NATIONAL GAMES OF THE PEOPLES OF CENTRAL ASIA: CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ETHNIC IDENTITY
Abstract
Among the peoples of Central Asia, a wide variety of similar traditional folk games are observed, which has been reflected in the scholarly views of numerous researchers. The traditional games of each nation possess distinctive features as well as common similarities. In particular, the principles of horse selection, the content of the game, and its representation in historical sources vary among different peoples. The Uzbek people also have numerous horse-related traditional games, including Kupkari-Uloq, Qiz Quvmoq, Horseback Swordsmanship, Oltin Qoboq, and Chavgon. Among these, Kupkari-Uloq continues to occupy a special place as one of the largest and most widespread ethnosport disciplines. In Central Asia, Uloq-Kupkari as an ethnosport has been the subject of numerous scientific studies and is regarded as one of the most extensively researched topics in the history of physical education and sport. Based on written sources and previous scholarly studies, this article analyzes the characteristics and historical stages of development of the Uloq-Kupkari game among the Uzbek people.
Keywords
ethnosport, folk games, national sports, kupkari-uloq, buzkashi, horse selection, equestrian sport, agility, bravery, social qualities.How to Cite
References
. Encyclopedia of National Sports and Folk Games of Uzbekistan. (2022). Tashkent: Zamin Nashr, pp. 54–71.
. Yuldashev, S. (2020). Historical, Scientific, and Pedagogical Foundations of Folk Games in the Process of Continuous Education and Upbringing. Fergana: Monograph, 220 p.
. Abdurakhmonov, I. (2009). Uzbek Folk Games and Performance Culture. Tashkent, pp. 104–105.
. Qoraboev, U., & Abdurakhmonov, I. (2019). Uzbek Folk Games. Tashkent.
. Yuldashev, S. (2022). Uzbekskie obychai: Ulak (Ko‘pkari). In: Ethnic Atlas of Uzbekistan. Tashkent, pp. 331–343.
. Mukhiddinovna N. Methods Usage of Moving Games to Develop Physical Skills and Abilities of Preschool Children //International Journal of Academic Pedagogical Research (IJAPR). – 2019. – Т. 3. – №. 4.
. Djumaniyazova, F., & Nuriddinova, M. (2024). On the history of the Uloq-Kupkari game among Uzbeks. Turkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, Kırıkkale University, Turkey, pp. 1–15.
. Jo‘rayev, M. (1983). Ko‘kbo‘ri avlodlari. Fan va Turmush, 3, pp. 12–13.
. Jo‘rayev, M. (1993, March 10). Ko‘pkarimi yoki ko‘kbo‘ri? Xalq So‘zi.
. Jo‘rayev, M. (2021). On the historical foundations of the epic “Oltin Qoboq”. Ta’lim va Innovatsion Tadqiqotlar, 1, Bukhara, pp. 132–141.
. Klyashtorny, S. G. (2006). Al-Bīrūnī’s version of an Old Turkic genealogical legend: On the semantics of Turkic baraq. In: Monuments of Ancient Turkic Writing and the Ethnocultural History of Central Asia. Saint Petersburg: Nauka, pp. 446–454.
. Kuznetsov, P. F. (2018). Botai culture of the Late Eneolithic: Pro et contra on the existence of domesticated horses. Priroda, 7, Samara, pp. 16–19.
. UNESCO. Kok boru, traditional horse game. Available at: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kok-boru-traditional-horse-game-01294 .
.Advantour. Kupkari traditions in Uzbekistan. Available at: https://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/traditions/kupkari.htm.
.Wikipedia. Buzkashi. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muyassar Mukhiddinovna Nuriddinova
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
