorth into rule had less effectThe Kyrgyz people long ago settled inon either side of Kyrgyzstanthe mountains dividing the country than elsewhere because these 10 th century, with with north century, playingmore the the CEU eTD Collection Anderson, clans are not as importantAnderson,as For clansarenot itpatronage networks(1999). others, is the lives of citizensAsian of Central countries, they assign often toother Forprominence factors. belonging acertain group, or ethnic religion. respective to legislative acts, and then there is an unofficial,informal one, determined by a kin affiliation, a subsequent and constitution in the is outlined which one, official is an there astate: govern sets ofinstitutions that “Dual thatthere implies aretwo andpractices republics. politics” Asian Central by taken pathways economic and political determine which factors of variety notion of “dual is politics” a valuable one, sinceitserves as a conceptual umbrella covering a Starr’s region. in the countries the of development democratic inhibit which organizations andvying power for influence inthe are region. differentgroups informal These types of inAsia, Central yet they maintaininalso clans that addition to there are other strong groups to developing democratic norms. formidablea roadblock represent networks maintainssuch power Starr that previous authors, important in Kyrgyzstan, but that there are other strong contenders for power. Similarly to in the anall-encompassing Westby clans“clans.”that using term areindeed Hestates whose featuresbe distinction groups various between glossed to tend power an important over draws author Hence,the Asian states. Central in befound all of can such caliber Macro-actors transport. or construction, extraction, mineral power, cotton, as such economy, of sectors third group is made up of people who possess control over important resources or even whole found region. the Finally, throughout canbe of brokers group linguisticthis Power ties. also sometimes and political economic, close on based networks regional of consists group second The Turkmenistan. and Kyrgyzstan of peoples nomadic formerly among found be can Even though Even though all in authors the acknowledge group this thatclans play some role in the The first group comprises large kinship systems which can be called proper clans comprises whichcanbeThe firstlargekinshipsystems group proper and called Thus, in writers the make secondthe group sure toemphasizeimportance clans’ 11 CEU eTD Collection indeed the case across Central Asia, then “clan” framework has toberejected. framework Asia,“clan” then Central caseacross indeed the is this If luxuries. such if any, few, share members non-elite resources, economic and political state to members access privileged enjoy while elite that discussion Collins’s seems from It interact. clan same the of members non-elite and elite how on information much provide Aksartova, Collinshelp 2006:313).Thus, according (Aksartova doesnot association” to orapoorfolks’ self- nota clannetwork itis butanelite patronage class;otherwise transcend kinship is bonds of thatthe features clan’sdefining “[o]ne the of arguesthat Aksartova “[c]lansthat with typically cross class lines”(2006:18)whichis little supported evidence. informal networks andof (2006:312). patronage trust” class-based and local of general variety “amore instead, or, Asian societies Central structure that clans the is really it whether questions Aksartova implications. its and phenomenon this exploring in enough far gone not has author the that feels Aksartova Sada Asia, differentthey choose analytical inweapons toproveorder its theoretical ineffectuality. “clan” concept, the very of are skeptical four While all reality. empirical the misrepresents notion believethe they onwhy approaches various take notion and reject the who andRigi) rejecting the notion. In socialthis and political processessection, in Central Asia, there are also several skeptical social scientistsI will reviewfrom Apart believers supporters ardent moderate and of “clan” notion the of in andits role four authors (Aksartova, Clans asgenealogical knowledge Gullette, Sneath 2006). political of Starr region Sergeyev the 2002; (Fletcher and potential and economic with negatively meddle which factors divisive of combination is the it others for Yet, and Hansen2003). (Dukenbaev are cruxofinformal the that regional politics elites Aksartova’s other major criticism is leveled at Collins’s statement early in her book her in early statement Collins’s at leveled is criticism major other Aksartova’s example,For in response toKathleen work Collins’s regarding“clan inpolitics” Central 12 CEU eTD Collection agricultural polities. agricultural and urban withneighboring the contact becausethe of only states steppe create to able been have societies withwhich asahighlevelof nonstate kinship organization societies designate eager to too been haveall century twentieth of the researchers Western andSoviet that states The scholar found (2007:1). in orders” aristocratic power decentralized distributed and in of way the – terms inadifferent approach thestate society to and andnonstate between state dichotomy rethink traditional “to the second the aim his of research: declares Segueing agenda,a broader into Sneath (Sneath 2007:1). organization life onthesteppe” of thewider of features more significant the as emerged that administration of processes even in and‘kinship not “it premodern aristocratic the power society’ but statelike times was him, to According alternative. an analytical Sneath offers David kinship societies, prestate and thelay alikeaboutclanspublic and as tribes governingthe of principles Inner Asian narratives 2006:5). through of (Gullette genealogy” in categoriesgroups sensethe but of bodies cohesive people, of of relatedness determined ‘clans’that and theauthoraimsunits. arenot demonstrate ‘tribes’ Instead, “to corporate acting thatis as “clans” the scientistsgroups do, strongly political term way using the against He argues 2006:8). history” (Gullette of andrepresentations memories between dialectic the through created “relatedness is which imagination” “genealogical of concept the of use formsnot advocates the of political factionalism, Theauthor actually of relatedness. existing of disapproval their express really they society, Kyrgyz in the “tribalism” prevalent about talk people when Gullette, to According 2006). (Gullette Kyrgyzstan in reality empirical and favoritism) clan-based or (tribal “tribalism” of notion the between distinction sharp Embarking on the quest to challenge a dangerous misconception misconception scientists challenge Embarkingamong social questto a dangerous onthe Taking a cue from Andrew Shryock (1997), another scholar maintains that there is a 13 CEU eTD Collection explore reasons driving these networks exploreto appearand thesenetworks driving reasons 2009). endure (Aksartova at existing in networks social Central Asia, find economic out relations behind them, and look is to perspective,a “social that network” adopt was to began myfieldwork, me I before to heradvice fact, In distinctions. class based on be also which could andtrust of patronage miserably. so fails model this why of explanation Thus, all authors such evidence. builtof on theoreticaltop solid extrapolations to evidenceandto empirical agreeintoa model marks,simultaneously in-betweenbe has put quotation referring to that concept that “clans” a “clans,” transform enough to evidence eloquent produce studies network do nor past, is a misnomer, the of societies nomadic of cross-comparison systematic deep and nor analysis, class neither but each of them society. Kazakh contemporary offers a differentin arevery important thatsocial networks agrees nevertheless, he, institutions; active social exclusively on the idea torely chooses and clans of importance offthe casts Rigi inKazakhstan, fieldwork of networks. He refusespatron-client, friendship, and relationships work (Rigi Nazpary aka During2002). his to recognize clansfamilies), butthey on and (nuclear large on kinship depend also extended degree relations as actually existent a of they present, are basedto survival” which “networks rely of on troubles post-socialist the and survive forin ordinary and Rigi order to a typical structure. toil usthat people clan tells serveactivate underlyingnot but affiliationsthese to hardwiredinto andrights do obligations a certain belonging to meaningknowledge having of clan, “clan speak of affiliations” people “clanin affiliations” Asian the Central present-day society is,(Rigi wemight2009). That According to Aksartova, instead of “clans,” it would be better refer local Aksartova, of “clans,” bebetter it instead to networks to would According to that Theybelieve “clans.” towards stance astern take above cited scholars The four “Clans” be misnomerit can ismorea and perhaps fruitful people having talk about to 14 CEU eTD Collection scientists tend to focus on “political institutions, formal regime shifts, and comparative and shifts, regime formal institutions, “political on focus to tend scientists political observed, cogently Paley Julia As study. of fields respective by their influenced also is “clans” of issue the on anthropologists and scientists political between debate worthy of a state. butstatelike through and processes functions, they characteristicseffectively demonstrated term, that of common inmost understanding the states signified have not orders Aristocratic orders.” have butinsteadthere haveAsia probably neverexisted, been“aristocratic manipulated toreappolitical Sneath, “clans” benefits. Accordingand economic to inInner is also and factionalism political embodies Kyrgyzstan in word the of use the instead, groups; the post-Soviet in identity national Kyrgyz of period.development the legitimize to employed been has and “Clans”projects do not state-building manifest to allegiance sworn also has imagination genealogical this themselvesHowever, morals. as politically actions keep alive and identity that communities asenseof ancestors’ and pride of social divisive corporate genealogical and historical knowledge” encompasses (2006:199)) multiple imagined power. of political processes conditions of producing authority in a society. In this way, they focus more on the origins and statelike and statal analyze they since approach, a top-down exercising as classified and of origins The of social power. nextscholars two –Gullette and Sneath – canbe roughly citizens ordinary of networks social of point entry an through it approach they is, that “clans,” exchange andmutual obligations (akaNazpary 2002). on existing uniting social networks relatives, friends, coworkers, and classmates in a mazeof Before we proceed to the next section, it is important to be reminded that the broader the that be reminded to important is it section, next the to proceed we Before by underpinned argues (“relatedness imagination” that“genealogical Gullette These two scholars present a bottom-up approach of analytically unraveling the term Rigi is quite solidaristic with Aksartova in the way how his own research puts emphasis 15 CEU eTD Collection various forms of “traditional authority.” “traditional of forms various emphasized perspective Weber’s while societies, ancient of character kinship exclusively Morgan (1877) andMax Weber (1964).The theory developed focused byMorgan on the by developedL. Henry distinctive ofkinshipand order historicizes two theories chapter the Additionally, Republic. Kyrgyz current-day the in modernity and traditions between interplay the explain to helps which journalist Kyrgyz by a vignette empirical an with follows It clans. metaphor. by conceptual a “frame” - aconsistent ideasa coherentbetriggered set of which can thatthey minds ingrainedrepresent inpeople’s upon maintainsGeorge Lakoff elaborated He becomecertain(2002; 2004). that so concepts but more detailed the follow discussion will in chapters. subsequent the them, define and locate briefly will I Here theories. relevant additional of use made I issues, meta-theoretical literature andtotracelinkages to andmy streamsdata, empirical three of these between bridgegap the to in order myHowever, paper. them backthroughout come to Iwill and my of backbone research form theoretical the section in first the discussed sources The “clans.” of issue the regarding perspectives science major social on three elaborates sources Additional by and academics. arguedabout viewed are phenomena political and social certain how way in the role asignificant play also installation newof political (2002:469-70).Consequently,regimes” disciplinary affiliations discourses, multiple contestations, and changing forms of powercirculating accompanying meanings, “local on the concentrate typically anthropologists while studies,” country The chapter on the historical aspects of “clans” builds on the extended analysis of Irish of analysis extended the on builds “clans” of aspects historical the on chapter The “frame” of concept the utilizes of“clans” aspects linguistic the The chapteron section first sections. The two into review chapter literature separate the to I chose 16 CEU eTD Collection Hence, I organized a focus group study in one of the schools of Bishkek, where I interacted I Bishkek, where of schools the of in study one focus group a Hence, Iorganized politics. on influence any have “clans” whether about and “clans” Kyrgyz about say life and programs). analytic analysts. Consequently, Iexamined 22newspapers and 58various television programs (news local or journalists, by politicians, whether media, mass in is used “clan” term the how myThroughout types stay FirstinBishkek of in two data. of all, interested Igathered Iwas longin conducted one-month fieldwork Bishkek. capital the Kyrgyzthe of Republic, Kyrgyzstan aswell as tofind people’s reactions to usage the of term.the Tothis endI The of mypurpose is investigation trace how the to term “clan” isused in indiscursivereality Chapter II.Methodology begin. chapters analytical will methodology continuemy thispaperbyconsidering which after theof main research, explain emicinformal ofKyrgyzstan capture politics tokinship.and meaningsattached to I to fails simultaneously “clan” of concept the that demonstrate will field in the obtained (Bourdieu 1990; Gellner 1987). andby outlininginherentdiscrepancies between physical andsocial kinship kinship advances by looking atthe segmentary lineagedeveloped by theory (1947) Evans-Pritchard discussion the Afterwards, (Said 1979). dominate Orient the to accumulated knowledge Kyrgyzstani mass media. Then, the analysis proceeds by looking at“Orientalism” – body a of from materials using clan” “Bakiev so-called the of portrait network a assembling aspect(Bell 1998; Holy 1996; Keesing 1975;Weber 1964).The chapter continues by Apart from surveying discursive fields, I also wanted to see what people in everyday from toseewhatfields,people Apart Ialsowanted discursive surveying I believe that the nexus of theories introduced in this chapter and the empirical data The third chapter discusses the key property of “clans,” namely the “corporate group” “clans,” “corporate namely the discussesproperty of thekey The third chapter 17 CEU eTD Collection develop anapproximate network map of Bakiev’s family and associates (see Appendix A) I diatribes and accusations, rather than facts. However, in order to deal with this problem and to against the deposedpresidentmany could newspapers be print hypothesized simply to still Bakiev wave the his Naturally, beenin on and anger public of entourage power. that have had been notprinted research could forI’ve this used Many that morearticles open. much “Bakiev became clan” so-called information the about to access was thatpublic effect leaders was installed. opposition the of formed Government Provisional People’s the and dismissed, parliament and the governmenthis the from office, presidentBakievwasremoved the uprising wasthat the of effect The bruises. multiple and fractures, bone wounds, gunshot injuries: inflicted deadly April toll of climbed7, 2010eventually to85people.Around 1500people havebeen inner by of “Whiteinto have been breakthey shot the House,” the perimeter snipers.The the didmanage Consequently, protesters tochaseawaymilitiathe to squadsandattempted when charged with protecting presidents)ordered snipers onthe roofs of nearby buildings. agency (the Service Protection State the of head the office, his fled immediately has president Kyrgyzstani the though Even offices. governmental various and administration presidential – mainstorm House” “White buildingthe housing the Kyrgyzthe Republic administrative of to have villages thecity attempted surrounding from Kyrgyzstanis coming capital.of Crowds country. in the situation social and with teachers of the same school who shared theirinsights on the current political, economic,“clan” inmass media Additionally,informal discourse. interviews I’ve hadfour unstructured called Kyrgyza andwhat’s relationshipcauses between and downfall,clans the Bakiev’s of with students discussing themesof 10 high-school recentradicalthe change, governmental The events of April 7 had at least two immediate effects on my fieldwork. The first The myfieldwork. on effects immediate two least at had 7 April of events The Rightat thebeginning my field in of research in Bishkek,atragedy has occurred the 18 CEU eTD Collection appropriately on the turbulent present of Asianformer appropriately Kyrgyz turbulent When countries. presentCentral on the of interconnections. and properties their clans, and tribes Kyrgyz of history the out sketch will section the forces. Second, social broader andwith each other with interactions their two-fold. First, the overview will outline majorhistorical milestones of the Kyrgyz people, is here purpose history. Kyrgyz The of the a brief overview constitutes chapter The present III. Nomads Chapter andsettlers months with in to coupled country capital the the returning normal the state of affairs. more could detailedBishkek residents,a only from picture haveemerged spending several with from interactions the empirical data valuable procure managed Ihave to Even though workto and then rushed home rightaway only stopping tobuy ingroceries asupermarket. happengoingClearly, to next. feel talking notdid they a stranger, like to they instead rushed governmentvery the inhabitants lookedwas tense; anxious aboutwhat’s and wereuncertain of overthrow the after capital in the atmosphere the However, interviews. 20 about and studies interviewedin Kyrgyzstan manifested itself in people’s unwillingness to engagein long discussions be or for my research. Originally,consistent. I planned usingcross-check seemmade Thefindings facts be basic suretoavariety newspapers. of to to conduct at least three focus group The words quoted above reflect well notjust the history of the region, but also comment a sense of andpurpose direction of (ineffort. Wheeler 1964:19) or personal causes lead to rioting;…there is slaughter and destruction, oreven for atime may up again; leader fora bidder gatheraknot somemoments or of political adherents; meltgroups and interest dissolve; massa sudden inone drawsa split only direction, to meetand gathered coalesce, Groups of onsomea crowd occasion. movement great man watchinglike standingis a onanupperfloor, anddisordered the unpredictable The investigator of history Turkishin andMongol partof this worldthe [Central Asia] I proceed here by first citing Sir Olaf Caroe who has once said: protests my causedby on fieldwork The second recent morethe effect detrimental and 19 CEU eTD Collection through the first decades of the tenth century was the time of the first Kyrgyz statehood when statehood Kyrgyz first time of the the was century tenth decadesof firstthe the through (Abazov Barthold 2004:xx). mentions that the fromperiod middlethe of ninththe A.D. (Anderson 1999), while others claim that this happened earlier,in the ninth century A.D. century tenth in the now occupy they lands into in Siberia river Yenisei Upper the of banks Kyrgyz some the from Accordingfew beganmoving to sources, 1999:1). (Anderson the including the ScythianPaleolithic period andhas been an amphitheatre of struggle many between societal groups, tribes and Turkic incomers, the references into darkhallwayscautiously the Kyrgyzthe history. of to the Kyrgyz people innation With in USSR”(Tchoroev 2002:351). mind, former this the let’s caveat proceed are main the ideologues Russians, and the communist both please history to of falsification, propensity an even for politicization, andsometimes the unfortunate science demonstrated historical school “[t]heof Soviet Toillustrate, andworst. best false simply at at inaccurate highly be might Kyrgyz the of past the on commenting and sources in historical interpreted keep in have consequently many mind to we that describedevents political of the and 2002), ideological of (Tchoroev and with propaganda content a severedose desired Kyrgyzstan. to alien nothing are events unfortunate of series unpredictable convince usthat might history with Kyrgyz the even brief acquaintance a that in 24 hours from thenwhohave just regional the Talas captured governmentof Nobody oblast. could have predicted another Kyrgyz presidentconvene ofpeople Usenov have defying anemergency crowds to press-conference would would have Daniyar Minister newKyrgyzstani Prime justyearsfive laterthe could that to predict protesters flee for life. However,president, Askar Akaev deposed was on March 24,2005,nobody among the jubilant Naturally, the process Naturally, process of the writingis itself history and highly contentious injectedoften While the area that now constitutes beenhasKyrgyzstan since the While inhabited nowconstitutes areathat the 20 century CEU eTD Collection within Kyrgyzthe tribes (1994:176). present already social stratification which furthered factor the towns,” areas and agricultural Kyrgyz century eighteenth the of beginning the already at that notes Khazanov tribes. other several in and tribe own their in positions leading occupied (clan) tribe Bagysh Sary the of totheManap subdivision belonging Kyrgyz the century nineteenth the called leaders had hereditary subdivisions tribe the of from if families,leaders other wasa forthere this need 1999:2). (Anderson seek to right hadthe communities families, dominant traditionally numerous been have there though even that fact the by shown leaders of selection in the flexibility of degree certain clan which ingroup, turn,was ina component awider tribal confederacy.a Anderson notes broader of a waspart family back. Each seven leastgenerations at hisancestors trace able to be Every to Kyrgyz wasassumed 1999:2). lifestyles (Anderson of people” nomadicinthe the “basedadministrativefamily structure, independent associations, upon and and tribal rooted (Abazov forests 2004:12). in mountain hunting andpracticed the wheat, barley, oats) (e.g., and some crops cultivated the Kazakh tribes who maintained a tight grip on the grasslands in the north. The Kyrgyzvis-à-vis also 2004:11). This their modesubsistence economic Kyrgyz with of provided the niche unique (Abazov valleys of Pamiro-Altai” Tian-Shan and fragile in mountain yaks ecologically the cattle, and sheep,goats, raising horses, husbandry, nomadic animal subsistence semi-pastoral Turkistan in (Barthold 2002:358). Tchoroev andeastern Altai, Mongolia Siberia, large of southern regions Kyrgyzthe dominated Khazanov reports that in the seventeenth century the Kyrgyz tribes and large and tribes Kyrgyz the century seventeenth in the that reports Khazanov political- adistinct has developed society Kyrgyz the that reports Anderson in aform of “engaged Kyrgyz weretraditionally the In terms of early economy, their neighbors: the Uzbek and Tajik settlers who controlled oases in the west, and 21 biis (1994). According to the author, in author, the Accordingto (1994). biis “began rule to CEU eTD Collection responsibilities: exercisedmobilizingit “thestatelike administrativenobles prerogatives.”differently, Toput the allnobility Kyrgyz the by governed was the inreality society Kyrgyz the that maintains Sneath powerstance. theoretical such doubts who author one also is there Kyrgyz, in the among kinship of the society and eligible for membership, albeitwith reduced privilegesthe (1990:171). “commoners”constitutehusbandry.Whilenot theslaves apart would of be clan, offspring their would bail Thethem slavesout. as would work bond in servants boreindividual households andin animal the families to whose refused criminals during also and wars captured would mostly be prisoners brunt of fiscal westernthe Altai mountains andin eastern the Pamir) 2006:204). (Geiss 2003:108; Gullette and district) in the Talas and Valley Fergana of the part northern (“right wing,” based in northern and central Kyrgyzstan), central and in northern based wing,” (“right Forty-two (42). others” Kyrgyzto tribal three clansbelonged confederacies: fall upon orto defend themselves eitherimmediately, to uparms hadtotake service military impressive considering that if a that considering impressive decisions were binding on all members” Thetribal (42). military hasbeen discipline Khazanov’s evidence by that clanshave beenstressing headed by Discussing(2003:28). tribal of units nineteenth the century Kyrgyz, Geiss confirms sevenrelativesmarriagelaw consanguineal between upto prohibiting removed generations for hosting guests ( through the land of the of land the through pasture ( pasture Commoners were subject to a series of taxes and levies, including a tax for the use of Even though the authors citedEven thoughthe authors above ontheleading would concur organizational role slaves where slavery, practiced clans Kyrgyz the that fact the highlights Abramzon Geiss cites Krader who argued that the Kyrgyz clans have been exogamous, with a with exogamous, been have clans Kyrgyz the that argued who Krader cites Geiss otmai ), a levy for the chygym manap ). (Sneath). 2007:87) manap ( tuyakat manap declared a war on somebody, “all men capable of capable men “all somebody, on a war declared ), and a levy covering the expenses of alevy covering), and the expenses a of 22 ’s table ( soyush Sol Kanat ), a charge for), acharge driving aherd Ichkilik (“leftwing,” based inthe manaps (“center,” basedin (“center,” or biis Ong Kanat “whose manap CEU eTD Collection 4 Great. the ofCatherine court royal the to embassy their sent had ofKyrgyzstan) part (northernmost valley Chui order), the Kazakhfirst and ethnographer, ChokanValikhanov (1835-1865). Also, 1775 the Kyrgyz in from the compositionof Kyrgyz), the P.P.Semenov (1827-1914) (researcherof Kyrgyz geography, history socialand travelers followed; included explorers I.G Andreev (1743-1801) (who wrote about the significance of tribal captainUnkovsky,Ivan visitedregion” (Anderson the 1999). Furthervisits by scholars,adventurers, and back to the backbeginning of tothe 17 the contacts betweenRussians and the Kyrgyz date way back. Andersonwrites: “Kyrgyz contacts with Russia date 3 numerous schools where behalf of theThe policy allowed local Empire,Muslim schools to exist without any administrative control on the butKaufman has pursued a policy non-interferingof in customs and beliefs localof inhabitants. at the same time it commanded local authorities to establish (Anderson 1999:5). leaders local to decisions smaller and tactics leaving decisions, strategic implemented and hand upper the had have authorities Russian The authorities. local and Russian In 1962:378-85). of terms administration, have there emergedparallel structures – power in to“winlanguage theindigenous populations order them (d'Encausse over” andRussify Kyrgyzthe history people. the of aRussian 2000:193).Thisin expansion khanates of andKhivapage opens Bukhara (Soucek by RussianEmpirethe whichin nineteenth the century already theneighboringswallowed waseasilyabsorbed Khanate the internal squabbles, permanent 2000:177).Dueto (Soucek Kokand which wasan oasis-based state has Kyrgyzin the governed the of1710-1876 period of Khanate The forces andentities. bylarger structural been impacted have profoundly been a feudal with hierarchical society strong structures. “Aliens,” from Russian. Perhaps, it would be better to say that it opens “a page of direct colonization by the Russians,” since the first Naturally, that the Kyrgyz clans – regardless their actual organizational underpinning – actual underpinning theirorganizational –regardless Kyrgyzthe clans Naturally, that Consequently, Sneath argues that instead of a kin-organized society, the Kyrgyz have In terms of cultural politics, the first Governor-General of first (1867-1882) Governor-General In Turkestan of theof terms cultural politics, th tuzemtsy [ sic ] century when Peter the Great’s ambassador to the Jungar khanate, artillery khanate, Jungar the to ambassador the Great’s Peter when century ] 3 4 would be taught the basics of mathematics and Russian 23 CEU eTD Collection decades, the Kyrgyz have changed Kyrgyz decades, the Aksartova 2005:52-53). legalistically equal to fourteen other republics Sovietthe of Union (Anderson 1999:9; becoming and USSR the to administratively attached being by Republic” Socialist Soviet “thenewinfinally, of Kyrgyz name 1936 thea Socialistobtained republic and Republic Soviet Autonomous Kyrgyz the renamed been has country the 1927 In Federation). Russian the Region within (again, Autonomous Kara-Kyrgyz the into transformed Oblast was the Then, this became region Kara-Kyrgyzthe Autonomous Oblast (within Russia)and in1924 Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within RussianFederationthe in(RSFSR) April 1918. the adoption was one second the and territory of their reshuffling administrative wasthe one first years: the of new alphabets.(Aksartova 2005:49-50). existed” previously had things these of none where elites national and languages, national At first, nations, creation of the involving in Russia itwas than extensive wasmore Sovietthe east Kyrgyzstan modernity as national identity.”and ethno-territorial “[c]ultural Subsequently, in revolution of attributes basic such even be given, to needed and lacked, inhabitants their since bottom became very near the were Asian borderlands theMuslimCentral top, the wasat Russia “[w]hereas a part of administrators: in imperial of mind the prevalent thatwas backwardness scale of cultural the Turkestanbein modernist extremely their approaches, theyhave inherited the developmentalistsame to tried Bolsheviks 1998). On hand, even though the other the be RussianEmpire(Scott the most radical reshapingof oflifeall aspects and individualsineven themselves usedto what idea of the the wasbasedon “experiment” since communist the state the restructuring totally The second transformation had to do with the radical changes in alphabets. In just two Two more significantchallengesfaced were Kyrgyz bythe during the early Soviet Once the Bolsheviks came topower in October of 1917, they embarked on a project of three alphabets. The first alphabet used was Arabic and its 24 CEU eTD Collection 5 Abazov adds: began in March 1989 with the elections for the USSR Congress of Deputies. New USSR Congressof People’s for the thewith elections began inMarch 1989 (Latinscripts different andfunctioning 2005:138-40). Cyrillic) simultaneously (Chotaeva Russianthe languageby remove Kyrgyzthe linguistic to and discrepancies causedby two of acquisition the of speed uptheprocess to change was behind ideaanother again.The once inscriptwas introduced be January had putontotally1941. Now language the to newrails region. of Central Asian republics as tofacilitate well as control tighter publicationsover the inthe a meantto create radical and between break new literature Arabic-based old literary languages isolation of Sovietcumbersomefor extensive publishing inuse; difficulties Arabic;with books and potential Muslims fromeverywhere in country.the for Some the change reasons includedArabic script being still too nations using alphabet of Kyrgyzthe Republic Autonomous andsince 1930Arabicwas script banned other scripts.scriptas basisthe Kyrgyz language.of written In 1927 Latin becamealphabet official the The transition to Latin scriptofficially in adopted 1924. was more and more books were printed in the new Arabic script and after some modifications,with the the arrival of the However, 2005:137). (Chotaeva literate Muslim(e.g., clergymen) were strata higher social Bolshevik revolution of mostly representatives limitedthe as was severely Kyrgyzstan in spread pre-revolutionary and the official policy of eradicating illiteracy, characters used forcharacteristic Turkic sounds not found in Russian (2004:x). Currently there 36 are letters in Kyrgyz the alphabet,33 Russian plus three additional Cyrillic-based Turkmenistanor neighboring Uzbekistan, there are no indications that it will happen inthe nearfuture. Despite government support inthe early 1990s to convert the alphabet from Cyrillic to Latinscript, as in Nevertheless, the politicians have brewed new plans and the transition to the final, third final, the to transition the and plans new brewed have politicians the Nevertheless, The most radical changes in the country, ultimately leading to the fall of the regime, the of fall the to leading ultimately country, in the changes radical most The adopting Latin towards hasswung the pendulum later, years only three However, 25 5 CEU eTD Collection 7 6 candidature for thepresidency candidature presidential deputiesapproved havenot in Masaliev’s rule Surprisingly, the country. the Ferganathe valleyin deputies 1990,the demanded summer the of establishment the in riots instability and the Following wereelected. non-party deputies of percent twenty about parliamentstructure of Kyrgyzstan was subsequently andapproved in the elections of 1990 unfortunate reversalunfortunate a multitude to offactors, including unstable neighboring polities of such Some attribute analysts deteriorate. began to situation andthe aspects reversed 2003:28). 2005;Dukenbaev international (Aksartova and andunilateral organizations donors Hansen from benefits political and economic significant very attract to helped have which conscious strategy of the president and the “shopping window” of the country, a circumstance is fairly practiced, are parties andunderway haveactive, become a restructuring economic freedoms are diverse imagewhere country the of fact, a democratic In Republic. Kyrgyz the beappliedto begunto Asia” have Central of Switzerland “the and islanddemocracy” “an of suchtermsas (Roy This iswhen 2000:130-6). estate andreal of economy the privatization of total blossom the political facilitatingof parties, accolades for numerous garnered Kyrgyz Academy (Gleason 1997:60). Sciences of According to Gleason: to According Absamat Masaliev ruled the Kyrgyz SSR since November 1985. Yet, by it changes inappeared that the Yet, have been many decade, middleof the the became its president (1997:61). later, years two and, 1987 in Sciences of Academy Kyrgyz of the vice president He elected was 1981. only in member a becoming late, very work party entered Akaev town). the captured who commander before returning to the capital of Bishkek (then named Frunze to honor theRed Army military Leningrad in worked and Optics and ofMechanics Institute Leningrad from He graduated Bairak. presidentGiventhat the political machine was dominated by party officials,of the choice of Akaev as the first Kyrgyzstan was indeed exceptional. Akaev was born in 1944 in the village of Kyzyl- Kyrgyzstan itsproclaimed independence on31 August 1991and initially president has 6 , but opted instead for Askar Akaev, then the president of the of president the then Akaev, Askar for instead opted but , 26 7 CEU eTD Collection undergone. Kyrgyz misunderstand istodangerously Republic sheerscale itthe has of transformations However, to durable social andunits avery that they have constituted important locus identity.of believe thatclans. What does follow from the historical sourcesthis is that the Kyrgyz clans have been fairly locus Kyrgyz pre-modern of nature the reflectivethe of records accurate of dearth is acertain there still generatesKyrgyz identity andmodes their andgovernment, the post-socialistmetamorphoses all played ahuge role intransforming the livedof reality.action KyrgyzThe Arrival society. by Russian the of about broughtEmpire, changes drastic Sovietthe Kyrgyzin thehistory contemporary appearsBeginning from Middlethe Agesand up until various now societal forces have shaped the tentative as well, since country in April 2010. office. Consequently, another wave of popular discontent forced him to flee Bishkek and the kiss of comingfrom privilegesdeath enormous in concentrated and powers presidential the sealed by wassimilarly the However,hisfate newthe hasbecome President. administration, former PrimeKurmanbek during late Bakiev, period the Minister of Akaev’sthe mainthe buildinggovernmental in the capital forcedand Akaev toresignfrom his position. This resulteddiscontent in a “TulipRevolution,” when on March 24 2005 the people stormed and by have his become attacked policies increasingly opposition the by and despised people. and Hansen 2003:28-9). inAsia Central (Dukenbaev democracy regarding Western countries stance of inconsistent Tajikistan Afghanistan;and conservative forces regaining strength within the country; and As follows from this chapter, the Kyrgyz history is both turbulent and tentative. and turbulent both is history Kyrgyz the chapter, this from follows As Following general political, social, economic and decline inKyrgyzstan, president the 27 CEU eTD Collection examples of its possible derogatory connotations. goal. One definitionby acommon areunited which relatives) or friends, associates, are colleagues, they (whether says that the term is usually Judgingfrom threedefinitionsthe provided,a“clan”any simply of to refers people group a negative one,“clan”“[a] of large stands for group relatives, friends associates” ("Clan" 2000b:341). or but it does not offerdefinitionfact is the Finally, highlightsin that a term sense. the aderogatory used generally any Usu. aset. acoterie, a party, attributes; directors interest: or characteristic, trait, by some common esp. asunited popular usage. entered in later have definitionsupon which section paper).Instead,this refers(elaborated the to thenor term next dothey the anthropological readingsof engage (summarizedsection) inthe of address Thenot this given herehistorical the term definitions aspects concept. do concept. “clan” of the linguistic dimension into the entry point an excellent provides stance with elite factions through wielding forms power different favoritism of (2006:199).This express dissatisfaction instead arepeople’s but language to groups, betweenkinship divisions actual representnot Kyrgyz do Republic “clans” prevalentdiscourses on inthe the argued that One of the prominentChapter IV. Clans: Linguistic Dimension researchers of“clan” as it will shed some lightthe on what people in Kyrgyzstan mean when they use modernthis word. Kyrgyzstanipresent, butlet’s first proceed by looking current-day atthe linguistic connotations of term the society, David Gullette has To provide an example, “clan” is “a group of people, as a clique, set, society, or party, society, or set, aclique, of as people, “ais“clan” group provide anexample, To In this section, I zero in on several dictionary definitions which deal with the “clan” We will come back to the issue of the Kyrgyz history and how it is interpreted in the ” ("Clan" “Clan”1996:379). can be “[a]also of people group having shared derog. 28 ” ("Clan" 1993c:410) where the last part of last” ("Clan" 1993c:410)wherethe partof the a clan ofactors and CEU eTD Collection Gullette is right in saying that the discourse about “clans” is ultimately the linguistic vehicle linguistic the is ultimately “clans” about discourse the that in saying isright Gullette really ifbutbegins somebody be shemight whatthis term entails, to confused. Hence, think empirical foundation. People use it as a shortcut or to explainconceptual no why formercontent, no president has was“label” wrong,this Consequently, country. the of mismanagement in the family Bakiev’s implicate to principally, and, government of change recent label mostly directed by people toexplain inpowerandin order analysts the of causes the a justbe to itself suggests the term Yet, term. the to attached arealways connotations negative (2010). revolution recent as the causesof of the one “clannism” President Dmitry Medvedev has also contributed to the “clan” discourse by naming 2005 and April 2010) and seesitin “family-clan regimes” Finally,(2010:13). Russian the (March Republic Kyrgyz in the revolutions two last the behind reason main the summarize and Provisionalthe overthrow (2010:5). In Governmenthis Alymbek turn, to Biyalinov tries Bakiev’s “clan” which in “millions” pumps in todestabilize order thesituation in country the about whoisin interestednationalistic stirring up feelingsinit repliedis thecountry, that the asked when Kyrgyzstan of Government Provisional the of Chairperson the of Administration “clan,” led which rebel northern “clans” (2010:8). Edil’ to Baisalov, Headof the Bakievargued that property away hisgave state to sons and “his” thus favored southern government insteadlike should work Bakiev’s downfall: Bakiev’s for reason main the named channel television national the on journalist a with talking intoexile, President Kurmanbek have Kyrgyzstani Bakiev,the person an opposition forced negative of often April andpeople always with crowds the connotation.a – 7, 2010when On It appears that the term “clan” is used fairly often in the public discourse. Moreover, the However, if we are to look at the mass media of Kyrgyzstan, the “clan” will appear semejnaya klanstvennost’ komanda 29 (“family clannism”), and argued that the real the arguedthat clannism”),and (“family (“a team”). The Russian analystLeonid Gusev CEU eTD Collection present paper does presentpaper does notconcern itself with detailedthe linguistic analysis of term the its and While the opponents. weapon against their it asalinguistic strategically they might deploy Kyrgyzstan in “frame” “clan” the use politicians when that hypothesized be can it Thus, side. sway and “framing” words theirpurposefully people’s through “right” opinion to to use the charged notion of much useprefer to this term or the similar Kyrgyz word would Kyrgyz the Consequently, “clan.” as translated is usually that word Russian a is which peoplenot dotalk about theirall. genealogical linkages at but They do, they term use the mean not of the exclusivist, that exploitative does this elite, andpeople. Naturally, group nepotistic, of in mindsmetaphor a corrupt, people’s aconceptual automatically trigger to word “right” the as “clan” term the use Kyrgyzstan in journalists and analysts, politicians, party. messages with together voters tosupportthe and which convincework “frames” the the thus a setof through metaphors”) “conceptual or citizens’ (“frames” worldviews appealing to is that “framing,” by using win overelectorate to able hasoften been States of United the relevantwords (Lakoff In histhe thattheRepublican2002:419). argues scientist works, party long-term havethat concepts become ingrained in minds people’s and canbeby triggered structures“mental as “frames” defines that Lakoff George scientist cognitive shape prominent The “frame.” the way we see thebecame soladen with negative connotations,world” it transforms itself not justinto alabel, but into a (2004:xv). Essentially, country. the the frames are the whichthrough people expresstheir factions profound unhappiness ruledwith which or rule can groups certain interest that fact the insists on Lakoff specifically hisbook, In While much more research is needed to fully investigate this topic, it that appears this topic, investigate fully neededto is moremuch research While “clan” since term the appears that It eye. the meets term the than to ismore there Yet, klan , “clan” (Gullette , “clan” (Gullette 2006:3). 30 uruk , rather than the negatively- the than rather , rod , CEU eTD Collection a sense of a disintegrating ancient clan in the nineteenth century Britain. century nineteenth the in clan ancient disintegrating ofa sense a 8 Chapter V. Clans: Historical Dimension in thickwoods the normativeof judgments. designate it as a tool for political analysis means to lead oneself astray and eventually face-value and at this term take to Consequently, malfeasance. marker of blameanda sign of get lost a as “clan” serves word the that discussion present the from evident is italready implications, descent) and “second class” consisted of a much more diverse group of of such people, as of more group a much diverse consisted and“second class” descent) primarily exclusively)not (although consisted of people united through blood (patrilineal class” “first “classes” where of two consisted have clans Irish that notes it Particularly, impressively exhaustivehistoricalof treatment focusing this phenomenon, Irish clans. on an gives Dictionary” Encyclopedic “New clan. –the formation kinship ancient their Kyrgyz clans Irish clansandwhattheytellusabout now. employ scientists political models theoretical have hammered out theories which of discourses nineteenthcentury anthropological the pertinence tothe bears significant of order in ancient discussion following the Furthermore, itoperated. andhow itwas structured as “clan,” how societies and ultimatelyinvestigate thehistorical prudentto namely,origins originallyclans, wasreferred of to what proves it “clan,” paved term the of connotations linguistic the present-day the of way analysis the After for “’So, MissSummerson,’she would saytome with triumph,‘this, stately you see, isthe fortune “Morgan ap-Kerrig,” a fictional Scottish clan made up by Charles Dickens. The broader quote cleverly conveys cleverly quote broader The Dickens. upby Charles made clan Scottish afictional ap-Kerrig,” “Morgan inherited by my son. Wherever my son goes,hecan claimkindred with ApKerrig One of the most prominent symbols of Scotland and Ireland has been and still remains still and been has Ireland and Scotland of symbols prominent most the of One not havemoney, buthealways haswhat ismuchbetter – my dear’”(Dickensfamily, 31 2001:353) 8 . He may CEU eTD Collection engraved on engraved history pages on variousthe on the of mediaand projected popular have of culture turns out to be more of a myth,the mainstay of clans and,than hence, their radical difference a from fact.other types of social networks The archetypicalclass”Thus,insistence scientists’ unceasing 1914:798).political ("Clan" onkinship tiesas clans of Ireland well peopleas whohave rendered service tothe families, and andtheoffspringfrom “secondthe Scotland for byclan,as included whohavebeencared the united people descent) through patrilineal of composed people (meaning, primarily class” “first “purest” allegedly eventhe However, criminals. and foreigners slaves, of consisted recall, if we clans, in Irish class” “Second demonstrates that these clans have understanding of an “ideal-typical” clan – that is, the Scottish and Irish clan. a clear have to imperative is it Asia, in Central exist still clans whether about debates understandFirst,and infour-fold. tobeable to is current clans? answer The order their leaderone amongfour ("Clan" candidatures 1914:798-800). choose hadto four relatives upon hence, familymembers,other was bestowed status typically number suitable relatives, actual Regardless of the of previous head)waselected. where the eldest and “the most able” relative (usuallya clanone of theor elder a local brothers communityor sons of the was Eachheadof wolves. conditions anderadicating overseeingroad harvest, elected gathering fortresses, among the family – property outlines the hierarchy between clans, smaller settlements and families or separate households. also dictionary The 1914:798). ("Clan" offspring” their and foreigners criminals, “slaves, Second, the present inquirySecond, present the into history in the of clans Scotland and clearly Ireland dowith Kyrgyz have the this to does discussion what wonder: might one Atthis stage, At the beginning, land property was communal, but later parts laterland parts becameof but private land beginning,At the property communal, was de facto aire – obtained a title of and thus facilitated development of local aristocracy head of local the where of aristocracy development facilitated and thus always flaith included extremely different categories of people. of categories different extremely included (lord) and was the chief organizer of building of organizer chief the was and (lord) 32 geilfine (relatives of the previous head) of previous the (relatives geilfine CEU eTD Collection expropriated allexpropriated lands the clans belongingin to and 1605 officially announced the end of government colonial British clans, Irish of case the In factors. external of multitude input way,another have never inisolation, clans acted butalways againstabackground of a have Asia in Central or Scotland operated institutions, and agents? generalize and use this structured, Asiaand Central constituted, areuniformly enacted. termin “clans” injudiciouslyhypothetical today’s that maintain to scientists social for reasons no are there thus and lot a differed have clans Kyrgyz the times earlier in the even toConsequently, land. refer to a amixturesubsequently adopted of economic practices –animal husbandry andtending the variety of nomadic, have the clans in thesouth influenced been bysettleddeeply Uzbeks and and Tajiks present-day dominantly been have north in the clans While significantly. varied have clans Kyrgyz practices,the that recall quickly will we Kyrgyz, the of history the to turn we If terminology. arbitrary Even justforced country’s be one tofitinto bed units cannot the procrustean kinship of havewould from profoundly varied However,my country one further.another. criticism goes they Asiancountries, in Central existed “clans” still had the Clearly, Asia are similar. Central as scientists Collins tend Starr and toproduce generalizations sayingall that “clans” in fact, suchpolitical In geography. history social across monolithicand anduniform units being clans as claimsstressing opens course, of a way questioning Kyrgyz.the This, of in casewith asisgenerally the nomadicnot practices in pastoral the land, grounded working otherwise. always from drawn strength multitude their a of be blood-relatedconnections, or they The previous rhetorical question brings me to the final point. Clans, whether they whether Clans, point. final the me to brings question rhetorical previous The we can how country, same the within even diverse been have clans “original” the If was clans Irish for basis economic the above, analysis brief the from transpires as Third, always 33 responded to other societal phenomena. To phenomena. societal other to responded CEU eTD Collection important roleimportant in shaping thediscursivereality Kyrgyzstan.inof Manabaev hisinsightful init any spills broader way overtoaudiences? Itappears that history the still plays an History inthepresent it with a variety andbelongings. of ties contesting replaced and identity clan of unity the the unraveled regime post-Soviet forces of the capitalist onslaughtThe arrangements. political and economic, family, of a unity of consisted of which identity clan the modernization of locus traditional the havedisintegrated centuries lasttwo the of metamorphoses historical paradigm of the Sovietforeign aid percapita as compared with post-Sovietcountriesother (Aksartova 2005). regimeinflowbiggest of and andthe government, economy the of restructuring expansion capital,of and the arrival globalization, Kyrgyzstan: upon descended forces another cascadeof more,dramatic was no of globalimmigration of mostly drastic evenbrought more colossal October newalphabets, Revolution changes: 1917 of Slavic settlers, andandforced The missionary sedentarization. up byChristian work, educational reforms, the years of repressions. has beenfollowed byaccession The were absorbed incentury. empire mid-nineteenth the the Oncethey century, eighteenth the thein back government Soviet Russian Imperial the with ties diplomatic Union clans. of breaking-up the to led eventually blows which of series strikea to was they did what but ties, clan immediately terminate not chieftainsdisarm and to allclanmembers ("Clan" 1914:800). Clearly, British did laws the clan of privileges hereditary eliminate to decreed which parliament British the of ire much 1745 caused In the of their clans, rebellion Scottish “clancase of system” ("Clan" 1973:263). Does Does history the of tribalKyrgyzthe remain past buried in instead,textbooks school or, inmind, transformations argue here radical the Ithat momentous Keeping these all Kyrgyz clanshad perhaps even more tumultuous history. Having established basic 34 CEU eTD Collection other celebrations, but they were like “jesters,” nobody would really listen to them and even and them to listen really would nobody “jesters,” like were they but celebrations, other a news interviewbeweddings to heandthat invited program hiscolleagues would toand of “ of lies renaissance inthe politician, tothe according answer, The addiction. facing prostitution includegeneral and Kyrgyzstan disorder, which widespread drug problems of host the to answer radical a proposes politician certain a how discusses article Isakov (one of few remaining of the (one Isakov them, buttraditions havinglost their original becomecontext significantly altered. Ryslay markers, but never the main one. manybe of one to identity can newpretend ideology forever the and aregone tribal relations old The time. leisure spending to relations family to work from activity, human of facets all traditional represented an structure tribal institutionall-encompassing, total which regulated the that stresses author The blueprint. societal a newly neverrecreated - and be ideology an ideology only newcan insists, Manabaev ideology. Ultimately, advocates of new the towards in can be state the tilted power levers which balance of forgethe additional by to purpose: reinvigorate their clansmen to speak on their behalf.Furthermore, Manabaev maintains by that the entrusted call to officially been not have “representatives” so-called the as manner clandestine this however. one endeavor For thing, thatthis heargues congress wasconveneda in drafted a declaration of common “official Kyrgyz of representatives” clansconvened of approximately 40 original and 27 out interest. The author of the allegedly March where endof the at congress article wasa therealready Moreover, 2010:16). is extremely skeptical Kyrgyzsimultaneously social apanacea andpresenting againstthe uniting ills of(Manabaev clans). Kyrgyz the of division tribal traditional rodoplemennoj Undeniably, the Kyrgyz know many of their traditions and often choose to practice uruuchuluck neotraibalizm” (“kin-tribal neotribalism”) was created for onesingle wascreated neotribalism”) (“kin-tribal neotraibalizm” is but a new “fad” on the “market of ideologies.” Thenewideology ideologies.” of “market is but a new “fad”on the manaschi – Kyrgyztraditional bards) complained inhis 35 Uruuchuluck is supposed isbeto supposed thenew idea uruuchuluck (the CEU eTD Collection with this line of reasoning was that Morgan tied his findings to a much argument, findings toa hiswider tied Morgan line with reasoning wasthat of this concluded overallbasis thatthe societies” of “ancient in was rooted The kinship. problem Morgan others, among tribes African and societies Irish Scottish, Roman, Greek, ancient emphasis).having After a completed vertigo-inducing survey of Native American tribes, social organization (1877). He Society” has “Ancient book his and Morgan once H. Lewis of work the to homage remarked: intellectual pay “[t]he firstin any society given (anchoringin their discussions historical antecedents),they inevitably and most ancient [a form of government] wasfoundations could be quite sound,while others not. a the of Some systems. conceptual basetheir scientists social later centuries even and decades history andtwotheories oforder Kinship, from of assistance “imagined (Anderson1991). communities” clanship support from their extended families, classmates, andfriends, andnot on hypothetical on rely Kyrgyz modern the interactions everyday in the but clans, in certain membership theKyrgyzIn future. words, their andother areawareof the present ancestors’ unlocking action notfor sequences past, the the guiding for of affiliations symbolicpathways stand to peoplegenealogical knowledge too: know their typically butthese clan affiliations, argue local I thatthis with the aradical from break happens past. the practiced represents Kyrgyzstan.present-day disappeared, The traditions havebut not wayhow they’re the exemplifiespaid.short vignette This tension between traditions in well the and modernity muchitheperform it do couldn’t get andhadto about since heneeded to again, time and that fact the highlighted he then but received, generally was epic the how about unhappy very adults didn’t know how to listen “Manas”to (legendary Kyrgyz epic poem). Thus, Isakov was When attempt scholars the to equal toestablishingkinship andmaintaining order power History also importantrole plays an inestablishing foundationstheoretical on which , founded phratries and, upongentes, tribes” (Morgan 1877:61, original 36 CEU eTD Collection in leaderto group the the of (Weber group the 1964:341). authority peopleother exercising loyalty connect of personal Relations personal preferences. decisions from basedon traditions generations previous asbasedon his passed down as well amountmakes and of whoholdspower inusually adisproportionate charge who person one membersthe of administrative staff the 1964:329-31). (Weber individual,and where meansownership of administration isfrom of production or separated an to rather than impersonal order, to accountable held is everyone where samenorms, the by abides modeeveryone of a where administration authority”refers “Legal to framework. Webermuch andis less the“kinship-as-the-basis-of-primitive-societies” contentious than by Max elaborated famously was dichotomy This “patrimonialism”). (particularly authority” in can be shape the “legal “traditional represented a theoretical of vs. dichotomy authority” of informal, hidden, but nevertheless active politics centered on powerful figures. The distinction “dual politics,” he a major to refers between distinction formal,institutionalized politics and refers to When Starr system. conceptual more one to by referring section conclude this fair to century. nineteenth the schemas of evolutionist affirm to in away is Asia in Central countries present-day the of principle ruling and European societies. What this means is that for modern scholars to insist on kinship as the him to contemporary American inferior to andultimately, “backward,” “barbaric,” “savage,” essentially a essentially Consequently, Morganian stance onkinship mode asthe of social organization was signthe and the defining of feature mostprimitivethe societies 1988:6). (Kuper marker, wasthe kinship civilization.barbarism perspective, this From stage of to savagery to namely hierarchy wheresocieties absolute the each society andof every the from progressed On the contrary, “traditional authority” refersa to mode of administration where there is proves it Asia, Central on research doing scientists political to justice give to order In normative statement, as it has created a asithasjudgingstatement, basis societies created for certain 37 CEU eTD Collection what a clan might look like. Semenov says: century. Even is quotation lengthy,though the somewhat it a vividillustration supplies of nineteenth in the Chechens the among fieldwork conducted who ethnographer an Semenov, properties traditionally with associated clans, Iwill a use quote-commentary by Nanu introductionprovide notion.historical, to and waysof understanding anthropological order this an In to our presentThe discussionanthropologicalChapter VI. Clans: Anthropological Dimension and also by waydimension of the notion of “clan.” of analysis anthropological the to illuminating turn let’s however, First, “clans.” of concept the than politics informal ofsome the my moremuch investigating mindisto a conceptual capable that of paper to alternative of theconcept in this later back key come Iwill clear-cut. from far is division this that demonstrates lucidly of clan Asia inCentral politics on research thecurrent actors), political informal (i.e., authority” completes institutions) “legaland“traditional formal (i.e., political between separation authority” the triad of(1964:346). linguistic,maintained thatsuchinstitutions are byboth underpinned economic kinship and principles prudentin his analysis of organizationalthe basis of “traditional authority” institutions: he informal formal and in politics on institutions Weberwas societies Furthermore, general. of impact the investigate if isto choice one be agood to appears authority” “traditional findingAsia. Thefor of Central actors of concept political in power-exercising their quest [Chechens]a tribe in family is a what about talk will I instinct, familial a explain to order In which we are dealing with here. Family or kin union [ analytical strict a maintained Weber Max while modified: be to has theory this Yet, It seems It thatthis framework theory guiding an overarching provides political scientists the interests of the whole, and is absolutely ready to sacrifice all his needs andpersonal needs his sacrifice all to ready is absolutely of and whole, the interests the represents an order where each member (without any oaths or contracts) devoutly serves 38 rodovoj sojuz ] CEU eTD Collection must marry must outside the clan” ("Clan" 1992:52). is,members that exogamous: areusually each andmarriages theirother, towards obligations have aclan of “[m]embers Finally, figure.” non-human other or animal an totemism, of forms asin or, may figure bemythical a descent members claim from whom ancestor the societies, lineage,” togroups can formsis differentit organized around refer “[i]n of known that some is ("Clan" and ageneral rather While“the term one, 2000b:341). from ancestor” a common actual or purported descent from a common ancestor.” Furthermore, descentfrom purported actual ancestor.” or a common structure of many societies” is “membershipof where defined intermsa clan of socially clan of Anthropology description so eloquently tousby provided NanuSemenov. the edificeof the support which would pillars here theoretical weshoulderect words other lookisit weproceed, Before at how to in imperative anthropology usually defined a “clan,” centuries ago. It also captures certain key aspects of clans to which we shall return shortly. Another dictionary “aa clan informs dictionary tracing thatAnother of represents division descent a tribe whohave nodemonstrable kinship ties with clan.the ("Clan" 1993a:343) newmembers incorporate bealtered to myths or may genealogical records lineages, and clan being forbidden and regardedas incest. Clans may into subclanssegment or (matriclan).always,butnot marriage clansareexogamous, Normally,the within the This descent isThis descent unilineal – Britannica,According aclanis to fundamental in groupof importance a“kinship the The preceding for ask to andforassistance sacrificesquote (in Zhirnov 2009:57-8). right the has always and a brother is always has, he presents characteristics personal which and is he where matter no family, same the of A member praised. always is a flamboyantoutsiders and if a deed against an outsider is useful and beneficial to the family,use againstthe to isnothing criminal families image guilty; arealways from andother people then right it always are members family own all, for is each and one for are offamily same the a Chechen headstrong,him as andcocky,insolentbealmost proud, members to impudent….All of clan by protected anda numerous unanimous garrison.Awareness fortress, of makes in a such strength be to ashimself sees family, the itinside while Chechen same the was but helpless; two [ failure complete himself considers a family without A Chechen interests. nichtozhestvo ]; a Chechen with a family, when outside of his family, feels weak and i.e. , derived only through the male (patriclan) or the female the or (patriclan) male the through only derived , 39 CEU eTD Collection on” (Keesing 1975:148). so and responsibility, name, collective a common group property, to rights of terms collective Consequently, a clan “astands for social whosegroup members act asa legal in individual withgroups respect toland ceremonial tenure, war, exchange andexogamy” (Holy 1996:90). “corporate as function they example, For features. other certain display also anthropologists by studied Clans long-gone ancestor/ancestress. tothe contemporaries linkage connecting all genealogical established aclearly of absence also and ancestress or ancestor founding to the 1975:148). Thisdefinitioncore features of outtwopoints a clan,namely backdescenttracing (Keesing ancestor” apical this them to connect links that genealogical know the not who do but ancestor/ancestress, an apical from (matriclan) matrilineal descent or (patriclan) descent patrilineal memberstrace orcategory whose group descent isa clan “aunilineal that that: (Keith group into Delving kinship1990:637-8). further find and terminologies hierarchies, we exogamous manifested through sharing special privileges. property or clans Onceagain,“[m]ost are a clan feel a close relationship to each other and usually have a strong spirit of unity” which is each loyalty andother to membersfamily:to entire livemay they the “[a]lthough far apart, of Another definitionis of presented succinctly Keesing byRoger concept the whostates 1993b:568). is amoiety or ("Clan" called phratry clan clans each phratries, two or includes Several clans may bea larger into combined social called aphratry. If group a tribe may A lineages. have beclan toacommon several lineage can traced progenitor. a ancestry; common claims merely a clan in that lineage a from isdistinguished A clan According to dictionaries, groups of people known as clans demonstrate formidable clansdemonstrate of as known people dictionaries, groups According to ” (original emphasis) where clansmen are obliged to marry their kin outside of areobliged to clansmen emphasis)” (original where 40 CEU eTD Collection style preserved). Duran Bell reports: Duran preserved). style chief or ‘head’ ( ‘head’ or chief as its order is enforced by the action of specific individuals whose regular function this is, of a social relationship which is either closed limitsor the admission of outsiders by rules,…sofar which groups” would shedon how clans light function. group” istypically A“corporate “[a] clan for other forreasons (e.g., combining resources orfor considerations of protection). includingmembers into clan byblood, peopleadopted aclan are join who a and people who other at all costs. It is important to point out that clans are constituted through a variety of ties, each protect to memberschoose whose organization egalitarian typically is avery tight-knit, it meaning group” “corporate isa a clan Finally, crises. of times in the assistance mutual and clansmenis theemphasis each have towards placedon other, exchange reciprocal obligations membersis, marry usuallyexerciseexogamy, must that Third, they of outside kingroup. the they can’t trace their genealogical ties all theway back to their ancestor. Second, clan patrilineal – line orthrough femalethe –matrilineal – line)is assumed by members,clan but is tokeepin important mind,(whether itis such that descent through counted malethe – mythical It qualities. or hadlegendary often who orancestress a foundingancestor descent to clan their usually First, members trace major four will clancharacteristics. provide here clans of Properties a to limited be must individual an of claim rightful the that so be scarce, must in question resource(s) Byimplication the of set of resources. aspecific use resource or to consume individualshave group is claimsof A corporate socially aset – who recognized therefore, istherefore, adomain in sharing of some relation to set of scarce(1998:188). resources group, A supply.corporate available notoverwhelm shares the of does rightful “corporate of definitions other several consider here to is imperative it Naturally, What are, then, the main characteristics of a clan? For the purpose of the present study, I share of that resource. And the set of rights is viable so long as the demand for the set Leiter ) and usually alsoan ) and usually administrative staff” (Weber1964:145-6,original 41 rights – CEU eTD Collection narrates: pervades everyday life” (2004:xv). that reality a silent “are Asia in Central ties kinship words, Schatz’s In (2006:3). power authoritarian wield and country of the course political the determine that institutions officials) elected and formal of (instead networks clan the is it where system” political the transform they players; political and actors social dominant the are clans in which rules and power decidedfocuswhile exclusively to Schatz inKazakhstan.on “clans” shapers –of inpolitics Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan Kazakhstan, and –movers and “clans” participants asactive an of definition proposed all-encompassing between see ifthem. is notionin to the a clear there correlation order of interpretations anthropological “clans”alongside juxtapose inthem region and existant the I will of two pick mostthe who convincinghave authors still arguedimpressively about 1998:188-90). (Bell corporation” modern the of stockholders by held those from fundamentally shares these separates inalienability individuals. This be among transferred andcannot characteristics ascribed by socially their “aredetermined such shares factthat hereisthe crucial What’s isentitled to. one muchof a resource how defining become markers andparentage entire corpus of obligatory genealogical knowledge. Nonetheless, members assume that assume members Nonetheless, knowledge. genealogical obligatory of corpus entire kinship is fictive andoften many members, if wouldpressed, produce be unable to the demonstrable ties. genealogical clan Most members demonstrate theirblood ties, evenif be togetherthrough themselves tolinked based, sincemembersunderstand I understand sensein clansthe narrow They units. kinship-based social of are kinship- by “clans”are What of definitions the Collins demonstrated Schatz and Schatz? of anarrangement aninformal regime, creates “[c]lan Collins,politics to According Collins Asia: in Central exist still “clans” that maintained have Collins and Schatz Both Asia? Here, Central about writings in current reflected of get clans aspect does this How Furthermore, Bell observes that in “traditional” societies such characteristics as age, sex age, as characteristics such societies in “traditional” that Bell observes Furthermore, 42 CEU eTD Collection mass media and freedom of speech, and civilian control over the military military others among the over control freedom and civilian of and mass media speech, autonomous fair elections, freeand namely a democracy, to attributed main the characteristics duringargues that years independence, gaining after first the country the of exhibited some first she Kyrgyzstan, While discussing of her part research. empirical the which constituted that: out by pointing herargument further bolsters The author that: asserts Collins tounderstandorder it clans, is important toknow segmentary lineage theory: andgroup in is common which underlie demonstrable understood to kinship membership.”In Collins augments her conceptual efforts through the extensive use of interview theextensive data useof through herconceptual Collins efforts augments (Collins 2003:173-4). inmaking weaklyinstitutionalized alow andhighly deals environment or uncertain analysisinformalcost networks suggests, and reduce thehigh of ties costs transaction atransaction As purposes. serve rational butalso andtrust norms of kin-based culture extensive horizontal web of and verticalin kin-based Clansare relations. a rooted unifying members. bondamong group Clans areidentity networks consisting of an Clans are informal social organizations in which or"fictive"kinship is kinship core, the organization. (2004:232) and those without. boundaries between within within clanand network those the harder the demarcating The clannonelites. is the basisNorms demand reciprocity of This exchange. includes support for clan by elites of Repetitiona strong,of members, andbut exclusion of outsidersnarrow continuallyof reinforcethese the Clankin-based membersand share identity. an organizational identityexclusivist and network. Normsnorms of loyalty, inclusion over social time leads to their embedding 2004:26) fictitious. (Schatz memberssuch of societies understand asdefinitive,The kinship iflineages even stronger canbe descent. common of assumptions on based ones larger and descent common upon ties along based occur groups referent genealogical lines, with smallest the most clearly Fissuredepending and of military vagaries fusion on andthe climate threat. external largersmaller divide into units andinto ones, coalesce groups In segmentary societies, Furthermore, the author states that “clan divisions are those that exist within an ethnic an within exist that those are divisions “clan that states author the Furthermore, membersthe in-group of from the of that distinguish out-group.the (2005:233-4) markers visible ethnicity, with connections; blood establishes information identity of and difference. With exchange the kinship, andtransmission genealogical of them from isethnic groups they that are notusuallydistinguishing establishedvisible through Also markers community. cultural identifiable larger, a of segments represent kinship mightbe ifdemonstrated, need be. …Typically, clans are subethnic; they 43 CEU eTD Collection country’s economic resources (Collins country’s resources economic 2006:224). 2003:186; in level pillaging engaged “clans” state on the however, society, of the total breakdown inherent in “clans”. On the micro-level “clans” became social safety nets which prevented dialecticsCollinsnationality”positively with point associated (216). the aims Kyrgyzout to 9 in the following way: following in the low prices.extremely at sold often and dismantled diminished. Furthermore, hasdrastically power all as at state fabric levers societal the permeated relations patronage mafias based on clans and of corruption conductors became Clans state. of foundations the have undermine democratic also emerged (255). (Collins 2006:176). State assets were Collins makes use of Huntington’s notion of “electoral democracy” whose properties include: properties whose democracy” of“electoral notion ofHuntington’s use makes Collins Finally, At the end, the author reports that “[c]lan and tribal ties were typically strongly and strongly typically ties were andtribal “[c]lan that reports author the end,the At lineages. (2006:216). exhibitin anddismiss tribal Most corruption. their clan notpride clan villagesas do use of the more traditional Russian word for clan ( liberalization; and 7) civilian control of the military (2006:176). citizenship; 4) autonomous political parties; 5) autonomous civil society media;and 6) economic separationof powersbetween executive,the legislative, andjudicialbranches; 3)full equaland 1) free and fairelections (presidential, parliamentary, and local); 2) a democratic constitutionwith a colloquialism “ colloquialism Russian the Although life. of way nomadic their to relate they which ancestry, andclan tribal typically pridein Kyrgyz theirpresident. take I’m Solto.” respondents the like Sarybagysh, not I’m but Chui, from “I’m said, respondent One lineage. tribal Within their own Osh.” region, from “I’m however, or theyTalas” from specificallyam “I say, refer simply to theiroften villageKyrgyz and city, clan or capital in the We are all related.” When distinguishing themselves from others, at the national level or Respondents frequentlyneighboring answered“We about villages, marry each other. empirically clans Kyrgyz of existence proves Collins in Kyrgyzstan, interviewing While 9 Yet, very soon “clan politics” began to subvert the reforms and klan, ” with its” with implication of corruption, has increasingly replaced the 44 rod ), Kyrgyz respondents in the respondents Kyrgyz ), CEU eTD Collection semifictive nature” (2003:189). Unfortunately, neither in her article in 2004, nor in her book in 2006 does she does 2006 in book her in nor 2004, in make any attemptarticle to disentangleher in the kinship neither notions cited above. Unfortunately, (2003:189). nature” semifictive distinctions among tribe, clan, quasi-clan, lineage, and family, Iadopt theterm "clan," acknowledging its 10 clans. their analysis and gloss over thenotion which“descent” of is quite fundamental to the idea of in “matrilineal” or “patrilineal” as terms such avoid Collins and Schatz However, linkages. founding ancestor of ancestress of their clan, albeit they usually can’t trace exact genealogical that the authorsclans proposed by Schatz and Collins fit earlier our anthropological definitions.First, it seems do pay homage to the notion that clansmen are supposed to know the to certain resources. Clearly, as Bell pointed out, often access to resources is dependent on is dependent resources to often access out, pointed Bell as Clearly, certain resources. to and collegially made usually are decisions major is, That groups assume more or less egalitarian distributionappear tobe mightelites” group”(thefourth atype “corporate characteristic of of a clan). of both powerthe analysis “clanof andelites”: the ways they capture, organize, andresources distribute power. Such “clan in a clan. notion “clan of balancing”).Both authorsendogenous alsoappeartoputspecial emphasis on seriously in their notion this take to seem discussions andCollins Schatz members. Both clan among help and assistance and they do mutual key markers of of of isthepresence a clan.The thirdrelations characteristic clan highlight its importance of the asone in societies serves many which exogamy, practice andKyrgyzstan Kazakhstan (e.g., a safety net or the Infact, in the note 21, Collins says the following: “[r]ather than make complex but not analytically useful 10 Where does all this theoretical elaboration leave us? At first, let’s see how definitions of clans. vis-à-vis (2006:35) other in toensure toresources, power order their access seek they that, Beyond subsistence. level of minimum least a sustain at to necessary They must thepreserve goods provide network. internalhierarchy of to the the resources from the externalsufficient environmentattract soas to maintain theirnonetheless own status as must notables/leaders elites and Clan clan. the for gains economic they seek areself-maximizing; and preferences interests level, clan At aggregate the However, by focusing too much on elites, the political scientists forget that corporate that forget scientists political the elites, on much too focusing by However, The authors are also silent about whether the clans they allegedly observed in observed allegedly clans they whether the about silent arealso Theauthors 45 all members of the clan have access CEU eTD Collection (2006:216) members1,000 In to3,000 “clans”Collins’sgroup. estimate,Kyrgyz haveabout way they wished. Traditionally,During the1990s-2000s, clan the stripped state assetselites various and them appropriated the in clans the resources trickle down to every member of a that Central Asianclans range from 2,000 to 20,000 individuals” (Collins 2006:18). 11 generally are resources these and aclan within status her on depending a setresources of to access schools ofBishkek, Iaskedthemif kinship the they that think divisions thatwerepresentin Bakiev clan” (in Dyshebaev 2010:6). Republic blame isto for “seizure of andpower family-inherited rule of country by the the the constitutional reform) has emphasized that that the old Constitutional Court of the Kyrgyz chargeof Omurbek(in Tekebaev government, deputy of provisional the chairperson current “thesaid that Bakiev clan” is guilty “plunderingof the country” (Kadyrbekov The 2010:8). who government) Kyrgyzstani member provisional the of (a current A.citing Beknazarov “seizurethe family by clan” of a Anotherpower authorfully himby (2010:6). agreeswith Kyrgyzstan in revolution recent of reasons main the of one named example, for Akaev, Askar “The Bakievclan” people actually benefited valuable from assets. ex-state many so is apparent it that from inno by Collins way analysesoffered the people. However, atleast5,000 to down trickle potentially should property former state pieces of captured the socially ascribed characteristics, e.g. parentage, sex or age. Yet, acertain person Yet, age. sex or parentage, e.g. characteristics, socially ascribed Earlier in the book, the range given for the entire region is much wider: “[c]entral Asian journalists estimate journalists Asian “[c]entral wider: is much region entire the for given range the book, the in Earlier However, judging by Schatz’s and Collins’s analyses, quite different vistas emerge. different analyses, quite judgingCollins’s by and However, Schatz’s While conducting study afocus high group inwith ten students school one of elitethe president Kyrgyzstani Former clans. about talk fact in do Kyrgyz the mistake: no Make unalienable 11 meaning that if, let’s say there are five “clans” in power, then the benefits from if, then “clans” arefive meaning benefits let’s inpower, the say there that . 46 always has CEU eTD Collection of the so-called “Bakiev clan” are Maksim’s business partners or the Prime Minister with his with Minister Prime the or partners business Maksim’s are clan” “Bakiev so-called the of Innovations. and Investments Development, of Agency Central coffers intostate viathe deeply the businesses dipped lot andalso was involved of ina youngest son – Maksim – hasreaped enormous fruits from his high father’s standing. Maksim enjoyed prestigious but positions, what follows even morefrom is picture the thathis Bakiev, his brothers and quit sons to and theirflee positions the country. positions as of endof the March 2010.The ofApril uprising 7, 2010hasforced Kurmanbek positionsoccupied business. important inpoweror The diagram the anddepicts connections newspaperbasic diagram included in Appendix A. This diagram compileduses data from multiple articles and presentsproperties). a snapshot itsclans) norconceptually breaking through ideaof the down aclanandlooking(e.g., at Kyrgyz traditional epitomize relatives his and Bakiev how showing through (e.g., historically of formernotion this substantiate neither they However, “clan.” a family Bakiev’s the call to like presidentanalysts) and politicians, (journalists, authors Various Kyrgyzstan. current-day of context the Bakiev’s relatives in society. Kyrgyzstani who still persist “clans” factthat the of proof me giveconvincing any able were to respondents the of None Kyrgyzstan. in life of sphere political the in relevant only probably are “clans” that to elicit any properties them orpress “signs” to began I when However, of do.” they the “Yes, existence answered students the of Unequivocally, such “clans,” one girl was forced today. in Kyrgyzstan to say arole play still century nineteenth inthe society Kyrgyz the Just how well does the concept of inhow well of Just the reflected “clan” Manymembers concept does get diagram? this Kurmanbekit Bakiev’sBy looking brothers diagram, of some atthe would appearthat In order to clear up the murky waters of what’s called “the Bakiev clan,” I have drawn a in character “clans”superficial discussions avery have becomes about that apparentIt 47 CEU eTD Collection richer relatives would share resources to ameliorate wealth gaps. The clans would work across work would Theclans ameliorate wealth gaps. to resources share would richer relatives wherepoorand beginning anearcharacter usually of assume paper: clans this egalitarian muchis lessAksartova Thiswhat associates. was anyjobless inthe exactly warning about see diagram the low-paid positions, anymembers willnot one clan” occupying “Bakiev the of havemight differentwealth andyetrankings be boundtoeach Onceother. again,looking at son. president’s ousted the with theirrelationship about speculate to reticent momentare rather the for him.inpublicly andrally of support ithis friendscase However, Maksim,appears that at his frienddefend means to necessary would group whatever use corporate membera true of (2010:10). Whileis it doubtful he that would reveal thelocation of his frienda anyway, fatehe the about of did his friend that moment notknowwhereMaksimwas answered at the the former president’s diddefend raisenot businessfriends say, Needless and partners cry a battle to Maksim’s to son. for refuge. destinations footsteps and other Mikhail chose follow intheex-President’s actually Nadel’,while in hisson was seen Kurmanbek Latvia. Itappearsthat brothers Bakiev’s not did one of Maksim’sfragmented: closest the President friends, with is after it April appears that group have the 7, 2010, ousted revolution the very on been his second (or whenthird) wifeasked andfamily President the his and after However, feud. blood far as startingsometimes a as even two children went to Belarus, make decisions organizations which relatives doconstitute acorporate group. First, are thecorporate groups extremely tight-knit virtue of…well,not being Kyrgyz atall. by Kyrgyz clans traditional belong notto can infact they and Thus, Latvia. UnitedStates the of citizens foreigners: several are there friends or partners business Maksim’s Among family. Traditional clans are also typically egalitarian in the way how they unite members who his and President that notion the substantiates way no in diagram the Furthermore, uno animo 48 and they all each other going they at protect costs, and CEU eTD Collection “clans” from comes a seminal by Said.piece In Edward his heground-breaking book, slightly off the present course of inquiry, but the investigation is worth the walk. scientiststo reinvigorate social to thisit? takeus will repeatedly question attemptThe answer dimensionscapturing the true of ofCentral social the dynamics Asian whydo countries, issues theoretical Broader Bakiev’s family,hence, Bakiev and his associates cannotbe called a clan. by owned familyBakiev’s effectively evaporated. and limited from again profits the nationalized became resources thus The companies them. belong butlaterused to reap lasting state, by havebeen in tothe to Bakiev privatized order that companies important several over control took immediately Kyrgyzstan of Government Provisional the country, the fled family his and Bakiev Once away. fades argument thinkingthis more However,after deliberate even resources. profitsthe from perpetuate those to hope and could enterprisesagencies) and state (namely a number limited resources to of access family usurped Bakiev’s words, In group. other of feature a corporate satisfy this does state. precarious a sudden outbreak of a disease herds, owners the killing have wouldin been put an extremely been lives theirHadthere dependedonit. because that care they knew of livestock, good their and using wealth. their accumulate continually to wanted who people rich of group exclusivist an class fissures, notaugment them. Yet, in the case of the “Bakiev clan,” itis evident that it was One possible explanation for why political theorists insist on calling political elites political calling on insist theorists political why for explanation possible One The question naturally arises: if thesum as none To group a clan insuch of any properties the way to apply corporate up: of concept of clan has proved to be so inept at In fact, if we are to look from this perspective at the Bakiev’s family, it emerges that it Finally,it is crucial rememberto that corporate groups such as clans are about accessing scarce or limited resources. In the Middle Ages, nomadic Kyrgyz would take very take would Kyrgyz nomadic Ages, IntheMiddle limited resources. or 49 CEU eTD Collection 12 for could branches, members they rally of any between the of arise aconflict lineages. Should the groups, descent successively smaller into itself divided Nuer the each clanof argued that apparatus? officers: how do a Niloticas a apractical has to (1940) colonial theoretical long response question British that puzzled people of the NuerE. Evans-Pritchard by The conceptwasdeveloped anthropologist the Collins and Schatz. govern themselvesby studies underpins a“conical” which theoretically lineage system”or clan “segmentary if they don’t have a state countries. “clan”-run of notion the become to reinterpretations and transformations of series a through and themselves amongst backwardgoes lazy, fighting generally peoples dim-witted to haunt the present-day societies comes back in texts old encoded Orientalism isit that plausible scholars, Soviet or researchers of the region. The notion of AsiaCentral makeextensiveby of manufactured use colonial documents Imperial Russian tribal societies dominated studyingby (Saidpolitical Consideringscientists that“configurations the power” 1979:5-6). of augment hegemony toensureinfluence OldWorld’s andtothe theEuropean overtheOrient, further “European-Atlantic” the to have been produced Orient studiesof academic the and even authoritative author, seemingly the According the to (Said 1979:3). theOrient” over forlining, Orientalism “a Western is style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority practically discoursethe reinvented through of “Orientalism.” has This adark discourse eighteenth century was by effectively subjugated colonialEuropean andpowers was beginning from late areaadjacent Orientthe the how to Europe) (the cogently argued The The anthropologist’s amazement isapparent: and social relations over wide areas are established and kept up. (Evans-Pritchard 1947:181) (Evans-Pritchard up. kept and established are areas wide over relations social and state and it is only kinship by a study of acephalous an the kinship is state system Their that it can remarkable. is be life well understoodpolitical howorganized order of is generally, maintained and, leadership, of developed institutions, legal of absence the Nuer, the among organs of governmental lack The a model called a kinship look at to important isOrientalism,it addition to In 12 According Evans-Pritchard,lay inlocal to answer the kinship He principles. 50 CEU eTD Collection Furthermore, they are seen as powerful social actors whose sum is more than their constituent behaviors. of indicators servecollective asclear usedto kinship models are factthat the from stems case is the this why My hypothesis interest. their entertain to begins kinship that with recent works by political thetheorists most part (discussed focus on formal in the stateliteraturefindings (Peletz 1995).Political scientists generallydealt had not with since kinship, forthey institutions review chapter),which serve fruitful further itof abeacon excellence and area of at anthropology’s once would constitute seemsas conduits to power. However, nascentGrail”: the disciplinefindhad century of nineteenth the to inquiry an of object which “Holy the for search the to akin been has kinship of study the anthropologists, For general. in kinship with deal scientists social why at look and up level theoretical one move to useful be significantly too. revised to have they hence and theory lineage segmentary the utilize (Schatz) balancing/clientelism” assumedIn fact,such (Jedrej2002:17-8). concepts as“clan recent “clan pacts” (Collins) or model than the more complicated were Nuerclans the between interactions that demonstrated and lineagehistorical research additional segmentary as presentedbyEvans-Pritchard theory which anthropologistsframework theoretical structural-functionalist the in rejected anchored firmly was it with time. Another reasonwas that for that flawed. reason One judged it ultimately was themselves, Nuergoverned the was that a critical re-examination of the 1947:192-249; Gullette 2006:76; Holy 1996:77-90). belowbranches getlineages would respectivemaximal have to involved (Evans-Pritchard branches ( of members upper between the place took a conflict lineages.If of allied the helpmembers Continuing our investigationContinuing into origins“clan” our the of inacademia, it discourse proves how of explanation shorthand a provide to seemed and elegant was model the Although maximal lineages ), they ininvolved), they many fact moremembers for people, of all the 51 CEU eTD Collection seems that the current focus on “clans” by some social scientists is indicative of a far larger far a of indicative is scientists social some by “clans” on focus current the that seems areatplay.see It to biggerdebates whatother inlevel order ascend onemore abstraction of schemata. of content genealogical “practical” understand canonebegin follow to bylookingto individuals butone alist paths only all choose of directions, atthe possible maintained infact with byactors andactively engaged everyday lives. Amaptheir can give in thatare relations namely relations, “practical” to byanthropologists drawn meticulously analogy: elegant takenbyindividuals. Gellnertrajectories recapitulates: physical assumed from that obligations byitoften kinshipand concomitant action diverge have maintained of anthropologists decades.The consistently pastthree the anthropologists members to act as one. Because of this, kin groups can wield formidable might. Political parts. kinship believemotivator byinducingscientists astheultimate acts that kin As we ourselves near the destination of the present work, it is important to briefly to important is it work, present the of destination the near ourselves we As diagrams kinship maps or genealogical compares In thispassage,Bourdieu (Bourdieufor aparticular 1990:34) agent. practicable are really that tracks’ ‘beaten used, and maintained are really that pathways representation of all possible routes for all possible subjects,map, ofa a space as thegeometrical up and – cultivated kept iscontinuously practiced, to the tradition. network of cultural a of axiomatics ‘practical’ because – areto practical relations implicit heconstructs …The logical relations the by and in construction by if as all for and once defined relations, necessary logically of system coherent as aclosed, kinship of terminology native the can treat anthropologist the for his object, hewhich takes in analysis Havingkinship. of only cognitive usesforthekinship and kin the others of visible as is directly so situation few outsider’s of in the the effect There are areas which BourdieuPierre by making concurs with Gellner an statementand amoreeven stronger omissions anddistortions. (1987:167-70) physical andkinship the social beingrelation generallycomplex,involving additions, physical bearingkinship, inmind that thefunction is notidentity; rulethe relating the systems of social relationships such as are functions of (are regularlysum To ‘descent up the‘kinship position:or structure’ systems’by related are, definition, to) by debunked been have notions such theorists, political for Unfortunately 52 CEU eTD Collection Hence, I propose a conceptual alternative: a social networks’ perspective. A network is “aset A network perspective. networks’ asocial alternative: a conceptual propose Hence, I them.between outline connections andto inpower ofpeople groups of elicitproperties lens.analytical As has paperterm “clans” established,is the this ill-equipped to extremely informal isIn order to investigate inKyrgyzstan, need there deploy a politics to better strong Chapter VII. Alternative perspective society, but the way howit is perceived, structured, and acted upon varies profoundly. what Gellner andBourdieu told Naturally, usearlier. is important in kinship extremely any confirm to interpretations new theoretical and data empirical provide rich aboveauthors cited say the it that suffices to but paper, of this of scope is stance out their of discussion detailed The more 2004;Schneider1987; 1968). kinship andStone Yanagisako Parkin (Collier and biology linkage between insisting nature of and on “constructed” kinship,essentially therefore their point of view, then perhaps it is really not clans they’re talking about? is really if this but primordial, not are “clans” thus and Asia, Central in rule Soviet the after identities in AsiaCentral are in principle inherited and be cannot acquiredby outsiders.the “clan” assume they that asuspicion raises unavoidably “clans” on scientists social some of emphasis The immemorial. time the since in existence being to opposed as “constructed” markers canbemodified byindividuals andalso thatthemarkers themselves are ethnicity, and hand, kinship. On race, other the believe constructivists thatsuchidentity include be changed. Instances andcannot is bybirth inherited areascribed, possess that humans identity collective of types many primordialists, to According debate. the of summary very complex, is This debate vs. approaches. surrounding constructivist primordialist issueof the metadebate with many theoretical ramifications, hence, I will present here a quick In any case, many anthropologists have challenged old notions of an unbreakable an of notions old challenged have anthropologists many case, any In Naturally, the theorists might contend that “clans” have changed a lot before, during and 53 CEU eTD Collection family which came todominate Florencefor three (Padgett andAnsell centuries 1993). Medici the of rise surprising the of explanation an provide Florence century fifteenth the of coupled network connectionshistorical betweenfamilies meticulously with data documented perspective Theprofound knowledgeenriches of elites. an analysis authors’ of political Asian countries). Central other and Kyrgyzstan which have gained seen recently independence andas struggling are (e.g. with their past plays abig role in countries with long traditions of democracy and statehood, not justin states 1989). too (Kurtz What’s it aboutthisisunique study clearly kinship that shows that still in subsequentlyalready become influence power often who in involved their relatives politics are who family members he that concludes officials, andparish state of genealogies 785 between individuals whohave gainedpolitical powerandtheir After relatives. scrutinizing connections bycarefully tracing perspective makes networks’ social also of use 1989, Kurtz While(Rahmetov 2008:49-50). Louisiana’s examining up families from political to statehood “clan” of concept” problematic very “a clarify and relations interpersonal of levels multiple that“networkindividuals maps”disentangleinhishelp stated to research would prominent of society Kyrgyz model the of “clan”-based the on relied has extensively who Rahmetov fact, multiplethrough connections tomany individuals. highyetnot occupy but official orownbigpiecesofproperty,exercisepositions social power (as opposedtopolitical) look at Itprovides in-depth mightpeople power. an inasociety who This social todiscover2002:64). when wants of approach provesadvantageous sources one andof among reachability a network), closednetworks) properties (Nazpary (open or other members between commitment of degree (the intensity individuals), connecting bonds social of (variety bymultiplexity each characterized other,” linkedto whichare of relations such Padgett and Padgett Ansell a how networks’supply vivid moresocial one of illustration In also. elites political examine to wants one when significantly helps approach This 54 CEU eTD Collection advance by analyzing howthe term “clan” is inused first discourse, popular looking through in which paper.Ibeganmy arepresented the andconcepts three-pronged anthropological andunrest. poverty social to in the region inevitably drive peoples and resources, andeconomic natural of ownership which mobilizefrom support their numerous relatives, engage infierce struggles over the powerful “clans”cliques represent that state Finally,transformations.authors post-Soviet the albeitin a transmogrified way, the conquest by the Russian empire, the Soviet regime, and the a novel not have the“clans” thekinship phenomenon. units which are Instead withstood, (2006; 2006;2005).Furthermore, claim trustauthors the interpersonal thatthese “clans”are “clans” areinformal bykinshipof people united groups level ahigh andoperating with of Berdikeeva maintain and authors isflawed. Collins,Schatz, several that inherently other Asia in Central elsewhere and in Kyrgyzstan power political wielding units social informal to Throughouthave thismodel “clan”by paper, Ithe refer arguedthat used scientists to political Conclusion bringsnetworks much desired precision to the research field of informal politics. social on focus the Thus, alliances. political informal identify and arrangements institutional formal allows seethrough actors usto between political of identify connections a multitude approach to network On hand,usinga the power. other of andsocial conduits see thesources to us leads in politics involved necessarily not are who individuals of networks diverse tracing Onthe hand, one “clan” tothe concept. alternative avery promising conceptual presents elite networks Medici the that andfamily became sopowerful Ansell(Padgett 1993:1262). Accordingitis to them,embeddedness duein marriage,multiple economic, patronage to and In ordertoconfute these Ihave arguments, assembled abattery linguistic,of historical, that perspective social the networks’ clearly above The examplesprovided demonstrate 55 CEU eTD Collection correspond to traditionalthe Kyrgyz since kinshipunits Kyrgyz for the a aclan constituted Weber 1964),Iargue “clans” that as describedby donot in scientists political any way Using(2003; 2004; 2006). “corporate group” (Bell term the Holy Keesing 1998; 1975; 1996; andjuxtaposes them alongside definitions propounded by (2004; Schatz 2005) and Collins societies. primitive with societies kinship-rich equates a variety into and which automatically disciplines of unfortunately percolated has which onkinship perspective influence evolutionistic the namely of issue, the theoretical relationships, kinship butone. Finally, meta-was where historical the section addresses a of types byvarious people connected of composed were clans times even in that pre-modern Yet,my clearly demonstrates research of because connections. their kin cohesive extremely it of that epitomizes made people terms“clan” argue groups of other using instead term the on insist who scientists political the Also, inhabit. to used they Kyrgyzstan now is what of breaking. even Furthermore, significantly Kyrgyzthe clansdiffered depending onwhich part of point the to notion the stretch countries Asian Central all in units kinship of variety economic and different have socialcountries in different clans that fact the to bases.points analysis comparative Consequently, politicalinfurther “clans” unraveling not aproperterm is why in Kyrgyzstan.the thecontext of First, scientists who use the term to refer to a in toinflictdamage on deployedof reputation order or institution.the strategically a person faculty, itinstead any asalabel explanatory serves canbe and analytical or accusation, of metaphor” signifyingnepotism corruption, factionalism. The andin isdevoidterm itself of “clan” term isusedasa“conceptual the that Ihaveconcluded Lakoff 2004), (2002; Kyrgyzstani mass mediaby politicians and analysts. Borrowing anotion “frame”of from isin how used the term on reflecting second through and definitions at typicaldictionary The lastmain section of my thesis engages various anthropological definitions of clans us aides Ages Middle the of clans Irish typical of analysis historically-informed The 56 CEU eTD Collection for finally peace and inattaining prosperity Kyrgyzstan. understanding political It is of andoutcomes. processes thisunderstandingbolsters hopes that kindsinfluence of and atwork tracing their origins oneis todevelop empowered adeeper recognizing different However, the through misleading amonolithic, picture. and presents dynamics differences“clans” conceals thehidden power guiseof the important under these variousprofitable types of interpersonal pieces through property Obliterating connections. gain and to higher positions people in attempt and moreflux, asmore areconstantly a there relations thepower be large.Yet, to tend there families since Kyrgyzstan inrole important an plays kinship Naturally, reality. the from far is picture this “clans,” omnipotent the through exclusively is controlled Republic Kyrgyz in the power that claim scientists political politics in Kyrgyzstan. Even localthough politicians, journalists and observing foreign Ansel examples(1993) toillustrate of successful application of model.this and (1989),andKurtz of Padgett Consequently,2002), Rigi (akaNazpary I use theworks networks providesthat more solidinquiries grounding to into nature the informal of politics. (1990), and then them placing a largeragainst of canvas a primordialist-constructivist debate. stances Bourdieu (1987) and of by linking two Gellner Finally, upthe paperconcludes the goes further andinvestigates originsthe of “clan”the model by utilized scientists.social 2006).The section kinshipunitsa diatribe and(Gullette not tribal-related groups any against interest political between factionalism with disgust their they express the“clans,” talk about when theKyrgyz that itclearly appears in field, the gathered data empirical From the once. tight-knitegalitarian organization, functions exercising political,economic military and at Ultimately, my paper aims to demonstrate thatThe penultimate chapterthere of the thesis serves to outline a conceptual alternativeare of social definite limits to kinship 57 CEU eTD Collection partnerships. linesdiagram consanguineal affinal whilebusiness depict representor theties, dotted ofApril solid 7,2010.The popularrelatives the asof linesin before andpartners protests the The map mediamass andTVprograms). (newspapers betweenBakiev’s linkages showsthe and from numerous cross-checked dataobtained bymeis using diagram compiled drawn is positions andnote regime. fall the enterprises before important to their thethat of It by (denoted by of (denoted B) andhisnumerous two S) whomanaged sons state access to brothers multiple Bakiev’s instead, there: “clan” no is there demonstrates, clearly map the As and mapnetwork The followingassociates. Kurmanbek Bakiev’srelatives page displays a of Appendix A 58 CEU eTD Collection 59 CEU eTD Collection Questions/ rendered questionsinto originally asked inRussian, English for reader’s the convenience. I gossip. ratheroutright an than data, lessmore or accurate for search and respondents, rules andtowards such as respect participants,other objectives, keepingprivacy of session,the myself,introduced I explained of my area research and lay some grounddown Before confidentiality). preserve to changed is school the of name (the N10 school high the in followsWhat below arethe during questions study thatI’ve asked group focus the organized Appendix B 7) 6) 5) 4) 3) 2) 1) ɜɹɢɶ ɢɟɚɢ ɵɝɡɬɧɤɝȼɟɟɧɝɇɪɞɨɨ ɪɜɬɥɫɜɜ ɉɪɚɜɢɬɟɥɶɫɬɜɚ ɧɚɫɬɨɹɳɟɟɜɪɟɦɹ ɇɚɪɨɞɧɨɝɨ ȼɪɟɦɟɧɧɨɝɨ ɤɵɪɝɵɡɫɬɚɧɫɤɨɝɨ ɥɢɞɟɪɚɦɢ ɹɜɥɹɥɢɫɶ what wouldIf you were a member of Kyrgyzstani Provisionalbe People’s Government rightsome now, of your first steps as leaders of the country? Ʉɵɪɝɵɡɫɬɚɧɟ ɵɢ ɩɫɧɜ ɥɢɬɟɪɚɬɭɪɟ ɜ ɨɩɢɫɚɧɵ ɛɵɥɢ ȼɵ society in the nineteenth century still play a role in modern Kyrgyzstan? Kyrgyzstan? a inmodern century still role play nineteenth insociety the Kyrgyz characterized which distinctions tribe and clan traditional that say you Would ɜɨɫɫɬɚɧɢɹ ɦɟɫɬ in April of from? revolution 7 come the haveWhere main the participants ɫɵɝɪɚɥɚɦɨɥɨɞɺɠɶɜɫɨɛɵɬɢɹɯ What role did the young people play in the revolution of April 7? ɩɨɫɥɭɠɢɥɨɝɥɚɜɧɨɣɩɪɢɱɢɧɨɣɩɚɞɟɧɢɹɩɪɚɜɢɬɟɥɶɫɬɜɚȻɚɤɢɟɜɚ What was the main cause of Bakiev’s downfall? downfall? Bakiev’s main causeof was the What ɧɢɛɭɞɶɩɨɞɨɛɧɨɟɦɨɠɟɬɫɥɭɱɢɬɶɫɹ Have you expected that something that couldhappen? like Have expected that you ɩɪɚɜɢɬɟɥɶɫɬɜɚ ɦɰɢ ɨɞȼɭɧɥɩɨ ɬɨ ɩɪɨ ɭɡɧɚɥɢ ȼɵ ɤɨɝɞɚ ɷɦɨɰɢɢ about the events of April 7, 2010? ofApril events the about 7, 2010? What havebeenyourfirstimpressions, emotions, and whenthoughts you found out ȼɨɩɪɨɫɵ , ( ɬɬɚɢɢɧɵɤɪɵɫɢɪɞɜɟ ɩɟɟɧɟ ɪɚɡɥɢɱɢɹ ɩɥɟɦɟɧɧɵɟ ɢ ɪɨɞɨɜɵɟ ɤɵɪɝɵɡɫɤɢɟ ɬɪɚɞɢɰɢɨɧɧɵɟ ɱɬɨ ɝɨɪɨɞɨɜ 7- . ɝɨɚɩɪɟɥɹ ? , 7- ɫɺɥ ɝɨɚɩɪɟɥɹ , ɱɬɨɛɵȼɵɫɞɟɥɚɥɢɜɩɟɪɜɭɸɨɱɟɪɟɞɶɧɚɫɜɨɺɦɩɨɫɬɭ , ɨɛɥɚɫɬɟɣɢɬɞ ? ɋɱɟɦɷɬɨɫɜɹɡɚɧɨ 2010 19- 7- ɝɨɞɚ ɝɨɚɩɪɟɥɹ .) ɨ ɫɬɨɥɟɬɢɹ ɝɨ ? ɚɢɭ ɚɛɥɩɪɵɦɵɫɥɢ ɩɟɪɜɵɟ ɛɵɥɢ ȼɚɫ ɭ Ʉɚɤɢɟ ɩɪɢɟɯɚɥɨɧɚɢɛɨɥɶɲɟɟɤɨɥɢɱɟɫɬɜɨɭɱɚɫɬɧɢɤɨɜ 60 , ? ɬɨɩɡɰɹ ɲɬɭɪɦɭɟɬ ɨɩɩɨɡɢɰɢɹ ɱɬɨ ? ? , ɫɺɟ ɚɧɜ ɫɨɜɪɟɦɟɧɧɨɦ ɜ ɜɚɠɧɵ ɺɳɟ ɜɫɺ ɑɬɨ Ɉɠɢɞɚɥɢɥɢȼɵ , ɨ ɚɟɭ ɦɧɟɧɢɸ ȼɚɲɟɦɭ ɩɨ ? “ ɟɵȾɨɦ Ȼɟɥɵɣ ȿɫɥɢɛɵȼɵ Ʉɚɤɭɸɪɨɥɶ ɋɱɢɬɚɟɬɟɥɢ , ? , ɭɫɜɢ ɱɭɜɫɬɜɚ , ɂɡɤɚɤɢɯ ɤɨɬɨɪɵɟ ɱɬɨɱɬɨ ” - , CEU eTD Collection Bell, Duran. 1998. "Forms of Corporate Group."188-90 in Pp. Corporate "Forms Bell,of 1998. Duran. Baisalov, Edil'. 2010. "Komu Vygodno Razzhiganie Natsionalizma v Kyrgyzstane?"RazzhiganieBaisalov,Vygodno (Who Natsionalizma Edil'. 2010."Komu Anderson, 1999. John. 1991. Anderson, Benedict. ———. 2009.Personal from communication author. the ———. 2006."Kathleen Clan Collins, Asia, in andPolitics Transition Central Regime U.S. “CivilAksartova, Donors in Sada.2005. Abroad: Formerfrom Society the Soviet Akaev, Askar. 2010."PoPyat' Kopeek: 's Kotla Sorvalo Kryshku'." (Five 'Thekopecks: lid Abazov,Rafis,ed. 2004. In References Abramzon,M. 1990. S. University University Press. Exchange Harwood AcademicHarwood Publishers. Kyrgyzstan benefits from stirring up nationalism in Kyrgyzstan?). Nationalism Political Science Cambridge Press,2006." andNewYork: University dissertation. PhD Unpublished NJ. Princeton, University, Princeton Union.” was thrown off the pan'). the off thrown was Kyrgyzstan. Frunze: links). historical-cultural and ethno-genetic their and Kyrgyz Press. , edited by SchweizerT. andD.R.White. Cambridge: Cambridge , April pp.21, 2010, 5. . London: Verso. 7(03):311-3. Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia's Island of Democracy? Asia's Kyrgyzstan: Central Kirgizy iIh Etnogeneticheskie iIstoriko-Kul'turnye Svyazi Imagined Communities: on theOrigin Reflections andSpread of Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan of Historical Dictionary Moskovskij KomsomoletsKyrgyzstan - 61 . Lanham, MD: Scarecrow MD: . Lanham, Komsomol'skaya pravda - Kinship, Networks, and Kinship, Networks, , April 14, pp. 6-7. Japanese Journal of Amsterdam: (The CEU eTD Collection "Clan." 2000a. In "Clan." 1996.In "Clan." 1993c.In "Clan." 1993b. "Clan." 1992. "Clan." 1993a. "Clan." 1973. "Clan." 1914. 2005. Chotaeva, Cholpon. Bourdieu,1990. Pierre. Kyrgyzskoj Biyalinov,Alymbek. (Seven commandments Vlasti." 2010."Sem'Zapovedej of andin Capture KyrgyzRegime Durability Republic State Biryukov, the 2008. "Clans' Vadim. Politics." of in Kyrgyzstan: TheCase Clan "National 2006. Identity Saltanat. Berdikeeva, New York: Gramercy New York: Books. Press. Moscow: Sovetskaya Entsiklopedia. Brokgauz - Brokgauz Efron. Bishkek: International University of Kyrgyzstan. of University International Bishkek: Kyrgyzstana the Kyrgyzthe power). Hungary.University, Budapest, European Central Science, of Political Department MA thesis, Kazakhstan." and Globalization". NewYork, Columbia University.March 23-25. Paper for Conference: 11thAnnual World “Nationalism Convention in Agean of Oxford IllustratedEncyclopedia Bol'shaya SovetskayaEntsiklopediya Bol'shaya Novyj Entsiklopedicheskij Slovar' Novyj Entsiklopedicheskij New Encyclopedia Britannica Columbia Encyclopedia Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language the English Dictionaryof Unabridged Webster’s Encyclopedic Collins English Dictionary The New OxfordEnglishDictionary New Shorter The (Ethnocultural factors in the history of state-building of Kyrgyzstan). of state-building of history in the factors (Ethnocultural The Logic The Logic Practiceof Vechernij Bishkek Etnokul'turnye Faktory v Istorii Gosudarstvennogo Stroitel'stva . 5th ed. New York: Columbia University Press. . Glasgow: HarperCollins. . Glasgow: Vol.3. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Brittanica. . Padstow, UK: Polity Press. , Aprilpp. 23, 2010, 13. 62 Vol. 7.Oxford: Oxford University Press. (New Encyclopedic Dictionary). Petrograd: (NewEncyclopedic Dictionary). (BigEncyclopedia) Soviet 3 ed. Vol. 12. . Oxford: Oxford University Oxford . Oxford: . CEU eTD Collection Dyshebaev,"Novaya Konstitutsiya Nurdin. 2010. Zhirnuju Traditsiej Pod Podvedet Chertu AskatDukenbaev, "Understandingin W. andWilliam Hansen. 2003. Politics Kyrgyzstan." Dinello,for in for MarketorClans Natalia.2001."Clans Plan: Social Hungary Networks and Dickens, 2001. Charles. ———. 2006. ———. 2004."TheLogic Evidence of Clan Politics: Asian from Trajectories." Central the Kathleen."The Collins, 2003. Political Role of in Asia."Clans Central eds.1987. Yanagisako, Collier, Fishburne andSylvia Junko Jane d'Encausse, H. Carrère. 1962. "La Politique Culturelle Du Pouvoir Tsariste Au "LaPolitique Turkestan DuPouvoir 1962. Tsariste Culturelle Carrère. d'Encausse, H. "Clan." In 2000b. 28, pp. 6. the end of the tradition of authoritarian transformation of state power"). mark will constitution ("New Vlasti." Gosudarstvennoj Pererozhdeniya Avtoritarnogo Denmark Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. and Aarhus, Asia, – Central University American Politics, Comparative and International of Aarhus andDepartment of University Science, of Political Department Russia." World Politics 35(2):171-90. Essays toward aUnified Analysis Mifflin Company. 1917)). (1867-1917)." (Cultural of Politics in Government Imperial the (1867- Turkestan University Press. Cahiers duMonderusse etsovietique Clan Politics andRegimeTransition inCentralAsia East EuropeanPolitics andSocieties American Heritage Dictionary of the American Heritage Dictionary ofEnglishLanguage 56(2):224-61. Bleak House . Hertfordshire, UK: Editions. Wordsworth . Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 63 3(3):374-407. 15(3):589-624. . New York: Cambridge . NewYork: Gender and Kinship: Comparative Politics . Boston: Houghton Delo N , April CEU eTD Collection Khazanov, Anatoly Khazanov, M. 1994. Keith, Jennie, ed. 1990. "Clan." Keesing, Roger M.1975.Keesing, Roger Kadyrbekov, Grabiteli iIh (Robbers inpowerand Ishenbaj.their 2010."Vlastnye Posobniki." Jedrej, M. C., ed. 2002. "Africa: Nilotic." Holy,Ladislav. 1996. Gusev, Leonid.v KyrgyzstaneNarod Nenavidit 2010."Bunt -ZaChto Bakieva?" (Rebellion and David.“Kinship, ’Tribalism’:Gullette, Genealogical Construction State, the The of 2006. Gleason, 1997. Gregory. 1987. Gellner, Ernest. Geiss, Paul Georg. 2003. Geiss,Georg. Paul Fletcher, Joseph F. and Boris Sergeyev. 2002."Islamand in Intolerance Central Asia: The Evans-Pritchard, E.1947. E. Wisconsin Press. Wisconsin Winston. abettors). Routledge. New York: in Kyrgyzstan in- why Kyrgyzstan Bakiev?). peoplehate do the Cambridge, UK. UnpublishedPh.dissertation. D. Cambridge, of University of Anthropology, Social Kyrgyz Republic.”Department Press. Westview and Explanation Political Order in Change Case Kyrgyzstan." of Political Institutionsofa Nilotic People Delo N Anthropological Perspectives onKinship The Concept of KinshipThe Concept and of Other Essays onAnthropologicalMethod . Oxford: Basil Blackwell. , April 28, pp. 8. The Central Asian States: DiscoveringIndependence AsianStates: The Central Pre-Tsarist andTsaristCentral Asia:Communal Commitmentand Kin Groups andSocialStructure Europe-Asia Studies Europe-Asia Nomads and the Outside World Nomads andtheOutside The Nuer:Description A ModesofLivelihood and ofthe World BookEncyclopedia . London: Routledge. Encyclopedia of Social andCultural Anthropology Encyclopedia of 64 . Oxford: Clarendon Press. 54(2):251-75. Delo N . Chicago: World Book. . New York: Holt, Rinehart, and . Chicago: Pluto Press. . Madison, WI: University of , April 14, 2010, pp. 8. . Boulder, CO: . CEU eTD Collection Medvedev,RF Dmitry."Prezident Dmitry 2010. Medvedev Vystupil s Zayavleniem po Manabaev, Ch. 2010. "Rodoplemennoj Manabaev, Ch.2010."Rodoplemennoj Rynke Ideologij?" Neotraibalizm: Novaya Fishka Na Malinowski, 1930."Kinship." Bronislaw. Lewis, I.M., ed. 2002. "Descent." ———. 2004. 2002. Lakoff, George. Kurtz, Donn M., II. 1989. "The Political Family: AContemporary View." Kuper,Adam. 1988. Kryshtanovskaya, 2005. Ol'ga. Nazpary, 2002. Joma. Morgan, LewisHenry. 1877. Nadel', Mikhail. 2010. "Nadel', Khozyain Auba, Nadeetsya Vernut' Nadel',Mikhail.2010. "Nadel',Khozyain Auba,Nadeetsyaowner of Bank." (Nadel', Vernut' Situatsii vKirgizii" Situatsii April pp.15, 2010, 16. Kirghizia). Retrieved 1June, 2010( (Kin-tribal neotribalism: new fad on the ideologies' market?). ideologies' the on fad new neotribalism: (Kin-tribal York: Routledge.York: ProgressivesEssential Guide for Press. University of Chicago Perspectives London: Routledge. Zakharov. Moscow: Padstow, England: Press. Pluto AUB, hopes to regain the bank). Progress fromSavagery throughBarbarism toCivilization Don't Thinkof an Elephant!: Know Your Values andFrame the Debate: The 32(3):331-52. The Invention of Primitive Society: Transformations The InventionofPrimitiveSociety:Transformations an Illusion of Moral Politics: How andConservativesLiberals Think Post-Soviet andDispossession Chaos:Violence inKazakhstan , April April of 15, 2010.(President RFaddressed the in the situation Ancient Society : Or Researches in the Lines of Human Lines of : Or Researches inthe Ancient Society Anatomiya Rossijskoj Elity Encyclopedia of Social andCultural Anthropology Encyclopedia of . White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green. Delo N Man http://www.1tv.ru/news/world/152411) 65 30(2):19-29. , April 28, pp. 10. (Anatomy of Russian Elite). Russian of (Anatomy . Chicago: Charles H. Kerr. Obschestvennyj reiting Sociological . . Chicago: . New , . . CEU eTD Collection ———. 2005. "Reconceptualizing Clans: Kinship Networks and Statehood in and Kazakhstan." Networks "Reconceptualizing Statehood Clans: Kinship ———. 2005. 2004. Edward. Schatz, Said, W. Edward 1979. Roy, Olivier. 2000. Rigi, Jakob.2009.Personal communication from the author. Rahmetov, Anvarjon.A Movement KyrgyzTheory Revolution: Tulip 2008."The Social Peletz, Michael G.1995."Kinship Twentieth-Century Studies in Late Anthropology." eds.2004. andLinda Stone, Parkin, Robert Paley, Julia.Padgett, John F. and Christopher K. Ansell. 1993. "Robust Action and the Rise of the 2002.Medici, "TowardOmuralieva, and theTulip beforeafter Munara.2008."KyrgyzLeadership Ethnopolitics and an Anthropology of Democracy." Schneider, Murray. David 1968. University University Press. Nationalities Papers Beyond Hungary.University, Budapest, European Central Science, of Political MA Department thesis, Perspective." Review Anthropology of Publishing. Blackwell MA: Malden, Anthropology 1400-1434." Department of Political Science, Central University,Hungary.European Budapest, Revolution: ChangedRussians Position The and MAthesis,of Ethnic Uzbeks." NJ: Prentice Hall. Prentice NJ: . Seattle, Washington: University Washingtonof Press. The New Central Asia:TheCreation ofNations The American Journal of Sociology The AmericanJournalof 31:469-96. Orientalism Modern ClanPolitics: inKazakhstan ThePower and of"Blood" 33(2):231-54. 24:343-72. American Kinship:ACulturalAccount . NewYork: Vintage Books. Kinship and Family : An AnthropologicalReader : An Kinship andFamily 66 98(6):1259-319. . New York: NewYork . NewYork: Annual Review of Annual Review . Englewood Cliffs, Annual . CEU eTD Collection Zhirnov, Evgeny.2009."'Chastye PeremenyNakazaniya Sej Derzhat'Narod v Mogut Wheeler, Geoffrey. 1964. Scott, James C. 1998. Weber, Max. 1964. Tchoroev, Tyntchtykbek. 2002."Historiography of Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan." Asia." inCentral FrederickAuthoritarian The "Clans, Parliaments Rulers, and Starr, S.2006. Soucek, Svat. 2000. Sneath, David. 2007. Andrew.Shryock, 1997. restrain this people"). this restrain Nekotorom Obuzdanii'." frequent ("Only changes in can punishment somewhat Condition HaveFailed Journal of Middle Journal ofMiddle East Studies Silk RoadStudies Program, UppsalaUniversity, Uppsala, Sweden. Nomadic Inner Misrepresentations of Asia Textual Authorityin Tribal Jordan The Theory ofSocial and Economic Organization A History of Inner Asia Inner of A History Seeing Like a State: How Certain theHuman SchemestoImprove State: How Seeing Like a The Headless State: Aristocratic Orders, Kinship Society, and KinshipSociety, The HeadlessState:Aristocratic Orders, Nationalism and the Genealogical Imagination: Oral History Imagination: and Nationalism andtheGenealogical The ModernHistory ofSoviet Central Asia Kommersant Vlast' . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 34(2):351-74. . Berkeley: University of California Press. . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 67 34(837):56-61. . New York: Columbia University Press. . NewYork:Praeger. . New York: Free Press. International