Group: | Abaganar |
Region1: | |
Religions: | Tibetan Buddhism, Mongolian shamanism, Atheism |
Related: | Mongols, especially Southern Mongols |
The Abaganars are (Khalkha-Mongolian:Авга нар/Avga nar;) a Southern Mongolian sub-ethnic group in Abag Banner, Inner Mongolia of China.
The ethnonyms "Abaganar" and "Abaga" translated from Mongolian language means paternal uncle. According to G. Sukhbaatar, these ethnonyms goes deep into history, right up to the Xianbei. L. Bazin was the first to propose such an interpretation, comparing the Xianbei aimak Afugan with Abagas.[1]
The Abaganars and Abagas appeared in the 13th century from the people granted by Genghis Khan to his brother Belgutei. Some of them mixed not only with Mongol-speaking tribes - Oirats, Khalkhas, Buryats, Inner Mongols and Kalmyks, but also became part of the Turkmens, Telengits and Evenks.[2]