Social life of Uighurs in Katanov's collection: Family, kinship, lineage and marriage

The subject of this study is the translation of the first volume of Katanov's compilation in East Turkestan into Turkish and the examination of social life among the Uyghurs based on these texts. The work titled Volkskundliche Texte aus Ost-Türkistan contains the data collected by N. F. Katanov during his visits to South Siberia, Kazakhstan, and East Turkestan between 1890-1892 for ethnological and linguistic research, sponsored by the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The texts compiled by Katanov were reorganised and published in two volumes by K. H. Menges in 1976. The study has three main objectives: the translation of the first volume of Volkskundliche Texte aus Ost-Türkistan, identifying data regarding the social life of the Uyghurs, and the description of these findings. During the translation phase of the study, a document analysis technique based on a qualitative method was applied, and a direct translation method was employed using grammar and language resources. German translations were utilized at this stage to maintain the text's integrity. The localization method was used in areas with cultural similarities, while expressions without Turkish equivalents were presented in their original form. In the examination section of the study, the concepts of family and kinship were explained based on anthropological and sociological taxonomy. The development of the family and lineage orientation were examined from the evolutionary theory perspectives of Bachofen, Morgan, and Engels. While addressing the societal roles of kinship relations and common kinship terminology, the taxonomy recognized by the discipline of anthropology was used. Linguistically prepared studies were referenced for the classification of kinship relations. Regarding marriage, data from anthropology, sociology, and folklore were utilized, and the translated texts were explained in accordance with the taxonomy of these disciplines.