Transcaspian Turkmen

The Transcaspian Turkmen are a people who speak a Turkic language, with the majority residing in Turkmenistan and surrounding Central Asian regions. Significant populations also live in Iran and Afghanistan. Traditionally, they were nomadic pastoralists, raising livestock in arid environments and known for their rug weaving. While those under Soviet rule adopted agriculture with irrigation, some outside the Soviet Union maintained their nomadic lifestyle. Turkmen social organization was historically based on paternal descent and tribal divisions, though Soviet rule fostered greater unity and a sense of nationhood. They are Muslims, but their practice of Islam is less influenced by sedentary traditions compared to other Turkic peoples.12