in western
Siberia]]
Khanty / Hanti (obsolete:
Ostyaks) are an
indigenous people calling themselves
Khanti, Khande, Kantek (Khanty), living in
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, a region historically known as "
Yugra" in
Russia, together with
Mansi peoples. In the
autonomous okrug, the
Khanty and
Mansi languages are given co-official status with Russian. In the 2002
Census, 28,678 persons identified themselves as Khanty. Of those, 26,694 were resident in
Tyumen Oblast, of which 17,128 were living in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and 8,760—in
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. 873 were residents of neighbouring
Tomsk Oblast, and 88 lived in the
Komi 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 from
Komi-Zyrian language jögra (Khanty). It is also possible that they were first recorded by the English King
Alfred the Great (ca. 9th 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 with clans, 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 "kulaks" followed by the execution of shamans. The abduction by the state of the children who were sent to Russian speaking boarding schools provoked a national revolt in 1933 called the Kazym 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 ashley).
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 the
Mansi language and
Hungarian.
See also
Iyrcae
External links
Centre for Russian Studies — Norwegian studies of Russian peoples
Khants — Some pictures of Khants' bird and fishery traps
Redbook: The Khants
Survival International
Endangered Uralic Peoples: Khants or Ostyaks
Category:Ancient peoples
Category:Ethnic groups in Russia
Category:Eurasian nomads
Category:Finno-Ugric languages
Category:Indigenous peoples of North Asia
Category:Ugric peoples
