Lyuli

The Mugat Ghorbati are a branch of the Ghorbati people living in Central Asia, primarily Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and southern Kyrgyzstan; also, related groups can be found in Turkey, and the Balkans, Crimea, Southern Russia and Afghanistan. They speak ethnolects of the Persian and Turkic language and practice Sunni Islam. Although commonly referred to as "Lyuli" and "Jugi," these words are considered pejorative by the Mugat. They have a clan organization, which may be referred to as either "tupar" or "avlod" depending on the specific inter-group language a given individual speaks. Division into sub-clans is also practiced. The Mugat community is closed to entry by non-Mugat.Николай Бессонов. Цыгане и пресса. Эпопея о люли
- Some photos of Lyulis

Etymology

There are several names for the Mugat: ''Jughi'', ''Multani'', ''Bombay'' or ''Luli''. However, they refer to themselves as ''Muğat'' (Мугат) or ''Mughat'' (), as well as ''Gurbet'' (), which means "lonely". The exact origin of the name "Mugat Ghorbati" is unclear, but may be related to a medieval Islamic guild called the Banu Sassan. This group renamed themselves the "Bani al Ghuraba," or "tribe of exile," and modern Mugat languages can be traced to them, suggesting "Ghorbati" derives from "Ghuraba." The term ''Multani'' signifies a person who originates from the city of Multan (in modern-day Pakistan), because some of the Mugat emigrated from Multan after the Siege of Multan, 1296–1297 to Central Asia.

History

The Mugat originate from North India. According to local traditions held by the Mugat, their community already existed in the region by the time of Timur. In time, the Mugat began adopting the customs, languages, and the Islamic faith of their Central Asian neighbors. Many Mugat were nomadic until the early 20th century, when they began living in urban areas. The Mugat had a presence in China until vanishing from the historical record by the early Qing period. Luoli was the Chinese name for them when they settled in China during the Yuan and Ming dynasty. Hui during this time was not synonymous with Muslim during the Yuan, with there being Christian Hui, Jewish Hui and Gypsy Hui in addition to Muslim Hui. Muslim Hui themselves were a sub-set of Hui Hui. The term Hui Hui country (回回國) was originally used by Chinese in the Yuan dynasty to refer to the Khwarazmian Empire in Central Asia. During the Yuan dynasty Hui Hui became a catchall term used for people of multiple religions from west of China including Jews, Christians, Hindus and Muslims. Zhuhu Huihui (主鹘回回) was the specific term for Jews. Jewish and Muslim merchants who used false weights were punished by Yuan authorities in Hangzhou, the Muslims were "wealth merchants" and the Jews worked in the sugar bureau of Hangzhou. There were also Gypsy Huihui (Luoli Huihui), Christian Green Eyed Huihui (Lüjing Huihui) and Indian Huihui (Xindu or Jingduhei Huihu).

Mugat in Kyrgyzstan

The Mugat live in the south of Kyrgyzstan, in Osh Region. Their living standard is extremely low. Many Mugat have no official documents. Education is conducted in Russian, Kyrgyz, or Uzbek, but many Muğat lack education. Mugat society is working towards improvement of their living standards, education and knowledge of Kyrgyz and Russian, and preservation of their culture.

Mugat in Kazakhstan

The Kazakh Mugat, also known Luli-Kazakhs, or Kazakh Luli, are a small ethnic group in Kazakhstan. They are a subgroup of the broader Mugat ethnic minority originating from Fergana Valley region in Uzbekistan and southeastern regions of Kazakhstan: Almaty Region, and Zambil. Their exact population size is unknown, but they are estimated to be a few hundreds. They speak a dialect of Kazakh language and the majority has well integrated in Kazakhstan and also identifies as Kazakh.
The Kazakh Mugat have a distinct cultural identity, which is shaped by their nomadic lifestyle, Islamic faith, and heritage. They maintain unique cultural practices and traditions, such as their music and dance, as well as specific forms of clothing and hats. The Kazakh Mugat have faced social, economic, and political marginalization and discrimination throughout their history, and their cultural survival remains a challenge in modern-day Central Asia.
The Kazakh Mugat are believed to have also migrated to the Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the 19th century. Majority of them have a nomadic lifestyle and speak a dialect of the Kazakh language that is heavily influenced by Turkish. Today, in Balkans, there is a few hundreds of Kazakh Mugat who have assimilated into the society and majority have obtained citizenships of countries they reside in.

Mugat in Uzbekistan

There are approximately between 12,000 - 20,000 Mugat in Uzbekistan. While children converse in their native language or mixed speech at home, poor educational standards and poverty have gradually reduced fluency rates in favour of Russian or Uzbek.

Mugat in Russia

Starting from the early 1990s, the Mugat began migrating into Southern Russian cities, most noticeably around railway stations and markets. At first, Russians mistakenly identified them as Tajik refugees or ethnic Uzbeks due to their traditional Central Asian robes. Russian Roma emphasize that the Mugat are distinct from them and not part of the Romani society and culture, and are considered to be of Indo-Turkic people origin. They are a frequent target of Russian far right skinheads.

Mugat in Tajikistan

2,234 Mugat lived in Tajikistan in 2010.

Jugi in Iran

Jugi people are a Nomad group, who believe once came from Egypt, living in Mazandaran Province of Iran and in Central Asia, called as Central Asian Gypsy and confused with European Romani people or Doms and Loms.

Anatolia, Balkans and Crimea peninsula

The Ottoman Archives of the 18th and 19th century, cite 4 clans of the so-called Türkmen Kıpti who spoke a Turkik dialect with few Romani words in their jargon and who were Alevi of Bektashi Order, as a separate group in Rumelia. They migrated from Central Asia to Anatolia. At Dulkadiroğlu, Kahramanmaraş, they were registered in the 16th as ''Gurbet'' at the time of the Ottoman Empire, and settled finally in the Balkans and Crimean Khanate. Turkish Roma from Varna in Bulgaria who called themself Usta Millet or Mehter, claimed to be descendants of this special tribe.

Culture

In the past the Mugat used to work as wandering musical entertainers, fortune-tellers, peddlers and beggars. Women also worked as tailors for other non-Mugat women, including making hairnets for veils. Some subgroups specialized in other trades like woodworking. Modern Mugat are now settled and work in diverse occupations including in education, factories, business and more.

The Mugat are devout Sunni Muslims, but some traces of pre-Islamic beliefs have continued to endure.

The Mugat face discrimination from others and social marginalization. Some suffer from poverty and isolation.

References

External links

Marushiakova, Elena and Vesselin Popov. 2016. Gypsies of Central Asia and Caucasus. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Perceptions of Identity: Luli in Uzbekistan
a visit to a Luli community and brief summaries of interviews

{{Ethnic groups in Kyrgyzstan

Ethnic groups in Tajikistan
Ethnic groups in Uzbekistan
Ethnic groups in Kyrgyzstan
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Modern nomads
Ethnic groups in Turkmenistan
Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan
Ethnic groups in Russia
Ethnic groups in Iran
Ethnic groups in Central Asia
Exonyms
Turkic peoples of Asia
Iranian peoples