Tribal relations – a relic or a reality?

Abstract

The article sets the task of identifying the features of the tribal structure, tribal relations among the Karakalpaks and their manifestations in the everyday culture of the people. Among the Karakalpaks, tribal communities are called ury. The generic structure itself is a complex hierarchy. The clans are united into two large arys – konyrat and on tort ury. Each of the arys is divided into urў, urў into tiira. In turn, tiire is divided into koshe. Each family group has its own name. The meaning of uraў is manifested in social and family life, in particular, in marital relations, when marriage is regulated by belonging to a certain genus. Karakalpaks in most cases marry between persons who are not related – uryўlas, that is, who are not relatives. The role of the ury is manifested in family relations. Most people retain family ties, regardless of the generation in which they intersect, and try not to interrupt communication with representatives of their kind. The idea of a common origin is very important for them, it serves to preserve the common genus. Preservation of family ties is the custom of appointing muryndyk ata and ene for newlyweds. Family unity is observed in funeral rites. Until the present time, the tradition of burying the deceased in the family cemetery has been preserved and relatives strictly adhere to it. It is not uncommon that the deceased is brought from afar for that. The previously existing principle of settlement according to tribal affiliation has lost its significance in modern conditions.