APeopleIndependent states
Uzbeks
The largest people of the Karluk branch. Heirs of Silk Road cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva; the language of Alisher Navoi lives on in modern Uzbek.
The Uzbeks are a Turkic people of the Karluk branch. Their name is traditionally traced to Uzbek Khan of the Golden Horde. In the 16th century Uzbek tribes led by Shaybani Khan entered Transoxiana and merged with the long-settled Turkic population there.
Uzbek culture is known for Timurid architecture, Chagatai literature and the legacy of Alisher Navoi. Uzbekistan became independent in 1991. Large Uzbek communities live in northern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan's Fergana region and Kazakhstan.
Updated: September 28, 2026