According to the Secret History of the Mongols, written during the reign of
Ögedei Khan [r. 1229–1241], the Barlas shared ancestry with the
Borjigin, the imperial clan of
Genghis Khan and his successors, and other
Mongol clans. The leading clan of the Barlas traced its origin to
Qarachar Barlas,[2] head of one of
Chagatai's regiments. Qarachar Barlas was a descendant of the legendary Mongol warlord Bodonchir (Bodon Achir; Bodon'ar Mungqaq), who was also considered a direct ancestor of
Genghis Khan.[6] The internal structure of the Barlas' leading clan consisted of five major lineages– tracing back to the sons of Qarachar– who were important in matters of inheritance but did not constitute separate political or territorial entities.[7]
The Barlas controlled the region of Kish (modern
Shahrisabz,
Uzbekistan) and all of its lineages seem to have been associated with this region.[8] In contrast to most neighboring tribes who remained
nomadic, the Barlas were a
sedentary tribe.[9] Due to extensive contacts with the native population of
Central Asia, the tribe had adopted the religion of
Islam,[3] and the
Chagatai language, a
Turkic language of the
Qarluq branch, which was heavily influenced by
Arabic and
Persian.[10] Although the Barlas were not always
exogamous, most marriages recorded were outside the tribe.[11]
^
abGrupper, S. M. 'A Barulas Family Narrative in the Yuan Shih: Some Neglected Prosopographical and Institutional Sources on Timurid Origins'. Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi 8 (1992–94): 11–97
^
abB.F. Manz, The rise and rule of Tamerlan,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, p. 28: "... We know definitely that the leading clan of the Barlas tribe traced its origin to Qarachar Barlas, head of one of Chaghadai's regiments ... These then were the most prominent members of the Ulus Chaghadai: the old Mongolian tribes — Barlas, Arlat, Soldus and Jalayir ..."
^
abM.S. Asimov &
C. E. Bosworth, History of Civilizations of Central Asia,
UNESCO Regional Office, 1998,
ISBN92-3-103467-7, p. 320: "... One of his followers was [...] Timur of the Barlas tribe. This Mongol tribe had settled [...] in the valley of Kashka Darya, intermingling with the Turkish population, adopting their religion (Islam) and gradually giving up its own nomadic ways, like a number of other Mongol tribes in Transoxania ..."
1 Central Asian (i.e.
Turkmeni,
Afghani and
Iranian)
Turkmens, distinct from Levantine (i.e.
Iraqi and
Syrian) Turkmen/Turkoman minorities, who mostly adhere to an Ottoman-Turkish heritage and identity.
2 In traditional areas of Turkish settlement (i.e. former
Ottoman territories).