ON THE BURA BATYR QARATAL TILEUBERDIULY: FROM THE HISTORY OF SETTLEMENT IN THE NARYN VALLEY OF EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

The article examines the historical and genealogical foundations of the Taŋatar lineage, which belongs to the Bura union of the Ergenekti branch of the Naiman tribe of the Middle Zhuz. The study aims to identify the origin of the Taŋatar, its internal branching, inter-clan ties, and the formation of its settlement space in the Naryn Valley using comparative-historical and genealogical (shezhire-based) methods. At present, oral shezhire traditions, ethnographic information on manuscript materials that preserve the lineage’s history, as well as administrative-territorial records and statistical surveys remain highly relevant for researching these issues. The article discusses the participation of Bura detachments in defending the Naryn-Tarbagatai frontier during the Dzungar invasions of the 17th-18th centuries, along with the socio-political role of the batyr institution. A central focus is the figure of Batyr Qaratal, considered in terms of his place in the Taŋatar shezhire, dynastic continuity, and involvement in local military and political processes. By correlating shezhire evidence, the study уточifies his sphere of influence, the protection of nomadic routes, the settlement of his descendants, and toponymic traces. Alliances and conflicts with neighboring lineages (atalyqs) are reconstructed, and a probable chronology of events is developed through source concordance. Manuscript shezhire materials constitute the core source base of the research: they clarify the branching of tribal and clan structures, directions of migration, and the historical significance of key individuals; comparison with oral accounts allows refinement of event chronology and strengthens the documentary foundation of regional history. The findings systematize the history of the Tangatar lineage and clarify the position of the Bura Naimans within the ethno-social structure of Kazakh society.