Hakasia (Hakas Republic)

Hakasia is located in Turkistan in the south of Siberia, next to the Sayan-Altay Mountains and Yenisey Rive and in the north of Altay Republic. It is an autonomous republic connected to the Russian Federation with its surface area of 62.400 km2.

Hakasia is a part of Sayan-Altay Mountains. One of the biggest rivers of the world, Yenisey River passes over it (Kim Stream). Its capital is the city of Abakan. Two-thirds of the country is a mountainous place and most of the people live on the shores of Abakan and Yenisey Rivers. The real name of Hakas people who speak Turkish is Koray people (Hoorays). Hakas people are composed of four tribes named as Kaçins (Haaş, Haas), Sogays, Kizil people and Koybols (Hoybols). The common name of these four tribes is Hakas. Hakasian language is included within Uighur-Oguz group of the Turkish language. Hakasia is devoted to its own language, culture and traditions and there is a university, technical institute, and institutes for linguistic, historical and literary researches in Hakasia.There are also various cultural and artistic institutions, 4 theatres, library and museums as well as music and art schools.

Hakas Turks who speak a language similar to Uighur Turkish are Christians, but they continue their Shamanist beliefs and traditions.Hakasia is located in a region where its rich forests, lakes, steppes and mountains combine together. It is an interesting Turkish country with its suitable natural conditions, underground resources, and various metals. Hakasia has a strong economy and agriculture. Agriculture, stockbreeding and timber productions are the means of subsistence in the region. Particularly cultivation of wheat, fruits and vegetables are of great significance. Breeding of sheep, horses, cattle and beekeeping are also the significant means of subsistence.

There are rich beds of coal, gold, copper, barytes, zinc and iron that are extracted in the region. Most of the country is covered with forests. Mining, timber production and the food industry are the important industrial branches. Hakas people are among the most ancient Turkish communities that live in the Southern Siberia. The history of Hakas peoples covering more than two thousand years show that they are a Khirghiz group. The first homeland of Khirghiz Turks including today's Khirghiz people in Tanrı Mountain was the environs of Yenisey River. Manas, the great epic of Khirghiz people in Tanrı Mountain that is well known all over the world mentions about this historical incident. According to what Manas Epic tells, Khirghiz people in Tanrı Mountain had emigrated from the environs of Yenisey to their homeland of today under the leadership of Manas Khan. The Khirghiz groups who did not join in this migration and stayed within the environs of Yenisey survived their lives as Yenisey Khirghiz people.

The Chinese resources pertaining to the centuries of IX-X mention about Khirghiz people with the name of "Heges" or "Kie-kia-se" according to the other resources. In the following years, the Khirghiz groups in Tanrı Mountain adopted the Islam religion. There also was a far distance between the regions. Due to these reasons, Yenisey Khirghiz people adopted a new identity and undertook the name of Hakas. The process that was experienced pursuant to the Russian invasion had a great effect on the adoption of this name by Hakas people. Until these regions were invaded by Russians and in the following years, Hakas people were called as "Tatar" like other Turkish nations under the Russian dominion.

On the other hand, the dynasty of Hakas State abolished by the Russians was continued by "Hırgız Lineage" (Khirghiz). The Russian Turcology that knew the people of the region distinguished the Hakas Turks from both Khirghiz people and Tatars and it was successful in the establishment of the Hakas identity in the region. In the Tsardom period, Hakas people were called as Açin, Minusin, or Abakan Tatars. In the year of 1718, the region was called with the phrases of "Khirghiz Place" or "Hongoroy".

Hakas people did not have any difficulty in the adoption of this name. Therefore, they facilitated this process with a moral value and feeling that they were the real owners of the history of all Khirghiz Turkish groups under this name cited in Chinese resources for two thousand years. The name of Hakas was officially recognised in the foundation period of Soviet Union for the first time.

Therefore, it is possible to study the formation of Hakas name in three significant periods within the history of Hakas Turks that extends to the century II BC The first period is the period of Hun and Khirghiz States in which Hakas people were called as Yenisey Khirghiz people (century II B.C.-century XIII D.C.). Yenisey Khirghiz people who were amongst the most ancient nations of Turkistan had constituted the origin of Hakas people. At the same time, they had a significant place in the origin of Kyrgyzstan Khirghiz people of today, in other world the Khirghiz people in Tanrı Mountain. The second period is the period of Hooray State (centuries XIV-XVII) in which Hakas people started to establish some characteristics peculiar to them when compared to the other Turkish communities. The third period is the period under the Russian invasion. The new period that started from the second half of the 18th century, and particularly with the Soviet period, there was continuous and conscious propaganda. Under these effects, Hakas people were collected together around a new identity.