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Since the Khanty language has about 10 dialects which can be united in 3 main branches, there are several slightly different words used by these people to describe themselves:
In the second millennium BC, the territories between theKama and theIrtysh Rivers were the home of aProto-Uralic-speaking population that had contacts withProto-Indo-European speakers from the south.[6] The woodland population is the ancestor of the modern Ugrian inhabitants of Trans-Uralia.[6] Other researchers say that the Khanty people originated in the south Ural steppe and moved northwards into their current location about 500 AD.[7]
Khanty probably appear in Russian records under the name Yugra (ca. 11th century), when they had contact withNovgorodian hunters and merchants.[8][9] The name ofYugra derives fromKomi-Zyrian wordjögra ('Khanty'). The older Russian nameOstyak is from Khantyas-kho 'person from the Ob (as) River,' with -yak after other ethnic terms likePermyak.[8]
Some Khanty princedoms were partially included in theSiberia 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 twoexogamicphratries, termedmon't' andpor, and all members were considered to be blood relatives. This structure was later replaced withclans, where each clan leader (knyazets) negotiated with the Russian realm. They also participated in Russian campaigns, and received the right to collectyasaq (tribute) from two Khantyvolosts (districts) respectively. When this structure was no longer needed, Russia deprived them of their privileges.
After theRussian conquest of Siberia, Russians attempted to Christianize the Khanty. Russian missionaries and officials instructed that idols be destroyed, mass baptisms be performed, and harsh punishment for those that disobeyed the church. Russian officials also took Khanty children as hostages and converted them to Christianity.[9] Conversions were generally superficial in nature and motivated by economic incentives. As a consequence, the Khanty continued to incorporate native practices and beliefs into their spirituality.[9]
During theSoviet period the Khanty were one of the few indigenous minorities of Siberia to be granted an autonomy in the form of anokrug (autonomous district). The establishment of autonomy has played a considerable role in consolidation of the ethnos (the Western Khants called their eastern neighboursKantõk [the Other People]). However, in the 1930s concerted efforts were made by the Soviet state to collectivise them.[9] The initial stages of this meant the execution of tribal chiefs, who were labelled "kulaks", followed by the execution ofshamans. 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 theStalin period this process was relaxed and efforts were intensified in the 1980s and 1990s 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.
The Khantys' traditional occupations were fishery, taiga hunting and reindeer herding. They lived as trappers, thus gathering was of major importance.[11]
During the winter, the Khanty lived in stationary huts made out of dirt and branches at permanent villages. During the spring, the Khanty moved towards hunting and fishing grounds, where they constructed temporary rectangular-shaped shelters out of birch-bark and poles.[11]
Weapons utilized by the Khanty were advanced for the period and included longbows, arrows, spears, and the use of iron helmets and chain mail.[11]
Most Khanty are today Orthodox Christians, mixed with traditional beliefs (shamans, reincarnation). Their historical shaman wore no special clothes except a cap. Traditional Khanty cults are closely related to nature. The Crow spring celebration[12] is being celebrated in April, nowadays it is April 7, the same day as the Annunciation day. The Bear Celebration is being celebrated occasionally after a successful hunting of a bear. The Bear Celebration continues 5 or 6 days (the duration depends on the sex of the animal). Over 300 songs and performances occur during a Bear Celebration. The most important parts of the celebration are:
Nukh Kiltatty Ar (The Awakening Song)
Ily Vukhalty Ar (The Coming Down From The Sky Song) - The story about the son of Torum (the sky god). The son was sent by Torum to rule the Earth. He has forgotten father's advice, lost his immortality, turned into a beast and has been killed by the hunters.
In addition to bear songs,fairy tales and other stories, Khanty folklore includesepic poetry. It shares similar themes with the mythical and heroic stories told by the Mansi people.[10]
The Khanty's written literature had its beginnings in the first half of the 20th century. The first notable Khanty writer wasGrigori Lazarev [ru], best known for his novelSorneng tow.[10]
Khanty (Khn) and other Uralic populations in a PCA.[14]
80 percent of Khanty men carry thehaplogroup N. 48.8 percent of them belong to its subgroupN1c and 31.4 percent belong to the subcladeN-P43. Other haplotypes includeR1b (10.5 %) andR1a (5.8 %).[14]
The most common mtDNA haplogroup among the Khantys isU (28.3 %). 16.5 percent of Khanty women belong to its subgroupU4, 5.7 percent to subgroupU7, 5.4 percent to subgroupU5, and the subcladesU2 andU1 are found with frequencies of less than one percent. Other maternal haplogroups includeH (17.3 %),J (13.1 %),D (11.6 %) andC (10.4 %).[14]
An estimated 61 percent of the Khanty's autosomal DNA isNganasan-like Siberian and the rest is West Eurasian.[14]
^abWiget, Andrew; Balalaeva, Olga (2011).Khanty, People of the Taiga: Surviving the 20th Century. University of Alaska Press. p. 3.ISBN978-16022-3125-2.
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