- Khanty people
Infobox Ethnic group
group=Khanty
poptime=28,000
popplace=Russia
rels=Shamanism ,Russian Orthodoxy
langs=Russian, Khanty
related=Khanty / Hanti (obsolete: Ostyaks) are an endangered
indigenous people calling themselves "Khanti, Khande, Kantek" (Khanty), living inKhanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug , a region historically known as "Yugra " inRussia , together with Mansi peoples. In theautonomous okrug , the Khanty andMansi language s are given co-official status with Russian. In the 2002 Census, 28,678 persons identified themselves as Khanty. Of those, 26,694 were resident inTyumen Oblast , of which 17,128 were living in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and 8,760—inYamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug . 873 were residents of neighbouringTomsk Oblast , and 88 lived in theKomi Republic .History
Khanty appear most likely in Russian records under the name
Yugra (ca. 11th century), when they had contact with Russian hunters and merchants. The name comes fromKomi-Zyrian language "jögra" (Khanty). It is also possible that they were first recorded by the English KingAlfred the Great (ca. 10th century), who located Fenland (wetland ) to the east of the White Sea in Western Siberia.The Khanty duchies were partially included in the
Siberia Khanate from the 1440s–1570s.In the 11th century,
Yugra was actually a term for numerous tribes, each having its own centre and its own chief. Every tribe had two exogamic phratries, termed "mon't"' and "por", and all members were considered to be blood relatives. This structure was later replaced withclan s, where each clan leader ("knyazets") negotiated with the Russian realm. They also participated in Russian campaigns, and received the right to collect "yasaq" (tribute) from two Khanty "volosts" (districts) respectively. When this structure was no longer needed, Russia deprived them of their privileges.Between the 17th and 19th centuries, there were attempts to introduce
Christianity , but the Khanty lifestyle did not undergo any real changes. In the second half of 19th century, they gradually accepted state law.During the Soviet period the Khanty were one of the few indigenous minorities of Siberia to be granted an autonomy in the form of an
okrug (autonomous district). The establishment of autonomy has played a considerable role in consolidation of the ethnos (the Western Khants called their eastern neighbours "Kantõk" [the Other People] ). However, in the 1930s concerted efforts were made by the Soviet state to collectivise them. The initial stages of this meant the execution of tribal chiefs who were labelled "kulak s" followed by the execution ofshaman s. The abduction by the state of the children who were sent to Russian speaking boarding schools provoked a national revolt in 1933 called theKazym rebellion .After the end of the
Stalin period this process was relaxed and efforts were intensified in the 1980s and '90s to protect their common territory from industrial expansion of various ministries and agencies. The autonomy has also played a major role in preserving the traditional culture and language.Some consider the Khanty's ancestors to be the prehistoric
metalworking Andronovo Culture.Anthropologically, characteristics of the Khants (particularly in the Beryozovo region) may include broad-shouldered stocky trunks with characteristic convexity, high cheek-bones, and dark eyes and hair. The average height for men is 158 cm; for women, 146 cm.
Economy
The Khanty's traditional occupations were fishery, taiga hunting and reindeer herding. They lived as trappers, thus gathering was of major importance.
Organisation
The Khanty are one of the indigenous minorities in Siberia with an autonomy in the form of an
okrug (autonomous district).Religion
Khanty are today Orthodox Christians, mixed with traditional beliefs (shamans, reincarnation).
Their historical shaman wore no special clothes except a cap.
Language
The Khanty language is a language belonging to the Ugric branch of the
Uralic languages , consisting of ten dialects, divided into southern, northern and eastern subgroups, and closely related to theMansi language .ee also
*
Iyrcae External links
* [http://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/etnisk_b.exe?Khant Centre for Russian Studies] — Norwegian studies of Russian peoples
* [http://www.raipon.org/Web_Database/khant.html Khants] — Some pictures of Khants' bird and fishery traps
* [http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/khants.shtml Redbook: The Khants]
* [http://www.suri.ee/eup/khants.html Endangered Uralic Peoples: Khants or Ostyaks]
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